Bringing the "King" to the Concert Hall
Thursday, October 11, 2007
Elvis isn't dead - at least when it comes to several present-day jazz and classical musicians. Cyrus Chestnut has released an album, "Cyrus Plays Elvis," featured nearly a dozen classic songs by the King; the Memphis Symphony and composers like Michael Daugherty have also paid homage in symphonic scores. We find out what's behind this trend. Also: Grammy-nominated singer and multi-instrumentalist Meshell Ndegeocello is known for her throaty grooves mixed with soul, rap, and jazz. She performs live from her latest album, "The World Has Made Me the Man of My Dreams."
Reinventing Elvis
Even before this, the thirtieth anniversary year of Elvis Presley's death, his music has been getting serious consideration from unlikely musicians. The jazz pianist Cyrus Chestnut has just released an album titled "Cyrus plays Elvis" that features interpretations of a dozen of the King’s best-known hits. He joins us along ...
Meshell Ndegeocello
Meshell Ndegeocello has been called everything from "avant garde" to "a dying breed." The iconoclast's new album, "The World Has Made Me the Man of My Dreams," features her smoky vocals on a set of songs that ranges from funky soul to jazz-oriented pop-folk. She joins us to play live ...