Joe VenutiEddie Lang Joe Venuti and Eddie Lang were both pioneers of their instruments. Often referred to as the “Father of Jazz Guitar” and the “Father of Jazz Violin,” Lang and Venuti were childhood friends and collaborators. Throughout their careers, they worked with countless jazz icons and entertainers, from Bing Crosby to Earl Hines, and… 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 »

Our debut episode of Listening with Leckrone takes us back to the early career of Louis Armstrong. While Louis Armstrong is a well-known and highly regarded musician, most folks likely associate him only with his later works. (Personally, I recall my introduction to Mr. Armstrong was in elementary school when we would sing “What a… Read more »