The Carolina Shout - Ragtime and Jazz Piano with Ethan Uslan

Ethan plays songs about sad guys who show up at a dingy bar in the middle of the night, order a beer, and tell the bartender their problems. 

Ethan plays songs about eagles and talks about them. Selections include "American Eagles" by Irving Berlin, "Invincible Eagle" by John Philip Sousa, and "Under the Double Eagle" by Josef Wagner. 

In this episode, Ethan plays songs about the stock market. Henry Uslan joins him on saxophone for one of the numbers. Lots of humorous commentary as usual. 

I'm back! And I'm ready to tell you all about Hippodromes and Pianodromes. I might even throw in a palindrome. And of course I will play the piano as well. Enjoy! 

Ethan plays old-time songs about old-timers, with his usual goofy banter along the way. Songs featured are LITTLE OLD LADY (Hoagy Carmichael), GRANDPA'S SPELLS (Jelly Roll Morton), OLD MAN OF THE MOUNTAIN (Victor Young) and ROCKIN' CHAIR (Hoagy Carmichael).

Obeying the orders of the random generator, Ethan delves into the life and works of ragtime composer Charles Humfeld, who wrote "That Left Hand Rag," "Who Let the Cows Out?" and "Red Moon."  

Ethan desperately tries to find a song that would be relevant to the people of Caroga Lake, NY. He also reminisces about the time he accompanied a clown show. Songs included: I WIsh I Could Shimmy Like My Sister Kate, Eli Green's Cakewalk, Beer Barrel Polka, and Smile.  

Ethan is all over the place on this episode. Topics range from the St Louis World's Fair to the "Flying Pianist" to some of Ethan's recent and not-recent travels. Finally, to assist in choosing repertoire, Ethan introduces the Ragtime Randomizer. Songs: The Cascades (Joplin), American Patrol (Meacham), On Lake Champlain (Bryan/Gumble), Danny Boy (traditional). 

Ethan plays a Chopin Nocturne (syncopated of course), two May Aufderheide rags, and a thrilling arrangement of "You're the Cream in My Coffee." Along the way we learn a little bit about May Aufderheide and what may have inspired her rag, "The Thriller." 

Ethan is back at it with a New Orleans episode. First Hoagy Carmichael's NEW ORLEANS then two Jelly Roll Morton New Orleans numbers (NEW ORLEANS BLUES and NEW ORLEANS BUMP). Then Ethan makes a frosty libation based on Pete Wendling and Max Kortlander's NEW ORLEANS. 

Ethan awakens from syncopation hibernation! Kate is busy with Zoom meetings so Roomba the emotional support poodle steps in as the guest co-host. Featured songs: BUMBLE BEE STOMP, BUMBLE BOOGIE, BUMBLE BEE RAG, and A SLEEPIN' BEE. 

In this episode, Ethan plays old-timey songs from movies. Songs played in this episode are "Temptation Rag" (as heard in the film "The Joker"), "Si Tu Vois Ma Mere " (from "Midnight in Paris"), "Tabu" (from "Jojo Rabbit"), and "As Time Goes By" (from "Casablanca"). 

Pianist/host Ethan Uslan gets a rejuvenating makeover and plays songs about mice, rats and Kate's Barbershop. Ethan also ponders the following issues: the origins of the hamburger, the taxonomy of muskrats, and why Irving Caesar would write such a terrible song about Mickey Mouse. This episode is also available on youtube for your viewing pleasure: https://youtu.be/05SA- 6QwHJ0

Ethan plays some songs that he hopes to play in October at the Ravinia Festival in Chicago. Songs include CHICAGO (Fred Fisher), STRUTTIN WITH SOME BBQ (Lil Hardin Armstrong) and Al Capone's favorite song: ROSES OF PICARDY (Wood/Weatherly). He and Kate make an unconvincing sales pitch for the Carolina Shout Podcast Club. 

After toiling in silence for 63 podcast episodes, Kate Uslan finally opens her mouth. And she has a lot to say. And she sings. And plays the maracas. You'd barely notice Ethan, except when he plays the piano on MY SILENT LOVE (Suesse/Heyman), BUTTON UP YOUR OVERCOAT (DeSylva/Brown/Henderson), ANYTHING YOU CAN DO (Irving Berlin), and CACHITA (Rafael Hernandez). 

To celebrate Bach's upcoming birthday, Ethan jazzes up Bach's Minuet in G, Invention in Bb, and the Badinerie in B minor. Also, Ethan remembers his college piano professor, Edmund Battersby, by playing Walter Donaldson's "Changes" - a novelty song about a musician who likes to change keys. 

Ethan starts out with a Mary Lou Williams rarity called "Lonely Moments." Then he plays Jelly Roll Morton's " Froggy Moore Rag" which was inspired by either "Moore the Frog Man" (a contortionist in a frog costume) or Benson " Froggy " Moore (a pianist who would read the newspaper while playing piano). Finally, after all the frog business, Ethan plays the 1970 beloved bathtub ballad, "Rubber Duckie...

In this episode, Ethan starts off with Fats Waller's VIPERS DRAG and he summons his inner Mr. Rogers for a Harlem-style WON'T YOU BE MY NEIGHBOR? For Christmas, Ethan plays two syncopated versions of SILENT NIGHT and for the love of hearty, durable fabrics (and the people who wear them), Ethan performs THE CALICO RAG. Finally, Ethan wraps it up with one more Mr. Roger's tune (IT'S SUCH A GREAT FEE...

The Carolina Shout presents a terrifying Halloween Special. Featuring BEWITCHED (Rodgers/Hart), NIGHTMARE (Artie Shaw), BLACKOUT BOOGIE (Freddie Slack) and SPOOKY SPOOKS (Edward Claypoole). 

Ethan's Oktoberfest Special starts out with intoxicated antics UNDER THE ANHEUSER BUSH. Then, a sobered-up and repentant Ethan offers a prayer and musical offering ( GAMBRINUS  POLKA) to King  Gambrinus , the patron saint of beer. After playing a Viennese-style waltz (IN A BEER GARDEN WALTZING WITH YOU), Ethan is visited by none other than King  Gambrinus  himself. The King informs us, among other...

Ethan plays some preludes. Selections include PRELUDE TO A KISS (Duke Ellington), RUSSIAN RAG (by George L. Cobb - based on Rachmaninoff's C# Minor Prelude), BLUE PRELUDE (Gordon Jenkins/Joe Bishop), and CHOPIN'S A MAJOR PRELUDE in the style of Scott Joplin and Jelly Roll Morton. As an interlude between preludes, Ethan shares his original composition entitled CONTENTED COWS. 

Ethan plays a couple tunes by Mabel Wayne, who was the master of romantic Latin-tinged waltzes: "In A Little Spanish Town," "Ramona," and "It Happened in Monterey." Along the way Ethan talks about Ramona-related history and plays an obscure Gershwin cowboy song called "Cactus Time in Arizona."  

Ethan's on vacation, but he pops in to make a special announcement regarding the infamous Dr. Brinkley, pioneer of goat gland surgery. 

Ethan reminisces about his teenage years, especially his piano lessons with jazz pianist/composer Dan Crisci. Songs include "When You Were Sweet Sixteen" by James Thornton, "I Should Care" by Cahn/Stordahl/Weston and "Mr B.G." by Dan Crisci. Ethan also takes a few moments to croon a tune about Game of Thrones.

In this episode, Ethan opens up with a 1906 mock ballad entitled "Don't Go In the Lion 's Cage." Then, after opining on the importance of properly training lions , Ethan pays tribute to his childhood piano teacher with John Philip Sousa's " Lion Tamer March." And as a grand finale, Ethan sticks his head in the lion 's mouth and plays "The Lion Tamer Rag."