In the new film The Soloist, Jamie Foxx plays a mentally ill homeless man who was once a musical prodigy. Today: director Joe Wright talks about bringing the true story to the big screen, and cellist Ben Hong talks about teaching Foxx to play the cello. Also: avante-garde musician Rhys Chatham and artist Robert Longo join us to talk about their performance at the Met Museum.
The Soloist Enters the Stage
British film director Joe Wright tackles homelessness, mental illness and classical music in the true-life story "The Soloist." The film, which opens tomorrow, stars Jamie Foxx as Nathaniel Ayers, a gifted classical musician who was sidelined by schizophrenia and made homeless early in his career; and Robert Downey Jr. as ...
Faking for the Cameras
In preparing for his role as a cellist in the film The Soloist, Jamie Foxx spent six months studying with Ben Hong, associated principal cellist in the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Hong also recorded the film's soundtrack. He joins us to talk about getting Foxx to look (though not sound) convincing ...
Rhys Chatham and Robert Longo
Downtown composer Rhys Chatham’s piece "Guitar Trio" was created in the 70s and became the cornerstone of the relationship between art and music. He joins us with artist Robert Longo, whose work has accompanied performances of the piece for the past 30 years.
Soundcheck blog: John Schaefer on ...
Soundcheck blog: John Schaefer on ...
The Euphoria of Ambiguity
I'm here to tell you that it WAS possible to be an impressionable teenager in the '70s and fall under the sway of both La Monte Young, the godfather of Minimalism, master of drones, creator of magical overtone effects and abstruse theories of music and mathematics; and The Ramones. That ...