Rivers have long been a symbolic source of inspiration, romance, travel, adventure, hope, history, and other broad themes, so it's easy to understand why songwriters have often been attracted to them. Frank Sinatra, Julie London, Benny Goodman, Cab Calloway, and Louis Armstrong are just a few of the artists we'll hear performing tunes that invoke rivers; we'll also hear some river songs from the pop-rock era, including Nick Drake's "River Man" and Joni Mitchell's "River," with the songwriter joined by pianist Herbie Hancock.
