Although Al Jolson's audio library runs into the hundred of entries, few of those recordings and programs remain commercially available. To that end, the International Al Jolson Society Audio Department has undertaken the project of preserving and cataloging those works, in the best possible condition possible. After being digitally processed, these works often sound better than commercial recordings of times past. While members of the IAJS can request a complete catalog of materials available, presented here on the website is the great bulk of available material, recorded on compact disc, to enable Jolson fans to have these great items in their personal libraries.
For many, the Jolson recordings of the late 1940s, released in the US on the Decca label, and on Brunswick in the UK, were the introduction to the voice of Al Jolson in all its magnitude. The IAJS is pleased to be able to present this restored collection of the entire series of recordings as released on LPs.
Al Jolson had hundreds of appearances on radio shows, both on his own programs and as a guest star on productions and programs of other stars. A great variety of these broadcasts exist, in a wide range of styles. Here is a list of programs available from the IAJS, ranging from his earliest existing broadcast to those at the twilight of his life. Currently, programs from 1935 through 1946 are listed online. The rest will follow in future weeks. All, of course, are listed in the Audio Department catalog from the IAJS.
