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With A Smile And A Song: The Early Years Of The Disney Songbook

Mickey Mouse in the 1928 Disney short Steamboat Willie
Mickey Mouse in the 1928 Disney short Steamboat Willie

On this episode we’re turning up the volume on one of the most enduring and inspiring elements of the Great American Songbook – the music of Walt Disney. While Disney himself wasn’t a composer, he understood the impact of music and its storytelling power, and was responsible for bringing composers, lyricists, arrangers, musicians, and singers together to create and fortify the kind of art and entertainment he was determined to produce. During this hour, we’ll hear familiar tunes and some rare gems from the Walt Disney Studios, from the Silly Symphonies of the 1930s, to Cinderella in 1950, sung by Peggy Lee, Etta Jones, Tony Bennett, and more.

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