This week's amalgam of sounds includes selections from one of new age pianist Liz Story's best records; the vocal magic of two different all-male choruses from San Francisco; jazz from a great European bassist affectionately known as NHOP (which is not a place to get pancakes); and a couple of tunes from the Beatles' "White Album."
There's a good deal of globetrotting going on with this week's program. The stops are in Latin America, Turkey, Western Africa, Italy, Scotland, Japan, and the good ol' US of A. The artists range from a master oud player to a pioneering soul singer to a world-class string quartet.
Jazz old and new is a prominent element in this week's program. The old comes from Dodo Marmarosa, one of the most brilliant pianists to come out of the bebop era; the new from Jaimee Paul, a high-powered singer from the capital of country music, Nashville. In the second hour, you'll also be treated to the sounds of Native American instruments and Shaker tunes.
Featured artists on this week's program include the Twelve Girls Band from China, British folk singer/songwriter/guitarist Martin Simpson, and jazz saxophonist Branford Marsalis (playing French classical music).
Submitted by nightmix on Wed, 03/17/2010 - 10:00am
Sacred and secular Americana predominate in this week's first hour. The a cappella group Anonymous 4 lends its pure sound and exquisite musicianship to religious songs from the 18th and 19th centuries; Texas jazz pianist Charles Brown lends his soft, swinging touch to the blues; and Bela Fleck, George Winston, and Miles Davis add their distinctive contributions.
For more than 25 years, new age multi-instrumentalist/composer David Arkenstone has been crafting music for movies and TV, and more recently, even for computer games. This hour features three pieces from one of his most recent recordings.
The Irish/American group Nightnoise was a primary force in the 1980s and 90s in the fusion of Celtic music with elements of jazz and classical chamber music, as evidenced in the couple of pieces you'll get to enjoy in this hour. The rest of the fare ranges from Italian Renaissance music to jazz accordion to the mellow Americanism of singer/guitarist James Taylor.
The Belgian native Jean-Baptiste Frederic Isidor Thielemans, better known as "Toots," has been playing jazz for close to 70 years, first as a guitarist and then as a harmonica virtuoso, which is how he got his nickname. In tonight's first hour, you'll hear first-rate performances by Toots Thielemans on both the instruments he's mastered. We'll also mark the 40th anniversary of the release of one of Elton John's best albums, the American-West-themed "Tumbleweed Connection."
