Happy Holidays from Listening with Leckrone! Holiday music is everywhere this time of year. To offset the same old songs playing through your head, Mike has curated a playlist of Holiday Hits you may not have heard before. While the songs are familiar, hopefully arrangements from Fats Waller, Stan Kenton, or Tommy Dorsey will breathe… Read more »
In this episode, Mike explores the career and music of Wisconsin’s own Les Paul, legendary guitarist and inventor. In addition to having an impact on the industry through his musicianship, he also greatly influenced physical guitar models and recording techniques through his own inventions and explorations. Whether you are listening to his early jazz trio,… Read more »
“the soul of melody… a man who made the piano sing… both big in body and in mind… known for his generosity… a bubbling bundle of joy” — Andy Razaf (long-time collaborator) on Fats Waller Thomas Wright Waller, better known as Fats Waller, started his career as a pianist and organist at the age of… Read more »
“And then it happened—that queer sensation that this melody was bigger than me. Maybe I hadn’t written it at all. The recollection of how, when and where it all happened became vague as the lingering strains hung in the rafters of the studio. I wanted to shout back at it, ‘maybe I didn’t write you,… Read more »
Rudy Vallée, “The Fleischmann Hour,” rudyvallee.com When people hear the term “Crooner,” they often think of Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole, or Bing Crosby. Although these singers could be categorized as the crooning type, their music was largely influenced by the works of an even earlier set of singers who popularized “Crooning” as a genre…. Read more »
Episode 18: Tony Bennett
Episode 17: Bunny Berigan, Wisconsin’s Own
Episode 16: Mike’s Got Rhythm!
Episode 15: Count Basie Singers
Episode 14: Clash of the Clarinets: Benny Goodman & Artie Shaw