Happy Birthday, Cole Porter!
What a swell party this is! You may have caught on that Julian Fleisher holds Cole Porter in the highest of esteems. That's why June 9th, Porter's birthday, is kind of a national holiday for him. So to...
View ArticleLea DeLaria, I'm With Her
Netflix junkies, need a break from binging the newest season of Orange Is the New Black? Or have you already finished all four seasons and need more Big Boo in your life? Chill, TheNaked American...
View ArticleUnruly Isaac Mizrahi
There’s just one more month to see fashion icon Isaac Mizrahi’s career-spanning retrospective at the Jewish Museum in New York through August 7. It’s called Isaac Mizrahi: An Unruly History and it’s...
View ArticleAna Gasteyer, GOP Royalty
Earlier in this insane election cycle, actress, songstress and SNL alum Ana Gasteyer dropped by the Naked American studios. She dived deep into Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess, which you can hear this fall...
View ArticleZachary Quinto Beams In
Zachary Quinto, currently starring as Spock in the biggest SciFi movie in the galaxy, is our guest on the upcoming Season 2 of The Naked American Songbook (coming this fall!).What you Trekkies might...
View ArticleJulian Judges Peggy Lee and Sarah Vaughan
Today Judge Julian will be presiding over the case of Lee vs. Vaughan. Two unlikely opponents are brought to court to defend their music and the title of "Who Sung it Better!" FEVER: Peggy LeeIt would...
View ArticleHappy Birthday Mel Tormé
It's no secret that Melvin Howard Tormé is a favorite on The Naked American Songbook. Julian has worshiped the arranger, songwriter, musician, and performer since he first heard him on Mel Tormé Sings...
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For the Record: Sweeney Todd
The Jonathan Channel’s newest series For The Record explores the making of five seminal Broadway cast albums produced by Thomas Z. Shepard. A Grammy Award-winning record producer and composer...
View ArticleFor the Record: Porgy and Bess
The Jonathan Channel’s newest series For The Record explores the making of five seminal Broadway cast albums produced by Thomas Z. Shepard. Shepard hosts the series with fellow record producer and...
View ArticleRachel Dratch Laughs with Olaf
Last season, Rachel Dratch admitted her theater-nerd past, patriotic habits and "knowledge" of the Great American Songbook. Today we pull back the curtain and look under the kilt. If that wasn't...
View ArticleFor the Record: La Cage aux Folles
The Jonathan Channel’s newest series For The Record explores the making of five seminal Broadway cast albums produced by Thomas Z. Shepard. Shepard hosts the series with fellow record producer and...
View ArticleFor the Record: Jelly's Last Jam
The Jonathan Channel’s newest series For The Record explores the making of five seminal Broadway cast albums produced by Thomas Z. Shepard. Shepard hosts the series with fellow record producer and...
View ArticleMolly Ringwald: Pretty in Podcast
Joining Julian this fall on Season 2 of The Naked American Songbook, is Brat Pack actor, author, and songstress Molly Ringwald. This 80s icon talked about her childhood obsession with Bessie Smith, her...
View ArticleJulian Fleisher Launches 44 Charlton, a Variety Show
Downtown is still weird and wonderful and we’ve got the variety show to prove it!44 Charlton is the place where you’ll find a feast of music, comedy, dance, poetry, art, and more – all served up right...
View ArticleFor the Record: Follies in Concert
The Jonathan Channel’s newest series For The Record explores the making of five seminal Broadway cast albums produced by Thomas Z. Shepard. Shepard hosts the series with fellow record producer and...
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Zachary Quinto Takes Season 2 into Warp Speed
Zachary Quinto, stars as Spock in the biggest SciFi movie in the universe. What Trekkies might not know is that the Gene Kelly award-winning Quinto is also a Songbook enthusiast.He's helping Julian...
View ArticleMolly Ringwald is Pretty in Podcasts
Actor, author, and songstress Molly Ringwald is more than just an 80s icon. She's also well known for her recent album Except Sometimes, for her book When It Happens To You, for her advice column at...
View ArticleFor TNAS this is Ari Shapiro
You know his show, you know his name, and you know his voice. Still there is so much more to learn about this NPR Golden Boy. In this episode Julian gets the scoop on this All Things Considered...
View Article44 Charlton is Back with Music, Comedy, Magic and Boylesque
Downtown is still weird and wonderful and we’ve got the variety show to prove it!44 Charlton is the place where you’ll find a feast of music, comedy, dance, poetry, art, and more – all served up right...
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Tonya Pinkins reveals what's in her basement
Tony Award-winning actress Tonya Pinkins is no stranger to the Great American Songbook. Starting with a found box of LPs in her childhood basement and continuing to her Broadway stage debut in Stephen...
View ArticleAlan Cumming on Sappy Songs
Actor, author, activist, Scotsman, and sappy song singerAlan Cumming was relatively unknown when he first arrived in America to promote an Irish film. But he'd already appeared on stage in the UK as...
View ArticleBig Boo Sings Too
Many Orange Is the New Black fans just know her as Big Boo. But before she became known as the feisty and witty inmate, Lea DeLaria took the comedy world by storm in the late 80s. Appearing on the...
View ArticlePerfect Phrases with Neil deGrasse Tyson
Neil deGrasse Tyson knows a thing or two about science. But this astrophysicist is a true polymath, with knowledge reaching as far as My Fair Lady and Rocky Horror Picture Show. His passion for musical...
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The Pathos of Ana Gasteyer
Before she played Celine Dion, Martha Stewart, and one of the NPR girls on Saturday Night Live, Ana Gasteyer was grooving to the Songbook in her dorm room in Evanston, IL. Yes, this classically-trained...
View ArticleTo Sheldon Harnick With Love
In the final episode of this second Naked Songbook season, Julian asks "How do you thank someone who has taken you from crayons to perfume?" As usual, the solution here is music. Join Julian as he sits...
View Article44 Charlton: Cody Owen Stine, DysFunkTional SoleZ, Paul Tran, Joel Kim...
Downtown is still weird and wonderful and we’ve got the variety show to prove it!44 Charlton is the place where you’ll find a feast of music, comedy, dance, poetry, art, and more – all served up right...
View ArticleLet's Talk about Miss Simone
What are you gonna do about Nina Simone? We're going to talk about and listen to her. Piercing vocals, pristine piano chops, and enduring activism, all lend themselves to decades upon decades of...
View Article44 Charlton with Mo Rocca, Kelly Tsai, Michael R. Jackson, Shakina Nyfack and...
Downtown is still weird and wonderful and we’ve got the variety show to prove it!44 Charlton is the place where you’ll find a feast of music, comedy, dance, poetry, art, and more – all served up right...
View ArticleStephin Merritt Sees the Signs
The Naked American Songbook went LIVE last month with singer-songwriter Stephin Merritt, member of The Gothic Archies, and the force behind The Magnetic Fields.Stephin willingly stripped down in front...
View Article44 Charlton with Leah Bonnema, Shouthouse, Beatboxing by Kaila Mullady and...
Downtown is still weird and wonderful and we’ve got the variety show to prove it!44 Charlton is the place where you’ll find a feast of music, comedy, dance, poetry, art, and more – served up in our...
View ArticleElla 100: It all Began at the Apollo
Ella Fitzgerald is turning 100 and we're celebrating her stories all week long on The Jonathan Channel! Today, listen as Julian Fleisher tells the story of the world's discovery of the Ella Fitzgerald...
View ArticleElla 100: A "Girl" and Her Band
Ella Fitzgerald is turning 100 and we're celebrating her stories all week long on The Jonathan Channel! Today, listen as Julian Fleisher tells the tale of Ella Fitzgerald and the Chick Webb Band. For...
View ArticleElla 100: Norman Granz
Ella Fitzgerald is turning 100 and we're celebrating her stories all week long on The Jonathan Channel! Today, listen as Julian Fleisher looks at the relationship between Ella and Norman Granz. For...
View ArticleElla 100: The Songbooks
Ella Fitzgerald is turning 100 and we're celebrating her stories all week long on The Jonathan Channel! Today, listen as Julian Fleisher reflects on one of Ella's most important contributions to The...
View ArticleNeil deGrasse Tyson's Environmental Take on Paul Simon
In between breaking down the secrets of the stars, the mysteries of the Milky Way, and all the things that come with exploring the limitless universe, your local astrophysicist Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson...
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Ari Shapiro Always Says Yes!
For years, NPR's Golden Boy Ari Shapiro has been moonlighting in concert halls as a lyric baritone. The All Things Consideredhost became a regular guest singer for the Portland, Oregon-based group Pink...
View ArticleLea DeLaria + Bowie = Jazz
If you've watched (or binged) Orange is the New Black you might know Lea DeLaria as Big Boo. But as we showed in her Naked American Songbook episode last fall, Big Boo Sings, Too. The new season has...
View ArticleThe Magic of Disney
Almost everyone has a favorite Disney song. There's something for everyone, it's like a proto-songbook training we unknowingly receive as babes. Is magic too strong a word to describe the glimmering...
View ArticleJudge Julian Presides Over Sweet Georgia Brown
Brad from Los Angeles sent a request to Judge Julian regarding the case of Fitzgerald v. O'Day. The brief contains each artist's definitive versions of that old American classic "Sweet Georgia Brown."...
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Stephin Merritt Gets Naked, Live
You're looking at a very special Naked American Songbook episode. Our first-ever live show was also our Lincoln Center debut (perhaps you heard the Doris Day-soaked preview). And for a special show, a...
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Rachel Bloom: Musical Comedy Ex-pert
Rachel Bloom takes musical comedy seriously. A graduate of the NYU Tisch of the Arts, and an avid scifi reader, she's found a way to take music and fantasy and make comedy gold. She started hitting it...
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Ira Glass In Three Acts
Naked American Songbook host Julian Fleisher has a painfully clear memory of his mother nagging him about her friend Shirley Glass' son. The young Glass had recently found success as a public radio...
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Rachel Bloom & Julian Fleisher Ring In Year 5778
When Cole Porter first met Richard Rodgers during a slow point in his career, he confessed to the composer that he knew the key to his success on Broadway: just write "Jewish tunes."Why did WASP of...
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Ira Glass, Act Four
You may know Ira from his touring storytelling, radio, and dance show. Or as a ringtone on the Netflix show Bojack Horseman. Or maybe you know Ira Glass from his always-chart-topping show This American...
View Article44 Charlton: Tonya Pinkins, John Roberts, Harrison Greenbaum and Eganam...
Bite into a hot slice of NYC life every first Friday of the month at 44 Charlton — the world’s first and only variety show smashing together the gutsiest comedy, music, dance, theater, spoken word, and...
View Article44 Charlton: Chloé Hilliard, BETTY, Daniel Nardicio, Catherine Cohen and Erin...
Bite into a hot slice of NYC life every first Friday of the month at 44 Charlton — the world’s first and only variety show smashing together the gutsiest comedy, music, dance, theater, spoken word, and...
View Article44 Charlton: Diana Oh, Pendulum Swings and Kenny Neal Shults
Indie big band Pendulum Swings, comedian Kenny Neal Shults and writer/performer/activist Diana Oh take over 44 Charlton — the world’s first and only variety show smashing together the gutsiest comedy,...
View ArticleLessons I've Learned from My Dad, Leon Fleisher
This month, my dad turns 90. And he’ll do so by playing concerts at such stalwart summer music festivals as Ravinia, Marlboro and Tanglewood. My dad is a badass. I can say this because I’ve known him...
View ArticleThe Great American Seder
It’s no secret that a healthy portion of Great American Songbook writers and composers are Jewish. And so is Zelig-esque actress and comedian Rachel Dratch. Rachel shared with Julian how seders with...
View ArticleRemembering Ethel Ennis and Stanley Donen
To most of us here, "The Great American Songbook" is scripture, a holy book, a bible, if you will. This monumental songbook might have been just a tiny pamphlet were it not for the pantheon of gods and...
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