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Make Believe Ballroom

Jeff Bressler

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.

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21 episodes
weekly
Avg 58 min
English

Episodes 21

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Friday · 58 min
Make Believe Ballroom - 10/9/26 Edition
On this week's show: Three guys named Chick, Count Basie's favorite time of the day, Abbott and Costello music hits, a record with a historic title. All this and much more on today's edition of the program.
- Transcript
October 2 · 58 min
Make Believe Ballroom - 10/2/26 Edition
On this week's show: songs about a high-octane drink, an article about Glenn Miller in Hollywood, a Dutch Bandleader, and how many bass players you can fit on a street corner. All this and much more on today's edition of the program.
- Transcript
September 25 · 58 min
Make Believe Ballroom - 9/25/26 Edition
On this week's show: an email from Austria, a rare Benny Goodman recording, the Andrews Sisters go Hillbilly, and more records and reminiscences from the big band and jazz era.
- Transcript
September 18 · 58 min
Make Believe Ballroom - 9/18/26 Edition
On this week's show: Jam, Jelly, Marmalade, singing groups with longevity, music from a Glenn Miller film, and more records and reminiscences from the big band and jazz era.
- Transcript
September 11 · 58 min
Make Believe Ballroom - 9/11/26
On this week's show: Fats Waller meets Public Enemy Number One, a song honoring one of the era's greatest blues singers, the singer Benny Hill got his inspiration from, and more records and reminiscences from the big band and jazz era.
- Transcript
September 4 · 58 min
Make Believe Ballroom - 9/4/26 Edition
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...
- Transcript
August 28 · 58 min
Make Believe Ballroom - 8/28/26 Edition
On this week's show: Two hits of the same song recorded 30 years apart, the battle for the title of "First Lady of Radio," British Bandleaders, two great drummers, and much more on this week's program.
- Transcript
August 21 · 58 min
Make Believe Ballroom - 8/21/26 Edition
On this week’s show: A look at “Hard Luck” Amy, a vocalist whose mishaps paid off in the end —did old fogeys listen to swing music? Plus many more great songs and tales to cherish and enjoy on the program.
- Transcript
August 14 · 58 min
Make Believe Ballroom - 8/14/26 Edition
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.
- Transcript
August 7 · 58 min
Make Believe Ballroom - 8/7/26 Edition
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.
- Transcript
July 31 · 58 min
Make Believe Ballroom - 7/31/26 Edition
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...
- Transcript
July 24 · 58 min
Make Believe Ballroom - 7/24/26 Edition
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.
- Transcript
July 17 · 58 min
Make Believe Ballroom - 7/17/26 Edition
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.
- Transcript
July 10 · 58 min
Make Believe Ballroom - 7/10/26 Edition
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.
- Transcript
July 3 · 58 min
Make Believe Ballroom 7/3/26 Edition
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...
- Transcript
June 26 · 58 min
Make Believe Ballroom - 6/26/26 Edition
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...
- Transcript
June 19 · 58 min
Make Believe Ballroom - 6/19/26 Edition
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...
- Transcript
June 12 · 58 min
Make Believe Ballroom - 6/12/26 Edition
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...
- Transcript
June 5 · 58 min
Make Believe Ballroom - 6/5/26 Edition
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.
- Transcript
May 29 · 58 min
Make Believe Ballroom - 5/29/26 Edition
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...
- Transcript

Showing 1–20 of 21 episodes