MEMORY LANE EVENTS
Details of our next event will be placed here.
I offer a Talk entitled "Music Maestro Please" about the British dance bands of the 1920s, 1930s and 1940s.
I am a specialist on the history of the British dance band, having studied the subject over many years. I am the author of two books on the great Al Bowlly, and long-time editor of the acclaimed magazine "Memory Lane". Additionally, I have presented over 100 radio shows on the subject and contributed to programs on Radio 2 and 4 plus Jazz FM. I have also been involved with several television shows and worked with Roy Hudd and Len Goodman.
My presentation "Music Maestro Please" focuses on British dance band era from the post WW1 years. The talk will explore the origins of dance music in the early 1920s and follow its development through the heyday of the dance bands including some details about the most important and successful bands of the age.
The 1940s saw the decline of the genre. I will examine the causes of that decline.
A crucial aspect to be looked at is the technology that made the bands successful. The development of the microphone, the transition from acoustic to electronic recording and the birth of radio all demonstrating why all this was important to the bands. The genre could not have developed as it did without it..
I will discuss the emergence of crooners and include a section devoted to Al Bowlly, the dance bands singer who, since his death, has eclipsed the bands of which he was a part.
The talk which includes some humour can be followed by a question and answer session.
The Talk can be tailored to your requirements and can last up to 2 hours. Optional music and Power Point Presentation to accompany the Talk are available if required.