The Great American Songbook Radio Station

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The Great American Songbook Radio Station

The Great American Songbook Radio Station This 24/7 internet radio station is all about 'Great American Songbook Music' from the fifties until now. See also http://greatamericansongbook.info

05/16/2019

Today May 16, and as always presented by Nancy Valentine, we celebrate the birthday of singer Betty Carter. Betty was born on this day in 1930 as Lillie Mae Jones and sadly left us on September 26, 1998. Betty Carter was an American jazz singer known for her improvisational technique, scatting and other complex musical abilities that demonstrated her vocal talent and imaginative interpretation of lyrics and melodies. Vocalist Carmen McRae once remarked: "There's really only one jazz singer—only one: Betty Carter!

As always, today's promo is presented by Nancy Valentine from New York City. Her lovely voice tells you the story about Betty Carter, followed by a song sung by the legendary Jazz singer. This promo can be heard every 12/15 minutes past the EST hour.😁🎤🎹🎙😎📻 ;-)

05/13/2019

DORIS DAY DIED TODAY! We will remember her every top of the hour with a short jingle and a song done by Doris. May she rest in peace! 😢📻😔

Doris Day, the freckle-faced movie actress whose irrepressible personality and golden voice made her America’s top box-office star in the early 1960s, died on Monday at her home in Carmel Valley, Calif. She was 97.

The Doris Day Animal Foundation announced her death.

Ms. Day began her career as a big-band vocalist, and she was successful almost from the start: One of her first records, “Sentimental Journey,” released in 1945, sold more than a million copies, and she went on to have numerous other hits. The bandleader Les Brown, with whom she sang for several years, once said, “As a singer Doris belongs in the company of Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra.”

05/12/2019

Today, May 12, we celebrate the 91st birthday of Burt Freeman Bacharach. Burt Bacharach is an American composer, songwriter, record producer, pianist, and singer who has composed hundreds of pop songs from the late 1950s through the 1980s, many in collaboration with lyricist Hal David.

A six-time Grammy Award winner and three-time Academy Award winner, Bacharach's songs have been recorded by more than 1,000 different artists. As of 2014, he had written 73 US and 52 UK Top 40 hits. He is considered one of the most important composers of 20th-century popular music.

As always, today's promo is presented by Nancy Valentine from New York City. Her lovely voice tells you the story about Burt's music, followed by a song written by Bacharach. This promo can be heard every 12/15 minutes past the EST hour.

05/10/2019

Today, May 10th, presented as always by Nancy Valentine, we'll celebrate the birthday of a unique dancer and singer in American show business. The greatest songwriters like Cole Porter wrote songs especially for him or with him in mind. Due to his dancing and singin' film appearances with Ginger Rogers, he is widely regarded as the most influential dancer and singer in the history of film. Happy Birthday, FRED ASTAIRE! 😁

This promo and a few personal introductions by Astaire himself, plus a song, of course, can be heard every 12/15 minutes past the EST hour! 🎙📻😎🎼🙃😁

05/06/2019

Diane Marino plays piano and sings too. She has a remarkable voice which you easily recognize out of millions. So we simply re-branded her as 'The Jazz queen from Queens' 🎼😉😁 and decided to do a brand new promotion for her since her quality simply deserves that.

A very special and attractive promo done by bass player Frank & Diane herself, plus a song done by her, runs every quarter to the even hour. We sincerely hope you'll like it too. 🎼😎🤓🤪🙃

05/03/2019

White Christmas and so much more! Der Bingle! Bing Crosby was born this day so ... we celebrate his birthday today on May third. Bing Crosby was an American singer and actor. Crosby's trademark warm bass-baritone voice made him the best-selling recording artist of all time, having sold over one billion analog records and tapes, as well as digital compact discs and downloads around the world. Boo- boo- boo- boo ;-) O this pic he is together with Frank Sinatra on which Crosby once said ... Frank is a singer who comes along once in a lifetime, but why did he have to come in mine?

Today's two-minute profile, plus a song by Bing, can be heard every hour at 12/15 minutes past the (EST) hour and is, as always, presented to you by our dedicated, well informed, presenter Nancy Valentine from New York City. She's wonderful to listen to. 🎶📷😎🤩😍

04/29/2019

Today April 29th, and presented by Nancy Valentine, we celebrate the birthday of the legendary Duke Ellington (1899-1974). Duke was an American composer, pianist, and leader of a jazz orchestra, which he led from 1923 until his death over a career spanning more than fifty years.

Born in Washington, D.C., Ellington was based in New York City from the mid-1920s onward and gained a national profile through his orchestra's appearances at the Cotton Club in Harlem. In the 1930s, his orchestra toured in Europe. Although widely considered to have been a pivotal figure in the history of jazz, Ellington embraced the phrase "beyond category" as a liberating principle and referred to his music as part of the more general category of American Music rather than to a musical genre such as jazz.

His promo done by Nancy and a song from Ellington's catalog can be heard ever 12/15 minutes past the EST hour

04/27/2019

Tomorrow April 28th, presented by Nancy Valentine, we'll celebrate the birthday of 'Margrethe Blossom Dearie'. She was an American jazz singer and pianist, physically petite, with a recognizably light and girlish voice.

One of the last supper club/cabaret performers, she performed regular engagements in London, Paris and New York City over many years. Blossom collaborated with many musicians, including Johnny Mercer, Miles Davis, Jack Segal, Johnny Mandel, Duncan Lamont, Bob Dorough, Dave Frishberg, and Jay Berliner.

Songwriter Johnny Mercer, with whom Dearie collaborated for her 1975 song "I'm Shadowing You", gave one of his final compositions to her for the title song of her 1976 Daffodil album My New Celebrity is You. In 1983, Dearie was awarded the first Mabel Mercer Foundation Award and in 2009 Blossom Dearie left us.

The promotion done by Nancy and a song done by Blossom can be heard all Sunday at 12/15 minutes past every EST hour. 🤩🙃🎤😁😎🎼

04/24/2019

It's Barbra's Birthday Today! And we do celebrate this extra happy day for her with an outrageous promo done by Nancy Valentine plus a rendition done by 'La Streisand' herself at every 12/15 minutes past the hour.🎤🤩🤓😁😎

04/20/2019

Still, four days to go for our next but very special birthday celebration. Presenter Nancy Valentine is inspired to do a special birthday promotion on April 24th since Barbara Joan "Barbra" Streisand is such an outstanding American singer, actress, and filmmaker. 🎤🙃🎼😉🤓😂

04/16/2019

Hi Music Lovers! Today April 16, we celebrate the birthday of Henry Mancini. He was an American composer, conductor, and arranger, who is best remembered for his film and television scores. Often cited as one of the greatest composers in the history of film, he won four Academy Awards, a Golden Globe, and twenty Grammy Awards, plus a posthumous Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1995.

His best-known works include the theme to The Pink Panther film series ("The Pink Panther Theme"), "Moon River" to Breakfast at Tiffany's, and the theme to the Peter Gunn television series. The Peter Gunn theme won the first Grammy Award for Album of the Year. Mancini also had a long collaboration on film scores with the film director Blake Edwards.

Today's three-minute profile, plus a song composed by Henry Mancini can be heard every hour at 12/15 minutes past the (EST) hour and is, as always, presented to you by Nancy Valentine from New York. She did a great job again! 🎶📷😎🤩

04/12/2019

Today, April 12, it's Helen Forrest's birthday. She was born in 1917 and known as was an American singer of traditional pop and swing music. Not one of the biggest names in show business but she had a lovely voice to listen to. She served as the "girl singer" for three of the most popular big bands of the Swing Era (Artie Shaw, Benny Goodman, and Harry James), thereby earning a reputation as "the voice of the name bands." In the second pic, you'll see Dorothy Lamour, Helen Forrest, and Janet Blair, circa 1940.

This birthday promotion is, as usual, presented by Nancy Valentine and will be completed with a song sung by Helen. It can be heard all day every 12/15 minutes past the hour.

04/10/2019

All I can say: Thank you very much Helen Puerling! Wow, that sure is 'famous vocal harmony' family name! and all those other 1099 people who pressed the 'like' button on our Great American Songbook Radio Station FB Page earlier. I tell you, it gives us an extra positive feel on this day! P.s. Coming April 12th we'll celebrate the birthday of another Helen; Helen Forrest! 🎼🤓🎤😁😉

04/07/2019

Today, April 7, we celebrate the birthday of Billie Holiday, she was born on this day back in 1915. Billie was an American jazz singer with a career spanning nearly thirty years. Nicknamed "Lady Day" by her friend and music partner Lester Young, Holiday had a seminal influence on jazz music and pop singing.

Her vocal style, strongly inspired by jazz instrumentalists, pioneered a new way of manipulating phrasing and tempo. She was known for her vocal delivery and improvisational skills, which made up for her limited range and lack of formal music education.

Today our presenter Nancy Valentine will tell you much more interesting details about the life and singin' qualities of Billy Holiday every 12/15 minutes past the EST hour. It will be completed of course with a rendition of a song done by this legendary singer. 🎼🙃🎤😁😉

04/05/2019

Tomorrow April 6th, presented as always by our dear Nancy Valentine, we will celebrate the birthday of John Pizzarelli! John is an American jazz guitarist and vocalist and has recorded over twenty solo albums and has appeared on more than forty albums by other recording artists, including Paul McCartney, James Taylor, Rosemary Clooney; his father, jazz guitarist Bucky Pizzarelli; and his wife, singer Jessica Molaskey.

But next to that, John also has an extremely well performance on stage. Don't hesitate to see his show if you ever have the chance of attending it. His promotion will run every 12/15 minutes past the hour. Promotion words by Nancy plus a song by John Pizzarelli. Happy Birthday, John!

04/03/2019

Yes! We wish you the happiest 97th Birthday, Doris! You're in the spotlight again today on our Great American Songbook internet stream. Presented by Nancy Valentine and to be heard every 12/15 minutes past the (EST) hour!

03/31/2019

The Vocal Harmony Professor ... ;-)

03/29/2019

Today, March 29th, presented as always by our very best announcer Nancy Valentine, we celebrate the birthday of Pearl Bailey who was born on this day 101 years ago. She was an American actress and singer. As a singer, we all loved her here for her very personal renditions and humorous improvisations. 😂

After appearing in vaudeville she made her Broadway debut in St. Louis Woman in 1946. She won a Tony Award for the title role in the all-black production of Hello, Dolly! in 1968. In 1986, she won a Daytime Emmy award for her performance as a fairy godmother in the ABC Afterschool Special, Cindy Eller: A Modern Fairy Tale. Pearl was married to the jazz drummer Louie Bellson.

You can hear Nancy's introduction and a Pearl Bailey song every 12/15 minutes past the EST hour. 🎼🎤🤓🙃😉

03/18/2019

Tomorrow March 19th, presented by Nancy Valentine, we will celebrate the birthday of Eliane Elias (born 19 March 1960). Elaine is a Brazilian jazz pianist, singer, composer and arranger. She has won the Grammy Award for Best Latin Jazz Album (2016) and the Latin Grammy Award for Best Latin Jazz Album (2017).

Eliane Elias was born in São Paulo; she started studying piano at age seven, and at age twelve was transcribing solos from jazz masters. By the time she was fifteen, she was teaching piano and improvisation.

To all of us here, just like the boss nova, Elaine's Latin jazz art form is a sort of "adapted American Songbook". This promo will be presented by our dear Nancy Valentine and can be heard every hour at 12/15 minutes past the EST hour. 🎼🙃🤓😉🎤😁

03/16/2019

Tomorrow, as always presented by Nancy Valentine, we will celebrate the birthday of Nathaniel Adams Coles known professionally as Nat King Cole. He was an American jazz pianist and vocalist. He recorded over one hundred songs that became hits on the pop charts.

His trio was the model for small jazz ensembles that followed. Cole also acted in films and on television and performed on Broadway. He was the first! African American man to host an American television series.

Personal note. Although his popularity continues to today, Nat didn’t live a very long life. He just reached the age of 45. In that perspective, his value for our beloved GAS music genre makes him without doubt one of the biggest stars ever.

This lovely promotion, done by Nancy, can be heard every hour at 12/15 minutes past the (EST) hour.🎼🙃🎤🤓🙃

03/14/2019

Today, March 14, and presented as always by Nancy Valentine, we celebrate the birthday of Mark Murphy. (March 14, 1932 – October 22, 2015) Mark was an American jazz singer based at various times in New York City, Los Angeles, London, and San Francisco. He recorded 47 albums under his own name during his lifetime and was principally known for his innovative vocal improvisations.

He was the recipient of 1996, 1997, 2000, and 2001 Down Beat magazine readers' jazz poll for Best Male Vocalist and was also nominated five times for the Grammy Award for Best Vocal Jazz Performance. He personally advised Nancy Valentine assembling the right songs and arrangements for her latest cd ''Lovesome' and also wrote lyrics to the jazz tunes "Stolen Moments" and "Red Clay".

His promo plus a song by Mark can be heard every 12/15 minutes past the (EST) hour! 🎤🎼🤓🙃😂

03/11/2019

Tomorrow, March 12, Nancy Valentine presents a brand new birthday celebration. This time it's the birthday of Paul Weston (born Paul Wetstein, March 12, 1912 – September 20, 1996) was an American pianist, arranger, composer, and conductor who worked in music and television from the 1930s to the 1970s, pioneering mood music and becoming known as "the Father of Mood Music". His compositions include popular music songs such as "I Should Care", "Day by Day", and "Shrimp Boats".

Paul was married to singer Jo Stafford. Together they developed a crazy and funny comedy routine in which they assumed the guise of a bad lounge act named Jonathan and Darlene Edwards. Their first album was released in 1957. In 1960, their album Jonathan and Darlene Edwards in Paris won the Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album.

Our special promo plus a song written by Paul Weston can be heard every hour at 12/15 minutes past the hour EST🎤🎼🤓🙃😄😍

03/08/2019

Tomorrow, March 9, as usual presented by Nancy Valentine, we will celebrate the birthday of Dorothy Jacqueline Keely (1928-2017), better known as Keely Smith, was an American jazz and popular music singer, who performed and recorded extensively in the 1950s with then-husband Louis Prima and did some legendary duets with Frank Sinatra and of course throughout the 1960s as a solo artist.

This birthday celebration promo will run every hour at 12/15 minutes past the EST hour. 🎼😉🙃🤓😂🤩

03/04/2019

On March 5, presented by our dear Nancy Valentine, we will celebrate the birthday of Carol Sloane. She is an American jazz singer born in Providence, Rhode Island, who has been singing professionally since she was 14, although for a time in the 1970s she worked as a legal secretary in Raleigh, North Carolina. In addition, between September 1967 and May 1968, she occasionally wrote album reviews for Down Beat. She currently lives in Stoneham, Massachusetts.

This promo and a song done by Carol Sloane will play every hour EST at about 12/15 past the hour.

02/24/2019

He, unfortunately, left us a few weeks ago but today, February 24, back in 1932, he was born; Michel Legrand! He was a French musical composer, arranger, conductor, and jazz pianist. Legrand was a prolific composer, having written over 200 film and television scores, in addition to many songs.

His scores for the films of French New Wave director Jacques Demy, The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (1964) and The Young Girls of Rochefort (1967), earned Legrand his first Academy Award nominations. Legrand won his first Oscar for the song "The Windmills of Your Mind" from The Thomas Crown Affair (1968).

So today every hour Nancy Valentine presents a special promo, plus a song, about Michel Legrand at every 12/15 past the hour.

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