Odetta (often referred as "The Voice of the Civil Rights Movement") talks about her music career and sings to Studs Terkel. The interview segments are between songs. This record is part of the Studs Terkel Almanac.

Fleming Brown, banjo player, discusses the influences Uncle Dave Macon, Pete Seeger, The Almanac Singers, and his teacher, Doc Hopkins had on him. He and Terkel also discuss the influence of WLS's Barn Dance radio show in Chicago and the Grand Ole Opry's WSM had on folk music. Fleming plays "Uncle Buddy" by Arthur Smith, to open and close the show. He also discusses the themes of Appalachian music such as lost love, mystery and murder, and plays examples for the audience.

Lena Horne talks about her memories of Paul Robeson and Billie Holiday, how her skin color affected her career, and her relationship with her audience.

Langston Hughes, John Sellers, James Cotton, and Otis Spann discuss their origins and blues music. The interview focuses heavily on Langston Hughes and how deeply he is influenced by the blues. Hughes also discusses his upcoming book "An African Treasury" at length. Hughes, Sellers, Spann, and Cotton perform a number of songs during the interview, they have been removed due to copyright.

Composer and Pulitzer Prize winner for music Anthony Davis discusses his latest work focusing on the topic of the life and assassination of Malcolm X.

Erroll Garner, jazz pianist, talks about his music style and his career. He explains how he taught himself to play and how he creates new music. He continues to explain his unique style and how it compares to other jazz musicians.

When the announcement was made, to let the audience know the opera singer they came to see would not be performing but that Martina Arroyo would be singing the part of Aida, Arroyo recalls that you could hear the crowd groan all the way in Chicago. Arroyo talks about singing in the operas. She also talks about even though she may have a starring role in the opera, the show is not hers, but rather everyone in the company works hard to put out a good production.

Starting at a young age, Ramsey Lewis really loved music and as he got older, he'd practice five or six hours a day. Lewis says he knew nothing about jazz until he met Wallace Burton at the age of 15. Burton hired Lewis on the spot to play in his band. Church music, Spanish music, Duke Ellington and the Beatles, says Lewis, were all great influences to him.

Using a Trobriand drum and harmonica, Ella Jenkins plays examples of call and response music with Studs. A few of her popular songs play between their discussion. Ella explains how her music came to be from the Chicago neighborhood streets with influences from her Uncle and other blues and folk musicians. Songs played include "Tahboo," "Miss Mary Mack," "You'll Sing a Song and I'll Sing a Song," "Come Dance By the Ocean," and "Dulce." Songs have been removed due to copyright restrictions.

Using past recordings, Ella discusses how she works with children to help them find their rhythms using call and response music and percussion. She explains the West African and Latin music influences within her own music. Music played includes Jenkins' own music such as "Miss Mary Mack," "Tahboo," and "Where Has My Little Dog Gone?" She also plays song written by Carl Orff and performed by the Chorus of the Children's Opera Group, such s "Pat-a-Cake," and "Name-Calling." Untitled West African music is also played. Music has been removed due to copyright restrictions.