In the 1950s and 1960s, the Great American Songbook competed with new forms like rock ‘n’ roll, and rhythm & blues. As Feinstein crisscrosses the country performing with big bands, symphony orchestras and jazz combos, viewers learn how iconic singers like Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole and Rosemary Clooney kept the Songbook alive by reinventing pop standards of the 1930s and 1940s.

While preparing an original patriotic song, Michael weaves in the history of 1940s big bands, USO shows, V-disks, war bond rallies, and the powerful role popular music played in boosting morale.

In the fast and furious 1920s and 1930s, jazz was hot, credit was loose, and illegal booze flowed freely in underground speakeasies. Between performances, Feinstein illustrates the impact of talking pictures, the dawn of radio, and the fledgling recording industry. Additionally, it introduces viewers to other collectors and musicians who keep the spirit of the Jazz Age alive today.

Nightlife has always played an important role in popular culture, from Delta juke joints to the Vegas strip. Join Michael on a tour of nightclubs, from blues dives to the casinos where Frank Sinatra’s Rat Pack reigned; and get a private tour of the now-closed Liberace Museum in Las Vegas.

Stars in the Broadway universe don’t shine much brighter than Stephen Sondheim, Angela Lansbury and Christine Ebersole.

Fred Astaire is Michael Feinstein’s favorite singer—but he also was the favorite singer of Irving Berlin, Cole Porter and the Gershwins. Why was this dancer, first-and-foremost, so beloved by the America’s great composers?

Today, American Idol is the country’s biggest music star-maker, but decades ago, the Golden Age of Radio fulfilled the idol-making role in the USA.