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Babes In The Wood

Little Einsteins, Mozart for Mommies…we’ve come a long way, babies!

August 10, 2021
The Cruising Crooner

Jack Owens was known as the Cruising Crooner, a name he earned by navigating the crowds…and paying special attention to the ladies

August 9, 2021
“I Owe My Soul to….”

Merle Travis recorded the original 16 tons in 1946…though he did have a little help with its legacy.

August 6, 2021
Classic Soundtracks: As Time Goes By

How a ten year-old song and a three year-old unpublished play combined to make movie history. Herman Hupfeld wrote  As Time Goes By in 1931 for the Broadway show “Everybody’s Welcome”. It’s inextricably linked to the film, as is Dooley Wilson who played “Sam”, and made this recording in 1942. Even the film’s screenplay came from an ...

August 5, 2021
Listen Mr. Bilbo

Mr. Theodore G. Bilbo was a US senator….and not a good one.

May 18, 2021
Luck Be A Lady

Okay, so you probably know Sinatra’s version better. Frankie was even considered for Marlon’s Sky Masterson role, but studio execs wanted Brando’s box-office appeal front and center. As you can hear…well, he was no Sinatra. But he was aware of his own shortcomings… he even claimed that sound engineers fudged the results, dicing and splicing ...

May 1, 2021
Ain’t It The Truth

William James Basie got his start in Harlem, but he wasn’t “Count Basie” ‘til he got to Kansas City.

April 29, 2021
Double Trouble

Frankie Jaxon had a rather unique performing edge.

April 28, 2021
Mal Reggendo

Il Travatore remains one of Guiseppe Verdi’s most popular operas, but it almost had a different name. Two, actually.

April 16, 2021
The Birth of Bebop

Coleman Hawkins got it in him one day to stray from the jazz norm, and he opened the door for a new style of music. Hawkins played tenor sax, which wasn’t really recognized as a jazz instrument until he helped make it one. Body and Soul, heard here from 1939, signaled a stylistic change in jazz; ...

April 12, 2021