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Soundcheck

Monday, July 12, 2004
  • Jesse Harris (Bill Phelps)
    Jesse Harris (Bill Phelps)

    Just Don’t Call them Sidemen

    Jesse Harris is best known for being Norah Jones's favorite songwriter, having written the smash hit song "Don’t Know Why," along with several other cuts on her Grammy-winning album “Come Away With Me.” It's perhaps less known that he’s also a talented recording artist himself, having cut his teeth at the Downtown club, the Living Room. That’s also where you can sometimes find singer-songwriter Richard Julian, who, not coincidentally, has also worked with Ms. Jones and whose alternately funny and disturbing songs are quintessentially New York. Both artists join us today for a live performance. Also on the show: Budd Mishkin. Not only is he the smooth-voiced sports anchor for the cable news channel NY1, but he’s also an interpreter of Russian folk songs, particularly those of revered Soviet-era songwriter Bulat Okudzhava. He’s performing tonight at Makor and we’re treated to a preview live in the studio.

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.

The Journey of Quincy Jones

Soundcheck

During his 50-year career, Quincy Jones has worked with everyone from Frank Sinatra to Puff Daddy, founded Vibe magazine, collected countless awards, and earned a reputation as a jazz giant. (Somewhere in there, he found time to make possible an album called "Thriller.") Jones joins us on the occasion of his new book, "The Complete Quincy Jones: My Journey & Passions."

Soundcheck blog: John Schaefer on Quincy Jones, Henry Rollins and the term "Renaissance man"

Pop's Love Affair With Death

Soundcheck

Death may be an unpleasant topic for conversation, but it ranks up there with sex and love as a basic ingredient in song lyrics. Today, we look at how pop music copes (and even thrives) with death. We're joined by Graeme Thomson, author of the self-explanatory book, "I Shot a Man in Reno: A History of Death By Murder, Suicide, Fire, Flood, Drugs, Disease and General Misadventure, as Related in Popular Song."

Soundcheck blog: What's your favorite song about death?

Behind the public face of John Lennon

Soundcheck

Writing a book about the Beatles is to enter a crowded market. But Philip Norman’s new 851-page biography, “John Lennon: The Life” is getting much buzz this fall for the unprecedented access provided by Lennon’s friends and relatives, including Yoko Ono. We talk with Norman about why Lennon remains such a fascinating and troubled figure.

The Soul of British Soul

Soundcheck

British soul divas like Amy Winehouse and Duffy owe a big debt to a '60s icon with a breathy voice and a beehive wig. Today: the story of singer Dusty Springfield. Later: folk-rock artist Ani DiFranco performs songs from her new album "Red Letter Year" live in our studio.