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Country Music Originals: The Legends and the LostWhen Country Wasn't Cool
Long before Johnny Cash or Willie Nelson, a cadre of small-town preachers, hell-raisers, cowboys and blind men were among the first to record what we now know as country music. Today: a look at the evolution of the genre and its unsung heroes. Plus: Grammy nominated banjoist Tony Trischka brings bluegrass to our studio.
A Bluegrass Original
Tony Trischka says he didn’t choose to play the banjo -- it chose him. But during his 40-year career, he’s inspired a generation of bluegrass musicians to pick up the instrument. On his Grammy nominated CD Double Banjo Bluegrass Spectacular, he collaborates with banjoists ranging from Bela Fleck to comedian Steve Martin.
Country Music Pioneers
The hard-luck, God-fearing country music of the 1920s and ‘30s is the ancestor of today’s polished Nashville sound. The new book Country Music Originals: The Legends and the Lost charts the genre’s family tree, from big names like Jimmie Rodgers and the Carter Family to lesser-known musicians (whose stories the book tells for the first time). We talk with author and historian Tony Russell.
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Go behind the scenes!
Find out what John Schaefer and the Soundcheck staff have to say about recent segments on the show. Plus, watch videos from in-studio performances.
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Introducing our Video Contest
Soundcheck
John Schaefer gives the lowdown on Soundcheck's music video challenge with the Fiery Furnaces.
In Studio: Angel Deradoorian
Soundcheck
The 22-year-old multi-instrumentalist performs live in our studio.
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Cucu Diamantes Performs Amor Cronico
Soundcheck
Cucu Diamantes went from a tough childhood in Havana, Cuba, to an art school in Rome to underground New York City, where she co-founded the Latin alternative band Yerba Buena.
- Comments [1]
In Studio: Stephanie McKay
Soundcheck
The local singer-songwriter performs "Jackson Avenue," a nostalgic toast to her childhood in the South Bronx.
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In Studio: The Decemberists
The Portland, Ore., band's latest album, "The Hazards of Love," is a concept album with a mythological flair. They joined Soundcheck to play live for a studio audience in WNYC's Greene Space.
Sound Off
Soundcheck
Throughout May, Soundcheck presents “Sound Off” a Friday series on the many aspects of noise in music and our lives. The series -- which coincides with “Better Hearing and Speech Month” -- looks at issues like New York’s noisiest neighborhoods, the latest research on iPods and hearing loss, and what happens when noise becomes a musical ingredient.
