It’s baby’s first playlist. Thanks to portable music players like the iPod, it’s easier than ever to create a soundtrack for childbirth. Today: music for labor and delivery. Plus: A live performance from jazz bassist Ben Allison.
Music in the Delivery Room
Last weekend, pop star Beyonce and her husband Jay-Z welcomed their first child, Blue Ivy Carter. Fans were whipped into a fever over everything from the cost of the hospital stay to the soundtrack of the delivery itself. Yes – the soundtrack. Today on the show, we take a closer look at the role that music plays in childbirth with Tina Cassidy, author of “Birth: The Surprising History of How We Are Born.” And, we take your calls.
In Studio: Ben Allison
On his latest release, bassist and composer Ben Allison tackles a whole lot of standards – though not the sort you typically find on a jazz album. “Action-Refraction,” (which NPR, Time Out NY and eMusic all placed on their Best of 2011 lists) features inventive covers of songs from PJ Harvey, The Carpenters, and Neil Young, amongst others. Allison takes a break from rehearsals for a Carnegie Hall gig to stop by our studio.
Gig Alert: Gregory Porter
Soul jazz singer Gregory Porter holds court at Smoke every Thursday night. Download his fiery tune "1960 What?" here.