The Carolina Shout - Ragtime and Jazz Piano with Ethan Uslan

In this episode, Ethan pays his income tax and sings a song about it. Then he digs up an obscure Irving Berlin tune about an immigrant facing deportation. Finally, Ethan opens up the phone lines, and to his utter dismay, gets a robocall. He responds the only way he knows how - by playing some syncopated piano music about robots.

On this April 1st episode, Ethan plays Gershwin's only cowboy song, and then transforms "I Love a Piano" into "I Love to Podcast." After a discussion of Dorsey boogie confusion, Ethan plays "Jimmy Dorsey's Boogie" and then an obscure rag by a composer who ate flowers. Upon realizing the podcast studio doors are unlocked, Ethan is rudely interrupted by his 7-year son, who sings a song about jaguars and hijacks the podcast. Our new host informs us that Ethan has been fired. Is this the end of the Carolina Shout?

As a prelude to Fat Tuesday debauchery, brother Ethan finds religion and plays a hymn. Then he plays the Tiger Rag and tells the story behind it, which involves shocking accusations of Russian espionage. Finally, Ethan learns what it means to miss New Orleans when he rides a unicycle down memory lane. Lots of old school New Orleans piano-playin' in this episode - don't miss it!

Ethan has fun with a couple WWI songs. First he clones an army of Ethans to whistle Col. Bogey's March, and then he takes the listener to HELL for a live duet sung by the Devil and his son. Finally, Ethan embraces his inner drill sergeant and urges his listeners, through song, to sign up for the Merchant Marines.

Prima donna Lady Melinda Whittington joins Ethan for an anglo-inspired Downton Abbey-themed program. Put on your lorgnette as Lady Whittington warbles one of the smash hits from London's hit 1916 musical: Chu Chin Chow. Then, take off your dinner jacket and enjoy some low-falutin American jazz. And be sure to stick around for the grand finale: Ethan and Melinda assume the roles of Lady Edith and Lady Mary, engaging in a rhyming musical insult-fest that would titillate the dowager countess to no end.

Ethan opens up the mailbag and fields some interesting piano questions from a listener. This leads him to play "The Entertainer" and then some fancy Harlem-style fingerwork. Will Ethan's digits get all tied up in knots, like spaghetti twined around a battery-operated self-twirling spaghetti fork? Listen to find out!

Wearing sweatpants and nursing an acute hangover, Ethan sings his 2017 New Year's resolutions. Then he plays a strenuous duet with Abby the Spoon Lady. Finally, an airline pilot bursts into Ethan's home with an emergency ragtime question pertaining to a Memphis hotel-bathroom blues.

For the final episode of the season, Ethan relishes the opportunity to open up the phone lines. To his surprise, the world's foremost authority on pickles calls in. Then Ethan reflects on the song that helped him make Romanian friends, and then finally, we celebrate the first Cubs championship since the ragtime era.

Songs Included:

Special guest Dr. Kendra Preston-Leonard talks about the Silent Film Sound and Music Archive and we hear Ethan play music from the silent movies. We wrap things up by forming a human pyramid while we listen to Ethan's college football music.

Songs Included: