Head of School Jason Patera is livestreaming discussions about important jazz albums every Thursday. See below for talks about Benny Goodman and Ella Fitzgerald.

In 1938, with the world on the brink of war, a young man from the impoverished Jewish ghetto of Chicago had become one of the most famous people in the world. Patera talks about Benny Goodman’s impact on civil rights, why his music was outlawed in Nazi Germany, and how his epic 1938 performance of “Sing, Sing, Sing” at Carnegie Hall still spreads joy today.

In this 25-minute presentation, Patera talks about the legendary Ella Fitzgerald and her must-have 1960 album "Live in Berlin" (aka "Mack the Knife”). Listeners will learn about Ella’s virtuosic technique, how she won a Grammy for forgetting the lyrics, and the greatest vocal performance ever recorded.