James Weldon Johnson's 1930 work "Black Manhattan"
Thursday, July 23, 2020, 10:00am
James Weldon Johnson (1871-1938) has long been a musical friend of mine, even though he was not known primarily as a musician. He and his brother J. Rosamond Johnson compiled and published in 1940, a representative collection of “American Negro Spirituals." The two-volume set served as a constant...
Hear and See The Music of Duende Libre
Tuesday, July 7, 2020, 10:00am
“The Dance She Spoke” by Duende Libre has been lingering in my mind for several days. I hesitate to say that it fits within the specific category of a collector’s item, though I can without reservation that it is well worth adding to your library. I also pause to confine the collective’s upcoming...
The Art of the Theremin - Risk and Reward
Friday, June 26, 2020, 10:00am
Say the name "theremin". If you're old enough there might be a good chance it will conjure up eerie memories of movie soundtracks from horror or sci-fi movies, like 1951’s “The Day The Earth Stood Still.” The theremin, the grand father of the MOOG Synthesizer is as of 2019, one hundred years old,...
The Pulsating Beat of Baka Beyond
Thursday, June 4, 2020, 10:00am
Collector's Café - Recordings For Your World Music Library. Check here each week for my thoughts on CDs and vinyl recordings in my collection as well as those I've recently added. Once something catches my eye, I generally look for and purchase those on sale as "used in good condition." On occasion...
Voices From Women Of The World
Friday, May 29, 2020, 10:00am
Collector's Café - Recordings For Your World Music Library. Check here each week for my thoughts on CDs and vinyl recordings in my collection as well as those I've recently added. Once something catches my eye, I generally look for and purchase those on sale as "used in good condition." On occasion...
In Cue - "Women's Work"
Friday, May 22, 2020, 10:00am
Not a day went by without music playing in the background in our home. My parents loved music and naturally so did I. My father loved jazz. My mother had an affinity for women in music. Her womanist views profoundly shaped mine while I was still a youngster growing up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Songs...
In Cue - "Sounds of the South Pacific Islands"
Thursday, April 30, 2020, 10:00am
Listening to this CD compilation reminded me of the unparalleled innate beauty, multiple cultures, and music the islands of the South Pacific have long represented. Beyond their international reputation as earthly islands of paradise captured by the paintings of Gauguin, or their local maps...
In Cue - "A Tribute to Miles"
Tuesday, April 14, 2020, 10:00am
While we all collectively navigate through this chaotic period of unprecedented turmoil, I am reminded by the ‘challenge of the day’ that the cosmos is not at this moment well-ordered, nor is it indestructible. So, I’ve elected to spend some quality time reconnecting with old musical friends that I...
In Cue #2 April 10, 2020 Dining with Rachmaninov
Thursday, April 9, 2020, 10:00am
While we all collectively navigate through this chaotic period of unprecedented turmoil, I am reminded by the ‘challenge of the day’ that the cosmos is not at this moment well-ordered, nor is it indestructible. So, I’ve elected to spend some quality time reconnecting with old musical friends that I...
In Cue Dining with Sam Mangwana
Thursday, April 9, 2020, 10:00am
While we all collectively navigate through this chaotic period of unprecedented turmoil, I am reminded by the ‘challenge of the day’ that the cosmos is not at this moment well-ordered, nor is it indestructible. So, I’ve elected to spend some quality time reconnecting with old musical friends that I...
The First Lady Of Salsa
Thursday, April 9, 2020, 10:00am
Here's what Compass Records has to say about the passionate singer Cecilia Noël's return with her newest album, "Havana Rocks", a Latin-infused collection of American classics recorded in Havana Cuba, with special recording and distribution permission from the US Government, and featuring an all...
In This Moment - Suggested Artists and Albums for Relaxation
Monday, March 23, 2020, 11:00am
"Kenyan singer-songwriter Ayub Ogada was a busker (a street musician) on London’s Northern Line when he came to Real World’s attention in the late 80s. And this 1993 set —his only record for the label— proved that it was a meeting of minds, with his disarmingly simple arrangements allowed to hang...
Rumba On The River
Tuesday, March 17, 2020, 11:00am
Author Gary Stewart offers a "history of the popular music of the two congos" through an insightful-inside analysis of Congolese Rumba, a form of African musical expression that would alter the path of African music-making with dance infused music layered with social and political commentary. "...
The Sound Of Alex Cuba
Thursday, October 3, 2019, 11:00am
When I hear the music of Alex Cuba, I'm instantly transported to and reminded of my many travels to the island of Cuba where I could hear, learn more about and experience several styles of music unique to Cuba filled with 'sounds' unlike any other around the globe. Cuba's new release "Sublime" re-...
Let The Good Times Roll With New Jazz Fest Box Set!
Wednesday, July 24, 2019, 11:00am
Few music festivals are as rich, profound, and joyous as the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, now entering its 50th year. With 50 tracks recorded live, Jazz Fest: The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival captures the festival’s ecstatic spontaneity, which defines the essence and...
Introducing "Real Vocal String Quartet"
Tuesday, July 23, 2019, 11:00am
San Francisco, California remains one of my favorite destinations in the entire world. I love just about everything about it and have since my earliest days as a voice student at San Franciso State University. I spend a number of days there earlier this month basking in the city's eclectic...
Henderson, A River-Town Retreat With World-Class Music Festivals
Thursday, April 18, 2019, 11:00am
With a long history as a haven for musicians and artists, legends like John James Audubon and W.C. Handy once called Henderson, Kentucky home and discovered their callings on the banks of the Ohio River. Framed by nature, downtown Henderson is a southern river town with historic charm that...
ETHEL and Robert Mirabal Collaborate on the Water-Related Masterpiece “The River”
Thursday, April 18, 2019, 9:00am
The Wisconsin Union Theater welcomes ETHEL and Robert Mirabal on Thursday, 04/25/19 at 8 p.m. in Shannon Hall. Prices for the event are as follows: General Public are $25/$30/$34, Union Members are $25/$26/$30, UW Faculty/Staff are $25/$28/$32, Youth are $20, and UW-Madison students are $10...
Ireland's - The High Kings St. Patrick's Day Performance
Tuesday, March 5, 2019, 11:00am
IRELAND'S - THE HIGH KINGS PERFORM IN MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN PABST THEATER MARCH 17, 2019 ST. PATRICK’S DAY 8:00 PM The High Kings from Ireland will bring their combination of folk, traditional Irish ballads and original tunes to the Pabst Theater on St Patrick's Day, March 17, 2019. Ten years ago...
In Concert - Maggie Brown, Daughter of the late Oscar Brown, Jr.
Friday, March 1, 2019, 9:00am
Singer, storyteller and cultural artist Maggie Brown brings her sound and vision to Madison, Wisconsin's Cafe Coda Saturday, March 23, 2019 at 8:00 pm. Brown is “a vocalist, music producer, storyteller, and a concerned cultural artist intentionally seeking to influence my audience using the...
