In-Studio Performances

Tom Goodkind, Lauren Agnelli, and Bruce Paskow comprise the band The Washington Squares. They play acoustic music that blends parody and socially conscious messages.

Husband and wife Doug and Frankie Quimby lead the group Georgia Sea Island Singers, which preserves the local Gullah culture.

The pop singer has a new album featuring the songs of Jerome Kern. She performs several tracks from that record with pianist Mike Renzi and bassist David Finck.

Guitarist and signer Jane Voss and singer Hoyle Osborne play for a live audience at Fresh Air's music studio. Their style incorporates the blues, Tin Pan Alley, vaudeville, and originals. Voss and Osborne are also married and today is their tenth anniversary.

Singer Peggy King joins the studio to interpret the songs of Irving Berlin in honor of his recent 90th birthday. King is joined by pianist Corky Hale and bassist David Finck.

Guitarist and singer Marty Grosz and saxophonist and clarinetist Dick Meldonian regale a live audience with their versions of 1920s jazz and pop tunes at the Fresh Air studio. Grosz is a one the few musicians who still play rhythm guitar, and is the son of German satiric artist George Grosz. Meldonian has played with many famous jazz musicians and singers, and has also released several of his own records. The concert was funded by the Philadelphia Foundation.

The singer and pianist perform classic American popular songs for a live studio audience. They talk to Fresh Air producer and guest host Amy Salit about what makes some popular music endure.

Peggy King returns to Fresh Air for a holiday concert featuring bassist David Finck and pianist and harpists Corky Hale.

Accordionist William Schimmel explains how his instrument lends itself to stylistic mash-ups and improvisatory approaches to composition.

In honor of the composer's 99th birthday, Fresh Air invites Peggy King to perform several of his songs in studio. She is accompanied by pianist Mike Abene.

Folk festival mainstay Michael Cooney performs several songs he learned while on the road.

The jazz pianist blends traditional forms with avant-garde harmonies. A favorite of the Fresh Air staff, he was commissioned to write and perform the program's theme song. He is joined by tuba and bass player Ralph Hamperian.

Blues singer and guitarist Homesick James can't remember how he got his moniker. He says it's a misnomer -- though he hails from Chicago, he doesn't call any place home. He performs two songs for Fresh Air.

Folk singer Michael Cooney returns to Fresh Air to perform two songs originally written in the 1920s

The singer-songwriter, known also for his acting and humor, recently turned 40. His new album, More Love Songs, features lyrics about getting older. He performs several of them on air.

Accordion player William Schimmel examines the stylistic nuances that distinguish the genre.

Larry Adler grew up in Baltimore and started playing the Vaudeville circuit as a teenager. He later pursued classical music, even though no repertoire existed for his instrument. Blacklisted during the McCarthy era, Adler moved to England, but still returns to the States to perform.

Jazz guitar player Marty Grosz talks about the songwriter's lyrics, which he says are at once remorseful and exuberant. Grosz performs two of Waller's songs for Fresh Air listeners.

Musician Marty Grosz returns to Fresh Air to discuss the role of the rhythm guitarist in jazz, particularly in the early days of big bands. He sings two songs to illustrate the technique.

Musician and folklorist Mick Moloney talks about and performs two traditional Irish songs he learned early in his career.