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Joan Merrill
Joan is an author, show producer, website creator, and talent manager
About Me
Joan Merrill has extensive experience as a writer and producer in the world of jazz.
She produced a video documentary, “Saying It with Jazz, “featuring Carmen McRae,
Carol, Sloan, and others discussing the importance of lyrics in jazz singing.
Joan produced 15 shows for NPR’s Peabody Award-winning series “Jazz Profiles”
and also produced four shows for Smithsonian PRI ‘s series “Jazz Singing.“
Merrill also served as talent agent for jazz legend Ernestine Anderson, Rebecca
Parris, and Denise Perrier. She produced three CDs under her label, Saying It With
Jazz: “You Don't Know Me” (Rebecca Parris), “The Second Time Around” (Perrier),
and “Que Sera Sera, Celebrating Doris Day” (Kristi King and the Hans Brehmer
Quartet.
Joan also has written five jazz mystery novels in the ongoing Casey McKie series.
Three of them are audiobooks, narrated by longtime jazz radio host Alisa Clancy of
KCSM in California.
In collaboration with singer Kristi King, Joan has produced tribute shows for Doris
Day, Peggy Lee, and country legends Patsy Cline, Dolly Parton, Tammy Wynette,
and Loretta Lynn.
Since October 2019, Merrill has produced a weekly radio show, “The Great
American Songbook,“ for jazz station WETF of South Bend, Indiana under her JM
Jazz production company.
