A look at Russ Columbo’s Prisoner of Love in context of the slave trade of 1200 years ago, plus a sampling of Simone Kermes, Abbey Lincoln, Etta James and Billie Holiday.

A look back through the centuries to the origin of our musical motifs of being a slave to love.

A sampling of Mark Hoffman’s film version of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

A look at the wildflowers that help make June the magnificent month it is, with music to settle, soothe and stimulate.

A brief explanation of the brain circuitry brought about by the kind of delicious musical programing we find here with Adagio.

A tribute to one of the most melodic creatures that shares our musical planet with us.

A tribute to one of the most melodic creatures that shares our musical planet with us.

A spring tonic for a return to base, and along the way, a glimpse into the prescient genius of George Carlin.

Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May, and summer’s lease hath all too short a date. Sometimes too hot the eye of heaven shines and often is his gold complexion dimmed.

A sampling of Helen Merrill, Jimmy Scott, Angèle Dubeau, Lang Lang and Jeff Buckley with a 5000 year-old vignette of Babylon.

A selection of pieces sure to please plus a 100th-year birthday tribute to Hawaiian musician Gabby Pahinui.

A sure sign of spring and other good news.

The woman we all know and the story we are never told.

The music of spring to welcome the return of vibrant, verdant, new life to the northern hemisphere.

A sampling of Aaron Copeland’s music written for Martha Graham’s ballet, which she named Appalachian Spring, and a host of others celebrating the arrival of spring.

A moving portrait of Antonio Carlos Jobim, Elis Regina, and Helo Pinheira, the Girl from Ipanema.

An exploration of the finest celebration of spring, Aguas de Março, and the unparalleled artistry of Antonio Carlos Jobim.

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.

A sampling of the work of Gabriel Yared,the Lebanese/French film composer, as well as a selection of other works certain to please.

We celebrate Mardi Gras this week with Gal Costa and Bossa Nova and a sampling of others sure to please.