The series of 38 one-hour radio programs featured guest singers Mabel Mercer, Bobby Short, Tony Bennett, Johnny Hartman, Mildred Bailey, Thelma Carpenter, Irene Kral, Jackie Cain, Teddi King, David Allyn, Barbara Lea, Marlene VerPlanck, Dick Haymes, Margaret Whiting, and others singing and discussing American popular song with pianist Loonis McGlohon and Wilder, who provided expert commentary.

[8] To convince Wilder to commit to the show and keep him at ease, the recordings were made in producer Dick Phipps' living room in Lake Murray, Lexington, South Carolina.

[2][9][4] Dick Phipps produced many additional Audiophile Records releases from the American Popular Song with Alec Wilder and Friends radio show as well as The Jazz Alliance label releases from Marian McPartland's NPR radio show Marian McPartland's Piano Jazz.

On this release McGlohon functions as music director, arranger and pianist with Terry Lassiter on bass, and Jim Lackey on drums.

The Fields' selections include songs she wrote with Coleman, Jerome Kern, Jimmy McHugh, and Arthur Schwartz, spanning her long career from the 30s–70s.

[12] (3 stars means," A good, middleweight set; one that lacks the stature or consistency of the finest records, but which will reward the listener tuned to its merits").

[12] Peter Reilly writing in Stereo Review in 1979, singles out "I'm Gonna Laugh You Right Out of My Life", "I Walk a Little Faster" as two Coleman "gems" and says Murphy gives "dapper, worldly readings" of Fields' "Don't Blame Me", "I'm in the Mood for Love", and "A Fine Romance".

[13] He writes, "Murphy use his voice almost as a musical instrument in the best old-jazz style, yet along with it he maintains an almost uncanny ability to shed new and different light on lyric meanings".

[13] Scott Yanow includes the album in his list of other worthy recordings by Mark Murphy of the past 20 years in his book The Jazz Singers: The Ultimate Guide.