Richard Thompson's Beeswing: Losing My Way and Finding My Voice 1967-1975 (Algonquin Books, 2021) gives fans of his music a tale as rollicking and entertaining as the reels and ballads he recorded with the band Fairport Convention. Fairport Convention was one of the central bands in the British Folk Rock scene, blending traditional English songs and melodies ... Show More
Nov 15
Lucy Caplan, "Dreaming in Ensemble: How Black Artists Transformed American Opera" (Harvard UP, 2025)
Recently, musicologists and others have started writing about Black participation in opera. Lucy Caplan’s Dreaming in Ensemble: How Black Artists Transformed American Opera (Harvard UP, 2025) is a major new publication on this topic. Caplan examines what she calls a Black operati ... Show More
59m 59s
Nov 2023
Love That Album - Ben Folds "Rockin' The Suburbs"
We tend to think more of the guitar as a rock and roll instrument, but Jerry Lee Lewis, Little Richard and Fats Domino were a big part of the early sound of rock and roll. While there are plenty of great rock piano players, that lead guy or gal mostly tends to be playing a six-st ... Show More
1h 57m
Oct 2021
The Bach Cello Suites: Steven Isserlis
<p>Bach's cello suites are among the most extraordinary works - both joyful and profound - written for the instrument. In his new book, 'The Bach Cello Suites: A Companion', published by Faber, Steven Isserlis draws on decades of reflection on this music, sharing his views and en ... Show More
27 m
Jul 2023
Pt 2 w/Jeff Carlisi from 38 Special, plus Todd Ronning from Bad Company & Paul Rodgers' new solo project
In part two of our interview, Jeff Carlisi gives us the back story on 38 Special's first big hit, Rockin' Into the Night, the writing partnerships that produced some of their biggest hits, role changes inside the band, their history with MTV, the shock of finding out th ... Show More
46m 45s
Aug 6
“Heavy Metal Drummer”—Wilco
In this week’s episode, Rob uses the blueprint he learned from all of his favorite rock band movies, like 'Dig!' and 'The Great Muppet Caper,' to better understand the self-proclaimed misunderstood band Wilco. He takes us through Jeff Tweedy’s journey, starting with Wilco’s prede ... Show More
1h 32m