Soundcheck Archive
February 2005
Win Some, Lose Some
Monday, February 28, 2005
Music played a big part in last night's Oscars, one of the notable films being the Ray Charles bio-pic Ray. Today John Tibbetts, a professor of film at the University of Kansas and author of Composers in the Movies, will discuss Ray’s continuation of the time-honored Hollywood genre known as the musician bio-pic. Also dropping by is alt-rocker Joseph Arthur, who’ll be performing live in our studio. Reemerging after his 2000 breakthrough into pop culture – his album Come to Where I’m From was Entertainment Weekly’s Album of the Year – Arthur has released a new album, toured with rock band R.E.M., and is beginning a tour of his own in March.
From Concert Bands to Vintage Hip-Hop
Friday, February 25, 2005
Think of bands and you might think halftime shows, parades, and military ceremonies. But in fact wind bands are a serious medium as well, commissioning and performing more new music than any other kind of ensemble in America. A growing number of high-profile composers are getting in on the act these days. Among them are David Del Tredici, who joins us today, along with Jerry Junkin, the director of bands at the University of Texas and artistic director of the Dallas Wind Symphony. They'll talk about the growth of the concert band around the country. Also: Journalist Jeff Chang has written a new book titled Can't Stop, Won't Stop, that explores the overlooked history of early hip-hop. Today on Soundcheck, he explains how rapping, break-dancing, and graffiti empowered inner-city youth.
Bringing the Cosmos onto the Concert Stage
Thursday, February 24, 2005
Laurie Anderson, known for her eerie, soul-searching performance art, has another project she’s taking on tour. This newest piece, The End of the Moon, reflects Anderson's experiences as NASA’s first artist-in-residence and indulges in some philosophy too. Today Anderson joins host John Schaefer in our studio during her show's tenure at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. We'll also be joined by cowboy music songwriter Tom Russell, whose nineteenth album, Hotwalker, is released March 1st on Hightone.
Guitar Heroes
Wednesday, February 23, 2005
Today up-and-coming indie singer/songwriter Laura Veirs joins host John Schaefer in the studio. Still riding high on the success of Carbon Glacier, her most recent CD released on Nonesuch records in August 2004, Veirs is about to kick off her 2005 tour tomorrow night at Lincoln Center, opening for Laura Cantrell's American Songbook, before continuing on to Europe. Also, Andy Summers, rock guitarist and former member of the hit '80s band The Police, and Ben Verdery, classical guitarist and Yale music professor, drop by to discuss tonight’s premiere of their collaboration with eclectic classical composer Ingram Marshall.
Music and the Macabre
Tuesday, February 22, 2005
Maestro Kurt Masur, formerly of the New York Philharmonic and currently of the National Orchestra of France drops by today. The National Orchestra of France begins its U.S. tour this week at Carnegie Hall. Also, London underground cabaret trio the Tiger Lillies join us on the eve of the premiere of their most recent project – the restaging of the cult hit Shockheaded Peter. Based on a 19th century children’s book full of cautionary tales that set the stage for Edward Gorey, Lemony Snicket and their ilk, Shockheaded Peter is a darkly funny, enjoyably gruesome show for all ages.
Basses, Banjos seek Baroque and Bluegrass
Monday, February 21, 2005
Nashville-based banjoist Bela Fleck and classical bassist Edgar Meyer stop by the Soundcheck studio to perform some selections from their new live album, "Music for Two." Along with dazzling chops, the duo shows wildly eclectic tastes on the disc, with Baroque-era classical selections (including a canon in 15/8 time), jazz-influenced compositions and bluegrass-flavored concoctions. As we hear, their dynamic was honed after the duo spent several years on the road together. And we'll dip into the Soundcheck inbox to check out some recent listener letters.
Super Conductor
Friday, February 18, 2005
James DePreist faced more than the average number of obstacles to becoming a successful conductor. He has polio, and conducts from a wheelchair. And he is African-American, which is still a surprisingly rare thing to be in the world of classical music. Still, DePreist has achieved great success on the podium, and after more than 20 years as music director the Oregon Symphony recently became Director of Conducting and Orchestral Studies at the Juilliard School. He joins us to tell his remarkable story. Also: Carl Orff's 1937 cantata "Carmina Burana" is based on bawdy medieval Latin texts and is a surefire crowd-pleaser. But it also has a checkered past. We're joined by musicologist Richard Taruskin, who sheds some light on its dramatic history.
Sister Act
Thursday, February 17, 2005
Suzzy and Maggie Roche have have kept New Yorkers smiling for years with their quirky banter and tight harmonies. Today on Soundcheck, they share their latest music with host John Schaefer. Also on the show is the arranger, producer, composer, and teacher Lincoln Mayorga. Mayorga began issuing his own recordings in 1974, while also working as Walt Disney Studio's staff pianist performing on such soundtracks as The Rose, Pete's Dragon, Chinatown, and Ragtime. Mayorga has also worked on the score for Fame, as well as for such TV shows as Little House on the Prairie. He'll share the music of Gerswhin and more.
Help Wanted: Musicians. Must be Web Savvy
Wednesday, February 16, 2005
Internet dating has succeeded in matching up thousands of happy couples. Today, host John Schaefer talks to musicians who say the website Craigslist.org helps them make beautiful music together. Also: Major cities are increasingly piping classical music into parks, railway stations, and subways in order to ward off hoodlums. In some cases this has resulted in a drastic reduction in anti-social behavior by gangs of youths. But why is Mozart a crime deterrent? According to Los Angeles Times arts reporter Scott Timberg, "It is not that the music has a soothing effect - the gangs hate it and it has driven them away." Timberg joins us to look at whether classical music is the New Muzak.
Revolutionary Music
Tuesday, February 15, 2005
Today on Soundcheck, singer-songwriter, bandleader, producer and author Ned Sublette joins John Schaefer to us through some of the little known history of Cuban music. With its melange of African, Spanish and Moorish Music, Cuban music has influnced American rhythms north and south. His mounmental social history, Cuba and Its Music, brings readers a history of music from a Cuban point of view. And Brian Lehrer will stop by the studio with his choice of a great recording with which to celebrate American Music Week.
Love to Love You, Baby
Monday, February 14, 2005
Anthony DeCurtis for Rolling Stone and Tracks Magazine joins John Schaefer to hash out just what makes a love song great. And they'll take your calls on the songs that make you love to love, and love to cry. Also on the show: Since her emergence in the mid-'80s as a vocalist with the New York cult band the Golden Palominos Syd Straw has been one of the most distinctive singer-songwriters on the scene. Today she's in to preview her annual Heartwreck Show, a Valentine's Day concert for the jaded, featuring a mix of twisted torch songs and original material which takes place tonight at Tonic.
Grammys to Go
Friday, February 11, 2005
As the anticipation for the Sunday Grammy awards builds, Billboard magazine executive editor Ken Schlager drops by the studio to handicap this nominees: Which musicians will get their due? Who has been overlooked? And do the Grammy's even matter? Artists competing for multiple awards include Usher, Green Day, and the late Ray Charles. Also, a lesser-known Grammy event: acclaimed composer Morton Gould will be posthumously awarded a Lifetime Achievement award. Peter Goodman, Gould’s biographer, will join host John Schaefer in commemorating Gould’s life and career.
Dan Hicks and Jazz Licks
Thursday, February 10, 2005
Ever since George Gershwin’s "Rhapsody in Blue," jazz musicians have grappledrarely with total successat writing large-scale compositions. The latest example comes from guitarist Pat Metheny, whose debut CD on Nonesuch is a four-movement, quasi-symphonic composition for his sextet, the Pat Metheny Group. It prompts many questions: Why do jazz musicians they have so much trouble with form? And has their luck started to change in recent years? Joining us with some answers is Terry Teachout, music critic of Commentary and drama critic of the Wall Street Journal. And Dan Hicks, the "ice cool daddy of swing," started singing on the Haight in 1968, and he's just released what he's calling the best album of his 40 year career. Blending country, old-time jazz, western swing and the blues, "Selected Shorts" features guest spots by Willie Nelson, Jimmy Buffet and Van Dyke Parks. Hicks joins host John Schaefer as well.
Music for Young People
Wednesday, February 09, 2005
Today, Soundcheck takes an in-depth look at some of the city's current music education initiatives with prominent figures from the arts and education community. We welcome the WNYC Young People's Radio Chorus and their conductor Francisco Nunez, who will perform live in the studio. They are joined by Nancy Shankman, a professor at NYU and former Director of Music for the NYC Public Schools, as well as a representative of the Department of Education. We also take listeners' calls on the state of music education. Finally, we welcome the creator of Ralph's World, Ralph Covert, who makes indie pop-inspired children's music. He's part of a trend of young, independent musicians bringing folk and 1960s-era pop to the stage for kids, and performs live in the studio.
Year of the Rooster in Story and Song
Tuesday, February 08, 2005
Born in a labor camp outside Lhasa in Chinese-occupied Tibet, Yungchen Lhamo is a singer committed to preserving the devotional music of her native Tibet. Her name translates to "Goddess of Melody and Song," and her music has inspired international praise, as she has traveled worldwide to tell her story. She joins us for a unique perspective on the celebration of the Lunar New Year. We're also joined by Vietnamese-born, New York-based conductor Co Nguyen, who will share her memories of celebrating the New Year in Vietnam. Rounding out the show: fusions of classical music and jazz have long problematic, but the Swiss-born, New York-based composer Daniel Schnyder has been more successful than most. He joins us to share some of his vibrant compositions.
Are NY's Music Clubs Under Siege?
Monday, February 07, 2005
Skyrocketing rents are putting some celebrated Downtown music clubs out of business (including Luna Lounge, Fez, Smalls) or on the brink of collapse (Tonic). Today, Time Out New York music editor Mike Wolf stops by to discuss what happens when artists move out and gentrification moves in. Also: veteran bass-baritone José van Dam has recorded nearly 150 roles, appeared in numerous world premieres, and won nearly all the major awards given to singers. The singer returns to Lincoln Center for a pair of song recitals next week, just as he's finishing a run at the Metropolitan Opera of Debussy's Pélléas et Mélisande. He takes time out of his busy schedule to pay us a visit.
Pigskin Classics and Snake Ensembles
Friday, February 04, 2005
Two celebrated American traditions are looming near: Mardi Gras and the Super Bowl. Today, the Revolutionary Snake Ensemble, a Boston-based funky brass band about to embark on a Mardi Gras tour of New York City and New Orleans, joins us to share some music. Also, Andrew Druckenbrod, classical music critic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, stops in to discuss how classical music has turned up in an unlikely place in American pop culture: as accompaniments to televised football. "NFL Films' music isn't Beethovenian in scope or artistry," he writes, "and much of the music is derivative" but it may be a perfect way of marketing orchestras to a new audience.
Is the Jingle Dead?
Thursday, February 03, 2005
The jingle, as anyone with a television knows, is a vanishing art form. According to the Boston Globe writer Joan Anderman, "It is too quaint, too corny, too oldschool for our ironic times. Naming your product in a commercial for your product is just tacky, say advertising executives. Modern pitchmen prefer pop songs that create a mood or spark an emotional association or conjure up some sort of vague but potent lifestyle-oriented craving that, if all goes as planned, attaches to a product and translates to a sale." Anderman joins us to discuss the implications of this cultural change. Also: legendary jazz singer Anita O'Day pays a visit to our studio on the eve of one of her rare performances. She looks back on her musical career, which got off to a jump-start in the late 1930s and is still going strong.
Miracle in the Midwest
Wednesday, February 02, 2005
Which, of all the orchestras in the U.S., is the best? Many critics claim that the Cleveland Orchestra ranks highest, above even the New York Philharmonic or the Philadelphia Orchestrabut why? This week, the Cleveland Orchestra arrives in town to perform at Carnegie Hall, and we look at what makes this ensemble so remarkableand whether the West Coast may be where the real action is. Joining us will be music critics Charles Michener and Mark Swed. Also, acclaimed composer Mark Adamo joins us in the studio to discuss his new work, Lysistrata, which will see its World Premiere by the Houston Grand Opera in March. A classic Greek comedy, Lysistrata is turned into a literal war of the sexes in this much-anticipated new opera.
Rhyme and Reason
Tuesday, February 01, 2005
"Essence," the country’s largest magazine for black women, has started a year-long campaign to look at how black women are depicted in popular culture, and specifically, to fight anti-female lyrics in hip-hop music and videos. Today, "Essence" editors speak with John Schaefer about their campaign to "Take Back the Music." Also, we'll be joined by two rising young woman composers - Cynthia Hopkins and Carla Kihlstedt - join us to talk about their newest compositions.
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