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February 2004

Red Hot Sounds from Beantown

Friday, February 27, 2004

Soundcheck wraps up its portion of WNYC's fund drive week with some rollicking New Orleans party music. The Revolutionary Snake Ensemble is a funk and street beat brass band, playing New Orleans and other modern improvised celebratory styles. Led by saxophonist Ken Field, the group's flamboyant costumes and crowd-pleasing rhythms have earned it a cult following in its home town of Boston. As we hear, the group's latest album features New Orleans style arrangements of tunes from Sesame Street to Central Africa.


Americana Beauty

Thursday, February 26, 2004

During their 17-year career, the vocal ensemble Anonymous Four have traveled stylistically between music from medieval sources to the thorniest contemporary fare, applying their consistently pure, silky tone to the task. Their latest recording project is a particularly enticing surprise. Titled "American Angels: Songs of Hope, Redemption, and Glory" it features sacred songs from 18th-century New England, so-called "shape-note" songs from the South (named for the style of musical notation employed), and others that have become part of the gospel tradition of the rural south. Members of the ensemble join us today on Soundcheck to present some of this rich vocal repertory.


Musical Entrepreneurs

Wednesday, February 25, 2004

Ever wonder how NPR selects the music played between news stories? Today we speak with Bob Boilen, the director of NPR's evening news program All Things Considered and creator of All Songs Considered, NPR's multimedia, Online music program. Boilen started All Songs Considered after receiving countless letters from listeners who wanted to know more about the music played between stories on ATC. In addition to its Online component, All Songs Considered has developed a popular CD series, the third installment of which was recently released and this week is a WNYC fundraising premium. Also, we're joined by Benjamin Zander, the British-born conductor who founded the Boston Philharmonic in 1979. Zander has developed a devoted cult following for his acclaimed series of Mahler performances—and if that wasn't enough, he also works as a motivational speaker.


Learning to Reed

Tuesday, February 24, 2004

Though steeped in a fairly conservative tradition of Eastern European music making, Klezmer has proven to be a highly inclusive and innovative musical style. This week, it crosses another boundary when Klezmer clarinet virtuoso David Krakauer and his band make their Carnegie Hall debut. They'll be performing a new suite of compositions written for them by jazz composer and pianist Uri Caine. And if that wasn't enough, Krakauer recently released "Live in Krakow," a rousing jazz-meets-klezmer CD on Label Bleu that was recorded live in his ancestral home of Krakow, Poland. He joins us to shed some light on the "psycho-Klezmer" genre.


Recording Industry R.I.P.?

Monday, February 23, 2004

We're joined today by Alan Light, music journalist and editor-in-chief of Tracks magazine. Tracks is a new rock magazine that aims to attract a more culturally sophisticated, over-30 readership. It arrives during a chaotic time for the music industry. Recently, Tower Records for filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy, another victim of file sharing and discount retailers. Yet at the same time, singer Norah Jones's newest CD sold more copies during its debut week than any other release has in more than two and a half years. So are music consumers still buying CDs? Is there a generation gap among CD-buying audiences? We’ll take your phone calls and e-mails on these and other topics.


A Pair of Piano Concertos

Friday, February 20, 2004

Think of Spanish classical music and the name Manuel de Falla naturally comes to mind. Yet only a handful of his works are heard in concert halls today, among them, "Iberia" and "El Amor Brujo." But as the Spanish pianist Pedro Carbone tells us today, Falla's "Fantasia Betica" for piano is an undeservedly neglected work that quotes Spanish Renaissance songs and the Spanish keyboard style of Scarlatti. He performs this piece in an upcoming concert with the Brooklyn Philharmonic. Also, you may know Lisa Bielawa for her voice, which has been a part of the Philip Glass Ensemble since 1992. But she's also known for writing many compelling original concert works, music theater pieces, and operas. Her latest work, for chamber orchestra and piano, "The Right Weather," gets its world premiere by the American Composers Orchestra later this month and she joins us today.


Queens-Sized Artists

Thursday, February 19, 2004

"Crossing the BLVD" by documentary artists Warren Lehrer and Judith Sloan is a cross-media project that documents and portrays the largely invisible lives, images, sounds and stories of new immigrants and refugees who live in the borough of Queens—arguably the most ethnically diverse locality in the United States. Sloan joins us today to discuss this remarkable piece, which has appeared as a book, an audio CD, a public radio series, and currently, as an exhibit at the Queens Museum of Art.


Roots, Racism and Discoveries

Wednesday, February 18, 2004

African-Americans have long played a rich and varied role in American theater. But many black theater artists continue to face steep obstacles, particularly on Broadway, where both producers and the fans they cater to often represent fewer African-Americans than their peers in other media. Actress and R&B singer Melba Moore has overcome racial boundaries throughout her career, from becoming first black actress to replace a white actress is a lead role on Broadway (in the musical "Hair") to her starring role in "Les Miserables." She joins today us for a conversation. We're also joined by jazz journalist and ethnomusicologist Lara Pelligrinelli, who has undertaken original research into an underground practice of improvising—or otherwise altering—lyrics to Great American Songbook standards. Because of censorship and copyright issues, this practice has been scarcely documented until now.


Young Americans

Tuesday, February 17, 2004

Singer-songwriter Nellie McKay joins us on the heels of her precocious debut CD, "Get Away From Me." The disc spans a wide terrain, from jazz and bossa nova to reggae and hip-hop, all of which is rooted in the witty American songwriting tradition linking Cole Porter and Elvis Costello. Speaking of precocious, Han-Na Chang is among the most celebrated young cellists performing today. At 13, she made her Carnegie Hall debut. Now, at age 21, Chang is a regular fixture at major international orchestras and on high-profile concert stages. She is in town this week to perform a series of concerts with the New York Philharmonic, and was recently awarded the 2004 Prix International du Disque, or Cannes Classical Award, one of the most coveted prizes in classical music.


American Music Festival: From Ohlsson to Underground

Monday, February 16, 2004

When Garrick Ohlsson came to the forefront in the 1970s he was one of a handful of major Americans pianists arriving on the scene, along with Peter Serkin, Murray Perahia, and Emanuel Ax. He has since become one of the leading Chopin interpreters of our time, while also advancing the cause of American works by John Adams, Michael Hersch and Aaron Copland, among others. He stops by for a conversation with host John Schaefer. Also on the show are American originals—composer Michael Gordon and filmmaker Bill Morrison. They're collaborating on a new piece called "Gotham" that explores the urban experience through music and film, and which will be premiered next week as part of the American Composers Orchestra's "Orchestra Underground" series.


Talk About the Passion!

Friday, February 13, 2004

Love is in the air on Soundcheck's annual Valentine's Day show, whether you like sweeping romance or bawdy raunch. Stephin Merritt, the eccentric mastermind behind New York band the Magnetic Fields portrays a unique take on the cliché-ridden topic of love in the epic three-CD masterwork, 69 Love Songs. He performs some of those notorious songs live in the WNYC studio. And the young Idaho-bred songwriter Josh Ritter stops by to present a more traditional—yet no less captivating—take on romance.


My Funny Valentine

Thursday, February 12, 2004

Since her emergence in the mid-'80s as a vocalist with the New York cult band the Golden Palominos Syd Straw has been one of the most distinctive singer-songwriters on the scene. Today on Soundcheck, she joins host John Schaefer to discuss her annual Heartwreck Show, a Valentine’s Day concert for the jaded, featuring a mix of twisted torch songs and original material which takes place this weekend. Also, WNYC Music Host David Garland stops by to review some new recordings, including Greetings from Michigan, the third album from Brooklyn-based singer/songwriter Sufjan Stevens, a beautiful, sprawling homage to the Great Lake State.


Who's afraid of Virginia Woolf?

Wednesday, February 11, 2004

Certainly not Michael Cunningham, the Pulitzer Prize winning author of the Hours. He has written that certain specific pieces of classical music haunt him while writing his novels, and music appears frequently as part of the narrative in his work. He joins us today along with the conductor William Eddins. Both will be participating in an upcoming concert by the Brooklyn Philharmonic that features readings from Cunningham's novels along with performances of music inspired by his writings. Also, sometimes vocal music is more than just about the words – but the "instruments" that produce it. New York Times cultural critic John Rockwell believes that conservatory-trained singers today have become overly cautious and maybe a little rock 'n' roll abandon is what's needed to enliven the art form. He joins us to discuss this topic.


From Brassy Singers to Brass Players

Tuesday, February 10, 2004

The jazz and cabaret vocalist Nora York doesn't merely interpret songs—she mines them for their deep psychological subtexts and nuances. Her material is shaped from jazz, popular, classical, and traditional American folk motifs and she has interpreted the work of everything from Stephen Foster to Jimi Hendrix. As a Pre-Valentine's Day gift, she joins us to push the musical envelope in a live performance of love songs. No less content observing traditional boundaries, the legendary jazz trombonist Roswell Rudd talks about his work with Malian kora player Mamadou Diabate that blends West African folk songs and jazz standards. Rounding out the show, Sedgwick Clark, editor of Musical America, drops by to preview a pair of concerts this week by conductor Pierre Boulez and the Cleveland Orchestra at Carnegie Hall.


Finn de Siècle

Monday, February 09, 2004

If you thought that Finland's hottest exports are Finlandia vodka and Nokia cell phones, think again. Some of the most coveted positions in the orchestra world are being taken up by Finns. Among them is the conductor Osmo Vänskä, who joins host John Schaefer in advance of his New York debut tonight with the Minnesota Orchestra. This season Vänskä and the Orchestra will begin recording the complete Beethoven symphonies for BIS—no small feat at a time when recording contracts among orchestras are rare. Speaking of debuts, we're also joined by probing young pianist Lars Vogt, who makes his first appearance with the New York Philharmonic this week. Vogt, who is the pianist in residence with the Berlin Philharmonic and has a huge discography on EMI, has enjoyed a growing visibility on U.S. stages.


Fab Four, Forty Years Ago

Friday, February 06, 2004

It was 40 years ago this week that Beatlemania began in the United States. On Feb. 7, 1964, the Fab Four arrived at JFK Airport in New York, met by 3,000 screaming fans. In commemoration of this cultural milestone we're joined by Rolling Stone contributing editor Anthony DeCurtis and Irish playwright and musician Larry Kirwan. We also take listener calls, inviting you to share your memories of the Beatles and your reflections on their legacy. We also invite you to e-mail us at soundcheck@wnyc.org.


Opera on the Bowery?

Thursday, February 05, 2004

In New York, opera is usually associated with spacious opera houses and big-name divas. But a smaller, intrepid breed of opera company also helps to enrich the city's cultural life. Among these is the Amato Opera Company, which since 1964 has been performing on a tiny stage on the Bowery (a few yards north of legendary rock club CBGB's), and which regularly presents intimate versions of the classics. We're joined by the company's founder and director, Anthony Amato. Similarly, the Gotham Chamber Opera (formerly Henry Street Opera) is dedicated to playing the kind of unusual repertory that the big groups ignore. Its latest production is the American premiere of "The Black Widow," a 1935 radio opera by Swiss composer Heinrich Sutermeister. We're joined by company director Neal Goren. Rounding out the show, Brian Kellow, features editor of Opera News, stops by to review a new CD by the tenor Marcello Giordani.


Grammy File

Wednesday, February 04, 2004

The 46th annual Grammy Awards take place this coming Sunday and once again, critics are questioning their relevance. Are they an adequate barometer of the best recordings of the year or merely an exercise in music industry hype? How are the nominations selected and who are the standouts in this year’s list of nominees? Billboard columnist Anastasia Tsioulcas joins us to sort it all out. Also on the show, bassist Viktor Krauss has been called the next Bill Frisell for his knack for writing well-crafted instrumental music with airy, haunting melodies and diverse musical styles from hard rock to country. In fact, his new solo album features guitarist Frisell as well as slide guitarist Jerry Douglas and Krauss’s noted sister, the singer Allison Krauss. Yet as we learn today, he’s hardly a Frisell clone but a distinctive artist in his own right.


Rock the Mitzvah

Tuesday, February 03, 2004

Leading into World War II, Vienna and Berlin were two cultural capitals whose ambivalent stances toward Jewish musical genius both enriched their culture and predicted their city’s doom. Today on Soundcheck, host John Schaefer is joined by Robert Bass, music director of the Collegiate Chorale, and Matthew Lazar, a leader in the American Jewish choral movement, to talk about the many composers whose careers were interrupted in the face of political upheaval. Our discussion comes in advance of two events in New York: Next week, Leon Botstein conducts a concert of works by Jewish composers who lived and worked pre-Nazi Vienna, including Sulzer, Rubinstein, Goldmark, Schreker, and Zemlinsky and tonight, the Collegiate Chorale presents an evening of Kurt Weill, with singer Bebe Neuwirth.


African Heartbeat

Monday, February 02, 2004

Sunjata is the most celebrated epic of Africa, a sweeping tale of sibling rivalry and power that depicts the founder of the 13th-century Mali Empire. Its performances often last for days, but this week at the Kitchen, the work has been boiled down to a presentation lasting just under two hours. Today host John Schaefer speaks with poet Bob Holman, who has curated the event, which features dance, poetry and musicians from Mali, Gambia, Jamaica and Sierra Leone – several of whom will be offering a live performance today in the WNYC studio.