A Prairie Home Companion with Garrison Keillor

Michael Feinstein

Michael Feinstein is one of the foremost interpreters of American popular song. As a teenager in Columbus, Ohio, he honed his skills playing parties and weddings. Then, at 20, he moved to Los Angeles and wound up working for six years as assistant to Ira Gershwin. His career is dedicated to preserving and promoting the music of the great tunesmiths, and for decades audiences worldwide have been the beneficiaries. The Library of Congress elected him to the National Recording Preservation Board, a forum committed to safeguarding America's musical heritage. His Manhattan nightclub, Feinstein's at Loew's Regency, is a showcase for cabaret performers, including Mr. Feinstein himself. He is there through December. His 24th album is The Sinatra Project (Concord Records).

Inga Swearingen

Inga Swearingen always loved singing, whether it was with her elementary school choir in San Luis Obispo, California, or performing her own songs in high school. But after joining a jazz choir while pursuing her education at Cuesta College, she knew her calling: singing jazz. In 2003, after studying with Swiss artist Susanne Abbuehl, she won the Shure Jazz Voice competition at the world-renowned Montreux Jazz Festival. She earned a master's degree in choral conducting from Florida State University, then returned to California, where she now performs, works on recording projects, and teaches at Cuesta College — her old alma mater. Reverie, her latest CD, is on the Rhythome label.

Raúl Melo

Metropolitan Opera tenor Raúl Melo has sung principal roles with major opera companies worldwide. He made his Met debut during the 2005–2006 season as the Duke in Rigoletto, and this fall sang the part of Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly. Other recent performances include the roles of Pinkerton and Cavaradossi (Tosca) with the New York City Opera, the tenor soloist in the Verdi Requiem with the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires, the Navigator in the Anthony Davis opera Amistad at the Spoleto Festival in Charleston, South Carolina, and Alvaro in Verdi's La Forza del Destino at the Český Krumlov International Music Festival in the Czech Republic. At the piano: Bradley Moore, Metropolitan Opera Assistant Conductor.

Guy's All-Star Shoe Band

The Guy's All-Star Shoe Band is led by A Prairie Home Companion music director Richard Dworsky. A keyboard master with an arsenal of ideas, he has worked with artists from Al Jarreau to Kristin Chenoweth to the Hopeful Gospel Quartet. His latest CD is So Near and Dear to Me (Prairie Home Productions).

Chet Atkins called Pat Donohue (guitar) one of the greatest finger pickers in the world today. And he writes songs too — recorded by Suzy Bogguss, Kenny Rogers and others. Freewayman (Bluesky Records) is the most recent of Pat's nine albums.

Gary Raynor (bass) has performed with the Count Basie band, Sammy Davis Jr. — with whom he toured for several years — and the Minnesota Klezmer Band. He teaches jazz bass at the McNally Smith College of Music in St. Paul.

J.T. Bates started playing drums when he was seven. By the time he was 15, he was sitting in with his dad's big band. Since then, he has backed up countless musicians, as well as working with his own bands — Fat Kid Wednesdays and Poor Line Condition.

Andy Stein (violin, saxophone) definitely has far-flung musical leanings. He collaborated with Garrison Keillor to create the opera Mr. and Mrs. Olson, and he has performed with artists such as Itzhak Perlman, Eric Clapton, Smashing Pumpkins, Billy Joel, Tony Bennett, Ray Charles and Bob Dylan.