What Makes It Great? Anything But Standard: The Music of Ella Fitzgerald and Oscar Peterson

Rob Kapilow, host and pianist
Mia Drummond, vocalist
Gabrielle Stravelli, vocalist
Joshua Richman, piano
Patrick Ti O’Leary, bass

Rob Kapilow’s delightfully illuminating What Makes It Great? programs are a masterclass in composer magic: a sudden spark, a fascinating touch, an unexpected swerve. In Anything But Standard, Kapilow demonstrates the unique power of interpretation. Alongside a live band and two vocalists, he’ll consider three songs in detail, showing how the singular vocalist Ella Fitzgerald and jazz pianist Oscar Peterson transformed popular film and Broadway songs into jazz standards. Rob shares what makes a lifelong toolkit in listening for the spirit and rhythm of jazz, and implores audiences to experience the alchemy themselves