Music
Spotlight
Hosted by David Garland
Airs Saturday at 8PM on 93.9 FM
What makes New York City the world's most dynamic music center?
Spotlight takes innovative musicians off the New York stage and brings them into the studio for relaxed conversation and exciting music you won't hear anywhere else. Host David Garland puts himself in the listener's chair: guests bring in their personal recordings and the thread develops as they explore the music together.
Guests are drawn from a broad range of backgrounds and genres, with people like Vijay Iyer, Brandon Ross, Martin Bresnick, and Marta Eggerth covering topics ranging from classical to experimental and beyond.
Discover the New York music scene from a whole new perspective, as we shine the spotlight on these great artists and their music!
Michael Cain
Evening Music
September 08, 2007
Throughout his multifaceted life as performer and educator, Jazz pianist Michael Cain has performed and recorded alongside a veritable who's who of jazz and popular musicians, including a regular stint with the Jack DeJohnette ensemble. As a leader, Cain also has several albums to his own credit — which have garnered a considerable amount of praise.
Ricky Ian Gordon
Evening Music
September 01, 2007
The modern-day successor to Leonard Bernstein and Steven Sondheim, composer Ricky Ian Gordon's music has been performed by singers including Renee Fleming, Dawn Upshaw, Audra MacDonald, and Kristin Chenoweth. His opera with librettist Michael Korie, "The Grapes of Wrath," based on Steinbeck's novel, recently premiered in Minnesota to universal acclaim, with subsequent performances at the Utah Opera. In reviewing the opera's premiere, Los Angeles Times critic Mark Swed wrote that Gordon's "great achievement is to merge Broadway and opera... and it is greatly enhanced by his firm control over ensembles and his sheer love for the operatic voice."
Erik Friedlander
Evening Music
August 25, 2007
A virtuosic veteran of NYC's downtown scene, Cellist Erik Friedlander has backed John Zorn, Laurie Anderson and Courtney Love. As composer and performer, Frielander blends his vision of what the cello can be pushed to do, while maintaining a firm grasp on traditions, both improvising and classical. His latest CD, "Block Ice & Propane," is inspired by Friedlander's childhood memories, when his photographer father would take the family on summer road trips in a '66 Chevy pickup which included a camper on top — and the amenities of the album's title.
Garrett Fisher
Evening Music
August 18, 2007
Composer Garrett Fisher talks about "The Passion of Saint Thomas More," his absorbing and colorful stage "meditation" on the struggles of Sir Thomas Moore, who famously refused to accept Henry VIII's claim to be supreme head of the Church of England (leading to his execution and eventual canonization as a martyr). Citing Japanese Noh theater and Chinese opera as influences, Fisher uses stylized masks and choreography to create a ritualistic effect, inviting the audience (as he says) "into a mythical and archetypal world."
May Nasr
Evening Music
August 11, 2007
Singer/songwriter May Nasr often focuses on the plight of the Lebanese people in her music, using songs of peace, love, and resilience to inspire positive change in local and global Arab communities. A strong voice for social justice as well, Nasr helps support local charities and organizations throughout the world with her many popular concerts.
Geri Allen
Evening Music
August 04, 2007
The New York Times calls Geri Allen "a jazz pianist who dares to follow an unmarked road." Her uniquely personal style is on full display in her latest CD release, Timeless Portraits and Dreams, a compilation of original compositions, jazz standards and spirituals which also features many guest artists, including Ron Carter and Jimmy Cobb.
Rob Schwimmer
Evening Music
July 28, 2007
Rob Schwimmer has performed and recorded with everyone from Simon and Garfunkel to Queen Latifah. His recent CD release, "Beyond the Sky," was described by The New York Times as "a tour of Mr. Schwimmer's musical house, moving from room to room without much concern about whether the material at hand is classical or jazz, improvised or carefully plotted."
Helga Davis
Evening Music
March 10, 2007
Vocalist and performance artist Helga Davis mixes rock, jazz, soul, and funk to create her own unique brand of music that defies boundaries. In addition to her own shows, she has performed both locally and abroad with artists including Women in Love with Greg Tate, Grisha Coleman's Hotmouth, Carl Hancock Rux, and Craig Harris.
Marta Eggerth
Evening Music
March 03, 2007
Legendary Hungarian actress and singer Marta Eggerth has illuminated both the international stage and screen for over 70 years. She enjoyed a lengthy run opposite her husband, Polish actor Jan Kiepura, in "The Merry Widow" on Broadway, starred in over 40 films, and recently performed a New York concert - at the age of 96.
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