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Soundcheck / July 03, 2007

Soundcheck

Tuesday, July 03, 2007
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  • Ali Farka Toure
    Ali Farka Toure

    From CEO to the Sahara

    Former Viacom chief Tom Freston’s career took him from the early days of MTV to the musical heart of West Africa. Today, the media mogul talks about traveling in a land where the electric guitar helped power democracy. And, Cuban jazz pianist Manuel Valera and his quartet perform live in our studio. Plus, we remember the late American soprano and arts administrator Beverly Sills.

Tom Freston

Former MTV Networks Chairman and former Viacom CEO Tom Freston went to West Africa to enjoy music with music industry heavyweights like Jimmy Buffett and Island Records founder Chris Blackwell. He shares his travel journal with Soundcheck.

Freston's article for Vanity Fair, "Showtime in the Sahara"

Manuel Valera

Manuel Valera is a young Cuban jazz pianist whose debut album, Vientos, combines jazz with classical and Latin music. He plays live in studio with his quartet.

Manuel Valera website

Beverly Sills

The acclaimed soprano Beverly Sills died last night at her home in Manhattan. She was 78. Known to many as the queen of American opera, the Brooklyn-born Sills became a mainstream celebrity in the television age. She also was a major force inside the fine arts world, serving as the general director of New York City Opera and as chairwoman of New York City Opera and the Metropolitan Opera. We talk with classical music writer Anne Midgette about Sills' lasting legacy.

cab

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.

Quincy Jones

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"

death

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?

John Lennon

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.

Dusty Springfield book jacket

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.