Q: I wanted to pick your brain for your latest suggestion on easy, free slide show software. I want to just create a slide show with still jpeg images and add audio (probably an mp3 music file). Do you know what would be the best way?

A: so true, Prezi is not free anymore, Brainshark too. Wondershare slideshow advertises free download but I doubt it, don't waste your time.

Here is a link to an article 5 Ways Students Can Create Audio Slideshows
but I didn't try software listed there.

I looked at Google slides, it is free. You can't insert audio though, only youtube video. It is possible to create every slide as Youtube video and insert it in Google slides - odd process...

There is Movenote. It works with Google drive and allows you to add video or audio to your slides:

By Michelle Pacansky-Brock

Instructional Technologist, Instructor

July 7, 2014

I have used MoveNote to create tutorials for faculty. Faculty have taken to it like wildfire – they love how easy it is to record a video screencast that looks beautiful. Faculty at my institution are also having students use MoveNote to present and share projects and students are replying to each others’ MoveNotes online with the video reply feature.
Videos hosted on MoveNote.com are essentially shared as “unlisted” (available to those who have the link) — important share this with students if they create content.
One correction about the above review: There is a free version of MoveNote available (at the time of this writing) and the app is free for educators.
https://edshelf.com/tool/movenote/

People suggest using Google sites or google forms instead - you can create pages with Google sites and add sound there or add link to your slide:

Here is one way.
Just type in something like sound1 and link it to a sound file on the web:
 navajopeople.org/audio/audio2.wav
or in Google drive:
googledrive.com/host/0B6w5xqxWfszZTnZJUlh0QVlWWkk/Loop-Ambient-4.mp3
It will open in a new window. Just close the window when your done listening.

Remember that you can record your narration using audacity, save it in your Google drive and link to a word on your slide - like "click here to play audio".

https://productforums.google.com/forum/#!topic/docs/1xy9YwNIB7Q

My friend uses jing. If you have iPad look for Adobe Voice; it "is a free iPad app that lets you make an impact with an amazing animated video".