wnyc.org / 93.9fm / am 820

Soundcheck

Tuesday, May 29, 2007
  • Freebird T-shirt
    Freebird T-shirt

    Yelling "Freebird!" in a Crowded Theater

    In his new collection of essays, The Boy Who Cried Freebird, music critic Mitch Myers spoofs topics like obsessive record collectors, rock concert decorum, Sixties nostalgia, Deadheads, and music journalism, and other related pop phenomena. He joins us to talk about crafting these and other fables. Also: the Puppini Sisters, a British trio specializing in 1940's style vocal close harmony music perform live. And finally, conductor Robert Spano interviews composer Osvaldo Golijov as part of WNYC's American Music festival. We hear an excerpt.

Rock 'n' Roll Fables

In his new collection of essays, "The Boy Who Cried Freebird," music critic Mitch Myers blurs the line between fact and fiction in music criticism. He joins us to talk about crafting fables about the man who first cried "Freebird!" during a lull at a concert and the power of Black Sabbath’s "Paranoid" in unmasking the aliens who live among us.

The Puppini Sisters

The vocal trio the Puppini Sisters sings everything from "The Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy" to "I Will Survive." Fans of the retro-jazz outfit include Vivienne Westwood, Kate Moss and Prince Charles. They perform live in our studio today.

The Puppini Sisters

Golijov and Spano

Conductor Robert Spano has specialized in reaching new audiences with new repertoire as music director of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. Composer Osvaldo Golijov blends Latin American, Jewish and other musical traditions in his multi-ethnic compositions. We hear an excerpt from a conversation between the two that will air tomorrow night on WNYC's Evening Music.

When I Missed the Boat

Soundcheck

How prejudice and second-guessing can cause you to miss some great music. Also, Juilliard-trained pianist Andy Russo joins us to share "Mix Tape," a collection of 14 classical arrangements of nuggets by Billy Joel, James Blunt, the B-52's, and others.

Johnny Flynn

Soundcheck

Johnny Flynn, a London-based singer-songwriter, performs songs from his new album, "A Larum."

Ahmad Jamal

Soundcheck

Pianist and composer Ahmad Jamal was a major influence on Miles Davis in the 50s. Today rappers sample his music. He joins us to discuss his latest album.