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The Make Believe Ballroom carries on the traditions of past hosts Martin Block, Al Jarvis, William B Williams, and Steve Allen by bringing you the greatest hits of the 1930s and 1940s.
The Make Believe Ballroom hit the airwaves over WNEW radio in NY on February 3, 1935. With the exception of brief periods, the program has been broadcast almost continuously since then. Jeff Bressler is the current host of The Make Believe Ballroom.
No cover, no minimum, just sit back and enjoy. The Ballroom is heard across the U.S. on public broadcasting, community, and college radio stations. The Ballroom is also available through your favorite podcast provider.
You are invited to record a request! Just click on the microphone on the lower right of the page!
Host
Jeff Bressler is a 35-year radio veteran. He has broadcast NASCAR racing, spent ten years as Motor Trend Magazine's - Motor Trend Radio New Director and on-air anchor, and twenty years as the past Auto World Radio news and motorsports anchor.
Jeff did music radio fill-in work for many New York metropolitan area radio stations.
Jeff Bressler was an avid listener as a youth to the William B. Williams version of the Make Believe Ballroom broadcast over WNEW 1130 AM in New York.
Bressler recently commented, "After a 35-year radio career, I still cannot believe that I was asked to fill the shoes of past Make Believe Ballroom hosts, including one of my broadcast idols, William B. Williams, to carry on the traditions of this excellent program. The show had been almost continuously broadcast for the past 88 years. Hosting such an iconic program comes with a tremendous amount of responsibility.
I am highly gratified that over 50 public, university, and community radio stations play the show each week. I am also delighted that through podcast versions the show is heard by thousands more each week.
I hope to keep the show going strong to its 100th Anniversary and beyond. The 1930s and 1940s, in my estimation, were the golden age of American music and formed the foundation for the Great American Songbook. This music must continue to be played for generations to come."
Jeff also hosts the Milkman's Matinee, which is heard on public, community, and university radio stations across the US. Podcast replays of those ep…
Virtuoso of the Virtual Turntable
Lenny is the microphone-shy buddy of Jeff Bressler, who lives down the block and maintains the Make Believe Ballroom's record playlist of thousands of big band-era songs. He is genuinely the Virtuoso of the Virtual Turntable!! Lenny recently retired to Florida but occasionally pokes his head in as the Producer Emeritus.
Studio Audience
Not his last name like Ed Norton from The Honeymooners, it's his first name. Norton lives three doors down from the Make Believe Ballroom Crystal studio and comprises the entire studio audience.