Salli Terri/Laurindo Almeida, Chavela Vargas
Music of Brazil and Mexico with brief sketches of Salli Terri, Laurindo Almeida and Chavela Vargas (above).
Nina Simone
A review of Nina Simone’s first recording, 14 tracks on Bethlehem Records, that made it clear, A Big New Talent Has Come to Town.
Correspondence
Kathleen Turner performs Ariel Dorfman’s arresting poem Correspondence that will both chill and warm you. And in honor of their magnificent collaboration, a sampling of tangos.
Music for Theater, Stage and Film
A brief over view of La Traviata, and a teaser of Johann Johannsson and Ólafur Arnalds (above).
Blue Moon
Songs and lore in celebration of this month’s blue moon.
Hejira
Joni Mitchell’s sine qua non, Hejira, with notes to parse out a fuller picture of a magnificent work of art.
Gidon Kremer
A scant 58-minute review of the vast career of violinist Gidon Kremer, a door to contemporary composers far and wide.
Jeffery Dench
New music by Pat Metheny, selections by Julian Lage, Jude, Laibach, Amy Winehouse. and a reading of “All the World’s a Stage” by the late Jeffery Dench (above).
Shigeru Umebayashi
A sampling of pieces by film composer Shigeru Umebayashi (above) and other like-minded individuals.
Arethusa
Songs, ballads and poetry from Ovid to Tom Waits that tell stories for the long hot summer days and nights of July.
High Summer
Music for the fullness of summer.
June Farewell
We bid fare-thee-well to June and shake out a mix of music for July and open-air listening.
’57, ’58, ’59
An all too brief sampling from the finest years in jazz, 1957 through 1959, featuring John Coltrane, Miles Davis and Duke Ellington, and Red Garland, above.
Etta Jones
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.
Willie Nelson
A celebration of Willie Nelson, now into his 90s, and as vital as ever.
June!
A celebration of the beautiful month of June.
The Late String Quartets of Ludwig van Beethoven
A brief foray into the final works of Ludwig van Beethoven, his late string quartets.
Catbird
A tribute to the musical world we live in, especially that of birdsong, and in particular, the eastern virtuoso, the catbird.
Beethoven’s Ninth, Part II
Another look at the stories surrounding the composition and premier of the world’s greatest symphony, 200 years ago this month.
Beethoven’s Ninth
Celebrating the 200th anniversary of humanity’s treasure, Beethoven’s Ninth.