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August 2006

New Releases August 2006

Thursday, August 31, 2006

John Schaefer once again picks through the bucketloads of CDs that have flooded his office to find a sampling of new releases worthy of showcasing on this New Sounds program. Probable suspects include something from the string quartet Ethel, and a sampling from the new Anonymous 4 record. With any luck, we'll also get to hear a work for percussion by Christopher Adler, along with some new music for Japanese koto by Chieko Mori, and perhaps a track off of the new Kaki King record.


An Hour of Björk

Wednesday, August 30, 2006

Hear an hour of music by the elfin Icelandic singer and songwriter Björk on this edition of New Sounds. Listen to selections from albums like “Medulla,” “Vespertine,” and more. Plus, unusual arrangements of Björk songs by the Brodsky Quartet, Geoff Keezer, Rachel Z, and the Decemberists, among others.


Ambient Classical

Tuesday, August 29, 2006

For this New Sounds, listen to ambient classical California composers like Phillip Schroeder, Harold Budd, Daniel Lentz, and more. Composer/music professor Phillip Schroeder uses multiple pianos and digital delays to generate dense masses of shimmering trills and cascades that create a complex calm and openness. Harold Budd’s music, a sparse and tonal wash of keyboard treatments, was inspired at an early age by the humming tone caused by wind blown across telephone wires in the Mojave Desert town of Victorville, California. Also, there’s lush, pitch-drifting electronic soundscapes from California-based composer Daniel Lentz as well.


New Music from Australia

Monday, August 28, 2006

On this edition of New Sounds, prepare for music from the land of Oz – Australia, that is. Listen to the “wire music” of Alan Lamb, which explores telegraph wires “singing in the wind,” or more accurately, the sounds generated by the action of wind on long wires. There’s also cross-cultural music from the Sita Band, which includes both western and eastern instruments, and is heavily influenced by Indonesian gamelan music. Plus, hear music performed by the Australian band Topology, who combine violin viola and piano with electric bass guitar, sampler, saxophone and sound engineering. Rounding out the show is music from Michael Askill, the former principal percussionist with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra.


Where's the Party?

Sunday, August 27, 2006

There's party-oriented music pumping from all corners of the globe on this New Sounds program. We dance the line between jazz, dub, funk, punk and electronic junk with the space-lounge-groovy jazz-rock of Critters Buggin’. Also, hear Italian gypsy party music from Acquaragia Drom, goofy energetic live klezmer from Naftule’s Dream, and possible aural appearances from the likes of the Jewish-Cuban Septeto Rodriguez, Dutch jazz trio Agog together with the string quartet Zapp, and much more.


Lines of Choral Music

Saturday, August 26, 2006

Choral Music of various shapes and sizes is what’s in store for this edition of New Sounds. Hear slow, quiet, and affecting Estonian music by Urmas Sisask from a new CD called Baltic Voices. Paul Hillier leads the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir, as they sing with patiently, perfectly sustained harmonic tension and dead-on intonation in their native tongue. Plus on the CD, they also take on sacred music selections by Alfred Schnittke. There’s also David Fanshawe’s working of the Muslim Call to Prayer harmoniously juxtaposed with a choral setting of the Christian Kyrie (sung in Latin.) Continuing with sacred music, Stephen Micus recreates his experience of Greek Orthodox liturgical services from the monasteries on Mount Athos. In “Third Night,”, a 22-man choir sings a capella choral pieces (using thousand year old texts.) Rounding out the show is music from Ladysmith Black Mambazo, the unmatched masters of the South African a cappella form known as "isicathamiya" or "mbube."


Vaults: Trilok Gurtu

Friday, August 25, 2006

Our New Sounds From the Vaults series wraps up tonight, after our week of banging and crashing with favorite percussionists. For this show, we revisit a 1992 conversation with Indian tabla master and drummer Trilok Gurtu, where he introduces music from a collaborative project with Jan Garbarek and Nana Vasconcelos. Also, hear Indian classical music featuring Zakir Hussain, and Raja Chatrapati Singh.


Vaults: Bill Ruyle

Thursday, August 24, 2006

For this New Sounds, we unearth a 1990 vaults show with percussionist/composer Bill Ruyle, featuring new music for dance and much more, during this week of banging and crashing with favorite percussionists. There's also music by Carla Bley, Either/Orchestra, and Them Jazz Beards.


Vaults: Harry Partch Instruments

Wednesday, August 23, 2006

For this edition of New Sounds, it's an hour of rareties From the Vaults with the Harry Partch instruments. When this show first aired back in 1990, conductor Danlee Mitchell was their keeper, and the leader of the musical ensemble entrusted with performing on such beasts as the Cloud Chamber Bowls. Host John Schaefer chats with Mitchell, and we'll hear some music-theatre works by Harry Partch.


Vaults: Indonesian Gamelan

Tuesday, August 22, 2006

Up on this New Sounds From the Vaults is live music performed by The Royal Court Gamelan of Solo, Indonesia. Also, composer/director Rahayu Suppangah talks about writing new music for gamelan with host John Schaefer. (The show was originally broadcast in October of 1993.)


Vaults: Mickey Hart

Monday, August 21, 2006

For this New Sounds From the Vaults, we begin a 5-part series called "primarily percussion," - it's a week of banging and crashing with some favorite percussionists. Tonight, we revisit a 1991 conversation with Grateful Dead percussionist and World Music producer Mickey Hart.


World Out Of Tune

Sunday, August 20, 2006

World Out of Tune festival composer Jon Catler stops by the studio to present works by festival composers; La Monte Young, Elodie Lauten, Neil Haverstick and others. The festival is a series of concerts and broadcasts in Harmonic Series Tuning, a system using intervals occurring in Nature, which fall in between the notes of the traditional man-made European system of tuning. On this edition of New Sounds, hear excerpts from Elodie Lauten’s Harmonic Protection Circle – a work of improvisation within a framework, as the performers react to the resonance of just intonation overtones and the various patterns unfolding with the consonance and dissonance. Also, hear music from La Monte Young, one of the world's leading experts on Natural Music, and from Catler’s own overtone power trio of fretless and just intonation guitar, fretless bass, and drums.


Cross-Continental Fruits

Saturday, August 19, 2006

Hold on to your passport, for this New Sounds is a whirlwind tour of Scandinavian, Chinese, Arabic and English music traditions - and that’s just on “Ochre,” a collaboration between electric zither master Andrew Cronshaw and Syrian qanun and oud virtuoso Abdullah Chhadeh. 'Ochre' takes the tunes of early English folk songs, but interprets them from other traditions and features Arabic singer Natacha Atlas and Pontic lyra player Matthaios Tsahourides as guest artists. Also in store on this program, #2330, are shockingly speedy tunes from the Balkan-Breton band led by Erik Marchand, and new soulful Jewish-Arab music from Basya Schechter, the vocalist from Pharaoh’s Daughter. Plus, hear the acoustic cross-cultural blend of Arabic, Egyptian, South Indian, and Greek traditions on Maza Meze’s recent release, “Secrets Moon Magic.” And much more.


Vaults: Zap Mama

Friday, August 18, 2006

For this New Sounds program, we dig up another vaults show, featuring a playful live a capella performance by the women of the “Afropean” group Zap Mama from 1993. With stunning five-part harmonies,Zap Mama mix up Pygmy music, Central African and Arabic pop tunes, human beatbox sounds, AfroCuban rhythms, and early madrigals with a touch of Soul and Gospel. Also on the show, some music from the great Qawaali singer Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan from Pakistan, and more.


Vaults: Robert Fripp

Thursday, August 17, 2006

On this New Sounds program, dig into a "Vaults" show with Robert Fripp from 1991, upon the release of a 4-CD King Crimson boxed set. Fripp presents the condensed 77 second history of the band, touches upon synesthesia and how it pertains to “Red,” and wearily explains how making music and the music business are completely incompatible. Plus, tangential references to Nicholas Slominsky, Bernard Shaw, and what the critics said about Kate Bush back in 1991. All that and more.


Vaults: Glenn Branca

Wednesday, August 16, 2006

For this New Sounds from the Vaults show, we visit with the fearless leader of numerous guitar armies, composer Glenn Branca. On this program from August of 1990, he and John Schaefer sample from Branca’s dance and symphonic works, talk about the size of European orchestral pits, and much more.


Vaults: Astor Piazzolla

Tuesday, August 15, 2006

This month we’re revisiting classic shows, and have left no corner of the closet unchecked. For this 1991 New Sounds From the Vaults, we bring you the king of the neuvo tango himself, the late Argentinian composer Astor Piazzolla. He peppers us with mafia references, talks about the origins of the bandoneon, and presents music from the then-brand new release of “La Camorra.” Also, guitar duo music by pickers John Renbourn & Stefan Grossman.


Vaults: Gavin Bryars

Monday, August 14, 2006

This New Sounds From the Vaults time-warps back nearly twenty years for the first WNYC studio visit from English composer Gavin Bryars. The 1986 conversation veers from Bryars’ opera Medea to the classic 1971 work “Jesus’ Blood Never Failed Me Yet.” Hear excerpts from Medea, and the scratchy album version of “Jesus’ Blood.” Also, the former jazz bass player presents some ensemble works, and jokes with host John Schaefer about his terrible head cold.


Thai Elephants on Parade

Sunday, August 13, 2006

Hear traditional Thai music, Beethoven’s Pastoral Symphony, and even Hank Williams, all played by elephants: Prathida, Luuk Kob, Luuk Khang, JoJo, Phangkhawt, and Phumpuang. How is this possible? A human, like composer/performer Dave Soldier or Richard Lair of the Thai Elephant Conservation Center, cues the elephants when to enter and when to stop playing. The music that is made in between these signals is entirely up to the elephants. Fun aside: imagine the human “leader,” trying to let the 10,000 pound animal know that it is time to stop playing the drum. The other way this works is the “hocket” style, where each elephant plays one pitch of the scale on tuned angalungs. Composer/arranger/neuroscientist David Soldier joins John Schaefer for this edition of New Sounds, Program #2329, to present the new album by the planet’s most potent passel of pachyderms, The Thai Elephant Orchestra. Really!


Drunk Circus Music

Saturday, August 12, 2006

There’s music for large ensembles on this edition of New Sounds, with tunes from The Industrial Jazz Group. Their recent CDs, which some listeners have tried to put into words as, “Thelonious Monk goes to the circus drunk,” put bebop alongside the avant-garde, with melody-driven stuff that wouldn’t be out of place in the “downtown” or “west coast jazz” scenes, yet the music is fun, multiple-metered and sometimes even includes theremin. Also, hear the prog-jazz of Either/Orchestra, who stir the soup of old-timey ballads and swing madly while doing so. Then there’s Edward Ratliff’s jazzy-snakey-smokey-Latin blend, hopefully from the CD, “Barcelona in 48 Hours.” Plus, listen to Brian Woodbury’s foray into worlds beyond jazz, with Latin percussion, big band horns, pedal steel guitar, banjo, fiddles, accordion & then some. On his most recent release,”Variety Orchestra,” Woodbury seems to draw from nearly everything - Zappa, Mexican bands, Spike Jones, Charles Ives, you name it.


Vaults: EAR Magazine Benefit

Friday, August 11, 2006

It’s the last in the week of highlights from the New Sounds Live concert series from the vaults. For this program, we’ll listen to part of a concert recorded live from Town Hall back in 1990, as a benefit for Ear Magazine, featuring a solo percussion-theater performance by drummer David Van Tiegham, who turns nearly anything into an instrument when he strikes it. Also on the bill, the Kazue Sawai Koto Ensemble and a new work for several kotos. Rounding out the show is short tasty hocket for horns by Les Miserables Brass Band.


Vaults: Merkin Hall Grab Bag

Thursday, August 10, 2006

For this edition of New Sounds From the Vaults, we’ll be sampling some music from the New Sounds Live concert series at Merkin Hall, specifically, the fall 1990 season. First off, there’s the West African vocal beatboxing and percussion-heavy music of Ladygourd Sangoma. Also on the show, hear music from Peter Gordon & The Love of Life Orchestra inspired by nightmares of cigarettes and Robert Mappelthorpe photos, all part of a week featuring performances from New Sounds Live.


Vaults: Meredith Monk

Wednesday, August 09, 2006

For tonight’s From the Vaults program in our archive series, we go back to March of 1995, to a New Sounds Live concert with Meredith Monk and Vocal Eensemble. Special exclusive live performances include “Porch,” and excerpts from American Archeology.


Vaults: Oregon live

Tuesday, August 08, 2006

Pianist Christopher O’Riley debuts a WNYC-commissioned work by Ralph Towner; and Towner’s band Oregon star in this edition of New Sounds from the vaults, recorded live at Miller Theater from a 1999 performance. It's all part of a week of New Sounds Live performances from the WNYC Archives.


Vaults: Lux Vivens

Monday, August 07, 2006

As part of a week of New Sounds Live performances from the WNYC Archives, listen to Jocelyn Montgomery (Miranda Sex Garden) singing the music of the abbess Hildegard von Bingen, recorded live at the World Financial Center's Wintergarden. Rounding out the show is music by Bridget of Sweden. This show originally aired on April 26, 1999.


Green Music

Sunday, August 06, 2006

This New Sounds program features works that deal with environmental and ecological disasters. There’s music from environmentalist Utah mayor and former MTV rocker, Phillip K. Bimstein. His work, “Dark Winds Rising, ” is based on the words of the Jake family, who grew up on the Kaibab Paiute Reservation on the Utah/Arizona border, and in 1991, their tribe rejected an offer to build a toxic waste incinerator on their ancestral land. Also hear “Downwind,” a musical theatre work, by the composer and inventor of the mutantrumpet, Ben Neill. Interestingly, one of the spoken texts includes the biography of a trumpet player from J.S. Bach’s time, Gottfried Reiche, who died as a refult of breathing in fumes and over-exertion at a torchlight concert.


Hearing Voices

Saturday, August 05, 2006

Hear voices along with the Kronos Quartet on this New Sounds program, featuring music by Scott Johnson which uses the recorded voice of the political philosopher I.F. Stone. Johnson taps into the melodic cadences of Stone’s voice, chops them up, and feeds them through various effects, all the while accompanied by witty string quartet motifs.


Vaults: Samite of Uganda

Friday, August 04, 2006

Spend another night in the vaults on this New Sounds, with a program from November of 1992, featuring Samite of Uganda. The multi-faceted musician plays kalimba, marimba, the litungu, African flutes and various African percussion, and treats us to a live studio performance of music from his "Pearl of Africa Reborn" release.


Vaults: Aashish Khan

Thursday, August 03, 2006

For this New Sounds From the Vaults, we go back to 1992 for a live performance by sarod virtuoso Aashish Khan. The renowned son of Ustad Ali Akbar Khan, and the descendent in a line of great Indian musicians, Aashish bridged some of the very first Indo-American collaborations, with the groups Shanti, and later, Third Eye. He’s also worked with Eric Clapton, George Harrison, and Alice Coltrane, to name but a few, and worked with music for both film and stage, including “Gandhi” and “A Passage to India.” We’ll hear Aashish Khan performing with tabla player Ray Spiegel, and sample some of his other cross-cultural works. Also, later this month (August 26th) at Symphony Space, Aashish Khan performs together with his brother Alam (also on sarod) a concert of music by their father Ali Akbar Khan.


Vaults: Magmouat Hakmoun

Wednesday, August 02, 2006

With John Schaefer away "on assignment," we rustle up a few more classics from the archives for this month of August. For this vaults edition of New Sounds, Moroccan trance musician Hassan Hakmoun brought his musical family by the WNYC studios in September of 1989 to perform live. Hear that set of music and more.


Vaults: Ravi Shankar

Tuesday, August 01, 2006

The month-long raiding of the storage closet continues on this New Sounds with a 1989 program, featuring a visit from none other than Ravi Shankar. The sitar master presents music from several different collaborations, explains how to pronounce "raga," and puns on the meat-eating west.