made hundreds of studio recordings. He also left in his wake a stream of broadcast air checks from 1938 and 1940. These were issued on vinyl LPs during the mid-'80s by the , and labels. 's 1999 release corresponds roughly to 's first LP volume of ; its 1985 LP reissue ; and to some extent two 1996 CD editions: on the label and on / . The broadcasts heard on this compilation were made on July 16 as well as October 14 and 18, 1938. What could be finer than catching -- -- in live performance at the Yacht Club, a fashionable night spot that existed on 52nd St. just off the Great White Way? The key word here is "white." What makes the October 14, 1938 portion difficult to stomach is the attitude of the announcer, an unsavory, tiresome, boorish, overbearing individual whose racist mentality soured the entire broadcast. Seldom has such excellent live music been sullied by an emcee this vulgar and stupid. What makes it so annoying is the tactless nitwit's use of the word "boy"; he calls "boy" almost constantly, repeating the word nervously, almost tauntingly, laughing nastily through his nose and even attempting to make the pianist appear ignorant and foolish. , no stranger to racism and composer of the song handles the chump with patience and unsinkable good humor while encouraging his little Rhythm band to swing out for the patrons of the Yacht Club. , for all his clowning around, was a sensitive, well-read and educated man; a classically trained pianist, gifted composer and skilled bandleader. Hearing him endure what comes to resemble indignity and verbal abuse is a sobering lesson in the human condition. ~ arwulf arwulf