MIDWEST BALLROOM

.

NEWSPAPER ARTICLES

NEWS RELEASE JANUARY , 2006

SUBURBAN LIFE 1/19/06 'Midwest Ballroom' radio program doubles air time The Chicago and suburban area's only big band radio program just got bigger. Beginning this month, "Midwest Ballroom," normally heard from 5 to 6 p.m. on WDCB 90.9FM, has been lengthened by one hour to 7 p.m. The new two-hour program features the area's orchestras and vocalists. "I'm absolutely delighted," says program host John Russell Ghrist. "The show has a large audience that enjoys the area big bands and at last the listeners are being rewarded." Ghrist, who uses just his first two names on the air, started "Midwest Ballroom" five years ago in February at the College of DuPage radio station in Glen Ellyn. It's 5,000-watt signal covers Chicago and the suburbs. The station also can be heard worldwide on the Internet at www.wdcb.org. WDCB broadcasts in high-definition digital stereo. The station plays jazz music all day, and features a wide variety of other programs at night and on weekends. "The show does well during the pledge drives, and I receive lots of mail from listeners around Chicago and suburbs and e-mail from several countries outside the United States who also enjoy the program," he said. "The bandleaders realize that I'm the only one playing their great music. Everyone has been very supportive of the program," said Ghrist, who is a volunteer at the station. The show features the kind of music one would hear at places like the Willowbrook Ballroom and other popular dance spots. "It's perfect for dancing and listening," Ghrist said. He also plays newer vocalists who perform big band standards and easy listening tunes. The show is designed to please ballroom fans and those who enjoy swing music. "We play new versions of the standards," Ghrist said. "Lots of young people like this music too, and many of the bands are comprised of great new musicians." With the new year, also comes a new format for the program. "I think that just about every area bandleader has been heard on the show during the past five years," he said. "We have also covered many local events and have broadcast interviews and music from these locations. This includes the summer concerts at the Schaumburg Township District Library. "Now we are making the show more listenable," he added. "Each program will have a theme, and there will be plenty of time to play three or four songs back to back, plus longer music cuts that we did not have time for during our hour program. Before, we talked about the music, now, we are going to play lots more of it." Ghrist said the prime time slot of the show following two other talented hosts also has contributed to the success of his program. "No other station has a lineup like ours," he said. "I follow Bruce Oscar's 'Swing Shift' (11 a.m. to 1 p.m.) and Chuck Schaden's fine old-time radio show 'Those Were the Days' (1 to 5 p.m.). We have Saturday covered all day for good listening." "Midwest Ballroom" still will include Ghrist's "History Lesson" and "The Garage Sale Record of the Week," which features old or unusual songs, plus the "Big Band Bulletin Board," which lists area music activities. All the events are posted at www.yorkvillebigband.com. Listeners may contact the program at P.O. Box 1073, Dundee, IL 60118 or by e-mail at midwestballroom@yahoo.com. ©2006 Liberty Suburban Chicago Newspapers. All Rights Reserved. Please feel free to e-mail suggestions, problems, or other issues to webmaster@libertysuburban.com.

NEWS RELEASE DECEMBER 30, 2005

NEWS RELEASE DECEMBER 30, 2005 MIDWEST BALLROOM SHOW EXPANDED TO TWO HOURS. The Chicago and suburban area’s only big band radio program just got bigger. Beginning Saturday January 7, 2006, Midwest Ballroom, normally heard from five to six p. m. on WDCB 90.9 fm, will be lengthened by one hour to seven p.m. The new two-hour program features Chicago area and other “territory” orchestras and vocalists. “I’m absolutely delighted,” says program host John Russell Ghrist. “The show has a large audience that enjoys the area big bands and at last the listeners are being rewarded..” Ghrist, who uses just his first two names on the air, started Midwest Ballroom five years ago in February at the College of DuPage radio station, located in Glen Ellyn, Illinois. It’s 5,000 watt signal covers Chicago and suburbs. The station can also be heard worldwide on the Internet at www.wdcb.org. WDCB, broadcasts in high definition digital stereo. The station plays jazz music all day, and features a wide variety of other programs at night and on weekends. ‘The show does well during the pledge drives, and I receive lots of mail from listeners around Chicago and suburbs and e-mail from several countries outside the US who also enjoy the program. The bandleaders realize that I’m the only one playing their great music. Everyone has been very supportive of the program,” John continued. He is a volunteer at the station.. For the most part, the show features the kind of music that one would hear at places like the Willowbrook Ballroom and other popular dance spots. “It’s perfect for dancing and listening,” John says. He also plays newer vocalists that perform big band standards and easy listening tunes. The show is sure to please ballroom fans and those who enjoy swing music. “We play new versions of the standards,” John says. “Lots of young people like this music too, and many of the bands are comprised of great new musicians.” With the new year, also comes a new format for the program. “I think that just about every area bandleader has been heard on the show during the past five years. We have also covered many local events and have broadcast interviews and music from these locations. This includes the summer concerts at the Schaumburg Township District Library. Now we are making the show more listenable,” John added. “Each program will have a theme, and there will be plenty of time to play three or four songs back to back, plus longer music cuts that we did not have time for during our hour program. Before we talked about the music, now we are going to play lots more of it.” John stated that the prime time slot of the show following two other talented hosts has also contributed to the success of his program. “No other station has a line up like ours.. “I follow Bruce Oscar’s “Swing Shift” (11 a.m. to 1 p.m.) and Chuck Schaden’s fine old time radio show “Those Were the Days” (1-5p.m.). We have Saturday covered all day for good listening.” Midwest Ballroom, will still include John’s “History Lesson,” and “The Garage Sale Record of the Week,” which features old or unusual songs, plus the “Big Band Bulletin Board,” which lists area music activities. All the events are posted at www.yorkvillebigband.com. Listeners may contact the program at P.O. Box 1073 Dundee, IL 60118 or by e-mail at midwestballroom@yahoo.com.

Headline-Liberty Newspapers western suburbs

September 22, 2005

Air/Web 'Ballroom' A variety of jazz artists and vintage music highlights the programming of "Midwest Ballroom," the Chicago area's only big band radio show, broadcast on WDCB 90.9 FM from College of DuPage. It airs at 5 p.m. Saturdays, hosted by John Russell Ghrist. The Sept. 24 show will be a special one-hour program highlighting the Summer Big Band Concerts at the Schaumburg Township District Library produced by library music coordinator Barbara Marik. It will feature music selections, musician interviews and crowd reactions taken from tapes made at the concerts, for which Ghrist was the emcee. A longer version of the program will soon be available at yorkvillebigband.com. The weekly Midwest Ballroom radio program showcases orchestras and singers that perform in the Chicago area and local dance spots. It is aired after Chuck Schaden's old-time radio show "Those Were the Days," broadcast from 1 to 5 p.m. Saturdays. Radio station WDCB is a co-sponsor of the programs. WDCB can be heard in Chicago and throughout the suburbs, and on the Internet at www.wdcb.org. A new Web site lists outdoor concerts and ballroom dances. One may go to yorkvillebigband.com, and click on Midwest Ballroom, for a list of area music events. The site is operated in conjunction with the Yorkville American Legion Big Band, directed by Rick Falato, and the "Midwest Ballroom" radio show. The site is updated daily. Items for the site may be sent to midwestballroom@yahoo.com.

Big Picture Local Focus

Daily Herald

Suburban Chicago's

Information Source

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Posted Monday, August 29, 2005 Schaumburg library concerts a success To the editor: By the time, the end of August rolls around, the Schaumburg Township District Library will have concluded the area’s most successful big band concert series. Every Monday night for 13 weeks, splendid Dixieland bands and dance orchestras graced Town Square Park, playing to thousands of good music enthusiasts. During the summer, the library’s events coordinator Barbara Marik also received a special award for her creation and direction of the programs. Barbara picked the bands she thought would draw the largest crowds who play on my radio show each week. For the past five years I have volunteered to host and produce “Midwest Ballroom,� on College of DuPage’s radio station, WDCB 90.9 FM, Saturdays at 5 p.m. It is the only big band radio program on the air in Chicagoland and suburbs. In addition, area stores reported large increases in business on Monday nights during the concerts. Each program featured an evening of quality music, which was a good use of library funds that benefited the community. The large crowds proved that there is still an audience for big band music. Each week, young and old alike gathered in the park to hear new versions of the old standards. Many of the orchestras also included younger musicians who have developed a sincere appreciation for this great music. This entertainment needs organized support to secure future musical performances. The question is, will this ever happen again? It might if village and library officials realize that this was a successful program, that was much appreciated by the public. To succeed again, the series must be properly funded and free of political interference. Having concerts in Schaumburg is not a new idea. I have been the emcee of music events in towns older than the village for many years. The bands chosen to play were affordable and performed knowing that we had a limited budget for the concert series. Hopefully, the bands will play again next year, if not Barbara and I pulled off a once in a lifetime summer of great music that the public will never forget. John Russell Ghrist, Dundee

MORRIS DAILY HERALD

Thursday August 18, 2005 home : news -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 8/17/2005 1:25:00 PM Email this article • Print this article The Steve Cooper Orchestra has played for such celebrities as Mary Tyler Moore, Larry King and the cast of “Frasier.” Go&Do Who: The Steve Cooper Orchestra What: The final show in the city of Morris’ summer concert series When: 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 18 Where: Grundy County Courthouse Lawn in downtown Morris How: Bring blankets or lawn chairs for seating Cost: Free -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Steve Cooper Orchestra to close out concert series The Steve Cooper Orchestra will return to Morris for the final in the city of Morris-sponsored summer concerts this Thursday, Aug. 18, in front of the Grundy County Courthouse. Vocalist Mary Kalfas of Lyons, joins the 10-piece orchestra in performing arrangements from the famous big bands of Glenn Miller, Tommy Dorsey, Woody Herman and Count Basie. The group also plays songs from the sweet bands of Dick Jurgens, Lawrence Welk, Sammy Kaye, Freddy Martin, Jan Garber, Dixieland bands of Red Nichols and Bob Crosby, hot latin rhythms and rock and roll songs in the big-band style. Thursday’s concert, which begins at 6:30 p.m., will include two segments, a re-creation of the 1940s Hit Parade Radio Show, using an actual script, and a re-creation of the coast-to-coast broadcast of 15 of the most famous bands. Professional radio announcer John Russell from WDCB-FM will read the script from the Hit Parade and Kalfas will sing a scaled-down version of the Lucky Strike ads. This portion of the concert will also include a countdown of the hit songs of the week, with a few Hit Parade extras. The re-creation of the coast-to-coast broadcast will include the theme songs and famous hits of many of the bands listed above, along with Jimmy Dorsey, Harry James, Kay Kyser and Guy Lombardo. The Steve Cooper Orchestra has played parties for Mary Tyler Moore, Carol Channing, Liza Minelli, Larry King, Steve Allen, the cast of “Frasier, “Marvin Hamlish, Jim Belushi and, most recently, for Julie Andrews. Recently, the orchestra played a three-hour concert and stage show with many of the original members of the Lawrence Welk Orchestra, followed by three hours of playing Lawrence Welk’s dance music. The orchestra played the Aug. 5, 2004, concert in Morris, also sponsored by the city. Those attending the concert should bring lawn chairs or a blanket. In case of rain, high heat and humidity, the concert will be moved to Morris Community High School. A sign will be placed on the courthouse lawn, if the concert is moved to the high school.

LIBERTY SUBURBAN CHICAGO NEWSPAPERS

Vito Buffalo Orchestra to perform in big band concert finale For the past 13 weeks, area music enthusiasts have been treated to fine performances of area big bands during the Schaumburg library's summer outdoor concert series. The programs come to an end the evening of Monday, Aug. 29, when the widely known Vito Buffalo Orchestra takes to the stage. The orchestra's long time motto is "a delightful treat for dancing feet." "Vito's great band was the first group that I played when I started my Midwest Ballroom radio show about eight years ago," said concert emcee John Russell Ghrist of WDCB radio. "Of course, Vito has been around the area for many years and has provided a couple of generations with fine dance music. The band has also backed many famous entertainers." The Vito Buffalo Orchestra has performed in all the major ballrooms around Chicago including Willowbrook, the Aragon and Melody Mill. "It's the band with personality," Buffalo said. The band has played for Algonquin's Founder's Day celebration for the last 35 years, the Senior Fair at Woodstock, summer concerts at Crystal Lake, and years before at the old Blue Moon in Elgin. It cut its first record back in the 1970s at the Blue Moon, by stringing mike cables out the window into a sound truck. Since then, the orchestra has produced six compact discs. Joining Buffalo at the concert will be Chicago jazz singer Lee Stevens, who has recorded three albums including one nominated for a Grammy in 1997, and Captain Bob Shipner, a pilot for Eastern Airlines for more than 35 years, who recorded for Mercury Records in the 1950s. The performance will also include some great tunes made famous by Frank Sinatra, and Louis Armstrong, as well as big band standards. "This is a fitting way to end a successful concert series," said Ghrist, who plays the local big bands as a station volunteer on his weekly radio show. "We saved the best for last." The concerts are produced by the library's media coordinator Barbara Marik, who chose bands that regularly perform on Ghrist's Midwest Ballroom radio show, which airs Saturdays at 5 p.m. over College of DuPage's WDCB 90.9 FM, and at www.wdcb.org. Marik also received a special community service award this year for her work on the concert series. This year, crowds estimated at more than 1,000 people attended the 13 Monday night events in Town Square Park, across the street from the Schaumburg library. The library is located at 130 S. Roselle Road in Schaumburg near the intersection of Roselle and Schaumburg roads. The program begins at 7 p.m. In case of bad weather, the concert will be moved to Thursday, Sept. 1. ©2005 Liberty Suburban Chicago Newspapers. All Rights Reserved. Please feel free to e-mail suggestions, problems, or other issues to webmaster@libertysuburban.com.

Press Here to Return to Midwest Ballroom Main Page

Press Here to Return to Yorkville Big Band Main Page