Afterglow

Series produced by WFIU

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Afterglow is a weekly, one-hour program of vocal jazz and popular song from the Great American Songbook, hosted by Mark Chilla.

Ella, Frank, Billie, Duke -- WFIU's Afterglow has them all.

Afterglow highlights the best of vocal jazz and popular song from the 1930s to today. Each episode explores a new topic about the greatest jazz singers. Whether it's the unlikely friendship between Frank Sinatra and songwriter Jimmy Van Heusen, the times trumpeter Clifford Brown worked with vocalists, or songs all about love, Afterglow tells the stories of the Great American Songbook.

Afterglow first aired on WFIU sometime in the late 1970s, hosted by a man named Dick Bishop, who gave the show its elegance, passion, laid-back expertise, congenial charm, and that "martini-moon" quality. After Bishop's retirement in 2005, the show was hosted by David Brent Johnson. In February 2015, Mark Chilla took the helm, continuing to bring an hour of the Great American Songbook to the airwaves in a high-quality production available every week.

For syndication information, please contact LuAnn Johnson at lujohnso@indiana.edu.

For help subscribing please email prxhelp@prx.org.

Find us at http://indianapublicmedia.org/afterglow/.

Afterglow is a production of WFIU at Indiana University in Bloomington. Hide full description

Ella, Frank, Billie, Duke -- WFIU's Afterglow has them all. Afterglow highlights the best of vocal jazz and popular song from the 1930s to today. Each episode explores a new topic about the greatest jazz singers. Whether it's the unlikely friendship between Frank Sinatra and songwriter Jimmy Van Heusen, the times trumpeter Clifford Brown worked with vocalists, or songs all about love, Afterglow tells the stories of the Great American Songbook. Afterglow first aired on WFIU sometime in the late 1970s, hosted by a man named Dick Bishop, who gave the show its elegance, passion, laid-back expertise, congenial charm, and that "martini-moon" quality. After Bishop's retirement in 2005, the show was hosted by David Brent Johnson. In February 2015, Mark Chilla took the helm, continuing to... Show full description


Additional Files

120 Pieces

Order by: Newest First | Oldest First
Caption: Louis Jordan
It’s Thanksgiving, so take a seat at the dinner table with Afterglow this week, as we explore classic jazz and popular songs about food by singers ...

  • Added: Nov 03, 2023
  • Length: 59:00
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We pay tribute to jazz guitarist Barney Kessel and his work with notable singers like Billie Holiday, Dean Martin, Anita O’Day and many more.

  • Added: Nov 16, 2023
  • Length: 59:00
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Jo Stafford was one of the finest, most versatile singers from 1940s and 50, a chameleon who was at ease singing jazz, pop, country, folk, and even...

  • Added: Oct 18, 2023
  • Length: 59:00
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This week on Afterglow, we turn our spotlight on arranger Pete Rugolo. We’ll hear some Rugolo’s progressive arrangements for many of the top singer...

  • Added: Oct 17, 2023
  • Length: 59:00
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Singer Keely Smith became famous as the deapan sidekick to her husband Louis Prima, and as a ballad singer in the late 1950s. This week on Afterglo...

  • Added: Oct 10, 2023
  • Length: 59:00
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Disney. The soundtrack of our childhood. This week on Afterglow, in honor of Disney's 100th anniversary, I’ll explore the jazz side of Disney songs...

  • Added: Sep 11, 2023
  • Length: 59:00
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Vernon Duke immigrated to America as a classical composer, and became one of the finest songwriters in popular music. This week, we’ll explore his ...

  • Added: Sep 11, 2023
  • Length: 59:00
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What do Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Perry Como, and Louis Prima all have in common? Their Italian-American heritage, of course! This week on After...

  • Added: Sep 08, 2023
  • Length: 59:00
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For National Hispanic Heritage Month, we’ll be exploring the influence of Latin music on the American jazz and pop singers in the 1950s, including ...

  • Added: Aug 30, 2023
  • Length: 59:00
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From Frank Sinatra’s version of “Ol’ MacDonald” to Ella Fitzgerald’s version of “The Muffin Man,” we’ll explore some jazzy selections aimed at kids.

  • Added: Aug 25, 2023
  • Length: 59:00
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We’ll continue our ongoing celebration of the late Tony Bennett with a look at his lengthy late-career revival. In 1986, he returned to the recordi...

  • Added: Aug 22, 2023
  • Length: 59:00
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This week on Afterglow, it’s part two of an exploration of colorful songs from the Great American Songbook, as we feature “Little White Lies,” “Tha...

  • Added: Aug 12, 2023
  • Length: 59:00
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We continue our tribute to the late Tony Bennett, with a look at some of his sessions with solo piano, highlighting his work with jazz pianist Bill...

  • Added: Aug 01, 2023
  • Length: 59:00
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This week, we’re looking at “book songs” from the songbook. Flip through the pages with Afterglow as we peruse songs about reading and writing, lik...

  • Added: Jul 28, 2023
  • Length: 59:00
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This week, we explore the songs of Dorothy Fields, a Tin Pan Alley songwriter whose work stretched from the 1920s through the 1970s. We’ll sample h...

  • Added: Jul 18, 2023
  • Length: 59:00
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This week, we’re sampling the songbook of composer and lyricist Frank Loesser, including songs from his musicals like "Guys And Dolls" and "How To ...

  • Added: Jul 18, 2023
  • Length: 59:00
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In 1964, Brazilian singer Astrud Gilberto went from unknown to superstar nearly overnight, with her crossover hit “The Girl from Ipanema.” This wee...

  • Added: Jul 10, 2023
  • Length: 59:00
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This week on Afterglow, we pay tribute to the incomparable Tony Bennett, who just passed away at age 96. We’ll explore the early artistry of his ne...

  • Added: Jul 21, 2023
  • Length: 59:00
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This week on Afterglow, we explore the colorful spectrum of the Great American Songbook, from “Red Sails In The Sunset” to “Deep Purple.”

  • Added: Jun 30, 2023
  • Length: 59:00
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We’re taking a look at what’s new in the world of vocal jazz, exploring some recent releases by the duo Rachael and Vilray, singer Rickie Lee Jones...

  • Added: Jun 29, 2023
  • Length: 59:00