First Song - I Wish I Could Shimmy Like My Sister Kate

This is jazz. This radio's only live talent presentation of authentic improvised New Orleans jazz. The writer and narrator is Rudy Blanche, famous jazz critic and author of the recent book, Shining Trumpets.

A colorful history of this American music. Each week at this time he and his great jazz men bring you a solid half hour of superb improvised jazz and scenes from his history. So here is Rudy Blanche.

And here we all are all set and ready to go on the 18th session of This is Jazz. Our program today will be somewhat in the nature of a variety show, offering you not only the jazz standards, but less often heard tunes and different instrumental solos and combinations.

So we open today with a jazz perennial for which we've had many requests, a number written nearly 30 years ago in New Orleans, the birthplace of jazz. The melody has always been one of the most catchy and delightful of all jazz tunes.

None excels it in the sheer dance ability of its rhythm. So here we go with, I wish I could shimmy like my sister Kate. Of course, I'm shucking up so good. All the sips of big Emma Clark in the morning.

Hey, Bob, what's in me like my shimmy? This today are some of the greatest of living jazz men. There's Wild Bill Davison over there.

Give us a risk. Albert Nicklaus needs clarinet. Danny Barker and that gift box guitar. Pop's fourth in that big string bass. Freddie Moore and his drum. And James P over at the piano. James P Johnson.

Everyone of these people is famous. The jazz history books tell of their part in the creation of a great American art. And jazz lovers know their skill at the difficult improvisation required in jazz, which is in music without scores or even memorized arrangements.