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(highwaygirl67/flickr)The Plight of the Hotel Musician
Hotel musicians are an essential part of New York's musical landscape but lately they've come under threat. The Four Seasons Hotel discontinued solo piano music after more than 10 years. The Café Pierre was shut down for renovations. Others are going condo. Grab your cocktail as we talk with two cabaret-watchers: pianist Rich Jenkins and journalist Will Friedwald. Also: Canadian songwriter Basia Bulat tells us if using her student loans to pay for a debut album was worth all the buzz she's getting. The occasional autoharpist joins us for a live performance.
The Changing Sound of Hotels
New York's grand hotel bars are about swanky cocktails and swinging piano music. But with changes in hotel ownership and audience demographics, some are playing their last song. Joining us is Will Friedwald, jazz and cabaret critic for the New York Sun; and Rich Jenkins, who performs at the St. Regis Hotel and is the chair of the hotel musicians committee for the Local 802 musicians' union.
Weigh in: Do you go out to hotel bars to hear music? If so, what do you like and what don't you like?
A Dying Breed of Crooners by Will Friedwald
St. Regis Hotel Web site
Basia Bulat Live
Singer-songwriter Basia Bulat has a way with an autoharp and a storytelling songwriting style. She performs songs from her full-length debut album, "Oh, My Darling."
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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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Cucu Diamantes Performs Amor Cronico
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In Studio: Stephanie McKay
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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.
