Rock ‘n’ roll owes a huge debt to blues music from the Mississippi Delta, but a new book claims scholars and record collectors were the ones who created the Delta blues. Today on Soundcheck: contesting the history of black music. Plus: Tenor Anthony Dean Griffey takes us inside the title role of Benjamin Britten's dark opera "Peter Grimes."
Guests:
Anthony Dean GriffeyBlues History, Rewritten
Blues music is forever associated with the Mississippi Delta and storied artists like Robert Johnson. But a new book details how our understanding of the Delta blues genre was shaped by white folklorists and record collectors. Writer Marybeth Hamilton, author of "In Search of the Blues," joins us to challenge ...
A Journey to North Korea
When the New York Philharmonic performed an historic concert in North Korea, John Schaefer was part of the orchestra’s entourage. John shares a travel diary from his trip to Pyongyang. (Read more on the Soundcheck blog.)
Inside the Mind of Peter Grimes
Tenor Anthony Dean Griffey is earning raves for his performance in the title role of Benjamin Britten’s "Peter Grimes" at the Metropolitan Opera. He tells us how he developed his interpretation of a dark and challenging character.
Soundcheck To Mess With Texas
WNYC's John Schaefer and Soundcheck are heading to Austin next week for the 2008 South by Southwest Music Festival. Or, as it's more efficiently known: SXSW. A print-only acronym if we've ever seen one. ("Sick-soo?" "Sack-saw?" Ah, nevermind.)
Soundcheck will broadcast live at 2 p.m. ET / 1 p.m ...
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