Episode 1 focuses on the 1950s and 1960s, when the Great American Songbook competed with new forms like rock ‘n’ roll, and rhythm & blues. As Feinstein crisscrosses the country performing with big bands, symphony orchestras and jazz combos, viewers learn how iconic singers like Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole and Rosemary Clooney kept the Songbook alive by reinventing pop standards of the 1930s and 1940s.
Episode 2 examines how popular songs provided emotional solace and patriotic inspiration during World War II. While preparing an original patriotic song, Michael weaves in the history of 1940s big bands, USO shows, V-disks, war bond rallies, and the powerful role popular music played in boosting morale.
Episode 3 explores the fast and furious 1920s and 1930s, when jazz was hot, credit was loose, and illegal booze flowed freely in underground speakeasies. Between performances, Feinstein illustrates the impact of talking pictures, the dawn of radio, and the fledgling recording industry. Additionally, it introduces viewers to other collectors and musicians who keep the spirit of the Jazz Age alive today.
Why are the great songs and singers of the past still with us today? Because of Time Machines like Soundies (the original music videos); the historic Kansas City building where “Jam Sessions” were born; and the collectors and performers who help keep the music alive, in clubs, in archives, in warehouses, even in the Playboy Mansion…
What happens to good songs that don’t get sung? They are tossed into what songwriters call their “trunk”, and all too often, they are lost and forgotten. “Lost and Found” follows Michael’s efforts to unravel the mystery surrounding a musical manuscript attributed to Irving Berlin. Along the way, Michael persuades Broadway legend Jerry Herman to teach him one of his “trunk songs.”
Nightlife has always played an important role in popular culture, from Delta juke joints to the Vegas strip. Join Michael on a tour of nightclubs, from blues dives to the casinos where Frank Sinatra’s Rat Pack reigned; and get a private tour of the now-closed Liberace Museum in Las Vegas.