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August 2005

Rockit Man

Wednesday, August 31, 2005

Piano legend Herbie Hancock has a long history of combing jazz and popular music – from the '70s funk of his album "Head Hunters" to the '80s hip-hop of his single "Rockit." Today, he talks about upping the crossover ante, with a new CD featuring artists like Paul Simon, Sting, Steve Wonder, Santana and Christina Aguilera. Also: summer is not over just yet but it's not too soon to look back on the highlights of festival season. Indeed, summer festivals have been a rare growth area at a time when record sales are taking a nose dive and overall concert attendance has fallen. We'll ask you, the listener, to call in and share your own highlights of the season.


Finding Neverland

Tuesday, August 30, 2005

In 1950 Leonard Bernstein was commissioned to supply the incidental music and songs for a Broadway production of JM Barrie's "Peter Pan." The production was a great success and yet the score was soon forgotten. Now it's seeing the light of day again, thanks to a new recording based on a restoration by conductor Alexander Frey. Today we're joined by bass Daniel Narducci, who plays Captain Hook, and by Susan DelGiorno, the CD's producer and the general manager of Koch recordings. Also on the show: New Jersey indie rockers the Wrens. The band generated considerable buzz in the '90s, and now after years of setbacks and dissapointments, many inspired by record company woes, they're back with a new CD.


Beyond Belief

Monday, August 29, 2005

In the streets of the West Bank and Gaza they are enemies, but music has brought some Israelis and Arabs together for a common purpose. This week, a national tour kicks off featuring traditional music by a Bedouin Jew, a Palestinian Christian, and a Moroccan Muslim titled Gesher-Jisr: Bridging Cultures in Conflict through the Arts. Today, we're joined by musicians Hicham Chami, Yair Dalal, and Naser Musa, who discuss the idea of cultural diplomacy, and offer a live performance. Also: WNYC's music director George Preston has just returned from two of Europe’s big-ticket music festivals: Germany's Bayreuth Festival, which is dedicated exclusively to Wagner, and Switzerland's Verbier Festival, one of the summer's most star-studded musical events. He joins us today with his reflections.

Learn more about Wagner and his work:
» WNYC's special "The Ring and I: The Passion, The Myth, The Mania


What's the Soundtrack to Your Life?

Friday, August 26, 2005

Summer box office receipts may be down, but movie soundtracks are big sellers. Today, the state of the movie soundtrack. With recent films like "Garden State" and "Broken Flowers," some say there's been a renewed appreciation by directors in creative soundtracks. What accounts for this trend? And what makes for a memorable soundtrack? Guest host Anthony DeCurtis will take your calls, as we ask you to nominate your favorite movie soundtrack memories. Also: Bliss, a novel by the former editor in chief of Vibe Danyel Smith, explores the decadent world of the hip-hop industry during the late 90s. Smith introduces the reader to a formidable, sometimes sexy, sometimes sultry, sometimes devilish character Eva Glenn. Through this character, a woman's point of view is used to expose the reader to the hip-hop music industry. Smith joins us today with a preview.


Just say Nomi

Thursday, August 25, 2005

Already a legend as a trumpeter, composer, and bandleader, Wynton Marsalis has set the standard for success in the jazz world. For the past decade, he has presided over the opening of the new home for Jazz at Lincoln Center as its artistic director. Marsalis has come out with the new album "Live at the House of Tribes" that is "just about playing." He joins guest host Anthony DeCurtis studio today to talk about his career and music. Also: Born Klaus Sperber in Essen, Germany, Klaus Nomi dressed like an alien, sang like an angel, and electrified New Wave-era New York. The classically trained tenor moved to the US in the 1970s. Today, Richard Barone, the executive producer of Nomi's new DVD's special Remix Project comes to the studio to discuss the artist's life and works.


From Wunderkinds to Wal-Mart

Wednesday, August 24, 2005

Country-tinged singer-songwriter Amy Rigby's fifth album "Little Fugitive" is in stores today. For the making of this album, Rigby returned to New York City, where she started her career as a solo artist in 1996 with "Diary Of A Mod Housewife." She joins guest host Anthony DeCurtis today. Also: At the tender age of sixteen, Sonya Kitchell has found her voice. The youthful jazz singer visits the show to share with us her passion. Finally, country superstar Garth Brooks has made an exclusive deal with Wal-Mart, making the world's biggest retailer the only place where his music will be sold. We're joined by Rolling Stone writer Steve Knopper, who explains why this deal is unprecedented, and what it means for music fans.


Roots Music's A-List

Tuesday, August 23, 2005

For nearly thirty years, author Stephanie Ledgin has gotten access to the biggest players in roots music. In two recent books -- Homegrown Music: Discovering Bluegrass and From Every Stage: Images of America's Roots Music -- she explains the origins, instruments and personalities of not only bluegrass but also country, folk, blues, Celtic and Cajun music. The latter book includes some 200 color and black-and-white photographs Ledgin has taken throughout her career as well, and she joins us today to share some highlights. Also on the show: Singer and radio host Laura Cantrell. Listeners to WFMU radio may be familiar with her show "The Radio Thrift Shop," wherein she digs up scratchy old recordings and shows their hidden potential. She's also known for bringing an urban sound to country music, and this Sunday, she's the headliner at the HOWL! Festival's Bluegrass Ball in the East Village.

» Slideshow: Roots Music


A Visit with Mr. Hollywood

Monday, August 22, 2005

Singer-songwriter Michael Penn has created a record devoted to one year -- 1947. His newest record, Mr. Hollywood, Jr., weaves historical, political and social events into a series of stories about relationship and romance. He'll perform some of those tunes live in the studio. We'll also hear how the music of 19th century Turkish musicians made good use of the European waltz.


Absolutely Aaron

Friday, August 19, 2005

Aaron Copland's music is heard everywhere, from the olympics and beef commercials. But what makes it so quintessentially American? Today, a look at how folk songs inspired America's best-known composer with Judith Tick, a music historian and a panelist at this year's Bard Music Festival, which is focusing on Copland, and is taking place through this weekend. We then turn our attention to the lesser known works of Copland. We all know "Fanfare for the Common Man," but what about the Piano Variations or "Quiet City?" Author and composer Danny Felsenfeld gives us a primer. Rounding out the show, a banjo player Cynthia Sayer offers preview of the convention of the Fretted Instrument Guild of America, a gathering of banjo, mandolin, guitar, ukulele players from across the country.


From Cellos to Bongos

Thursday, August 18, 2005

Say cello virtuoso and you may think Yo-Yo Ma. But a 23-year-old cellist named Alisa Weilerstein represents the up-and-coming generation on the instrument. Having made her recital debut at age four and her Cleveland Orchestra debut at 13, today, appears on major concert stages around the world. She joins us to talk about the difficult move from child prodigy to mature performing artist, and gives a live performance in the studio. Also on the show: A look at Irving Fields's "Bagels and Bongos," a 1959 recording that artfully combined Latin rhythms with Jewish Latin music. The non-profit record label Reboot Stereophonic has recently reissued this disc and today we get a taste of it, so to speak.


Does CBGB's Still Matter?

Wednesday, August 17, 2005

A judge has ruled that legendary New York City club CBGB can't be evicted from their building for past due rent. But the landlord is appealing and CBGB's still doesn't have a new lease. Today, Chicago Sun-Times rock critic Jim DeRogatis looks at whether that club still really matters. Also joining us is J. Ralph. The 29-year-old musician's hypnotic compositions have become a hit with advertisers, appearing in ads for Volkswagen, Nike and others. His music blends lush orchestral backdrops with electronica and quasi-operatic singing. He joins us to talk about his work and commercial success.


Time to Unplug the Jukebox Musical?

Tuesday, August 16, 2005

A new musical based on the life of John Lennon is the latest in the crop of Broadway shows known as jukebox musicals. Today, guest host Carl Hancock Rux looks at how jukebox musicals -- from "Lennon" to "Mamma Mia" to "Good Vibrations" -- are changing the sound of Broadway. We'll take your calls on the subject. Also: Some of the best music in New York isn't in the clubs or the concert halls, but on subway platforms. We listen to a new compilation of some of NYC's best subway musicians and get a live performance from singer-songwriter, and subway platform veteran, Kathleen Mock.


The Rise of a Rap Empire

Monday, August 15, 2005

A new book called Def Jam Inc.: Russell Simmons, Rick Rubin, and the Extraordinary Story of the World's Most Influential Hip-Hop Label chronicles the label's evolution from a dorm room operation to a global powerhouse that gave rise to hip-hop greats such as LL Cool J, Jay-Z, the Beastie boys and DMX. Today, guest host Carl Hancock Rux speaks with author Stacy Gueraseva, who is a former editor in chief of Russell Simmons's OneWorld magazine. We also speak with Stephen Webber, a professor of music production and engineering who teaches a course on hip-hop turntable techniques at Berklee College of Music. He's author of the book, "Turntable Technique: The Art of the D.J" and talks about the spinning techniques of artists like Grand Master Flash, Afrika Bambaataa, and DJ Shadow.


Youth Meets Experience

Friday, August 12, 2005

Russell Sherman is known as a skilled pianist and probing musician and teacher, and usually has an original take on any work he plays. But he's always charted a career slightly off the beaten virtuoso path. Find out why as he joins us in advance of his 75th birthday. Also on the show: young alternative-rocker Joseph Arthur, who was discovered by Peter Gabriel in the mid-'90s and soon signed to his Real World label. After several albums of country-rock and Americana, his latest outing, "Come to Where I'm From," finds him combining whimsical studio experimentation with confessional, literate lyrics.


Rebel, Rebel

Thursday, August 11, 2005

Bohemian poet, artist and visionary, musician Syd Barrett joined the band Pink Floyd in 1965. His story is captured in a recent documentary that tells of his dramatic rise to fame and his premature departure in a haze of drugs and psychological trouble. Host John Schaefer speaks with the director and producer of the documentary, John Edginton. Also, a conversation with Patrick Humphries, biographer of the British songwriter Nick Drake, who died in 1974 at the age of 26 from an "accidental overdose" of anti-depressants. Drake released only three albums during his lifetime, rarely performed live and gave only one official interview, but his work spawned a following on all sides of the Atlantic. This is an encore broadcast of Soundcheck.


Live at Symphony Space

Wednesday, August 10, 2005

A year ago, Soundcheck hosted a live, sold-out evening of music and conversation at Peter Norton Symphony Space's Leonard Nimoy Thalia Theater. Today we feature highlights of that evening with violinist Anne Akiko Meyers, who performed music by Bartok, Chaplin and Ravel. And we hear selections from singer-songwriter Cynthia Hopkins, whose style features a cutting-edge take on contemporary alt-country music. Rounding out the show is a blistering live performance by Latin-jazz pianist Arturo O'Farrill.


Keeping Score

Tuesday, August 09, 2005

German screen director Wim Wenders has made music a crucial element in such films as "Buena Vista Social Club," "Paris, Texas," and "Wings of Desire." He once quipped "Sex and violence was never really my cup of tea; I was always more into sax and violins." Today, he tells us what he means when he discusses the art of movie scoring, and previews his latest film, "Land of Plenty." Also: Starting in the late 1970s, songwriter John Doe fronted the classic L.A. punk band X. But rarely did it measure up to the hard-driving stereotypes of punk. Now Doe has recorded his first self-described "blues" album. But again, it hardly conforms to traditional expectations. He joins us to share some of the results.


Guitar Heroes

Monday, August 08, 2005

Today up-and-coming indie singer/songwriter Laura Veirs joins host John Schaefer in the studio. Her Nonesuch records debut, Carbon Glacier, was described by London's Independent as "a benchmark by which future Americana releases will be judged." Also, Andy Summers, rock guitarist and former member of the hit '80s band The Police, and Ben Verdery, classical guitarist and Yale music professor, drop by to discuss their collaboration with eclectic post-minimalist composer Ingram Marshall. This is an encore broadcast of Soundcheck.


Rap Sheets

Friday, August 05, 2005

It's been 30 years since hip-hop was born on the poverty-stricken streets of the South Bronx. So how did it become the economic powerhouse it is today? We take a look at the state of the genre with New York Times music critic Kelefa Sanneh. Also, journalist and author Anthony Bozza visits to discuss Whatever You Say I Am, his recent biography of the controversial and often reviled rapper Eminem. He'll address the question, "Did Eminem change or did america finally figure him out?"


Cultural Collisions

Thursday, August 04, 2005

With his melding of East and West, ancient and modern sounds, Hungarian composer Bela Bartok was an inspiration for many 20th-century artists and composers. Today, a look at his influence, first with Margaret Leng Tan, a pianist who has taken on the seminal "Makrokosmos" by American composer George Crumb, which themselves were influenced by Bartok. As we hear in a live performance, each of these "Twelve fantasy pieces after the Zodiac for Amplified Piano," corresponds to a sign of the Babylonian zodiac. Then we talk with Chinese-American composer Tan Dun, where non-Western influence goes into the heart of his work, notably, "The Map," an ambitious symphony/multimedia project which draws on his discovery of music from the isolated corners of China. We round out the show by speaking with composer Steve Reich, who shares his favorite Bartok recording. Tune in for this encore broadcast of Soundcheck.


Musical Explorers

Wednesday, August 03, 2005

Equal parts punk rocker and classical composer, John Cale has enjoyed a diverse career that began as a member of the Velvet Underground and continued through collaborations with experimental musicians like Brian Eno and LaMonte Young to punk icons like Patti Smith and Iggy Pop. He joins us on the heels of his new recording, Hobo Sapiens. As we’ll hear, Cale has softened his edge since the 1970s—when he sometimes wore a hockey mask onstage and played before teeming mosh pits—but his music is every bit as lively. Also: composers are often commissioned to write new pieces for concert halls or orchestras, but in the case of composer Janet Albright, the bequest came from a town. Well, two towns actually. She joins us to discuss her ongoing project, to formulate a piece that captures the essence of the neighboring towns of Maplewood and South Orange, New Jersey. Tune in for this encore broadcast of Soundcheck.


Less is Moor

Tuesday, August 02, 2005

A powerful tale of passion, jealousy, and murder, Shakespeare's Othello has inspired artists from Rossini to Orson Welles. Yet few could match Giuseppe Verdi and his 1887 opera "Otello," which features one of the most colossal tenor roles in operatic history: a complex and tormented characterization fully the equal of Shakespeare's tragic hero. Arun Rath, of NPR's On the Media, joins us to discuss how Verdi found opera in a great play. Also: what do you make of an opera that features film interludes and is billed as "Wozzeck-Meets-La Femme Nikita"? That's the premise behind "Buwalsky, a Road Opera," the latest outing by the enterprising Nine Circles Chamber Theater. We get a preview from librettist Jonathan Levi and composer Mel Marvin. Tune in for this encore broadcast of Soundcheck.


Praise the Teutonic!

Monday, August 01, 2005

What's German music without Bach, Beethoven or Brahms? Find out today on Soundcheck. The Eastern German music ensemble, the Thuringer Salonquintette, who plays the music of 19th-century German café culture. The New York-based Elastic Band offers a live performance of works by Alma Mahler and Kurt Weill. And vocalist Theo Bleckmann sings music by the German pop band Kraftwerk.