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December 2005

Handmade Music for Christmas

Sunday, December 25, 2005

Had enough of the souped-up Xmas songs bombarding you in the stores? Host David Garland offers an hour of Christmas music on an intimate scale. For the last few years songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Sufjan Stevens has been using his banjo, piano, guitar, oboes, recorders, his gentle singing voice, and his unusual sensibility to record some traditional and original Christmas music. He's given these recordings to family and friends, and this year they can be heard on Spinning On Air. The familiar Christmas song "I Wonder as I Wander" was written by the wonderful and eccentric folklorist John Jacob Niles, and that song and others will be heard from his 1940 album "Early American Folksongs and Carols." And John Fahey applies his American Primitive Guitar to carols for some rough-hewn beauty.


New York Songwriters, circa 1967

Sunday, December 18, 2005

First there was Tin Pan Alley, then the Brill Building, and then New York City began producing another kind of song. As folk musicians evolved into singer/songwriters, there were New Yorkers who gave their music a distinctive touch. Some, like Janis Ian and Laura Nyro, were precocious upper-west-side girls who were particularly eloquent and musical. Down in Greenwich Village, Dave Van Ronk and Fred Neil developed their rousing and touching songs, and duos Jim & Jean and Bunky & Jake honed their different styles. Host David Garland presents songs (including some out-of-print gems) by all these musicians and others, for an hour of songs that will be nostalgic for some listeners, and just plain great for the rest.


Jose Gonzalez

Saturday, December 10, 2005

Swedish musician Jose Gonzalez (yes, that's correct!) builds songs out of rhythmic patterns he plays on his classical guitar, making what may be the world's quietest dance music, with enigmatic, gentle vocals. Jose joins host David Garland to perform and talk about his songs in the WNYC studio. Also featured are recordings by young British guitarist James Blackshaw, whose finger-picked 12-string instrumentals are both meditative and energizing.

» Slideshow: Jose Gonzalez on Spinning on Air


WNYC Must Have Festival

Sunday, December 04, 2005

WNYC’s Must Have Festival is a week-long, on-air music festival designed to help you create the classical music library of your dreams. Spinning on Air's David Garland is joined tonight by Radio Lab's Jad Abumrad, who will talk about his choices of Must Have music.

» WNYC Must Have Festival