Music

Several years ago, Jonathan had the pleasure of meeting and introducing the Blind Boys of Alabama Gospel Quartet to an audience for a live concert in Wisconsin. The lead singer back then, Clarence Fountain and Jonathan had a rousing pre-concert chat back stage. In short form, Fountain shared just how valuable the so-called “quartet sound” was to the development of North American popular music and specifically to African American sacred music. "For me" says Jonathan, "it was a real learning moment".

#1260 8.25.18 Encore Broadcast from 11.4.17

August 24, 2018 - 1:00pm

Encore Broadcast features: Sister Rosetta Tharp, Tony Allen, Lee Williams & The Spiritual QCs, Hamerunga, Kando Bongo Man, Ayub Ogada, Aurelio, Rasha, Ewan McLennan and much, much more!

#1259 8.18.18 Encore Broadcast from 11.4.17

August 24, 2018 - 1:00pm

Encore Broadcast features: Sister Rosetta Tharp, Tony Allen, Lee Williams & The Spiritual QCs, Hamerunga, Kando Bongo Man, Ayub Ogada, Aurelio, Rasha, Ewan McLennan and much more!

#1259 8.18.18 Encore Broadcast from 10.7.17

August 24, 2018 - 1:00pm

Encore Broadcast features: Johannes Linstead, Lee “Scratch” Perry, The Grassland Ensemble, a mix of South African music, Karine Polwart, Sink, Germiniani & The Celtic Earth, Pamela Sklar, The Routes Quartet, Bruno Cocset, Rayce, Flying Bulgar Klezmer Band, Baraka Moon, Susana Baca, The Fairfield Four, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, and Sierra Maestra

Aging While Female And Famous

August 20, 2018 - 6:00am

Pop music icon Madonna turned 60 last week. While the singer has had a long and storied career, she’s also been a controversial figure, and some have criticized her outwardly sexual persona...especially as she’s gotten older. That lead our guest to write that Madonna perfectly reflects the perils aging while female and famous - she joins us to talk about the expectations society too often puts on women like Madonna, and why it matters.

Madison Symphony's John DeMain Remembers Bernstein During Centennial Birth Year

August 19, 2018 - 2:45pm

Leonard Bernstein burst into the musical scene at a young age and spent much of the mid-to-late 20th century as a major musical force.

The Tabla - Ancient Hindustani Classical Music Drums

August 18, 2018 - 10:00am

Among the many percussive instruments I’ve collected over the years, my recently acquired Indian tabla drums have become one of my favorites not just because of their attractive appearance, but also because of their celebrated place in Hindustani music...

Yo-Yo Ma, A Life Led With Bach

August 17, 2018 - 3:45pm

Yo-Yo Ma opened his recent Tiny Desk concert with the gently rolling "Prelude" from J. S. Bach 's Unaccompanied Cello Suite No. 1. It's music Ma has lived with nearly all of his life. "Believe it or not, this was the very first piece of music I started on the...

#1259 8.18.18 Encore Broadcast from 10.7.17

August 17, 2018 - 1:00pm

Encore Broadcast features: features music by: Johannes Linstead, Lee “Scratch” Perry, The Grassland Ensemble, a mix of South African music, Karine Polwart, Sink, Germiniani & The Celtic Earth, Pamela Sklar, The Routes Quarte t, Bruno Cocset, Rayce, Flying Bulgar Klezmer Band, Baraka Moon, Susana Baca, The Fairfield Four, Ladysmith Black...

#1259 8.18.18 Encore Broadcast from 10.7.17

August 17, 2018 - 1:00pm

Wagner's Undignified Entrance

August 17, 2018 - 11:30am

They got off to a bad start. It’s 1877 and Richard Wagner was in England as guest conductor for a series of ten concerts. A large orchestra—nearly two hundred Englishmen and Germans--was to begin rehearsing. The music for this first rehearsal was to be Das Rheingold . The English members...

Hear Me Out, August 17, 2018

August 17, 2018 - 10:00am

This week, Polk County attorney Margaret Engebretson beat out democratic challenger Brian Ewert in the 7^th Congressional District race. She’ll go up against incumbent republican Sean Duffy in the November election. Alisa Von Hagel is an associate professor of political science at UW-Superior. She sat down with me to talk about Engebretson’s win and why more women are joining the political fray in the mid-term elections.

Art Stevenson and High Water at the 2018 Shindig!

August 17, 2018 - 9:15am

Art Stevenson and High Water brought their brand of traditional bluegrass, sterling instrumental work, and wonderful harmony singing to the Simply Folk Shindig this past June. They’ve been at the heart of the Wisconsin string band community for years, and the crowd loved their performance this summer!

Remembering Aretha Franklin, 'The Queen Of Soul'

August 16, 2018 - 3:00pm

Aretha Franklin passed away at the age of 76, leaving behind a massive influence on America's music and culture. Central Time producer Dean Knetter talks with two guests about Franklin's career and legacy.

Seeing Through The Quirks

August 16, 2018 - 11:30am

Sometimes takes a great student to recognize a great teacher. One such teacher was Alexander Glazunov. It took some doing, but Dmitri Shostakovich discovered that Glazunov had something special to offer. Shostakovich was a student at the Moscow Conservatory when he encountered Glazunov -- a bulky man who sat far...

The Frenchman

August 15, 2018 - 11:30am

It was a well-to-do Russian household, but one inclined toward pessimism and boredom, and the young French visitor was just what the doctor ordered. But it took awhile for the lady of the house to warm to Claude Debussy. In 1880 Debussy's teacher wrote him a letter of recommendation for...

An Appeal From the Destitute

August 14, 2018 - 11:30am

War had depleted treasury of Saxony and the finest musicians in the land were living from hand to mouth. On August 14th, 1651, Heinrich Schutz wrote a letter to Prince Christian on behalf of his suffering ensemble: Most gracious lord, even though I am reluctant to bother a celebrated Prince...

Encore Episode: Hallelujah! The Songs We Should Retire

August 14, 2018 - 4:00am

Note: This episode of All Songs Considered originally ran on Oct. 11, 2017. I was at a restaurant recently when "Cats In The Cradle," a mid-'70s song by Harry Chapin, came on. It's the one about a dad too busy for his son, and ends with the son growing up...

How Veracini Broke His Leg

August 13, 2018 - 11:30am

Music making was highly competitive in the Baroque era. We have two accounts of Francesco Maria Veracini's last days at the court in Dresden. Both of them spell disaster. Veracini was a world-famous violinist. He had come from Florence hoping to get a high-paying position at the Dresden court. According...

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The Gospel Quartet Sound

#1260 8.25.18 Encore Broadcast from 11.4.17

#1259 8.18.18 Encore Broadcast from 11.4.17

#1259 8.18.18 Encore Broadcast from 10.7.17

Aging While Female And Famous

Madison Symphony's John DeMain Remembers Bernstein During Centennial Birth Year

The Tabla - Ancient Hindustani Classical Music Drums

Yo-Yo Ma, A Life Led With Bach

#1259 8.18.18 Encore Broadcast from 10.7.17

#1259 8.18.18 Encore Broadcast from 10.7.17

Wagner's Undignified Entrance

Hear Me Out, August 17, 2018

Art Stevenson and High Water at the 2018 Shindig!

Remembering Aretha Franklin, 'The Queen Of Soul'

Seeing Through The Quirks

The Frenchman

An Appeal From the Destitute

Encore Episode: Hallelujah! The Songs We Should Retire

How Veracini Broke His Leg

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