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February 2006

Despite Katrina, The Good Times Roll

Tuesday, February 28, 2006

Mardi Gras festivities are in full swing in New Orleans. But six months after Hurricane Katrina, some musicians there are questioning whether the holiday should be celebrated at all. Today, a series of reports from around the Big Easy. Keith Spera, music critic of the Times-Picayne, joins us from the parade with an overview. Dr. Michael White, a jazz clarinetist and longtime resident of the Crescent City, weighs in on challenges facing this year's carnival. Then, Jesse McBride, a 26-year-old jazz pianist, talks about the twists and turns in his career since the hurricane. And finally, Nick Spitzer, host of the public radio program American Routes, gives a musical history of New Orleans' Mardi Gras.


Most Happy Fella

Monday, February 27, 2006

Actor Paul Sorvino has played tough guys on TV shows like Law and Order and in numerous films. Now he’s starring in the upcoming New York City Opera revival of the musical comedy The Most Happy Fella. a look at the rough and tumble climate for satellite radio. And we'll speak with Michael Pisani, author of Imagining Native America in Music which looks at how Native Americans have been alternately idealized and vilified in music. Also: the state of satellite radio.


Hey, Hey It's the Monkeys

Friday, February 24, 2006

The Arctic Monkeys' debut CD, "Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not," landed in the US this week on a wave of favorable press. Britain's influential NME magazine recently declared the CD the fifth-greatest British album ever. But are they deserving of the hype? Joining us with two different perspectives are J. Freedom du Lac, pop music critic of the Washington Post, and Hua Hsu, a music writer and correspondent for the Boston Globe. Also on the show: Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys (pictured). They continue to preserve and enrich the traditions of Cajun music and join us with a live performance. And finally, choreographer Nicholas Leichter discusses the world premiere of his unusual choreography to Orff's "Carmina Burana" with the Brooklyn Philharmonic.


42 Years of the Top of The Charts

Thursday, February 23, 2006

Luke DuBois, a New York City musician, composer, and programmer, may be the biggest popular music geek ever. He's combined all forty-two years of Billboard hits into one 37 minute long piece. We'll dip into his creation. And British singer James Hunter's music draws on classic 1950s and early '60s R&B. He'll perform live in the studio. We'll also speak with composer Peter Wyer is from a long line of composers who belived they never heard a sound they didn't like. Wyer creates works that ranges from notated to improvised, and from traditionally orchestral to elaborately found and sculpted sound.


Orchestras for the 21st Century

Wednesday, February 22, 2006

Can the Internet help save the orchestra world? That is the question in the wake of several new recording initiatives. Among them: the New York Philharmonic just announced it will sell digital downloads of live performances, and the Sydney Symphony in Australia recently announced it will offer audio and video streaming through its web site. Joining us with some perspecti, the sve is Zarin Mehta, president and executive director of the New York Philharmonic, James Jolly, editor-in-chief of Gramophone, and Anastasia Tsioulcas, columnist for Billboard magazine. Also on the show: Teddy Thompson. Fresh from his appearance on the "Brokeback Mountain" soundtrack, Thompson, the son of Richard and Linda Thompson, will showcase his talent for combining smart lyrics with catchy melodies and spirited grooves.


What Makes A Pop Song Popular?

Tuesday, February 21, 2006

Are hit songs predictable? Today on Soundcheck, we look at the popularity of pop song and whether science can tell us what will be at the top of the charts. Also, German chanteuse Ute Lemper performs music by everyone from Marlene Dietrich to Tom Waits. Today on Soundcheck, she'll discuss the range of her career, and perform live in the studio.


Crossing Color Lines

Monday, February 20, 2006

Saxophonist Branford Marsalis has created a CD titled "Romare Bearden Revealed." Performing with his quartet, Marsalis pays tribute to the painter's remarkable collages of blues and jazz musicians by arranging songs that had inspired the artist. Marsalis talks with host John Schaefer about his relationship to Bearden, whom he befriended in the 1980s. Also: The Imani Winds, a young, New York-based wind quintet of African/Latin American heritage, has just released a CD titled "The Classical Underground." It features jazz- and Latin-inspired classical music that shakes up the expectations of the genre. Members of the ensemble stop by to share their vibrant music. Please note: This is an encore edition of Soundcheck.


White Rappers

Friday, February 17, 2006

Eminem’s latest album, "Curtain Call: The Hits," was certified double Platinum after selling more than two million copies in less than two months. Although the rapper retains a strong presence on the scene, his success has not given birth to a wave of new white rappers, as many predicted. We will talk about the failed effort by the music industry to launch new white hip hop stars with author Touré and with Jim Farber, Music critic for the New York Daily News. Also, celebrities like Madonna, and members of the Rapture and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs have all taken turns playing DJ, but do they know how to spin? We hear about the phenomenon of celebrity DJs. And: Egyptian composer Sayyed Darweesh was champion of women's rights, an alleged cocaine addict, and he's known as the father of modern Arab music. We’ll hear the story and the music of Darweesh, as told by the Chicago Classical Oriental Ensemble.


Is the iPod Generation Apathetic?

Thursday, February 16, 2006

According to researchers at Great Britain's University of Leicester, "the downloading of music has led to a generation of people who do not seriously appreciate songs or performances...Easily accessed tunes mean many music lovers are no longer excited at discovering and playing unfamiliar work." Dr. Adrian North, who led the study, joins us. Also: conductor David Robertson is one of the most in-demand conductors on the scene today. He joins us to talk about his new gig, as music director of the St. Louis Symphony, and share his strategy for attracting new audiences to orchestras. Finally, a live performance by the D.C. based pop band, Nethers.


The Art of Chess

Wednesday, February 15, 2006

The confluence of music, visual art and film are all brought together by the game of chess in a new exhibition at the Noguchi Museum. Pianist Margarent Leng Tan and guest curator Larry List join us to talk about the interdisciplinary program. And, The Passion of Joan of Arc by Carl Theodor Dreyer is considered to be one of cinema's supreme achievements. Later this week, the 1928 film will be presented with new music composed by Richard Einhorn and we’ll get a preview from the composer.


Love Sucks

Tuesday, February 14, 2006

Today on Soundcheck, in honor of Valentine's Day, we look at the wonders of falling in love and new Rhino CD called, "Love Sucks." Also: Are audiences ready for the Peter Gelb era at the Metropolitan Opera? That is the question buzzing in New York’s music circles after the incoming general director of the Met laid out his plans for the world's largest opera house at a press conference yesterday afternoon. We get two reactions today, from Anne Midgette, classical music critic of the New York Times; and Katherine Gill, vice-president of the Wagner Society of New York. Finally, a tour of the history of spanish Flamenco with Manuel Macias, a Spanish official responsible for Flamenco Tourism in Andalusia.


The State of the Concert Scene

Monday, February 13, 2006

The concert circuit is seeing everything from Billy Joel to the Yeah Yeahs Yeahs. We check in on the state of the concert business. Veteran flutist James Galway has popularized his instrument over the course of his 40 year career, playing classical works and favorite folk tunes. He joins us today with his latest project. And, Columbian experimental harp palyer, Edmar Castaneda, aspires to put a little of the devil in his instrument, which is usually associated solely with the saintly.


What are the Greatest Albums of All Time?

Friday, February 10, 2006

Everybody loves a good list. Today, we explore one of the biggest of them all. The editors at Rolling Stone polled an array of musicians, critics, and industry figures to come up with a book called The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. Nearly 300 such music experts weighed in for the poll. We explore highlights with editor Joe Levy. We also get a different perspective on the popular music canon with Jim DeRogatis, pop music critic of the Chicago Sun-Times and editor/writer of several books including "Kill Your Idols: A New Generation of Rock Writers Reconsiders the Classics."


Cultural Clashes

Thursday, February 09, 2006

The controversy over political cartoons has been talked about in terms of the clash of civilzations. Today, we look at the conflict and the common ground between art and culture in the West and in the Muslim world. We'll also speak with the young singer and songwriter Elvis Perkins, whose latest cd reflects the twin tragedies of losing his father to AIDS and his mother to the attacks of September 11. And, a round-up of the Grammy winners, live from LA.


Do the Grammys Matter?

Wednesday, February 08, 2006

The 48th annual Grammy Awards are handed out tonight in Los Angeles and once again, critics are questioning their relevance. Are they an adequate barometer of the best recordings of the year or merely an exercise in music industry hype? Are there too many awards and does the ceremony need a makeover? Or - by their very existence, do the awards benefit the concept of Art and artistic value? Today, a debate on the awards's significance with Robert Christgau, the veteran music critic of the Village Voice; and Jody Rosen, music critic at Slate.com.


Can Your iPod Make You Deaf?

Tuesday, February 07, 2006

Apple computer is being sued by a Louisiana man who claims that his iPod caused permanent hearing loss. Apple contends that it provides sufficient warning in its user's manual. We’ll explore that debate – and also check out a new study that shows the iPod encourages musical apathy. Also: The Mammals, a band whose music combines old-time string band music, vintage pop and contemporary folk.


Is it Real or is It...Lip Synched?

Monday, February 06, 2006

What you don’t know can’t hurt you. Or can it? The British Musicians Union is pressing broadcasters to disclaim when a musical performance is being lip-synched. We’ll look at this issue – just a day after what has historically been a lip sync marathon on this side of the pond: the Super Bowl Halftime show. Also with us will be author and singer Jen Trynin. She’s written a memoir about her surreal experience of being signed to, and promptly dropped by a major record label.


The Bold and the Beautiful

Friday, February 03, 2006

Jazz vocalist Dianne Reeves made a splash recently through her performances in the film "Good Night and Good Luck." Previously, she had won a devoted following through her recordings, which have earned multiple Grammy Awards. She joins us today. Also: Composer Osvaldo Golijov is one of the hottest composers on the classical scene today. Just named Musical America's composer of the year, Lincoln Center is currently staging a festival devoted to his music and Deutsche Grammophon has begun releasing a series of CDs of his works. He joins us to discuss how his music embraces rock, electronica and folk traditions of his native Argentina and Eastern Europe. Finally, Baltimore-born composer Marc Mellits is the first recipient of the Cheswatyr New Music Initiative, a project aimed not only at commissioning works, but also at guaranteeing them multiple performances. He previews "Brick," a piece that will be premiered at Carnegie Hall on Saturday by the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra.


Rosanne Cash Walks a Line of Her Own

Thursday, February 02, 2006

Rosanne Cash is the daughter of country legend but has been a singer-songwriter in her own right for over 25 years. She joins us to share her latest album, Black Cadillac, which deals with issues of mortality and mourning after the death of her mother, father and stepmother. She also talks about other-things-Cash, notably "Walk the Line," the film that is doing well this awards season. Also: the Winter Olympics start next week in Turin, and organizers plan to use music in a big way - from network campaigns to interstitial footage during the athletic events to the nightly concerts. Melinda Newman, editor at Billboard joins us gives us the lowdown.


The State of the Music

Wednesday, February 01, 2006

What is the state of the music industry? After hearing about terrorism and renewable energy in last night's State of the Union Speech, experts will join us to look at the issues that matter most in the music world. Trumpeter and Cultural Ambassador of New Orleans, Irvin Mayfield, talks about jazz after Hurricane Katrina. Also: Eric Arnold from the East Bay Express tells us if commercial hip-hop has hit a critical mass. Plus, American symphonies struggle to fill seats and what's new in downloading technology.