The Bad Piano Player
A weekly musical podcast diving into popular music of the 20s, 30s, and 40s.
Episodes
149 episodes
Johnny Burke
This week, the Bad Piano Player introduces a lyricist-slash-songwriter we've featured before, but never in his own episode. The wonderful Johnny Burke, he of "Pennies From Heaven" and "Moonlight Becomes You" fame gives us six of his best! Tune ...
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35:56
Mark Knopfler II
This week, the Bad Piano Player takes his second crack at the Glasgow-born, Newcastle-raised Mark Knopfler, with seven songs (Seven? YES! SEVEN) from his solo career. Including YOUR favorite! (I hope). Tune in to listen to a guitar virtuoso int...
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39:36
Mitchell Parish II
The Bad Piano player first featured lyricist Mitchell Parish in his own episode four years ago. Episode five, season one. We thought it high time this prolific poet had a second six songs featured. We wish we could promise no Arms-Charms rhymes...
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38:50
Lew Pollack
This week, we feature composer Lew Pollack, born in New York City in 1895. Have you heard of him? No? Well you've heard his music, I feel reasonably sure. The bad piano player would bet this episode on it. Tune in for the classics and the obscu...
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33:36
Obscure Songs
This week, the Bad Piano Player features the most most obscure song he could find for six of his favorite modern singers and songwriters. We call the episode Their Most Obscure. Amazing how that works out. Tune in and maybe we’ll do your fave o...
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41:59
Edgar Leslie
This week's episode features lyricist Edgar Leslie, 1885-1976, whose canon includes many famous songs we're not going to do! In accordance with the Bad Piano Player manifesto, we bring you six Edgar Leslie lyrics you probably don't know, but tr...
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32:40
Song Hits Magazine
This week, the Bad Piano Player takes a look at the short-lived Song Hits magazine of the mid 1930s. They included music and we're doing three each from three issues in 1935. Songs written by some people we know and some we don't. Tune and sit ...
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41:32
Peter Allen
This week, our post Canada Day episode features the Australian born, Judy Garland discovery, singer-songwriter Peter Allen. Composer, lyricist, singer, one-man show dynamo. Gone too soon. Six of our picks of his best. Enjoy, kids, in the full f...
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36:46
James Monaco III
This Fortnight Tuesday, the Bad Piano Player, who has featured Harry Warren, Tom Waits, Irving Berlin, Sam Coslow and Frank Loesser three times, gives a third episode honor to James V Monaco. And as always, we hope you enjoy this well deserved ...
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34:08
Matt Malneck
For our first June episode, the Bad Piano Player features jazz violinist, composer and arranger Matt Malneck (1903-1981). New Jersey born songwriter who has long deserved and finally gets his own episode. Tune in, kids, because it is gonna swin...
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34:11
Sam Coslow III - Stories
This week, the Bad Piano Player goes into his bag of Sam Coslow songs and stories for-- would you believe it-- a third time! Six great songs and fabulous stories to go along with 'em. Mae West, Garbo, Mabel Normand, and some sketchy singing too...
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40:16
Kahal & Fain
This week, Fortnight Tuesday brings two more giants of the American songbook, the team of Irving Kahal, lyricist, and Sammy Fain, composer, both members of the Songwriters' Hall Of Fame, and two men we've featured before, but at last they get t...
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36:10
Ralph Rainger
This week, the Bad Piano Player assays the redoubtable Ralph Rainger; composer, arranger, accompanist, preparer of piano rolls, bandleader, and oh yes, lawyer. Film composer nonpareil in a bright but short career. You may not have heard of him,...
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34:36
Victor Schertzinger
This week, the bad piano player features violinist, composer, director, screenwriter, and in his time, Da Hardest Workin' Man in Show Bidness. Say hello to Victor Schertzinger, director of 88 films and holder of 146 soundtrack credits. Tune in,...
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35:05
Jack Little
This week, the Bad Piano Player assays a composer/bandleader/singer you've never heard of. I swear! Radio and recording star of the 1930's Jack Little, who was of course known as Little Jack Little, not to be confused with the vaudeville Little...
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33:56
Sam Coslow II
This week, the Bad Piano Player does his second foray into the incredible career of songwriter Sam Coslow. From New York, Tin Pan Alley, to Hollywood, and finally, Wall Street. As always, with songs! Tune in, kids.
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35:53
Songbook: Old Friends
This week, the Bad Piano Player finds a songbook with old friends Mitchell Parish, Carl Sigman, Frank Loesser, and Harry Warren in it. And we throw in a Mack Gordon for good measure. It's gonna be old timey and old movie as well, so get some po...
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33:52
Jimmy Webb
This week, the bad piano player assays the Oklahoma born songwriter Jimmy Webb, born in Elk City 77 years ago. Winning a song of the year Grammy award at age 21 didn't slow this guy down one bit, kids. Tune in for six of the best.
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33:44
George Gershwin
This week, after 130 episodes, the Bad Piano player finally does a Gershwin episode. Six little slices of long intensive rehearsal heaven. We hope you will indulge a bad piano player in his admiration for the King of Rock 'N Rhapsody. Tune in. ...
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33:37
Gordon & Revel
For our first episode of season five the bad piano player will feature Morris Gittler and Harry Glaser, known to their fans as Mack Gordon and Harry Revel, a New York AND Hollywood songwriting team from 1928 to 1939. Please enjoy these songs re...
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34:12
Who Wrote That
The Bad Piano Player's season four finale will feature six songs, and the composers of same may surprise you. I'm hoping they will surprise you a lot, so even if they don't, look....ACT SURPRISED, okay? Sheesh. Thanks to all our listeners for a...
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37:29
Train Songs
This week, in our fourth season's penultimate episode, we sing some songs about trains. "If they freed me from this prison, if that railroad train was mine....I bet I'd move it on a little farther down the line..." We won't be doing that one, b...
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34:12
Sam Coslow
This week the Bad Piano Player features composer, lyricist, music publisher, & financial analyst Sam Coslow. We've featured him occasionally before, but never for his own episode, so tune in and hear the classics, Sam Coslow-style..
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34:26