Make Believe Ballroom

Make Believe Ballroom

Hosted by Jeff Bressler, The Make Believe Ballroom brings you Classic Big Band jazz, blues, boogie-woogie, and dixieland hits from the 30s and 40s each week. The program has been broadcast almost continuously since 1935. The Ballroom is America's third-longest-running music radio program. Each program mixes beloved 78 rpm records, stories, listener requests, and special guest features, all geared to bring you the music and history of the big band era.

Episodes

August 14, 2026 58 mins
On this week’s show: why Kansas City was a jazz hub, a song that brings a memory back to Jeff Bressler—this and many more great songs and tales to cherish and enjoy on the program.
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On this week’s show: the "Mayor of Harlem," a song about a profession that helped bring black Americans into the middle class, and three crooners who caused swooning—this and many more great songs and tales to cherish and enjoy on the program.
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On this week’s show: a sneaky marketing ploy involving a popular songstress, a great Bing Crosby story —this and many more great songs and tales to cherish and enjoy on the program.

On the air since 1935 and the nation's third-oldest broadcast music radio program, the show features treasured 78rpm recordings, fascinating stories of legendary bandleaders, musicians, composers, and vocalists, listener requests, and...
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On this week’s show: a few Johnny Mercer tunes, a bandleader who didn't know who the real star was, some swinging polkas—this and many more great songs and stories to cherish and enjoy on the program.

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On this week’s show: Songs about BBQ and potato salad, some VDISC selections, a popular pianist and songstress lost in time —this and many more great songs and stories to cherish and enjoy on the program.

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On this week’s show: a historic “jass” record, Benny Goodman’s first job, an on-air mistake corrected, emails from listeners—this and many more great songs and stories to cherish and enjoy on the program.
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July 3, 2026 58 mins
This week's Make Believe Ballroom with Jeff Bressler brings you Classic Big Band Hits from the 30s and 40s—on this week’s show: Artie Shaw’s theme song and how it was written, groups of singing sisters, emails from listeners —this and many more great songs and stories to cherish and enjoy on the program.

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This week's Make Believe Ballroom with Jeff Bressler brings you Classic Big Band Hits from the 30s and 40s - a game show host's famous uncle, a longtime listener's special playlist, a gambling song, Lenny from Down the Block with his Record Pick of the Week—this and many more great songs and stories to cherish and enjoy on the program.

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On this week's edition of the Make Believe Ballroom, hosted by Jeff Bressler, a listener's request for more information on a lesser-known bandleader's autograph, a famous female bandleader's hidden secret, some radio remotes, and more records and reminiscences from the big band and jazz era.
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On this week's edition of the Make Believe Ballroom, hosted by Jeff Bressler, some songs never before played on the show, an eerie premonition relayed by a big band songstress, a female songwriting team in the 30s, and more records and reminiscences from the big band and jazz era.
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On this week's edition of the Make Believe Ballroom, hosted by Jeff Bressler, a listen to some both A and B sides of records, who was Todd Rollins, a historic black female composer, and more records and reminiscences from the big band and jazz era.
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On this week's edition of the Make Believe Ballroom hosted by Jeff Bressler, a look at a world record-breaking Bing Crosby Hawaiian tune, two Artie Shaw classic radio remotes, two interesting Benny Goodman tunes, and more records and reminiscences from the big band and jazz era.
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On this week's edition of the Make Believe Ballroom hosted by Jeff Bressler, a song about a woman in the military, listeners' emails about Louis Jordan and Bill Finnigan, the A and B side of a great Ray Noble 78rpm, and more records and reminiscences from the big band and jazz era.

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On this week's edition of the Make Believe Ballroom hosted by Jeff Bressler, Count Basie’s ode to the draft, two first-time-ever-recorded hits for Fats Waller, the mother of boogie woogie, and more records and reminiscences from the big band and jazz era.
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On this week's edition of the Make Believe Ballroom hosted by Jeff Bressler, Artie Shaw as a radio second banana, a post Glenn Miller Army small group in Paris, late 40s Metronome All-Stars, and more records and reminiscences from the big band and jazz era.
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On this week's edition of the Make Believe Ballroom, hosted by Jeff Bressler, Glenn Miller's greatest trombone solo, trombones of Teagarden and Dorsey, train songs, a short-lived Charlie Barnet vocalist, and more records and reminiscences from the big band and jazz era.
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April 24, 2026 58 mins
On this week's edition of the Make Believe Ballroom, hosted by Jeff Bressler, a historic reunion between Duke and Satchmo, the history behind some song names, a little Texas Swing 40s-style, and more records and reminiscences from the big band and jazz era.
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April 17, 2026 58 mins
On this week's edition of the Make Believe Ballroom, hosted by Jeff Bressler, a salute to a female blues vocalist, little remembered, a rare Artie Shaw record, 15-year-old Judy Garland, how a song got an unusual name, plus many more records, stories, and reminiscences from the big band era.    

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April 10, 2026 58 mins
On this week's edition of the Make Believe Ballroom, hosted by Jeff Bressler, Sarah Vaughn’s start; Count Basie reached the masses from a tiny club; the first band Benny Goodman led; listeners, emails, plus many more records, stories, and reminiscences from the big band era.
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On this week's edition of the Make Believe Ballroom, hosted by Jeff Bressler, Hawaiian swing, a bandleader with no biography, plus many more records, stories, and reminiscences from the big band era.
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