January 10, 2025
Irving Berlin at the Movies
The songs of Irving Berlin were featured in some of Hollywood’s first “Talkies,” and this week, we’ll explore the songwriter’s work in cinema, including songs like “Blue Skies,” “Puttin’ On The Ritz,” and “Cheek To Cheek.”
January 3, 2025
The Name Game
On this episode, it’s a roll call of first names in the Great American Songbook, including “Nancy With The Laughing Face,” “Happiness Is A Thing Called Joe,” and “Johnny One Note.”
December 27, 2024
Christmas On The Air
For our Afterglow holiday show this year, we’ll be featuring some classic Christmas radio broadcasts, performed by favorite jazz singers like Bing Crosby, Ella Fitzgerald and more.
December 20, 2024
The Merriest!: A Swingin' Afterglow Christmas
It’s the holiday season, and we’re keeping things light and snappy this week as we dance along to some swinging holiday tunes, sung by Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald and more!
December 13, 2024
The Rat Pack: Sammy Davis, Jr.
We’ll continue highlighting the work of the “Rat Pack” this week, with a focus on “Mr. Wonderful” himself, Sammy Davis Jr. We’ll chronicle his recording career and explore why he got the nickname “Mister Show Business.”
December 6, 2024
The Rat Pack: Dean Martin
This week and next, we’ll celebrate two of the members of the so-called “Rat Pack.” This week, a close look at the life and music of “The King Of Cool” Dean Martin, and his songs like “Ain’t That A Kick In The Head.”
November 22, 2024
Star Dust: The Hoagy Carmichael Songbook
We’re celebrating the songbook of Bloomington’s own Hoagy Carmichael, including “Star Dust,” “Skylark,” and “The Nearness Of You,” as sung by some of the best jazz and pop singers.
November 15, 2024
The Joni Mitchell Jazz Songbook
Joni Mitchell was named the 2023 recipient of the Gershwin Prize for Popular Song. This week, we’ll pay tribute to Mitchell, by hearing her songs performed by jazz singers like Tierney Sutton, Dianne Reeves, and many more.
October 18, 2024
Dancing In The Dark: The Songs of Schwartz and Dietz
They may not be as well known as Rodgers and Hammerstein, but the songwriting duo of Arthur Schwartz and Howard Dietz nevertheless made significant contributions to the American Songbook, like “That’s Entertainment” and “You And The Night And The Music.”
October 11, 2024
Song Confusions
Was “Heat Wave” an Irving Berlin song or a Motown song? Was “In The Still of the Night” a Cole Porter song or a doo-wop song? This week, we explore common confusions in the Great American Songbook.
October 4, 2024
The Bob Dylan Songbook
This week, vocal jazz interpretations of Bob Dylan songs, including Dylan covers by Nina Simone, Kurt Elling, Madeleine Peyroux and more.
September 27, 2024
Songs Of The Season: Autumn
The leaves are changing from green to red, the air outside is brisk and cool, and that means it’s time to look at autumn songs from the Great American Songbook.
September 13, 2024
The Great American Songbook’s One-Hit Wonders
Not every composer had the extensive catalog of George Gershwin or Irving Berlin. This week, we’ll explore songwriters like Ann Ronell, Brooks Bowman, and Erroll Garner whose songbooks contain only one hit song.
September 6, 2024
The Artistry Of Stephen Sondheim
This week, we remember the artistry of American songwriter Stephen Sondheim, and his many contributions to the American songbook, like “Small World,” “Send In The Clowns,” and more. Sondheim passed away last November at age 91.
August 30, 2024
Miss D On Mercury
A look at singer Dinah Washington, and her years recording for the Mercury record label in the 1940s and 50s.
