Bob Strong was an American jazz and swing band leader, composer-arranger, multi-instrumentalist playing alto and baritone saxes, clarinet, oboe, violin, and cor anglais. He is this week’s Phantom Dancer feature artist where you’ll hear is oboe and cor anglais in a 1944 aircheck of his swing orchestra.

The Phantom Dancer is your weekly non-stop mix of swing and jazz from live 1920s-60s radio and TV every week.

LISTEN to this week’s Phantom Dancer mix (online after 2pm AEST, Tuesday 19 August and weeks of Phantom Dancer mixes online at, at https://2ser.com/phantom-dancer/

STRONG

While earning a Business Education Degree, Bob Strong began his music career playing in the university dance band.

By the early 1920s, he was in Chicago playing in the orchestras of Charlie Kaley, Paul Ash, Charlie Straight and Jean Goldkette.

He wrote overtures for Chicago Theatre stage shows.

Being an accomplished musician on every instrument in the reed family, playing oboe, violin and mellophone, he was booked for regular work in Chicago radio as both a musician and composer-arranger.

He was one of the busiest staff music directors in the US midwest,  conducting radio shows for Buddy Clark, Red Skelton, and shows including College Humour, Avalon Time, and Uncle Walter’s Doghouse and .

In the late 1930s and into the mid-1940s, Strong led a dance band that played in all the major dance venues across the U.S, played over radio live and via transcription recordings, and played for troops and war workers.

19 August PLAY LIST