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Soundcheck

Monday, September 19, 2005
  • Irvin Mayfield - photo from Irvin Mayfield's website
    Irvin Mayfield (www.irvinmayfield.com)

    Reaching Higher Grounds

    New Orleans-based trumpter Irvin Mayfield joined Wynton Marsalis, Bill Cosby, and Ken Burns onstage this past weekend for Jazz at Lincoln Center’s "Higher Ground Hurricane Relief Concert." Today on Soundcheck, Mayfield, who also serves as musical director of The New Orleans Jazz Orchestra, shares his personal experiences of Hurricane Katrina, its aftermath, relief efforts, and potential effects this disaster will have on the city’s musical and cultural life. We'll also speak with the director of the avant-garde theatre company Mambou Mines, Lee Breuer, about his newest theatrical extravaganza called "The Red Beads." And the composer Ellen Taafe Zwillich and conductor Michael Stern talk about her newest recording.

Celebrating New Orleans

New Orleans-based trumpeter Irvin Mayfield reflects on the future of New Orleans.
» Jazz at Lincoln Center
» NOjO – New Orleans Jazz Orchestra
» Hear the Higher Ground Hurricane Relief Concert on NPR

Flights of Fancy

Theatre director Lee Breuer will explain the combination of aerial choreography, puppetry and opera in his newest work, The Red Beads.
» Mamou Mines' website

A Love Song to the Violin

Composer Ellen Taafe Zwillich on the world premiere recording of her violin concerto.

Best Live Performances of 2008

Soundcheck

We revisit memorable in-studio performances from Toumani Diabaté, Cat Power, Regina Spektor, and others.

The Year in Music and Branding

Soundcheck

Pop music and advertising go together like peanut butter and jelly. Grey Group music director Josh Rabinowitz shares his picks for the best song picks and ad campaigns of 2008.

Critics Week

Soundcheck

Music writers look back at the year's best pop, rock, hip hop, classical, jazz, Latin and world albums. Plus: the worst music of the year and the best online music. Read our critics' lists here. And don't forget to cast your vote in our best-albums poll.

Noteworthy New York

Soundcheck

We have invited musicians and artists to help us select their favorite cultural destination in the neighborhood where they live. From parks and coffee shops to bowling alleys and museums, the options are as diverse as our group of contributors.