Album Notes

IAN WHITCOMB ,born in England in 1941, started his recording life in 1965 with a top ten hit, "You Turn Me On". Since then he has been on a long march backwards into the vintage music of Tin Pan Alley and Vaudeville, as well as the British Music Hall. He has written numerous books on popular music which are now classics ("After The Ball", "Irving Berlin") as well as providing the period music for such movies as "The Cat's Meow", "Last Call", and "Stanley's Gig". His recording of the music played aboard the "Titanic" was released by Rhino and won a Grammy Award as well as a nomination. He has performed in concert worldwide including the Hollywood Bowl and the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland. He hosted his own radio show for 20 years on National Public Radio. He appeared many times on "The Tonight Show With Johnny Carson", as well as many other network shows. He has produced several BBC documentaries on popular music, blues and jazz; he was the first host of the long-running BBC rock show, "The Old Grey Whistle Test.Currently he is the best-known ukulele wizard in the USA and is the author of three songbooks devoted to this now hip instrument,all published by Mel Bay Publications. For more information visit ian whitcomb. com. The music on "Old Chestnuts" is a sterling compilation of vintage songs from the classic era of Tin Pan Alley (1905-1930). Ian not only sings (with help from his wife Regina) but also plays piano, accordion, and ukulele.

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