The Carolina Shout - Ragtime And Jazz Piano With Ethan Uslan

In this episode, Ethan pays his income tax and sings a song about it. Then he digs up an obscure Irving Berlin tune about an immigrant facing deportation. Finally, Ethan opens up the phone lines, and to his utter dismay, gets a robocall. He responds the only way he knows how - by playing some syncopated piano music about robots. 

On this April 1st episode, Ethan plays Gershwin's only cowboy song, and then transforms "I Love a Piano" into "I Love to Podcast." After a discussion of Dorsey boogie confusion, Ethan plays "Jimmy Dorsey's Boogie" and then an obscure rag by a composer who ate flowers. Upon realizing the podcast studio doors are unlocked, Ethan is rudely interrupted by his 7-year son, who sings a song about jaguars and hijacks the podcast. Our new host informs us that Ethan has been fired. Is this the end of the Carolina Shout? 

After a quick musical celebration of St. Patrick's Day, Ethan plays Beautiful Dreamer and does NOT jazz it up. Then he plays Mozart, and all bets are off. Finally, Ethan musically reenacts the Spanish American War. Ready. Aim. FIRE!   

As a prelude to Fat Tuesday debauchery, brother Ethan finds religion and plays a hymn. Then he plays the Tiger Rag and tells the story behind it, which involves shocking accusations of Russian espionage. Finally, Ethan learns what it means to miss New Orleans when he rides a unicycle down memory lane. Lots of old school New Orleans piano-playin' in this episode - don't miss it!      

Ethan has fun with a couple WWI songs. First he clones an army of Ethans to whistle Col. Bogey's March, and then he takes the listener to HELL for a live duet sung by the Devil and his son. Finally, Ethan embraces his inner drill sergeant and urges his listeners, through song, to sign up for the Merchant Marines. 

Prima donna Lady Melinda Whittington joins Ethan for an anglo-inspired Downton Abbey-themed program. Put on your lorgnette as Lady Whittington warbles one of the smash hits from London's hit 1916 musical: Chu Chin Chow. Then, take off your dinner jacket and enjoy some low-falutin American jazz. And be sure to stick around for the grand finale: Ethan and Melinda assume the roles of Lady Edith and Lady Mary, engaging in a rhyming musical insult-fest that would titillate the dowager countess to no end.  

Ethan opens up the mailbag and fields some interesting piano questions from a listener. This leads him to play "The Entertainer" and then some fancy Harlem-style fingerwork. Will Ethan's digits get all tied up in knots, like spaghetti twined around a battery-operated self-twirling spaghetti fork? Listen to find out!    Featuring:   "The Entertainer" by Scott Joplin "Jingles" by James P. Johnson "Handful of Keys" by Fats Waller

Wearing sweatpants and nursing an acute hangover, Ethan sings his 2017 New Year's resolutions. Then he plays a strenuous duet with Abby the Spoon Lady. Finally, an airline pilot bursts into Ethan's home with an emergency ragtime question pertaining to a Memphis hotel-bathroom blues. 

For the final episode of the season, Ethan relishes the opportunity to open up the phone lines. To his surprise, the world's foremost authority on pickles calls in. Then Ethan reflects on the song that helped him make Romanian friends, and then finally, we celebrate the first Cubs championship since the ragtime era.  Songs Included: Song of the Fir Tree - (Traditional, arr. Billy Mayerl, 1938)  Dill Pickles - (Charles L. Johnson, 1906) Tea for Two - (Youmans/Caesar, 1925)  Chicago - (That Toddlin' Town) - (Fred Fisher, 1922) 

Special guest Dr. Kendra Preston-Leonard talks about the Silent Film Sound and Music Archive and we hear Ethan play music from the silent movies. We wrap things up by forming a human pyramid while we listen to Ethan's college football music. Songs Included: Misterioso Infernale - (Gaston Borch, 1918) Radio Message - (Maurice Baron, 1917)  Sing Ling Ting: Chinese One-Step - (George L. Cobb, 1914)  Illinois Loyalty - (Thatcher Howland Guild, 1906)

In the name of science, Ethan performs an experiment on the Moonlight Sonata. Then he introduces a new segment called "Book Report" where he talks about a nefarious con man who ran for office. Then he tries to calm you back down with "Stars Fell on Alabama" before he premieres two original compositions. Huzzah! Songs Included: That's a Plenty (Pollack/Gilbert, 1914)  Moonlight Sonata - (Beethoven, 1801, arr. Uslan)  He's the Man - (Maudie Butler Shreffler, 1932)  Stars Fell on Alabama - (Perkins/Parish, 1934) Eggs in the Coffee - (Ethan Uslan, 2016)  Copacetic - (Ethan Uslan, 2016)   

Ethan dons a vintage bathing suit to play some beach music. Then he opens up the phone lines and gets a demanding caller who makes too many requests. Finally Ethan reflects on his experience playing piano at a Georgian restaurant in France.  Songs Included: Elite Syncopations (Scott Joplin, 1902)  By the Beautiful Sea - (Carroll/Atteridge, 1914)  You’re the Top - (Cole Porter, 1934)  Georgia on my Mind - (Carmichael/Gorrell), 1930)

Ethan talks about his trip to the Netherlands where he heard cowboy music coming from a church. He also does jazz variations on a Dutch waltz, and relates a story about how he met the world's most famous woman of the night. Songs Included: Eggs in the Coffee - (Ethan Uslan, 2016) Tulpen Uit Amsterdam - (Martyn/Bader/Neumann/Arnie, 1958)  Home on the Range - (Kelley/Higley, 1870s)  Love for Sale - (Cole Porter), 1930)  

Laura Windley is back to sing what is (probably) the only jazz song about North Carolina. Then Ethan plays variations on a Dutch-Indonesian rock song that was originally an American pseudo-Mexican waltz. Finally we hear the world's most beloved Irish cakewalk. Songs Included: Muscle Shoals Blues - (George W. Thomas, 1921)  Just a Little Bit South of North Carolina - (Cannon/Shaftel/Skylar, 1941)  Ramona - (Wayne/Wolfe Gilbert, 1928)  McAlheeny's Cakewalk - (Emmet Balfmoor, 1899) 

Ethan answers a FAQ and travels back in time to 1988, when he was 9 years old and went to New Orleans for the first time. Then he demonstrates a piano technique that he invented, called Pi-Yodeling.™ Finally, Ethan wraps it up by playing a soundtrack to a movie that exists only in his mind. Songs Included: I'm Just Wild About Harry - (Blake/Sissle, 1921)  Muskrat Ramble - (Kid Ory, 1926)  Beer Barrel Polka - (Vejvoda/Brown/Timm, 1927) Oh! Susanna - (Stephen Foster, 1848)  

In this episode, Ethan plays the Calico Rag and tells you everything he knows about its composer, Nat Johnson. Then, he plays a French song in the style of Fats Waller. Finally, we hear Ethan accompany vocalist Laura Windley of the Mint Julep Jazz Band. Songs Included: Colonel Bogey's March - (F.J. Ricketts, 1914)  Calico Rag - (Nat Johnson, 1914) La Vie en Rose - (Louisguy/Monnot/Piaf, 1945) Mon Homme (My Man) - (Yvain/Charles/Pollock/Willemetz, 1916)    

Ethan explains why the Carolina Shout is called the Carolina Shout. After the shout, Ethan talks about his former life as a librarian, where shouting was strictly forbidden, and whispering was the only sanctioned form of communication. Finally, he plays a song that you will find soothing - if you are a cow.  Songs Included: Happy Days Are Here Again - (Ager/Yellen, 1929) Carolina Shout - (James P. Johnson, 1916)  Carolina Moon - (Burke/Davis, 1928)  Whispering - (Rose/Schonberger/Coburn, 1920)

With much fanfare, Ethan triumphantly heralds the birth of a podcast. We get to hear the first song Ethan ever learned to play on the piano, and then we float down the Mississippi River to learn about the first piece of ragtime ever published. Finally, the show ends with a confetti-throwing march celebrating, among other things, the sewing machine. How riveting!  Songs Included: Dawn of the Century: March & Two-Step - (E.T. Paull, 1900)  Heart and Soul - (Carmichael/Loesser, 1938)  Mississippi Rag - (William Krell, 1897)  

The Carolina Shout is a podcast about ragtime, New Orleans jazz, Harlem stride piano, and swing. Ethan Uslan is the pianist and host who performs live from his living room and offers up fun commentary and stories about the music. Each episode is a short informal private concert just for you, with occasional special guests and experts. So if you are interested in a podcast about rip-roarin American piano music that’s funny, quirky, a little educational but not too much, here it is!