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 Dorothy Maynor (1910-1996)
A soprano who made her debut at The Town Hall in 1939 and her recording debut soon after. She established herself as one of the leading singers of the nation and, among African-American concert artists, as a member of the select circle, which included Marion Anderson, Paul Robeson and Roland Hayes. After she retired from the concert stage, she founded the Harlem School of the Arts and served as its first director.
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 Jazz Concert
Saturday, April 11, 1942
Directed by Eddie Condon
Pianists: James P. Johnson and David Bowman, Cornetists: Max Kaminsky and Hot Lips Page, trombonists: Benny Morton and J.C. Higginbotham, drummers: Zutty Singleton and Kansas, clarinetists: Rod Cless and Pee Wee Russell, guitarist: Eddie Condon, bassist: Billy Taylor, vocalist: Miss Billie Holiday, dancer: Bill Bailey
Billie Holliday (1915-1959)
A singer who remains, even after her death, the most famous of all jazz singers. "Lady Day" (as she was named by Lester Young) had a small voice and did not scat, but her innovative behind-the-beat phrasing made her quite influential. The emotional intensity that she put into the words she sang (particularly in later years) was very memorable and sometimes almost scary; she often really did live the words she sang.
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 Eddie Condon Town Hall Blue Network Broadcast Series
Recorded Live: on September 9, 16, 23 & 30, 1944
Comprising programs 17, 18, 19 & 20
Eddie Condon (1905-1973)
Was one of the gang of young white Chicago jazz musicians in the 1920s. After organizing some record sessions, Condon switched to guitar, and moved to New York in 1929 he lead some sessions for the Commodore label and he became a star. From 1944 to 1945 he lead a series of recordings at Town Hall that were broadcast weekly on the radio. Condon opened his own club in 1945, and recorded for Columbia in the 1950s.
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 Town Meeting: Let's Face the Race Question
February 17, 1945
Speakers: Langston Hughes, John Temple Graves II, Carey McWilliams and James E. Shepard
Langston Hughes (1902-1967)
A poet. His first volume of poetry The Weary Blues was published in 1926 when he was 24. Suddenly he was one of the leading figures of the Harlem Renaissance, which was at its height in the late 1920s. The child of a white father and a black mother, Hughes was a mix of French, Indian and African blood. Hughes other works include: Not Without Laughter, The Dream Keeper, The Ways of White Folks, The Big Sea, Shakespeare in Harlem, Fields of Wonder and Simple Stakes A Claim.
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 Town Meeting: Should We Support the Establishment of a Jewish State in Palestine Now?
November 8, 1945
Moderator: George V. Denny, Jr.
Speakers: Stephen S. Wise, Morris S. Lazaron, Edgar Ansel Mowrer and Carroll Binder
Dr. Stephen Wise (1874-1949)
A leader in the democratization of Reform Judaism, in the Zionist Movement. He was a founder of the Zionist Organization of America and the Jewish Institute of Religion. He wrote the Improvement of Moral Qualities and How to Face Life.
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 Town Meeting: What Can We As Individuals Do to Help Prevent World Famine?
May 2, 1946
Moderator: George V. Denny, Jr.
Speakers: Fiorella H. LaGuardia, M.W. Thatcher, Herman Falker and Frank Carlson
Fiorello LaGuardia (1882-1947)
Mayor of New York City, 1934-1945. Known for his fight against corruption, he revised the city charter and fostered civic improvements such as slum clearance and low-cost housing.
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 Town Meeting: Should the Communist Party be Outlawed in the United States?
April 3, 1947
Moderator: George V. Denny, Jr.
Speakers: Joseph R. McCarthy, Elis Arnall, Edward Arthur Hayes and Leo Cherne
Joseph McCarthy (1908-1957)
An American senator who accused many individuals of subversive activities and roused considerable public support for investigations and persecutions carried on by the House of Un-American Activities committee. His campaign of slander gave rise to the term "McCarthyism."
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 Town Meeting: What Can We Do to Improve Race and Religious Relationships in America?
October 7, 1947
Moderator: George V. Denny, Jr.
Speakers: Charles P. Taft and Walter White
Interogators: Max Lerner and Clare Boothe Luce
Clare Boothe Luce (1903-1978)
An American playwright, congresswoman and ambassador. She served as the managing editor of Vanity Fair, war correspondent for Life magazine during the Second World War, and a member of the US House of Representatives. She was the second woman to serve as US Ambassador. Recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom. She was the wife of Henry R. Luce, founder, editor and publisher of Time magazine. Her plays include: The Women, Kiss The Boys Goodbye and Margin for Error.
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 Sarah Vaughn/Lester Young: One Night Stand The Town Hall Concert 1947
Recorded Live: November 8, 1947
Cover Illustration by Alan Nahigian. Blue Note is a registered trademark of Capital Records. Capital Records 1997
Sarah Lois Vaughan
(1924 - 1990)
Songstress. Her name was synonymous with jazz singing for two generations. Gifted with an extraordinary range and perfect intonation, she would also subtly control the quality of her voice to aid the interpretation of a song, juxtaposing phrases sung in a soft and warm tone with others in a harsh, nasal vibrato or throaty growl. Vaughan ranks second only to Ella Fitzgerald in terms of influence, vocal range and sheer, consistent brilliance.
Lester Young (1909 -1959)
Tenor saxophonist. He is one of the seminal figures in jazz history and a major influence in creating the musical atmosphere in which bop could flourish. Most of the developments in bop and post-bop owe their fundamentals to Young's concern for melody and the smooth, flowing lines with which he transposed his complex musical thoughts into beautiful, articulate sounds. Few have had the impact of this unusual, introspective, sensitive and musically profound genius of jazz.
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 Town Meeting: Are We Depending Too Much on Government for General Welfare?
November 1, 1949 (584th broadcast)
Moderator: George V. Denny, Jr.
Speakers: Owen Brewster and Hubert Humphrey
Hubert Humphrey (1911-1978)
A Senator from Minnesota and a Vice President of the United States. Mayor of Minneapolis from
1945 to 1948, elected as a Democrat to the United States Senate in 1948, and reelected in 1954 and 1960. He served from January 3, 1949 until December 29, 1964, when he resigned to become Vice President under Lyndon Johnson. He was unsuccessful as the Democratic nominee for President of the United States in 1968; but was elected in 1970 to the United States Senate. He was reelected in 1976 and served until his death in office.
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