Duke Ellington, Benny Goodman, Les Elgart & Jonah Jones

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For our final broadcast of 2025, we crack open the vinyl vault and let the turntable speak. Episode 940 of Neon Jazz kicks off in style with The Jonah Jones Quartet, spinning a gem from the 1958 classic Swinging at the Cinema. From there, we take a deep, joyful stroll through jazz history—drawing from the timeless sounds of Larry Clinton, Stan Kenton, Jimmy Dorsey, Helen O'Connell, Gerry Mulligan, Hal Kemp, Les Elgar, Buddy Morrow, Duke Ellington, Glenn Miller, Frank Sinatra, Benny Goodman, Wayne King, Gene Krupa, and Freddy Martin. It's been a remarkable year for jazz, and Neon Jazz was proud to ride that wave every day—celebrating the music, the stories, and the artists through shows and interviews all year long. Stay locked in, because 2026 is already shaping up to be a high-energy ride. Until then—dig the jazz, my friends.

Playlist

• The Jonah Jones Quartet "Just in Time" Swinging at the Cinema (Nagel Heyer) 0:00
• Host talks 2:12
• Larry Clinton "Dipsy Doodle" My Million Sellers (Essential Media) 4:13
• Stan Kenton and his Orchestra "Cuban Carnival" A Presentation of Progressive Jazz (Hindsight) 7:15
• Host talks 9:42
• Helen O'Connell with The Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra "All of Me" Essentials (Fantastic Voyage) 10:32
• Shep Fields "Rippling Rhythm" Instrumentals (Bacci Bros) 13:39
• Host talks 15:09
• Gerry Mulligan Quartet "What Is There To Say" What Is There To Say (Colombia) 15:43
• Hal Kemp And His Orchestra "Swamp Fire" 1934 & 36 (Circle) 19:27
• Host talks 21:47
• Les Elgart "Ain't We Got Fun" The Dancing Sound {Mai Tai Mood) 22:18
• Buddy Morrow "There s A Boat Dats Leavin' Soon For New York" Night Train Goes To Hollywood (Intermezzo Records) 24:42
• Host talks 26:24
• Duke Ellington "Azure" 70th Birthday Live (Blue Note Records) 26:53
• The Glenn Miller Orchestra "Mexican Shuffle" Something New (Epic/Legacy) 31:37
• Host talks 33:48
• Frank Sinatra "All or Nothing at All" Strangers in the Night (Frank Sinatra Enterprises) 34:22
• Benny Goodman "Mission to Moscow" Benny Goodman in Moscow (Colombia/Legacy) 38:21
• Host talks 41:13
• Wayne King "Dream a Little Dream of Me" Single (Essential Jazz) 41:39
• Tony Pastor "Gonna Get a Girl" 1930s and 40s Big Band Orchestras (Fantasy) 44:50
• Host talks 47:57
• Gene Krupa with Anita O'Day "Let Me Off Uptown" Stop, The Red Lights On (Unlimited Media) 48:25
• Tommy Dorsey "But I Do Mid If You Don't" This is Tommy Dorsey (Shellac Revival) 51:21
• Host talks 53:32
• Freddy Martin "Bumble Boogie" Big Band Favorites (Bacci Boss Bros.) 54:51

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