the Club McKenzie: Your 1920s Jazz Speakeasy

Series produced by Guy Rathbun

Caption: Joe "King" Oliver
Joe "King" Oliver 

A weekly program of Music and Stories for "The Jazz Age."

Across the spectrum of pop and jazz from the late teens to the early 1930s, this weekly series from the Club McKenzie invites you the share in the talents and tales of the musicians and performers that created an unforgettable era.


625 Pieces

Order by: Newest First | Oldest First
Caption: The Washingtonians
In the beginning, they went by the name, The Washingtonians. But, it wasn’t long before they became one of the most recognizable bands in the coun...

Bought by KCBX and KCBX


  • Added: Jun 13, 2016
  • Length: 58:59
  • Purchases: 2
Caption: Canal St., New Orleans
This program visits with the early New Orleans musicians. After all, their creativity is what started jazz on the road to popularity.

Bought by KCBX and KCBX


  • Added: Jun 22, 2016
  • Length: 59:00
  • Purchases: 2
Caption: Paul Whiteman
Although bandleaders Paul Whiteman and Jean Goldkette were competitors in the 1920s, through their careers they remained friendly rivals.

Bought by KCBX


  • Added: Jun 30, 2016
  • Length: 59:00
  • Purchases: 1
Caption: 1920s flapper
Here are a few of the many stories surrounding the term jazz.

Bought by KCBX


  • Added: Jul 06, 2016
  • Length: 59:00
  • Purchases: 1
Caption: Edythe Turnham Band
This program hones in on those two critical years 1923 and 24 when jazz began to transition from New Orleans to Chicago Style.

Bought by KCBX


  • Added: Jul 13, 2016
  • Length: 59:00
  • Purchases: 1
Caption: Eddie Cantor
This program brings in those talents who saw the humor in their musical forays.

Bought by KCBX


  • Added: Jul 21, 2016
  • Length: 58:59
  • Purchases: 1
Caption: Paul Barbarin
As jazz began to dominate American popular music in the 1920s, drummers began to experiment with ways to incorporate more elaborate expressions int...

Bought by KCBX


  • Added: Jul 28, 2016
  • Length: 59:00
  • Purchases: 1
Caption: Johnny Hodges
This program pays tribute to those inventive alto saxophonists in the early years of jazz.

Bought by KCBX


  • Added: Aug 03, 2016
  • Length: 59:00
  • Purchases: 1
Caption: Josephine Baker
All that was required to stand out among your peers in the entertainment business was style, charisma, stage presence, phrasing, and, oh yes, perso...

Bought by KCBX


  • Added: Aug 10, 2016
  • Length: 59:00
  • Purchases: 1
Caption: Jazz Dance
The spontaneous enthusiasm of jazz brought exuberance to the dance floor in the 1920s.

Bought by KCBX


  • Added: Aug 17, 2016
  • Length: 58:59
  • Purchases: 1
Caption: Frankie Trumbauer
After performing together in small groups, both formed big bands in the late 1920s. Jack with his tasteful trombone, and Frankie with his distincti...

Bought by KCBX


  • Added: Aug 25, 2016
  • Length: 59:00
  • Purchases: 1
Caption: Early Radio
Jazz connected with audiences in the 1920s, but it was the combination of a prolific recording industry and the abundance of radio’s that boosted i...

Bought by KCBX


  • Added: Sep 01, 2016
  • Length: 58:59
  • Purchases: 1
Caption: Irving Berlin
Here is a selection of songs from the early years of jazz that had longevity. Their popularity lasted for decades.

Bought by KCBX


  • Added: Sep 06, 2016
  • Length: 59:00
  • Purchases: 1
Caption: Andy Razaf
If someone in Hollywood were to write an accurate screenplay on the life of composer/lyricist Andy Razaf, few would believe it.

Bought by KMUW and KCBX


  • Added: Sep 14, 2016
  • Length: 59:00
  • Purchases: 2
Caption: Milt Gabler
Long before Milt Gabler became a major record producer, he owned a very small music store in a tumble down building in New York City.

Bought by KCBX


  • Added: Sep 21, 2016
  • Length: 59:00
  • Purchases: 1
Caption: Mezz Mezzrow
In 1946 Milton Mezzrow, otherwise known as Mezz, wrote a tell all book about his experiences with jazz in the 1920s and '30s.

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  • Added: Sep 29, 2016
  • Length: 59:00
  • Purchases: 1
Caption: Walter Page
It too decades for jazz historians to recognize regional bands for their influence on the music.

Bought by KCBX


  • Added: Oct 05, 2016
  • Length: 59:00
  • Purchases: 1
Caption: Winold Reiss
When there's a movie chase scene, more often than not, the accompanying music is jazz.

Bought by KCBX


  • Added: Oct 13, 2016
  • Length: 59:00
  • Purchases: 1
Caption: The Apollo Theater
The neo-classically designed Apollo with it’s plush interior opened for business in 1913. At first it was a burlesque venue. Later featuring vaudev...

Bought by KCBX


  • Added: Oct 20, 2016
  • Length: 59:00
  • Purchases: 1
Caption: Fred Ahlert
When you hear about composers of American popular music in the 1920s and early '30s, the names that are remembered are Cole Porter, George and Ira ...

Bought by KCBX


  • Added: Oct 27, 2016
  • Length: 59:00
  • Purchases: 1