Black musicians heard on the show recently:
Ella Fitzgerald (I’m guessing the most frequently played performer after Sinatra)
Louis Armstrong
Billie Holiday
The three Coles: Nat King, Nathalie and Freddy
Sarah Vaughan
Joe Williams
Sara Jones
Dinah Washington!
Oscar Peterson
Miles Davis
(OK, you get the idea)

You don’t have to love Jonathan, but where else can one listen to this glorious music with intelligent commentary? I love Bach and I love Gershwin, Cole Porter and Rodgers and Hart, as well as contemporary groups.

True music lovers will try to expand their horizons. Jonathan’s show is one way to do that. What do you like, Mitch?

I used to listen. Really. Now I, too, am one of those people who RUSH OVER to turn off the radio once I hear that awfully flat feminine voice over acoustic guitar. And he’s on for FOUR STRAIGHT HOURS! God, that’s ridiculous! I mean NO one gets that huge a block of time. Sinatra isn’t bad to listen to by himself, but Jonathan’s nose shoved up his ass while completely ignoring Miles is . . . suspicious, to say the least. And all THIS frustration can only be endured after dealing with this guys irritating, whispery voice that’s waaaaay too close to the mic, sounding like he’s hovering over your shoulder, drooling . . . and those long silent stretches always made me wonder what the heck that guy’s doing on the freaking radio at all!!

But let’s go back to his preference for that awful, breathy, plain singing he constantly promotes through his selection of female ‘vocalists’. C’mon. Sure, they may be great to look at, but their commitment to singing never made them pleasant to LISTEN to. I mean, how can he claim to love white female vocalists so much and not celebrate someone like Bjork? (sigh)

OK, nevermind Icelandic singer/composers who are thousands of times better than Bernadette Peters. You wanna talk American Songbook? Fine. Acknowledge the most innovative jazz instrumentalists of all time outside of Louis Armstrong! wtf Jonathan totally ignores Coltrane and Monk, Bud Powell and Charlie Parker. These musicians gave more than a nod to standards.

Whatever. You hit the nail on the head though with, “Instead of reaching for a Dinah Washington, he inevitably reaches for a Mary Martin . . .” and I think I know why. I mean, as sad as it is, isn’t that what sums up his ‘appeal’ to those who support these awful, four-hour shows? Jonathan’s decision to support these women is based on their ethnicity and love of singing. Not on any actual talent they possessed. And he unfortuately reflects the preferences and attitudes of the demographic that makes the largest donations to public radio- those who can AFFORD to be bigots! lol Let’s face it: Jonathan Schwartz would’ve played Wagner for the NAZIS to stay on the radio. (And let’s not even GET to the possible Mafia implications this apparent ‘Sinatra obsession’ of his has. The more his recordings sell, the more a certain group stands to make, folks.)

Sorry sorry sorry….!