Author Description

The 1930s, 40s and 50s were times of depression, of war, and of post-war economic boom. But they were also times of tremendous innovations in popular entertainment. This was the age of big bands and songs like Brother Can You Spare a Dime, It's Only a Paper Moon, Smoke Gets In Your Eyes, Blue Hawaii, and Time After Time. When Canadians danced, these were their songs. As often as not, the band they danced to was Mart Kenney and His Western Gentlemen. Kenney's book is a nostalgic trip for those who remember dancing at his performances from coast to coast and curling up by their radios o Sunday afternoons to hear him. It's a story of annual tours, and of rubbing shoulders with Canada's greats in music, politics, the arts, and broadcasting. This book captures these unforgettable moments visually, with an album of over 150 photographs from Kenney's colletion and numerous archives, depicting the era of the big band's greatest popularity.