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Johnny Mercer

100 Years Of Johnny Mercer, Pop Poet Laureate

Johnny Mercer's hometown of Savannah, Ga., dedicated a monument to him on what would have been his 100th birthday. Special Collections and Archives, Georgia State University Library hide caption

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Special Collections and Archives, Georgia State University Library

Music Interviews

100 Years Of Johnny Mercer, Pop Poet Laureate

He wrote the words, and sometimes the music, for more than 1,500 songs, among them "Skylark," "Blues in the Night" and "Moon River." He had a few hits himself on Capitol Records — which he started. He was a great American lyricist, and today marks the 100th anniversary of his birth.

100 Years Of Johnny Mercer, Pop Poet Laureate

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Studio Sessions

Celebrating The Johnny Mercer Centennial

Fresh Air

Lyricist and composer Johnny Mercer — born Nov. 18, 1909 — wrote or co-wrote more than 1,000 songs, including American Songbook standards like "Skylark," "That Old Black Magic" and "Come Rain or Come Shine." His Academy Awards tally includes a statue for what's possibly his most famous tune, "Moon River." Fresh Air marks the anniversary of his birth with an in-studio concert starring Rebecca Kilgore and Dave Frishberg.

Celebrating The Johnny Mercer Centennial

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Daryl Sherman Pays Tribute To Johnny Mercer On Piano Jazz

Daryl Sherman visits Piano Jazz for a show in tribute to Johnny Mercer. Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Courtesy of the artist

Studio Sessions

Daryl Sherman Pays Tribute To Johnny Mercer On Piano Jazz

Piano Jazz celebrates the centennial of songwriter and lyricist Johnny Mercer. Pianist-singer and Mercer enthusiast Daryl Sherman brings her sophisticated swing and witty charm to the show for performances of "Too Marvelous for Words" and "Jeepers Creepers." McPartland joins in on one of her favorite Mercer tunes, "Skylark."

Daryl Sherman Pays Tribute To Johnny Mercer On Piano Jazz

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Jazz Centennials: Legends At 100

Lester Young gave Billie Holiday her nickname: "Lady Day." William P. Gottlieb/Library of Congress via flickr.com hide caption

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William P. Gottlieb/Library of Congress via flickr.com

Take Five: A Jazz Sampler

Jazz Centennials: Legends At 100

WBGO

Jazz has no shortage of celebrated masters. Every year brings an abundance of new milestones for record labels to celebrate. With that in mind, we present songs by six American jazz musicians who would have become centenarians in 2009, including Lester Young.

Jazz in Song: The Words

Johnny Mercer. William L. Gottlieb/Library of Congress via flickr.com hide caption

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William L. Gottlieb/Library of Congress via flickr.com

NPR's 'Jazz Profiles'

Jazz in Song: The Words

The popularity of jazz in its golden age owes much to the great American songbook — to the great lyricists who set poetry to rhythm, and to the interpreters who created their individual takes on those words.

Jazz in Song: The Words

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Music Interviews

Dr. John Brings His Own Magic to 'Mercernary'

At 65, Dr. John is best known for rhythm and blues and his voodoo charms. In a new album, Mercernary, he's taking Johnny Mercer's pop standards and mixing in his own brand of New Orleans funk.

Dr. John Brings His Own Magic to 'Mercernary'

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