Today on Midday, an exploration of one of America’s greatest songwriters: Cole Porter. From songs like Night and Day to shows like Kiss Me Kate, Porter defined sophistication and elegance, and influenced generations of songwriters.
A new collection of essays, A Cole Porter Companion, chronicles Porter’s life and influence. The book was edited by three scholars, one of whom joins Tom in the studio this afternoon.Dr. Susan Forscher Weiss is a professor of Musicology at the Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University. She also holds a joint appointment in the Department of German and Romance Languages and Literature at the Krieger School of Arts and Sciences at Hopkins. She is not only a co-editor of the book, but also a contributor to it. Her fellow editors are Don Randel and Matthew Shaftel.
We’re also delighted to be joined in Studio A by two terrific musicians who will perform some of Cole Porter’s classic songs for us today. The vocalist Melissa Wimbish is a classically trained vocalist who also fronts a pop band called Outcalls along with Brit Olson Ecker. The guitarist Michael Joseph Harrisleads two local Gypsy Jazz groups -- Hot Club Baltimore and Ultra Faux.
All three of Tom's guests today will be at the Ivy Bookshop on Falls Road in North Baltimore Thursday night (12/08) at 7 pm to talk more about the book and perform more great Cole Porter music. Click here for details.