Jubilee was produced from 1942 to 1953 as a morale-building service for African-American troops and filled an important gap in the musical history of radio by presenting performers given short shrift by the networks. It was transcribed for distribution to military service personnel and was not heard on domestic radio. The show’s War Department status exempted the performing artists from the union-mandated recording bans of 1942-43 and 1947-48, and many episodes feature unique performances from guests like Jimmie Lunceford, Earl Hines, Count Basie, Dizzy Gillespie, Louis Jordan, Lionel Hampton, Andy Kirk, and many others. Most of the shows were recorded before live audiences in Los Angeles with host Ernie “Bubbles” Whitman.
