Chinese composer Tan Dun leads off this week’s program with a sampling from his soundtrack to the film Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.  And also a little tango from the French group L’Armenonville.

Love is dropping off, hate is gaining ground in the pop charts. Misery too on the rise. Let Adagio be your antidote! 

Tangos of James Crabb and Susanna Moncayo. Also Alberto Iglesias, James Horner, and a tribute to the courage of Martin Luther King Jr.

Stories for the Long Winter Nights

We are seeking the simplest possible scheme of thought that will bind together the observed facts. –Albert Einstein

Music of the little known Etta Jones with a mix of Huston Person her co-creator, and the artistry of recording engineer Rudy Van Gelder.

Music of the holidays.

A few comments on the effectiveness of music on the brain, and then a lot of excellent brain soothing music.

An 18th Century Middle Eastern musician visits Leipzig; Emily Jane Brontë in the 19th, finishing with music of the present.

The grace and wisdom of Tecumseh in the face of certain defeat.

A brief sketch of the life and music of America’s great lyricist Johnny Mercer.