Century Songs

In Episode 6, we trace the remarkable transformation of "Softly, As in a Morning Sunrise" — from a 1928 Broadway operetta tango into a cornerstone of modern jazz. Saxophonist Rich Cohen joins us to share gig stories and musical influences, then Eric Baker faces our three-question quiz covering the song's origins in Sigmund Romberg and Oscar Hammerstein II's The New Moon, its surprisingly dark original lyrics, Artie Shaw's swing-era reinvention, and John Coltrane's 1961 soprano sax

Century Songs — Episode 5: What You Don't Know About Back Home Again in IndianaIn this episode of Century Songs, hosts Eric Baker and David Poncé explore the surprising history behind "Back Home Again in Indiana" — a song with "borrowed" melodies and lyrics, a bebop rebirth, and a legendary home at the Indy 500. Special guest Dr. Shawn O'Connor joins the show to share gig stories, discuss her journey from aspiring doctor to jazz educator, and introduce Boss Pitches, one of Indiana's

On a cold December night in 1926, a Broadway producer and leading lady secretly inserted a rival composer's song into Rodgers and Hart's new musical — and the audience went so wild they stopped the show with 24 encores. That song was "Blue Skies" by Irving Berlin, and the backstage betrayal behind it is just the beginning of the story.This week on Century Songs, co-host and musician Eric Baker joins the show to talk about his musical journey — from singing in church at age four, to

This week on Century Songs, we explore the 1918 standard "After You've Gone" — written by the pioneering Black songwriting duo Turner Layton and Henry Creamer, and immortalized by Vaudeville superstar Sophie Tucker. We sit down with educator and musician Oliver Nelson Jr. to discuss his father's remarkable legacy as a composer and arranger (from Blues and the Abstract Truth to The Six Million Dollar Man), the realities of making a living as a musician today, and the magic of the

Century Songs — Episode 2: What You Don’t Know About Love for Sale In 1930, Broadway critics were scandalized by a white actress portraying a streetwalker in Cole Porter’s The New Yorkers. When producers moved the scene to Harlem and recast it with a Black singer, those same critics applauded. This week, we dig into the double standards, radio bans, and genius behind one of Cole Porter’s most controversial songs. Indianapolis jazz vocalist Sandy Lomax performs “Love for Sale” and shares