An almost all-instrumental show today. Featured album is "THE Album," by Art Tatum and Ben Webster. We also hear from the Boston Pops Orchestra, the New York Pops, the Romantic Strings Orchestra, and contemporary musicians Ben Powell and Miles Stiebel.

After a meteorologically appropriate "April Showers," we continue with our Sarah Vaughan Centennial Celebration, hearing from both the Divine One herself and a recent winner of the Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition, Samara Joy.

Sarah Vaughan centennial celebration! "The Divine One" was born March 27, 1924, with "one of the most wondrous voices of the 20th century." We'll hear that voice, sometimes soloing (with top instrumentalists) and sometimes dueting (with Billy Eckstine and others). As usual on "The Melody Lingers On," we feature songs from our top songwriters -- this time hearing how they received the Sassy treatment.

Coming next week on "the Melody Lingers On": We'll hear some recent winners of the Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition, plus more from Sarah Vaughan herself.

That's Entertainment! We hear the best of the best from "the ultimate anthology of M-G-M musicals." Artists heard today include Judy Garland, Gene Kelly, Frank Sinatra, Fred Astaire, Lena Horne, Jimmy Durante, and a host of other M-G-M stars.

We conclude our visit with the songs of "Some Like It Hot," the tuneful new Broadway show whose original cast recording has just been released.

Then we visit briefly with a beloved "Leap Year Baby": Dinah Shore was born on February 29, 2016, and went on to reflect the ever-changing moods of the mid-20th century.

SOME LIKE IT HOT -- the original cast recording of the 2023-24 musical comedy.

Part One this week; conclusion next week.

Music and humor to cheer us up: Since it's Valentine's Day, we listen to some love- (or chocolate-) related songs from the Smothers Brothers. And since it's Jack Benny's birthday, we listen to his radio show from February 15, 1948, titled "Jack's 39th Birthday."

100 years ago this week, George Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue" premiered, as part of a Paul Whiteman concert. Throughout the next few weeks of 2024, we'll mark this centennial with several of the hundreds of recordings made of this Rhapsody through the century. Today we start with the original recording of the Rhapsody made by Gershwin with Whiteman's Concert Orchestra and issued in the fall of 1924.

We'll also hear Variations on "I Got Rhythm" -- another Gershwin composition with which he toured extensively. But we're not hearing Gershwin at the piano this time; instead, it's Jeffrey Siegel, playing with the National Philharmonic Orchestra.

Also on today's playlist: more from Paul Whiteman and his Orchestra, plus a variety of vintage songs delivered by Vaughn De Leath, Billy Murray, Peggy Lee, Al Hirt, Harry James and Helen Forrest.

In joyous memory of Peter Schickele, who passed away on January 16, we turn today's show over to Professor Schickele, Donna Browne (as "Blondie") and Elliott Forrest (as "Jocko") as they conduct a pledge drive for Classical WTWP Talkity-Talk Radio.

Songs from 100 years ago: Today we pay particular attention to the 1924 operetta "The Student Prince." We feature Mario Lanza's renditions of several songs from the MGM film, including some from the original 1924 operetta written by Sigmund Romberg and Dorothy Donnelly plus some written for the 1954 film by Nicholas Brodszky and Paul Francis Webster.

Before "The Student Prince" segment, we'll hear other songs written in 1924 (such as "Oh, Lady Be Good," as performed by the Benny Goodman Quintet, and "Tea for Two," as performed by pianist Frank Horrox and orchestra). Also a few miscellaneous selections performed by Margaret Whiting, Ed Ames, and others.

"Girl from the North Country," a musical play by Conor McPherson using music and lyrics by Bob Dylan. Gloomy, melancholy, perfect for this rain-drenched day. (And playing now at the Kennedy Center.)

Today's featured CD: "A Very Swingin' Basie Christmas!" Also selections from Cab Calloway (who was a "Christmas Baby" born December 25, 1907), Xavier Cugat and his Waldorf-Astoria Orchestra, Frank Sinatra, Barry Manilow, Liza Minnelli, Judy Garland and Bing Crosby.

Two distinct halves to our show today:

1. A wrap-up of our visit with early Irving Berlin, focusing on his 1916 revue "Stop! Look! Listen!"

2. "The Nutcracker Suite" of Duke Ellington / Billy Strayhorn / Peter Ilich Tchaikovsky

More of Irving Berlin's early tunes! Most of them today are the original cast recordings of Berlin shows in 1911-1914. Featured artists include Bert Williams, Charles King, Ethel Levey, Joseph Coyne.