In the 1970s and ‘80s, one downtown New York musician dared to mix disco, Buddhism and experimental cello. Today, a look at the short life and influential sounds of composer Arthur Russell. Also: Grammy nominated Quartet San Francisco comes out of the chamber with strings blazing on their latest CD, "Whirled Chamber Music." They perform live in our studio. Plus: Soundcheck’s CD Picks of the Week.
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Quartet San FranciscoArthur Russell: The Oskaloosa Kid
A classically trained cellist from Iowa who cut his teeth on New York's downtown '80s art scene, composer Arthur Russell recorded everything from disco to experimental music to haunting electronic ballads. He died in 1992 at age 40. Matt Wolf, director of the new documentary "Wild Combination: A Portrait of ...
CD Picks of the Week
The Weepies, "Hideaway" (Nettwerk)
If you’re looking for an album to put you in a summer mood, The Weepies might have the solution with their new album “Hideaway.” This husband-and-wife duo, originally from Boston and now based in California, has an admittedly silly name but writes insistently well-crafted folk-pop songs. ...
If you’re looking for an album to put you in a summer mood, The Weepies might have the solution with their new album “Hideaway.” This husband-and-wife duo, originally from Boston and now based in California, has an admittedly silly name but writes insistently well-crafted folk-pop songs. ...
Quartet San Francisco
Grammy nominees for their last two albums (2006 and 2007), Quartet San Francisco's latest album, "Whirled Chamber Music," features their own arrangements from Raymond Scott of "Looney Tunes" fame to Chick Corea, Average White Band, Duke Ellington and Dave Brubeck as well as originals by the Quartet's leader, Jeremy Cohen. ...
A "Wild Combination" of Genres
In 1983, just a year after starting the “New Sounds” series here at WNYC, I started playing a couple of LPs by a composer named Arthur Russell. “Tower of Meaning” was a favorite – a series of majestic, slowly-unfolding, moody instrumentals by a guy ...
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