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Episodes

Aug. 22, 2025

Make Believe Ballroom - 8/22/25 Edition

This week's Make Believe Ballroom with Jeff Bressler brings you Classic Big Band Hits from the 30s and 40s - some Bing Crosby duets, a long-forgotten female vocalist, a battling composer, a couple of first-time-ever-recorded ...

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Aug. 15, 2025

Make Believe Ballroom - 8/15/25 Edition

This week's Make Believe Ballroom with Jeff Bressler brings you Classic Big Band Hits from the 30s and 40s -Frank Sinatra turned down for a job, a song that became a gold record 43 years after it was written, World War II tun...

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Aug. 8, 2025

Make Believe Ballroom - 8/8/25 Edition

This week's Make Believe Ballroom with Jeff Bressler brings you Classic Big Band Hits from the 30s and 40s - a one hit wonder, a lightly played Benny Goodman tune, how Marilyn helped Ella, listners emails, Lenny from Down the...

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Aug. 1, 2025

Make Believe Ballroom - 8/1/25 Edition

This week's Make Believe Ballroom with Jeff Bressler brings you Classic Big Band Hits from the 30s and 40s - a historic big band colaberation, a singing sisters nick name for a wildly popular comic and bandleader, listners em...

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July 25, 2025

Make Believe Ballroom - 7/25/25 Edition

This week's Make Believe Ballroom with Jeff Bressler brings you Classic Big Band Hits from the 30s and 40s - we spin a couple of lightly played Glenn Miller recordings, two great classic Jam Sessions from the origional Make B...

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July 18, 2025

Make Believe Ballroom - 7/18/25 Edition

This week's Make Believe Ballroom with Jeff Bressler brings you Classic Big Band Hits from the 30s and 40s - a big band leader who had to change his name, a popular bandleader who had a second career as an MC and DJ, this and...

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July 11, 2025

Make Believe Ballroom - 7/11/25 Edition

This week's Make Believe Ballroom with Jeff Bressler brings you Classic Big Band Hits from the 30s and 40s - an email from a 95 year old veteran who played in the Air Force Band, a song written for the legendary disc jockey A...

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July 4, 2025

Make Believe Ballroom - 7/4/25 Edition

This week's Make Believe Ballroom with Jeff Bressler brings you Classic Big Band Hits from the 30s and 40s - a look at a listener's somewhat controversial list of the most influential jazz musicians and vocalists of the swing...

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June 27, 2025

Make Believe Ballroom - 6/27/25 Edition

This week's Make Believe Ballroom with Jeff Bressler brings you Classic Big Band Hits from the 30s and 40s - a special tribute to Angelo Carbone and the Raphie from Canarsie, Brooklyn Record Club, also Lenny from Down the Blo...

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June 20, 2025

Make Believe Ballroom - 6/20/25 Edition

This week's Make Believe Ballroom with Jeff Bressler brings you Classic Big Band Hits from the 30s and 40s - a game show hosts famous uncle, a longtime listners special playlist, a gambling song, Lenny from Down the Block wit...

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June 13, 2025

Make Believe Ballroom - 6/13/25 Edition

This week's Make Believe Ballroom with Jeff Bressler brings you Classic Big Band Hits from the 30s and 40s -One of the all time great female vocalists first record as a younf teenager, a dubious record company executive, Lenn...

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June 6, 2025

Make Believe Ballroom - 6/6/25 Edition

This week's Make Believe Ballroom with Jeff Bressler brings you Classic Big Band Hits from the 30s and 40s - we take a close look at a song that won an Academy Award in 1937, but more importantly, holds a musical world record...

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May 31, 2025

Make Believe Ballroom -5/30/25 Edition

This week's Make Believe Ballroom brings you Classic Big Band Hits from the 30s and 40s - a look at what Jeff Bressler feels is the primary reason for the demise of big bands, a story on how opposites attract, listener emails...

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May 24, 2025

Make Believe Ballroom - 5/23/25 Edition

On this week's Make Believe Ballroom, bringing you Classic Big Band Hits from the 30s and 40s – one of those shows where we go totally off script almost as soon as we begin and end up with a list of Ralph Kramden's favorite ...

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May 18, 2025

Make Believe Ballroom - 5/16/25 Edition

On this week's Make Believe Ballroom, bringing you Classic Big Band Hits from the 30s and 40s – a band vocalist who was second only to Bing Crosby, more listeners submit lists of their favorite big band songs, Lenny from Down...

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May 8, 2025

Make Believe Ballroom - 5/9/25 Edition

Join Jeff Bressler for some great Big Band Music of the 30's and 40's on this week's Make Believe Ballroom broadcast on member-supported Jazz 90.1 in Rochester, NY, and other fine radio affiliates across the United States and the United Kingdom –the...

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May 2, 2025

Make Believe Ballroom - 5/2/25 Edition

Hosted by Jeff Bressler, the Make Believe Ballroom brings you Classic Big Band Hits from the 30s and 40s This week's show, broadcast on member-supported Jazz 90.1 in Rochester, NY, and other fine radio affiliates across the United States and the...

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April 25, 2025

Make Believe Ballroom - 4/25/25 Edition

On this week's Make Believe Ballroom broadcast on member-supported Jazz 90.1 in Rochester, NY, and other fine radio affiliates across the United States and the United Kingdom – a long-forgotten New York area Ballroom, a postage stamp series from the...

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April 18, 2025

Make Believe Ballroom - 4/18/25 Edition

On this week's Make Believe Ballroom broadcast on member-supported Jazz 90.1 in Rochester, NY, and other fine radio affiliates across the United States and the United Kingdom - a recording glitch explained, did Bing and Bob Crosby ever work together?...

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April 11, 2025

Make Believe Ballroom - 4/11/25 Edition

On this week's Make Believe Ballroom broadcast on member-supported Jazz 90.1 in Rochester, NY, and other fine radio affiliates across the United States as well as in the United Kingdom – a song that took many years to become a hit, bandleaders on the...

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April 4, 2025

Make Believe Ballroom - 4/4/25 Edition

On this week's Make Believe Ballroom broadcast on member-supported Jazz 90.1 in Rochester, NY, and other fine radio affiliates across the United States as well as in the United Kingdom – more records recorded on the same day, a demanding Frank...

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March 28, 2025

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On this week's Make Believe Ballroom broadcast on member-supported Jazz 90.1 in Rochester, NY, and other fine radio affiliates across the United States as well as in the United Kingdom – a Doo Wop surprise, a dancing trivia question, an email from a...

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March 21, 2025

Make Believe Ballroom - 3/21/25 Edition

On this week's Make Believe Ballroom broadcast on member-supported Jazz 90.1 in Rochester, NY, and other fine radio affiliates across the United States as well as in the United Kingdom –a few records recorded on the same day, a big band era musician...

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March 14, 2025

Make Believe Ballroom - 3/14/25 Edition

On this week's Make Believe Ballroom broadcast on member-supported Jazz 90.1 in Rochester, NY, and other fine radio affiliates across the United States as well as in the United Kingdom –a little known bandleader with a famous wife, a big band baseball...

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