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January 2006

Million Dollar Mistakes

Tuesday, January 31, 2006

Moses Avalon, the author of a new book "Million Dollar Mistakes," reveals behind the scenes blunders that have affected the lives of Michael Jackson, The Beatles and Madonna. Then, Singer Julia Sarr and French flamenco guitarist Patrice Larose will share music which mixes elegant ballads, elements of jazz, and the traditions of her native Senegal.


Collectively Large

Monday, January 30, 2006

From ABBA to ZZ Top, we ask author Adam Dolgins if a catchy name determines the commercial success of a band. Then, two large musical collectives. Joseph Shabalala, leader of the South African a cappella chorus Ladysmith Black Mambazo, talks about his most recent collaboration with Emmy Lou Harris and Taj Mahal. Also: Americans can’t get enough of Canadian indie bands these days. With us will be one of standouts: Broken Social Scene, a 27-member ensemble from Toronto, who will talk about the growing conservative movement in Canada.


Mozart and Nazis

Friday, January 27, 2006

Happy Birthday Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart! To conclude our weeklong coverage, we go live to Salzburg with our correspondent Fred Plotkin. Then, British writer Erik Levi looks at what happened when Mozart was embraced by Nazi propagandists in 1941, and how his works were used to promote the Führer's cause. And Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings stop by to perform their music which captures the feel of '60s soul and funk.


Mozartwurst Anyone?

Thursday, January 26, 2006

The marketing of Mozart's name has occurred for centuries. We'll find out why the composer's name has been attached to products like beer, yogurt or sausage. "Mozartwurst" anyone? Also, Four Bags share their unusual arrangements of Mozart's music. And Adam Sternbergh, senior editor for New York magazine, reviews "Love Monkey," a new CBS show that portrays the record industry.


The Mozart Effect

Wednesday, January 25, 2006

Some scientists argue that listening to Mozart's music will make you smarter, or even heal your psychological woes. Professors Chip Heath (organizational behavior at Stanford) and John Hughes (neurology at University of Illinois) separate truth from urban myth. Live in our studios, the WNYC Young People's Radio Chorus performs important African-American choral works. Guests Francisco Núñez and E. Wayne Abercrombie envision a multicultural choir for the future.


The Music Industry: A Man's World?

Tuesday, January 24, 2006

Is there a glass ceiling in the music industry? Whether it's in front of a distortion pedal, symphony orchestra, or executives at board meeting, women often operate in what's perceived to be a man's world. Ann Powers, senior critic for Blender Magazine, talks about the uphill climb women continually face in the mostly male-dominated music scene. As we carry on with our 250th Mozart celebration, conductor Jane Glover reveals the profound influence woman had on Mozart's life.


From Mozart to Radiohead

Monday, January 23, 2006

To kick off Mozart's 250th birthday celebration on WNYC, composer Rob Kapilow discusses Mozart's most popular composition, "Eine Kleine Nachtmusik." Radiohead is often covered by jazz musicians, but now by a classical string quartet? You bet. Today, hear selections from OK Computer played by the LA-based Section Quartet. Finally, another legal battle surrounding the signature gravely voice of Tom Waits.


Disco Lost and Found

Friday, January 20, 2006

You know Saturday Night Fever, the Bee Gees, and ABBA but do you know the disco stylings of Christian Marclay or Jamel Shabazz? Today, a look at a new art exhibition that chronicles some of the lesser-known artists and songs of the disco era. Joining us is the curator Edwin Ramoram and Mel Cheren, the "Godfather of Disco," who founded the dance label West End Records. Also: A visit with Niyaz, a band that merges modern electronic beats with the traditional sounds of the Middle East. They’ll be part of GlobalFest, a major showcase for world music artists which is taking place this weekend at the Public Theater. Finally, we look at the phenomenon of multicasting on the radio.


Music's Genetic Code?

Thursday, January 19, 2006

Today, a look at the Music Genome Project, an ambitious scheme to classify thousands of pieces of popular music. Pandora Media introduced an online music service that creates recommended playlists based on the musical traits of users' tastes. Joining us to explain how it works is Tim Westergren, founder and chief strategy officer of Pandora Media. Also: Pianist and singer Henry Butler is one of the leading lights of the New Orleans music scene, known for his raw-edge blues, soulful R&B, and instrumental jazz sounds. Having been left homeless by Hurricane Katrina last summer, he is now bringing his impressive jazz credentials across the country, notably with a performance this weekend at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. He joins us today to share his latest music.


Founding Father of Brazilian Music

Wednesday, January 18, 2006

Gilberto Gil is one of the fathers of tropicalia, and currently serves as Brazil's minister of Culture. He joins us today with his take on the business of music and culture from the land that has produced some of the greatest music in the world. And Ibrahim Quraishi is a conceptual artist whose newest project brings together movement, electronica, video and live-music performance to explore cultural identities in Islamic and Hindu traditions.


Lou Reed's New York

Tuesday, January 17, 2006

Lou Reed has celebrated New York in song for the past 30 years. Today on the show, he talks about his newest take on New York -- as a photographer. And, we'll check out a new art exhibit that looks at the history of music and art in downtown New York. Also: Gershon Kingsley. He's a pioneer of the synthesized music, and he's just released a new recording devoted to the spiritual side of electronica.


Great American Songs

Monday, January 16, 2006

Hem, the Brooklyn band whose sound is known as "countrypolitan" has released their second album, Eveningland, featuring not only the regular eight-piece unit, but also the Slovak Radio Orchestra. The combination added a more lush and complex element than the group had realized when they set themselves to recording an old fashioned album: no samples, no fancy protools edits. They'll join us to discuss their sound, and this record in advance of their Saturday night show at Southpaw. Also: jazz pianist Fred Hersch and vocalist Kate McGarry join us to perform music from their Walt Whitman tribute album, "Leaves of Grass." The CD is an orchestration of Whitman's 150-year-old masterpiece written for a 10-piece chamber jazz ensemble and vocalists. This is an encore edition of Soundcheck.


Very Superstitious

Friday, January 13, 2006

Musicians are a superstitious lot: from pre-show motorcycle rides to post-show dismantling of roasted turkeys recalls, to backstage rituals involving a small dog, musicians will go far inorder to guarantee a good perfromance. Today on Soundcheck, we'll hear about the power of superstition backstage and wqe'll take your calls on some of your performance-related superstitions. And, it's the 450th anniversary of the Spanish guitar. Two young guitarists, Dominic Frasca and Gyan Riley, have written new works based on traditional Spanish themes. They'll perform live in the studio.


You Can't Learn A Thing If It Ain't Got That Swing

Thursday, January 12, 2006

Dana Gioia, chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts, speaks about the revitalization and initiation of jazz education across America and gives his thoughts about the current state of jazz music amidst the everyday blitz of popular music. Also: Jim Cullum, leader of a band of collective-improvisation jazz musicians, is performing a rare concert in NYC at the IAJE conference. We look at his style of music and how it teaches children about jazz heritage. And London-based, 24-year-old multi-instrumentalist Tom Vek discusses his music and transforming from self-sufficient studio musician to live band leader.


The Jazz Event of the Year

Wednesday, January 11, 2006

The world's largest jazz conference gets underway today in midtown. We'll tell you what you need to know amidst all of the round-tables, research papers, and awards ceremonies. Also: Albert Hofmann, the Swiss chemist who discovered the now-banned hallucinogenic drug LSD, celebrates his 100th birthday today. We look at it shaped music of the Hippy movement and beyond. And, a conversation with Thandiswa, an South African pop star whose gained a reputation for being the voice of a new generation of young people in South Africa. Finally, a look at "Backmasking." That's the practice of inserting hidden messages in songs that are revealed when played backwards.


When Acoustics Take Center Stage

Tuesday, January 10, 2006

Is it possible that the music actually sounds better if you sit in the nosebleed seats? That's what New York Times critic Anne Midgette argues in her recent article about classical concert halls. She joins us, along with the prominent acoustician Larry Kirkegaard, to look at the art and science of concert hall acoustics. We also take your calls. And, we speak with the jazz guitarist Kurt Rosenwinkel. Critics have called him among "the best of the new generation of guitarists" and his latest CD "Deep Song" has been ranked by many as one of the best jazz albums of 2005. He joins us with a performance.


Lost and Found Sounds

Monday, January 09, 2006

It's been dubbed "CSI Mozart" but after months of DNA sleuthing forensic scientists say they have failed to unravel the 200-year old mystery of a skull long believed to be Mozart's. The inconclusive results were announced yesterday on Austrian state television. We're joined by professor Walther Parson, the lead researcher from the Institute for Forensic Medicine in Innsbruck. Also on the show is Queen Esther, a southern born, now Harlem-based vocalist, songwriter and award winning actor who’s been busy creating a sound she calls Black Americana. And we hear from the author of the best-selling book, "The Devil's Horn: The Story of the Saxophone, from Noisy Novelty to King of Cool."


The Year Ahead, Around the Country

Friday, January 06, 2006

Today on Soundcheck, we'll preview what's coming up around the country in the year 2006. We'll speak with music writers in Chicago, Dallas, San Francisco, Philadelphia, and, the honorary U.S. city, Montreal.


Beware File Sharers!

Thursday, January 05, 2006

The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) has filed a new round of lawsuits against file-sharers, bringing the total number of such lawsuits in the US to over 17,000. Today on Soundcheck, we speak with Brad Hill, a frequent contributor to The Digital Music Weblog, who'll give us an overview of the state of the lawsuits. We'll also be joined by the guitarist Jason Vieaux. He's a leading performer of music for spanish guitar. He's just released a new cd devoted to the music of jazz guitarist Pat Metheny.


Better Living Through String Quartets

Wednesday, January 04, 2006

Today on the program, an musical update from Bagdhad, where one music and dance school continues to carry on, despite ongoing violence. Tod Machover, a composer and professor of music and media at MIT, pays tribute to both Albert Einstein and composer Elliott Carter in his latest work for string quartet, "But Not Simpler." Today, Machover joins us along with the Ying Quartet, which will give the New York premiere at Symphony Space Thursday night. According to Machover, the piece "dramatizes the search for calm and coherence in the midst of present-day complexity and diversity." Also joining us is Agnes Chan, a singer, actress, child-rights activist, academic, a mother of three. These multiple roles come together in her U.S. debut album, "Forget Yourself," a collection of songs inspired by children in Ethiopia, Iraq, and other war-torn countries - as well as her own native Japan.


New Year, New Songs

Tuesday, January 03, 2006

Today on Soundcheck, live music from the indie band, All Nights Chemists. And the best in spoken word from the director of the Bowery Poetry Club. Also: Sony BMG has tentatively settled at least 15 consumer class actions brought against the music company over its use of copy-protection software on CDs. We're joined by Brian Krebs, a technology columnist for Washingtonpost.com, where he authors the "Security Fix" blog, with a look at its implications.


Soundcheck Live in 2005

Monday, January 02, 2006

Today on Soundcheck, a final day of looking back to the best live peromances on Soundcheck in the year 2005. Actor Rick Moranis and veteran singer songwriters Robyn Hitchcock and Richard Thompson are among today's featured artists.