Investigating a ‘story’ about a song can take a lot of time and effort. I do that as I track the interconnection among three Duke Ellington compositions. And the jury is still out.

You’ll also hear three great Cole Porter songs, interpreted by Django Reinhardt, Tony Bennett with Art Blakey, Sarah Vaughan, and Makoto Ozone. Cole Porter does ‘build’ his songs—so it’s not surprising that he was inspired by an architect. As well as the Islamic call to prayer.

I also talk a bit about Jimmy Van Heusen and Johnny Mercer—and how they do and don’t ‘write what they know’.

You’ll hear a bit about how Johnny Green wrote Body and Soul, and hear Molly Johnson singing it. I also talk about how Thelonious Monk and came up with the title to one of his tunes, and play a version of it by Monk himself and by Wynton Marsalis.

Other musicians you’ll hear include Chelsea Reed and the Fair Weather Five, Peter Appleyard, and Fraser MacPherson.