November 25, 2022
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 18, 2022
Count Basie and the Singers
This week, our spotlight is on just a few of the many singers who sang with Count Basie, including Jimmy Rushing, Billy Eckstine, Sarah Vaughan, and more.
November 11, 2022
A Jazz Date With Chris Connor
This week, we celebrate the smoky voice of jazz singer Chris Connor, who got her start with Claude Thornhill’s band in the 1940s, and went on to record some of the best cool jazz vocal records of the 1950s.
November 4, 2022
The Paul Simon Jazz Songbook
Songwriter Paul Simon has been delighting our ears with melodies for over 50 years. This week, we’ll explore jazz interpretations of his songs, sung by Carmen McRae, Kurt Elling, Rachel Caswell, and more.
October 28, 2022
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.
October 21, 2022
Beverly Kenney: Born To Be Blue
We examine the intelligent, seductive and melancholic style of singer Beverly Kenney, as we chronicle her tragically short career.
October 14, 2022
Creed Taylor and the Singers
Creed Taylor, who passed away earlier this year at age 93, was one of the most influential jazz record producers of the 20th century. This week, we’ll explore some of his work with singers like Chris Connor, Astrud Gilberto, George Benson and more.
October 7, 2022
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.”
September 30, 2022
Roberta Flack’s New American Songbook
In the 1970s, singer Roberta Flack made a name for herself performing covers of songs by folk singers and other little-known artists, establishing a new canon of songs. This week, we’ll explore some of her entries into this new American songbook.
September 23, 2022
The King Cole Trio Starts To Swing
This week, jazz historian Will Friedwald joins us to talk about the early years of Nat King Cole and the King Cole Trio.
September 16, 2022
Live Ella!
Beginning in the 1950s, Ella Fitzgerald became known around the world as one of the most renowned live performers in jazz. This week, we’ll sample from some of her best live sets in places like Berlin, Juan-Les-Pins, and the Hollywood Bowl.
September 9, 2022
Sing A Song Of Annie Ross
This week, we pay tribute to vocal jazz Annie Ross, chronicling her solo work as well as her time with the groundbreaking jazz group Lambert, Hendricks & Ross.
September 2, 2022
If I Loved You: Conditional Love Songs
The “conditional love song” became a staple of musical theater in its golden age, and this week, we’ll listen to jazz interpretations of these songs, as well as other songs with “if” in the title and more “hypothetical” tunes.
August 26, 2022
Clark Terry And The Singers
Legendary trumpeter and educator Clark Terry had a career that lasted for nearly 70 years. This week, we’ll explore Terry’s work alongside singers like Dinah Washington, Joe Williams, and more.
August 19, 2022
The Songs Of Donaldson And Kahn
Before Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart, there was Walter Donaldson and Gus Kahn. This week, we’ll explore the songs of these early songwriters, including “Makin’ Whoopee,” “My Baby Just Cares For Me,” and “Yes Sir, That’s My Baby.”
August 12, 2022
Everybody's Jumpin' With Dave Brubeck
Dave Brubeck was one of the most influential jazz pianists of the 20th century. This week, we’re exploring his work with singers like Tony Bennett, Jimmy Rushing, Carmen McRae and more.
August 5, 2022
Judy Garland’s Comeback
In the last installment of three episodes celebrating Judy Garland’s 100th birthday, we take a closer look at her final years in the 1950s and 60s, and her many comebacks on record and on stage, including her award-winning concert at Carnegie Hall.
