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Still the best selling jazz album of all time, and still shiver-inducing -- that's Kind Of Blue, recorded in 1959 by an incredible group of musicians assembled by Miles Davis. Its sound, based on modes rather than loads of chord changes, and the mood that created, (moody! and exquisite) connected in a way that few single recordings do.
It has stood the test of time too -- August 2009 marks its 50th year. Noting that anniversary, Saturday on Inside The Music -- a documentary about the making of Kind Of Blue. Interviews include Herbie Hancock, David Amram, and the only extant member of the original group, drummer Jimmy Cobb. (Who also recently reminisced about the experience before a date at the Calgary Jazz fest).
Cobb is eighty now, and leading a band named after one of the Kind Of Blue tunes, the So What Band, which brings me to the concert: Canada Live is recording the So What Band performing the music of Kind Of Blue, and broadcasts the concert on July 13th.
When people talk about "the great American songbook" you probably think of someone crooning something like It Had To Be You. Well, call me irresponsible, but I think that jazz pianist John Stetch has stretched the boundaries of what's considered part of that canon. His latest recording is called TV Trio, and on it he does things with The Waltons theme you'd never dreamed possible.
Not just the Waltons theme, of course, but a whole bunch of TV themes mostly from the 70s and 80s -- Six Million Dollar Man, Love Boat, The Price is Right, Rocky and Bullwinkle, All My Children, Dallas, and more.
It's jazz, it's fun, and you can hear a live performance featuring this music tonight on Canada Live.
When the True North label signed Catherine MacLellan you couldn't be surprised. True North (the "Bruce Cockburn label") is very discriminating, and MacLellan is a singer-songwriter who is standout. And yes, her father was the great songwriter Gene MacLellan, of Snowbird and Put Your Hand In The Hand fame, who left this earth too soon. But his daughter is adding to his legacy.
"Roots music authority" No Depression posted a comparison of her True North recording, Water In The Ground, with Bob Dylan's latest. A really interesting review, (originally from Restless And Real) concluding by saying: "Catherine Maclellan may just have the key for what ails us. Highly recommended for the young at heart and pure of spirit."
Tonight Canada Live broadcasts a concert MacLellan did at The Harbourfront Theatre in her hometown, Summerside PEI.
Once upon a time the day was celebrated with a bonfire and cannon shots, but on Radio 2 Fête Nationale Du Quebéc celebrations are strictly musical. (Wise, cannon shots tend to distort.) And this year Canada Live's Fête Nationale broadcast is proof of how multicultural music making in Quebec can be.
Three concerts, and dozens of cultural influences -- but all of it rooted in Quebec musical culture: First, the Brazilian-born Bia, now a resident of Montreal. (After living in Chile, Peru, Portugal and France.) You've probably heard her on Radio 2 Morning or Tonic -- her music seems to mix effortlessly with jazz, singer songwriter, pop. And her singing is pretty irresistible, whatever language she chooses.
The Fugitives probably didn't mind when the director of a festival in the UK said their work was "right up there with Allen Ginsberg and Ken Kesey." True they play more instruments than Al and Ken -- banjo, guitar, percussion and accordion -- but spoken word is their bag, to put in jazz parlance. (See end of last post.)
Tonight, hear The Fugitives in concert on Canada Live, recorded at the ColdSnap Festival in Prince George. Meanwhile, have a look at this:
There are a bunch of new Concerts On Demand posted, but before we get to the list, the prize for best performer name goes to...Friendly Rich And The Lollipop People! You probably guessed that's Friendly R. in the photo.( Not Bruce Cockburn or Angela Hewitt or any of the other musicians recorded by Radio 2 with new CoDs.)
Friendly Rich et al perform what's been described as "experimental cabaret music," and you know, that's pretty much exactly what it is. Emphasis on experimental. (So if you were thinking "music for kids," nope. That said, Friendly Rich, aka Richard Marsalla, is behind a project to get kids involved with music, called Bang The Drum -- Loudly!)
Here's where you can hear the Friendly Rich concert. And here's where you can hear the rest of the recent additions to CoD:
Ralph Vaughan Williams's Fifth Symphony was first performed in 1943, with Vaughan Williams conducting the London Philharmonic Orchestra at the Proms. No wonder Peter & The Symphony host Eric Friesen describes the work as "an affirmation of everything that was England." In other words, the music connects to everything that seemed at risk at the height of World War 2.
Today, Toronto Symphony Orchestra music director Peter Oundjian goes inside the 5th, taking us back to that summer, after the blitz, but before the outcome of the war was at all a certainty.
The other day, finally catching up with PVR'd episodes of Elvis Costello's TV show, Spectacle, I watched the interview that Elton John did with Diana Krall. She was at the piano, illustrating the conversation musically. (Sir Elton wisely kept his musical contributions to a minimum.) On Saturday's edition of Inside The Music Jian Ghomeshi does one better -- it's all about Diana.
And if ever you had the impression blonde/beautiful/crooner = lightweight, this interview will correct that assumption. She's smart, thoughtful, and funny. And a superb musician. So if you missed it the first time around, today you have a second chance to hear Jian Ghomeshi in conversation with Diana Krall on Radio 2.
From blues to rock to throat singing, Canada Live features concerts recognizing National Aboriginal Day this weekend.
The first concert is tonight, Anishinabe rock & roll/blues guitarist Billy Joe Green. As a kid he was taken from his family and put in a Residential School. Last year he went back to that same school (that must have been intense) to perform in a concert called Nanaadawe'iti Nagamonan: Healing Songs. You can hear his performance towards the end of tonight's show.
"It's the voice of a landscape, a geographic and emotional space that only seems to get wider and more mysterious the more we explore it." That's how David Newland, host of this year's (7th annual) tribute to Gordon Lightfoot at Hugh's Room describes Lightfoot's music. Nice, eh?
Not only does Lightfoot's landscape get "wider and more mysterious" as time goes by, it also resonates with newer artists and audiences -- which is why tributes to Lightfoot and remixes of his music continue. Tonight, no remixes, but definitely tributes, broadcast on Canada Live.
It's also available as a Concert On Demand (Gordon Lightfoot Tribute). Reviews there are uniformly glowing -- here's just one:
"This concert is awesome! I didn't think that anyone could do Lightfoot's songs like he can, but these performers make all the old songs new again!"
No, not the big house, we're talking the kind with a living room. Here's betting that Martha's House Concert rules would probably involve good things. (Hey, she lists frozen vodka as a "good thing," so it might be true.) Really though, we don't know. But kudos to Canadian folksinger Bob Bossin for "co-authoring" a house concert guide with Ms. Stewart: How To Put On The Perfect House Concert."
Kidding aside, the house concert continues to be popular, affordable and fun. Canada Live broadcasts them from time to time -- tonight you can hear one billed as Return Of The Bottle And The Truth. More whiskey than vodka though -- it's alt country from three guys who used to play regularly as The Bottle And The Truth, but have since gone on to have solo careers. (Ridley Bent, Cameron Latimer and Dustin Bentall.)
When people talk about "African music" it's a little like talking about "world music" or "jazz." So many styles, so many languages, so much diverse music! But you can understand how it happens, it's a short hand: African music, world music, jazz, popular music...
So it's interesting that the music from one African country seems to have made its mark more distinctly on the global musical consciousness. And that country is Mali. Largely because of the late Ali Farka Toure, his son, Vieux, Amadou and Mariam...and Habib Koite.
Habib Koite has a great voice, and he plays a mean guitar. And you can hear a concert recorded in Montreal featuring his music tonight on Canada Live.
Radio 2 Morning regulars will notice that Tom Allen isn't hosting this week, but Bill Murray is. At least, you might have thought that if the show was televised -- guest host Bob Mackowycz bears an uncanny resemblance to Murray. Despite this, he's chosen not to have a career as a Bill Murray imitator -- instead taking up the challenge of filling in for Tom until June 26. (And again for parts of July and August.)
By now you may be asking: What about Bob? Who he? Here's his unofficial bio:
Even the most outwardly accomplished among us may secretly be a big bundle of angst. Take Gustav Mahler. At the turn of the 20th century he was successful as a conductor, a composer, and as a mover and shaker, revitalizing organizations like the New York Philharmonic and the Vienna Court Opera. At the same time -- insecure, self doubting, and all those other fun things. But none of that stopped him from being enormously creative. (Maybe it was part of the reason he was so creative...)
Today on Peter And The Symphony, TSO Music Director Peter Oundjian explores Mahler's attitude towards life -- as revealed through his music. The symphony under the musical microscope is the largest of the large Mahler's, the third -- clocking in at over an hour-and-a-half in performance.
As host Eric Friesen points out, Mahler felt each symphony "contained a whole world" within it. So to hear more about the world within Mahler's third, tune into Inside The Music. After the broadcast the programme will also be streamed online at Peter And The Symphony. And if you want to own the entire Peter And The Symphony series -- put in your order -- it will be available via the CBC shop in September.
Marrying for love vs. money seems to be a time-honoured dilemma for the young and beautiful. (Who knows, maybe for the old and beautiful too.) One of the most famous operatic views on this is the story of Manon -- there are no less than five operatic adaptations.
So here's Manon's love vs. money dilemma, if you Twittered it: En route to convent, falls in love with student, catches the eye of count, becomes a convict.
The story was based on something a tad longer than a Tweet though, the short novel, Manon Lescaut, written by French author Antoine François Prévost (the Abbé Prévost), first published in 1731.
Now you want to know what happens -- student or nobleman? And how does she end up in the Big House? Ah, for that you should read (and listen) on:
Let's see: You may make BBQ sauce from scratch, then again, you may use bottled. You may decide since it's almost summer -- why bother with spring cleaning? You may celebrate this decision with a beer. And at some point you may have your radio on.
If the final prediction is true at least, here is what you may hear this weekend. (If we consider the weekend as starting Friday night. And we do.)
The Signal plays a concert from Final Fantasy tonight, recorded in Regina.
Fast forward to Saturday morning.
Jian Ghomeshi talks with Leonard Cohen on Inside The Music. He sounds a little in awe. Jian that is. That's OK, who wouldn't be? And Leonard is lovely as always.
Here's your hint for the opera: Diamonds are a girl's best friend...or are they? The opera "Manon" asks the age old question of whether to pursue love or riches, on Saturday Afternoon At The Opera.
You've probably hear their song Surround in a computer ad, but hear them as they're meant to be heard -- In Flight Safety in concert on Canada Live Saturday night.
A recent study said that the average teenager sends 80 text messages a day. You read that right, eighty! One can only wonder what # of texts would have been devoted to the great bands who started the Canadian alt-country scene, had teens had phones back then. (Not to mention the ability to text.) "CU L8R @ Spadina Skydiggers." That kind of thing. But in those days, it was all land lines, much to the irritation of parents everywhere.
Whatever the technology, word spread and parlayed early excitement into a twenty-year career for the Skydiggers, who were in on what was nothing short of an alt-country revolution in this country. Today Radio 2 Drive guest host Kelly Cutara fetes the band as they celebrate their 20th anniversary retrospective release, The Truth About Us, and they play a couple tunes in studio.
Here's a brief excerpt of what you can hear on Drive:
What a voice -- what a pianist! Daniel Lavoie is a wonderful Francophone songwriter, and in today's Canada Live Podcast you have a rare opportunity to hear him in an intimate concert. It was recorded on his Canadian tour supporting his 19th album, Dr. Tendresse.
Though he is a star in Quebec and France, Lavoie is actually originally from Manitoba, and part of his education with the Jesuits in Saint Boniface in Winnipeg was that he studied piano with the nuns. Apparently his mother wanted him to be a priest.
His fans are very glad he took the musical path instead. One of them, watching the following video recently said: "He's too terribly beautiful! He's killing me!" She must have been talking about that voice, sure, that was it -- and it's true his voice could have the power to slay you...
What's the farthest you've ever travelled for a concert? Maybe Edmonton from Calgary? Gananoque from Kingston? Dartmouth from Halifax?
Try Liverpool to Vancouver -- that's serious fandom. Kevin Jamieson, the fan in question, made the journey to hear Diana Krall -- the concert Radio 2 broadcast last week, now streaming online at Concerts On Demand -- Diana Krall At The Orpheum.
Kevin wrote a mini review on the CoD site, saying he he really wanted to see Krall perform on her "home turf." He has no regrets:
"Well, it was definitely worth the trip, she was just fantastic. My only wish would have been that it had not been over quite so soon, so thank you CBC Radio for giving me the opportunity to be able to close my eyes while listening here and visualize her brilliant performance again. Thank you so much."
You are so welcome, Kevin. (And thank you too, it's great hearing from listeners via the Concert On Demand reviews.) On a related note -- there are a bunch of other new concerts recently uploaded to Concerts On Demand -- so if you like hearing live music, have a listen:
If you're single and need a slogan you could do worse than the motto some ascribe to Brahms -- "Frei Aber Froh," "Free but Happy." The story goes that Brahms used the musical spelling of this personal motto in his third symphony -- with the recurring theme of the notes F-A-F. Supposedly this was in response to his friend, Hungarian composer Joseph Joachim, who'd come up with the idea of using F-A-E, 'Frei Aber Einsam' (Free But Lonely) in another work.
Let's go with Brahms. Much more positive. But what does Peter Oundjian think? It will be interesting to get his take today when he explores Brahms' Symphony No. 3 in Peter And The Symphony.
It's an 11-part series which takes you through some of the greatest symphonies ever written -- and what guides we have in Maestro Oundjian, the Toronto Symphony Orchestra's Musical Director, and veteran broadcaster Friesen. To hear it on your radio, tune into Inside The Music, and to hear it again -- tune in online after the broadcast at Peter And The Symphony.
And one last word about the third. (At least, from The Blog -- there will be plenty more words about the third on the broadcast.)
Admittedly the subject heading is a ploy to make you think "Wonderin' Where The Lions Are," and then by process of association, Bruce Cockburn. Did it work? Anyway, it is true that you were meant to think of Cockburn, since he is the guest in the third of a series of feature conversations between Jian Ghomeshi and great Canadian musicians, broadcast today on Inside The Music.
Today's interview is a bit of a retrospective, both in terms of Cockburn's career and his personal life. It's a very nice interview -- thoughtful, intelligent, full of humour -- just like you'd expect from Cockburn.
The interview took place the day Cockburn released his new, live solo recording, Slice O Life. (Twenty-nine recordings to date -- but the first live solo album!) And that's the starting point for the interview.
If you are a Cockburn fan you may also want to have a look at this extensive interview posted at All About Jazz, some quite interesting stuff there.
Sometimes music doesn't fall into neat, tidy categories. Actually, a lot of the time. Maybe that's why Michael Jerome Browne, who drops by the Drive studio this afternoon, calls his last recording This Beautiful Mess. He's a little bit country, a little bit blues, a little bit soul, a little bit folk. (Or as his own bio says: "Uptown, Down Home.")
More to the mess -- Browne is a multi-instrumentalist, a composer and a teacher, and likes to play both acoustic and electric. Today you can hear an intimate solo performance from Browne -- and he and Rich will do a little chin wagging as well.
Maybe Rich will dig a little deeper into the whole mess. If he does, best guess is that he'll discover the common thread in MJB's music is the blues. No wonder, he's been playing the blues since he was in his teens, back in 1970s Montreal, performing at legendary places like the Yellow Door. And he was a member of the Stephen Barry Blues band for over a decade.
"Quiet nights of quiet stars..." even before hearing Diana Krall singing that lyric, you can imagine it: hushed, sensuous, elegant.
Tonight you can hear how your imagination matches with reality when Ms. Krall is in concert on Canada Live, singing songs from her latest recording, named after that beautiful Jobim tune, Quiet Nights. It's also the name of her tour, presented by CBC Radio 2 -- you can still watch a lovely little video with Diana on our website.
Tonight's concert was recorded at Vancouver's Orpheum Theatre, and along with her quartet are members of the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra. Expect to hear a mix of swingin' jazz from the quartet and subtle orchestral arrangements by two jazz arranging heavyweights, Claus Ogerman and Johnny Mandel.
Here's one more image for your mind's eye -- from someone who was at the Orpheum:
There's nothing like the sound of someone finger picking on an acoustic guitar. It's like a beautiful summer day when you don't have anything more pressing to do than decide whether you want to lie in the hammock or on the dock.
At least, that's the mood Thom Swift's finger pickin' evokes in some of us. He's one of the featured artists in today's Canada Live Podcast, along with a singer with one of the best handles around, Coco Love Alcorn.
Swift doesn't just finger pick though, the New Brunswick based musician also sings in a deep, soulful voice, and writes too -- influences range from Mississippi John Hurt to Tom Waits to Emmy Lou Harris and Charlie Haden.
Fortunately he's far from going unrecognized. He won the Canadian Maple Blues Award for New Artist of the Year, the CBC Galaxie Rising Star Award, the East Coast Music Award for blues recording of the year AND two Music Nova Scotia awards -- ALL in 2008.
The Thom Swift concert in today's podcast comes from a recent concert Radio 2 picked up at the Rebecca Cohn Auditorium in Halifax.
You know what they are. Good or bad. (At least, if Duke Ellington is to be believed.)
But what makes music good or bad? DK Ibomeka, who you can hear in concert tonight on Canada Live, has this take: "Obviously perspective plays a big role in distinguishing the two." Absolutely true. But what's good music to DK?
"Music with attitude, audacity and opinion." What's not so good? "I am not moved by music that is trying too hard to be something and seems unnatural or forced."
While you're debating what you think makes music good or bad, here's a little more about Ibomeka.
In 1798 when Haydn's Creation oratorio premiered, you had to be A Somebody (or rich) to get in -- admission by invite only. As the story goes, the regular folks jammed the streets, trying to hear a few notes.
Not today -- everyone can hear Sunday Afternoon In Concert's broadcast of a live performance of the work, coming from Massey Hall in Toronto, (at 3:00pm, 3:30 NT). Conductor Bruno Weill leads Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra And Chamber Choir in this great work, noting today's 200th anniversary of "Papa" Haydn's death.
Before the live performance, host Bill Richardson brings you more Haydn, including highlights from a marathon performance of Haydn's String Quartets in Montreal, featuring the Brentano Quartet.
You don't have to read his mind -- Gordon Lightfoot is quite forthcoming in his conversation with Jian Ghomeshi, broadcast today on Inside The Music. Aside from sharing some behind-the-scenes stories about his music, including songs like Early Morning Rain and The Wreck Of The Edmund Fitzgerald, Lightfoot also talks about matters of the heart -- specifically his, at seventy years of age.
Interviews still to come in the series: Bruce Cockburn, Leonard Cohen, and Diana Krall.
For the rest of the day's broadcast notes, please continue reading:
From lowly choirboys, mighty composers grow. At least that was the case with Joseph Haydn. Today on Tempo hear all about Haydn in a special segment of the show called Haydn On The Couch. Broadcaster Robert Harris is on the couch too, to talk with host Julie Nesrallah about Haydn the boy, the man, and of course Haydn the musician.
It's in honour of the 200th anniversary of Haydn's death on May 31, 1809. Also part of the celebrations today, Gryphon Trio pianist Jamie Parker joins Julie to do a little show and tell about Haydn's piano music.
Note that on Sunday you can hear a LIVE performance of Haydn's Creation from Massey Hall in Toronto, on Sunday Afternoon In Concert. Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra and Choir perform the oratorio, considered by many to be Haydn's masterpiece.
And one last Haydn mention for now -- you may also want to have a look at the Haydnmania blog for all kinds of interesting Haydnalia -- like a new orchid named after Haydn, and an interpretation of the famous painting of Haydn that accompanies this post, among other things.
A popular music journalist/PR gambit is to describe a musician in terms of other, perhaps more famous musicians. You know: so-and-so is like Leonard Cohen meets Doris Day, that kind of thing. Danny Michel, for example, tonight's headliner on Canada Live, has been described as "Tom Waits meets Cheap Trick."
Likely it's an indication of how his music can be on the pop side (not the Tom Waits part of the equation)...or not. And actually, sometimes both are found in one song -- try Feather Fur And Fin.
Tonight's show comes from Toronto's Mod Club, and one blogger (the intriguingly named It's Not The Band I Hate It's Their Fans) who was there said "As usual, the banter was witty and his stage presence was gold, but it was the music that spoke for itself."
You know that Kathleen Edwards song, I Make The Dough, You Get The Glory? They say it's about singer-songwriter Jim Bryson. (Which means Bryson is "cool and cred like Fogerty.") Tonight you can hear the cool and cred Bryson on Canada Live, performing solo at the Great Canadian Theatre Co., or the GCTC as Ottawans knowingly say.
Bryson's concert was part of an ongoing series called Acoustic Waves at that venue, and according to the Ottawa Folk Festival's blog, "twas another magical evening." (Bryson apparently made the audience feel like he was "a kind of sound scientist" letting them into his "sonic lab for a sneak peek.")
In case you're wondering what the heck he's got on his ears in this photo -- they're not some bizarre retro headphones for music, they're some sort of bizarre retro headphones for blocking out the sound of a lawnmower.
"It's in the pod" might be the 21st century equivalent of "it's in the bag." At least, when what's in the pod(cast) is as fun as today's edition of the Canada Live Podcast. It's a concert recording from the Capitol Theatre in Moncton with Joel Plaskett.
You might know Plaskett best from the rockin' Joel Plaskett & The Emergency, but this is all-acoustic, featuring Plaskett performing with his dad, Bill Plaskett, and singers Rose Cousins and Anna Egge.
One listener at Concerts On Demand had this reaction: "Outstanding outstanding outstanding. We are all a little better off from experiencing the show. We all want to take Joel home and feed him a big meal."
Posted by Brianna Goldberg on May-25-09 at 03:00 AM
The harp has been around pretty much as long as music has... And even though we have evidence of it popping up in all different cultures from across the world, we tend to have a very stereotyped view of the instrument.
Today, we shine a light on one of the most promising Canadian harpists pushing through that dusty old image of the harp. Join us today for the latest episode of Next! a series featuring the musicians making Canada's music future, when we get to hear from Trois Riviere's Valerie Milot.
Valerie is the first harpist in 100 years (100 years!) to win the prestigious Prix d'Europe, which she took in 2008. Described as colourful, powerful, and a challenge to all cliches about her instrument, Milot is breaking a brave new path for the reputation of the harp, and Canadian musicians, on the world stage.
Join us today on Tempo starting at 10 a.m. to hear from Valerie Milot... Next!
Also today on Radio 2: Li Robbins is blogging again! Welcome back, Li... and thanks so much to you readers for all your your comments these past few weeks.
Posted by Brianna Goldberg on May-24-09 at 03:00 AM
It's a "Mostly Mendelssohn" Sunday for May 24th on Sunday Afternoon in Concert as we celebrate the 200th anniversary of the birth of one of the most popular composers of all time. You'll hear the solid gold Mendelssohn favourites... but what's maybe more exciting is that we're also going to bring you some new Mendelssohn discoveries!
Prosseda found fragments of the concerto manuscript gathering dust in a British library and asked composer Marcello Bufalini to complete the piano part and create an appropriate orchestration. The results are heard here for the first time in North America.
Robert Prosseda talks to host Bill Richardson about the discovery and reclamation of this lost treasure...
Posted by Brianna Goldberg on May-23-09 at 03:00 AM
Talk about happy accidents.
If school teacher Julian Adderley hadn't *accidentally* brought his alto saxophone into New York's Cafe Bohemia jazz club that night in 1955 because he was worried that it might get stolen, then he might have been seen as just another bar patron.
And if band leader Oscar Pettiford's saxophone player hadn't been late for the gig, then that gobsmacked bar patron might not have been asked to sit in for him.
And if that gobsmacked patron didn't already have the musical chops to play with the band that night...
Posted by Brianna Goldberg on May-22-09 at 03:00 AM
That old jokester, Beethoven...
Was the tormented musician about to scribble a new and dramatic sonata in this famous painting... or was he musing on the most hilarious reason for a chicken to cross the road? (To avoid being made into schnitzel. Obviously.)
Sure, the world may remember Beethoven as a very serious fellow. But join us today on Tempo to find out about the lighter side of Ludwig.
Today, Julie brings you Beethoven's second symphony, from Simon Rattle and the Vienna Philharmonic. A piece notable not only for being the longest symphony yet written in its era (clocking in at about 32 minutes)... but it was also the first ever to include a musical joke. Literally.
Posted by Brianna Goldberg on May-21-09 at 03:00 AM
Tonight on Tonic: Canadian jazz, aged to perfection.
Oliver Gannon may not be a super recognizable name... but take a look in most of the jazz albums coming out of Vancouver in the past 30 years or so and you'll start to notice a theme. Gannon has been the go-to session guitarist on the Left Coast since the 70's as well as being a founding member of Vancouver fusion outfit, Pacific Salt.
But until his 2002 live album recorded at the Cellar in Vancouver, he had been a sideman and nothing more.
Why had Gannon been holding out on fans, if his talents were so in demand? Was he worried about living up to expectations?
Posted by Brianna Goldberg on May-20-09 at 03:00 AM
They call it "the devil's staccato." The notes so churlish yet lovely that they could only be the product of seductive evil. But for Polish violinist and composer Henryk Wieniawski, they were just another tool of the trade.
Since he had the luxury of being inspired not just to write music, but to write specifically for himself, he had the luxury of compose in light of his own strengths... and his favourite challenges.
Want to write and play something with the devil's stacatto? Just engineer a new way of holding the bow to make it more possible.
Join us today as we hear Victoria's Nikki Chooi tackling music of the man who stared down the devil. Well, his staccato anyway. It's the latest episode of Next!-- a series on Canada's music future-- on Tempo.
Posted by Brianna Goldberg on May-19-09 at 03:00 AM
Imagine being important enough that your 70th birthday is held at the White House. And you're not even a past president.
Well, maybe it shouldn't be surprising: Duke Ellington could probably be considered the musical equivalent of a president. Or even more like royalty...
Posted by Brianna Goldberg on May-18-09 at 03:02 AM
Victoria Day, you say? P'shaw. Here at Radio 2, May 18 is Handel-Palooza Day!
Tune in as host Julie Nesrallah today as Tempo marks the 250th anniversary of old George Frideric's death with five hours of the naturalized Brit's best loved music... and also some of the music he inspired others to write!
Joining Julie will be Montreal broadcaster Kelly Rice as they take a listen to a sampling of Handel celebration concerts from across the pond. A little thing we're calling Tempo Live: World Edition.
It's Messiahs and Water Music and so much more... on Handel-Palooza! Now THAT'S a cause for fireworks!
Posted by Brianna Goldberg on May-17-09 at 03:02 AM
The third of an eleven-part series exploring some of the greatest symphonies ever written, with Toronto Symphony Orchestra music director Peter Oundjian and series host Eric Friesen. Today: Beethoven's 9th.
So even before Sophie Milman's new album, "Take Love Easy" came out this month and immediately shot to number one on iTunes, we already knew she was a star.
But now that her new disc is garnering praise from, well, pretty much everybody who hears it... Sophie's talent and artistry have confirmed her jazzy fantastic-ness yet again. So don't you want a piece of it for your record collection?
In case you've missed it, Tonic and Canada Live are running contests right now to help you get into the Sophie Milman groove. See, tomorrow night (May 17 at 8 p.m.) Canada Live is presenting a Sophie Milman concert featuring tunes from "Take Love Easy." To celebrate our recording, and Sophie's new album, we have two ways for you to win...
Bach's lovely, ethereal, complex pieces were composed to help lull his night-owl patron to sleep: to engage the soul at its most vulnerable moment-- shifting between the bustle of waking life and the freedom of dreams.
[Gee, can you tell I'm partial to them for some *strange* reason...]
Posted by Brianna Goldberg on May-14-09 at 03:11 AM
They call it, "The Grandfather Paradox." But really it should be called "The Problems With Murdering Your Grandfather Paradox." It's that logic game where you ponder on what would happen if you went back in time and killed your grandfather... meaning you never would have existed... and, therefore, couldn't have gone back in time to kill your grandfather. Ouch.
While the topic is a bit grim, it does bring up some interesting questions. Especially when we apply that concept to music...
Posted by Brianna Goldberg on May-13-09 at 03:00 AM
You don't get to play in four continents by the age of 21 if you're anything less than "flawless." But so far, that's been just the word to describe the impeccable young career of Vancouver pianist Avan Yu.
Posted by Brianna Goldberg on May-12-09 at 03:00 AM
Let's get this out of the way: it's, "Nn-dee-dee O-noo-kwoo-loo."
Now that you've got the pronounciation down, it'll be easier for you to pay attention to the other amazing details of this powerful genre-bending singer appearing this afternoon on Radio 2 Drive.
Posted by Brianna Goldberg on May-11-09 at 03:00 AM
Nope, it wasn't Ella. Or Nina Simone. It was relative unknown, Sheila Jordan, who was the first female vocalist ever signed to legendary jazz record company, Blue Note.
Posted by Brianna Goldberg on May-10-09 at 03:00 AM
More on the Sophie Milman Give-aways
Yesterday, we gave you a heads up about two Sophie Milman contests we're running on Tonic and Canada Live to celebrate the release of the songstress' new album, "Take Love Easy". And now that it's Mothers' Day and all, we thought we'd remind you of all the ways you can win. You know, just in case you *ahem* neglected to make it to the flower shop in time.
Sure, you still won't get the give-away goodies to Mum in time for brunch today... but if you say you won the prizes just for her, she might find it in her heart to forgive you...
Posted by Brianna Goldberg on May- 9-09 at 03:00 AM
Canada Live & Tonic's Sophie Milman Giveaway Starts Today!
She's number one! She's number one! Within days of being released, Sophie Milman's latest album, "Take Love Easy," shot to the top spot on iTunes. But if you haven't bought it already, hold off! Canada Live and Tonic have a whack of Sophie Milman goodies that just might have your name on it.
Posted by Brianna Goldberg on May- 8-09 at 03:00 AM
As it clobbered recordings from starry personalities like Lang Lang, the critics called James Ehnes' 2008 Grammy win "a triumph of excellence over hype." But those who knew his music already called it a long time coming.
Posted by Brianna Goldberg on May- 7-09 at 03:00 AM
It's a swashbuckling countdown on today's Tempo!
Grab your 3-D glasses as we raise the curtain on our Top 5 Favourite Adventure Movie Music Themes! (We know we're on the radio... but isn't everything more fun with 3-D glasses?)
Our list will draw from rollicking compositions both new and old as we tell you about the most memorable, popcorn-crunching, edge-of-your-seat musical themes from the silver screen. But before we tell you what's on our list, we thought we'd like to hear what's on yours...
Posted by Brianna Goldberg on May- 6-09 at 01:00 AM
Maria Dunn sure looks good for her age... if you're judging age by the feel of her music. Her lilting-yet-determined voice and timeless lyrics carry the stories of people from hundreds of years ago and oceans away. So what a treat that she actually lives here in Canada... and in the present, no less!
It's Music Monday, and kids across the country will sing and concertize -- sharing the fun of making music. On Radio 2 you'll hear a girl's choir on Tempo, on Tonic a feature on Oliver Jones mentoring singer Dione Taylor, and on Canada Live -- excerpts from a recent event featuring arts education advocate Sir Ken Robinson, as well as lots of music performed by various youth ensembles.
More about Music Monday coming up later, from guest blogger Brianna Goldberg. She'll be a'bloggin for the next three weeks, I'll be back May 25 -- welcome Brianna!
Please keep reading for the rest of the day's broadcast highlights:
Wherever you are, I hope it is a splendid spring Sunday. It's definitely a splendid Sunday for anyone interested in the intricacies of the symphony, as a new series begins today called Peter And The Symphony.
Peter And The Symphony features Toronto Symphony Orchestra music director Peter Oundjian in conversation with esteemed broadcaster Eric Friesen. The eleven part series explores some of Maestro Oundjian's favourite symphonies, and airs on Inside The Music (Sunday Edition 12:00 p.m., 12:30 NT) from today, May 3rd, running until July 12th.
If that's not a good time for you to listen to your radio, do not get rattled! You can also hear the series as podcasts, available at the Peter And The Symphony site, after the programme has gone to air.
Please keep reading for the rest of the day's broadcast highlights:
Legendary folksinger Pete Seeger turns 90 tomorrow; today Inside The Music Saturday Edition (12p.m., 1 AT, 1:30 NT) broadcasts a documentary about Seeger presented by Canadian author, medical doctor and undersea explorer Joe MacInnis. He adds longtime Seeger devotee to that list of eclectic qualifications -- MacInnis has been following Pete Seeger’s career since the 1950s days with The Weavers.
Always fascinated by the guy with a banjo who spearheaded the cleanup of the Hudson River, and introduced the Civil Rights anthem We Shall Overcome to Martin Luther King -- MacInnis recently spent time with Seeger in his cabin in New York state. A must listen for Seeger/folk music fans!
Please keep reading for the rest of the day's broadcast highlights:
Tonight, some uplifting blues from famed guitarist Joe Louis Walker on Canada Live (8 p.m.) Recorded at the Vancouver Island Music Fest, a review in the Times Colonist paints quite a picture:
"Joe Louis Walker, sharp as a tack in white pants, Hawaiian shirt and straw hat, pumped his electric blues out of the main stage speakers while reminiscing about gigs at Harpo's Cabaret in Victoria 20 years ago. Maybe we're simply crazy from the heat. But if there is a heaven, we want it sound like this."
Please keep reading for the rest of the day's broadcast highlights:
Diouf is two brothers who live in Montreal, but are originally from Senegal. Charmingly they call their music "Quebegalese." Their songs are accordingly in French and in Wolof, one of the main languages of Senegal (you'll recognize it if you've ever listened to Youssou N'Dour).
Tonight you can hear the Diof brothers (who have played percussion with Les Colocs and Cirque du Soleil) in concert on Canada Live (8 p.m.), featuring two special guest vocalists Lilison, originally from Guinea Bissau, and Brazilian-Montrealer Monica Freire.
Please keep reading for the rest of the day's broadcast highlights:
If the mighty Duke Ellington were with us today he would be 110. (And still swinging, no doubt.) But what is still with us is Duke's music, and tonight's Canada Live (8 p.m.) broadcast celebrates that with two concerts.
The first is a kind of re-creation of a TV session that he did in 1967. It was one of those "wow, that's totally amazing" gigs that lives on in the memories of fans. It also lives on in the hands of musicians -- including a Canadian group led by Edmonton pianist (and Senator!) Tommy Banks -- tune in to hear them recreate the music from that vintage Ellington TV broadcast.
The second concert is a different kind of Ellington tribute, a cabaret featuring songs most associated with Ellington, Caravan, It Don't Mean A Thing If It Ain't Got That Swing etc.
More about the broadcast and about Ellington later today on The Radio 2 Blog, for now please keep reading for the rest of the day's broadcast highlights:
Hard Rubber Orchestra has been called "the Godzilla of the Vancouver jazz scene," but I'm pretty sure that was intended as a compliment. In other words, monstrous...in a good way. Or, to quote jazz journalist Mark Miller: HRO plays "..daunting, high-strung pieces full of surging rhythms, dissonant brasses, can't breathe effects, hot-wired, post-Hendrix guitar solos and fright-night crescendos."
Hear Hard Rubber Orchestra tonight in concert on The Signal (10 p.m.), featuring violinist/composer Cameron Wilson. His composition Two By Six is six vignettes inspired by the likes of Dmitri Shostakovich, Charles Ives and John Zorn. (Not to mention prog rock!)
Please keep reading for the rest of the day's broadcast highlights:
It's Monday. The good news is -- there's music. And not only that, but some new concert music on Canada Live (8 p.m.) which has already received a glowing review at Concerts On Demand.
It's called called Tunes For Troubled Times: Songs From The Depression Era, and "Oldsbag" wrote: "I loved this concert. I would buy it in a minute to take to work and share with my seniors." Thank you, Oldsbag.
More about this concert later today on the blog, for now here are rest of the day's broadcast highlights:
Three of the world's greatest pianists are featured today on Sunday Afternoon In Concert (Sunday 1p.m., 1:30 NT). Here's what the lineup looks like:
Marc-André Hamelin with Les Violons du Roy under the direction of Bernard Labadie, performing Haydn (the "London" Symphony and the Piano Concerto In D Major) and Beethoven ("Coriolan" Overture and the Third Piano Concerto)
Leon Fleisher talks with host Bill Richardson about his remarkable life -- how he lost the use of one hand, how he regained it. (Also the subject of a documentary called Two Hands).
Louis Lortie, (who studied with Leon Fleisher) is heard in a recent appearance with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra conducted by another Quebecois musical superstar, Yannick-Nézét Séguin. Hear them in conversation with Bill and in performance, featuring the music of Ravel and Prokofiev.
All in all it's a pianistic feast!
Please keep reading for the rest of the day's broadcast highlights:
Today on Saturday Afternoon At The Opera the conclusion of Wagner's Ring, Götterdämmerung -- one of the longest operas in the repertory. (Causing both Inside the Music and In Tune to be pre-empted today.)
The broadcast begins at noon (1pm Atlantic, 1:30 NT), comes to you live from The Met and features Swedish Soprano Katarina Dalayman and German tenor Christian Franz as the romantically entangled couple, Brünnhilde and Siegfried. More on the opera later this morning on the blog, for now, please keep reading for the rest of the day's broadcast highlights:
The final interview in the series Jian Ghomeshi In Conversation With... broadcast on Radio 2 Drive comes up today when Jian talks with Diana Krall. As you may know, she's got a new recording out called Quiet Nights, with a sensual, Brazilian/bossa vibe.
Or as Krall puts it: "It’s not coy. It’s not ‘peel me a grape,’ little girl stuff. I feel this album’s very womanly – like you’re lying next to your lover in bed whispering this in their ear."
To hear Jian in conversation with Diana Krall tune into Drive between 5 and 6 pm, or listen anytime online at Radio 2 Drive. (You can also listen to Jian's interviews with David Foster, Gordon Lightfoot, Bruce Cockburn and Leonard Cohen via that link.)
Please keep reading for the rest of the day's broadcast highlights:
Ladies and Gentlemen, Mr. Leonard Cohen. Today in the third hour of Radio 2 Drive (3 p.m.-6 p.m.), you can hear Jian Ghomeshi in conversation with Leonard Cohen.
Ghomeshi and crew travelled to Montreal for the interview, recorded at Cohen's little place off of rue Marianne. Jian and Leonard talk about everything from changing light-bulbs to women. Yup.
If you miss it on air, note that all the entire series of feature interviews are streaming at Radio 2 Drive: David Foster, Gordon Lightfoot, Bruce Cockburn and Diana Krall. (Ms. Krall's interview will also be broadcast on the radio tomorrow, Friday.)
Happy Earth Day! May your tulips bloom and your carbon footprint be ever-diminishing. Canada Live (8 p.m.) celebrates Earth Day with music of course, a special concert called 7 Continents 1 Earth. The lineup of global performers includes the legendary Corsican singer Petru Guelfucci and China's Mamer ("the Lou Reed of the grasslands") among others -- please see 7 Continents 1 Earth for full details.
And don't forget to stay tuned to The Radio 2 Blog for more new music from Bob Dylan, coming up a little later this morning. Also to the third hour of Radio 2 Drive (3 p.m.-6 p.m.) to hear Jian Ghomeshi in conversation with Bruce Cockburn.
One final note: Fans of Peter Cook's excellent Tech Q? column -- it is on hiatus this week, but will return next Wednesday.
Couple o' notes this morning. One, today Tom Allen draws for the winner of the Larrivee guitar on Radio 2 Morning (6 a.m.-10 a.m.), concluding the great Guitar Gurus series. Listen to the third hour of the programme (8ish) to find out who the lucky winner is.
Second, don't forget to tune into the third hour of Radio 2 Drive (3 p.m.-6 p.m.) all week to hear Jian Ghomeshi in conversation with iconic Canadian performers -- today it's Gordon Lightfoot (followed by Cockburn, Cohen and Krall).
And third... "running" all week on The Radio 2 Blog -- new Bob Dylan tracks streaming, plus a pretty revealing Q&A with the Bobster. The next installment of the interview comes up a little later this morning on the blog; the next track goes up Wednesday.
Please keep reading for the rest of the day's broadcast highlights:
New music from Bob Dylan is always a big deal. But his upcoming album, Together Through Life, was kind of sprung on fans, which makes it even more exciting -- what will it be like?
There's something of an answer to that question this week on the Radio 2 Blog -- with a CBC Radio 2 exclusive. New Dylan tracks will be posted Monday, Wednesday and Friday, right here on the blog, plus excerpts from a great Q&A go up every day. Stay tuned for the first track -- coming up at around 5 a.m. eastern.
Another programming note (of note!): Tune in for a series of feature interviews by "Q"'s Jian Ghomeshi in the final hour of Radio 2 Drive (3 p.m.-6 p.m.) each day this week. The first is with Victoria-born David Foster, one of the most successful producers and composers ever in the history of pop music. In this interview he essentially defends his career as "the king of Top 40 hits," and it's really excellent listening. You can hear it today, and the rest of the schedule is as follows:
Gordon Lightfoot -- April 21
Bruce Cockburn -- April 22
Leonard Cohen -- April 23
Diana Krall --April 24
Talented Canadian pianist Marc-Andre Hamelin is featured in the second week of a four week spotlight on the pianist, on Sunday Afternoon In Concert (Sunday 1:00 p.m., 1:30 NT). He was invited by Montreal's Pro Musica to put together a concert series; this afternoon you'll hear him accompanying soprano Karina Gauvin.
Plus Ian Whitman, a bassist with the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony, talks with host Bill Richardson about what it was like to play at Carnegie Hall this week -- as part of the inaugural YouTube Symphony.
That's what's on Sunday Afternoon In Concert, please keep reading for the rest of the day's broadcast highlights.
While some of us are busy thinking about Which Guitar Guru Deserves Greater Recognition? Guitar Gurus themselves are busy playing -- as you can hear tonight on Canada Live (8pm) with Colin Linden. The concert was recorded at the Glenn Gould Studio, a CD release show for Linden's latest, From the Water.
Linden himself is one of those guitarists many think deserve greater recognition -- partly because he's spent so much time as a producer (working with people like Bruce Cockburn, Tom Wilson, Allison Krauss and Robert Plant), and a sideman (with performers like Cassandra Wilson and The Rankins). But tonight's show is Linden the guitarist front and centre.
And before moving on to the rest of the day's highlights, Happy Record Store Day!
Sue Foley oughta be on that list of Guitar Gurus Deserving Greater Recognition -- she's been playing the blues for twenty some years, sharing stages with the likes of B.B. King, Buddy Guy, Tom Petty, Joe Cocker, Rufus Thomas, Pinetop Perkins, Joe Ely and Lucinda Williams!
Happily some of that recognition is given to Sue Foley tonight when she performs in concert on Canada Live (8 p.m.)
Also note, on the Guitar Gurus front, this morning you can hear Tom Allen in conversation with Bruce Cockburn on Radio 2 Morning.
Please keep reading for the rest of the day's broadcast highlights:
The Lanois concert was recorded at Massey Hall, in fact it was his Massey debut -- and there was not an empty seat in the house. Reviews were glowing, evoking phrases like "The intense genius that is Daniel Lanois..." (Jam!)
The Band tribute took place on the 30th anniversary of the group's famous all-star concert, and features Blackie and The Rodeo Kings, with guitar gurus Colin Linden, Tom Wilson and Stephen Fearing, plus special guests.
Please keep reading for the rest of the day's broadcast highlights:
Guitar Gurus continues, with Tom Allen chatting with the great (yet so humble) Madagascar Slim on Radio 2 Morning.
Then tonight on Canada Live hear Tri-Continental, a trio of talented guitarists including Slim, and also featuring Bill Bourne and Lester Quitzau. The concert features their trademark blend of laid back folk and blues, with a little Malagasy music thrown in too. (Thanks to Madagascar Slim!)
Note too that guitar-wielding gal Melissa McClelland is in the Radio 2 Drive (3 p.m.-6 p.m.) studio to talk with Rich Terfry about her new recording, Victoria Day.
Early reviews look very promising -- Hero Hill says: "Melissa McClelland’s Victoria Day is a wonderful slice of Canadian twang meets Dixieland blues but even with those two stabilizing foundations, she still manages to fuse in 50’s goodness, dreamy melodies, tender piano and surprisingly heavy guitar work."
Please keep reading for the rest of the day's broadcast highlights:
And starting Tuesday on Radio 2 Morning , Tom talks with a guitar guru a day: Colin Linden, Madagascar Slim, Jesse Cook and Bruce Cockburn. Also starting tomorrow: your chance to win a Larrivee guitar. (A real peach of a guitar, as you'll see if you click on that last link.)
Please keep reading for the rest of the day's broadcast highlights:
'Tis Easter, and this morning Choral Concert (Sunday 8:00 a.m.) celebrates what host Peter Togni describes as "10 centuries of Easter." The show includes music from Gregorian chant and Bach, to the Blind Boys of Alabama, Igor Stravinsky and the unusual world of the Ukrainian baroque.
Canada Live features gospel tonight in honour of the day: The Evolution of Gospel Music featuring the Toronto Mass Choir. It traces gospel's history from African-American slave songs right up to the latest Kirk Franklin hit. The choir is augmented by rhythm and horn section for the occasion, plus great Canadian gospel soloists. Also in the lineup, a revival of a legendary 1990s gospel project known as Integrity Gospel.
Please keep reading for the rest of the day's broadcast highlights:
The Valkyries ride again! Today, the most popular portion of Wagner's epic Ring Cycle, live from the Met on Saturday Afternoon At The Opera, with an early start at 12 noon. This production stars Iréne Theorin as Brünnhilde, and James Morris as Wotan.
The NYTimes review (Wagner’s Tale About Absolute Power’s Limits) praises Morris for his "command of character...his Wotan an imperious, prideful and ultimately tragic figure."
More on the opera later today on The Radio 2 Blog; please keep reading for the rest of the day's broadcast highlights:
Say amen, somebody. Or just quietly be uplifted by some gospel music broadcast tonight on Canada Live (8 p.m.) It's performed by Montreal's Jireh Gospel Choir, who have performed with Cirque du Soleil among other claims to fame.
Canada Live recorded them just before they decamped to tour France this winter, and the results, as beautifully described by my Canada Live colleagues are: "committed, upfront, and joyful."
Also on the show -- a concert of inspirational music from Steve Bell, which one listener (Joanna Oznowicz-Davis) describes as "Music, in the truest sense of the word!" And she adds: "Someone said that 'Music has charms to SOOTHE...' Steve Bell's music does just that!! THANK YOU, STEVE. KEEP swimming against the tide!"
Ron Sexsmith's most recent appearance at Massey Hall last fall featured songs from his recent recording, Exit Strategy Of The Soul. (Influenced by soul and gospel music, with a Cuban horn section.)
You can hear the concert on Canada Live (8 p.m.) tonight -- Sexsmith with longtime band members plus string and horn sections. And while we're on the topic of Mr. Sexsmith, fans take note of his very nice video page, which includes the Woodshed series and some of his best loved videos from the past.
Please keep reading for the rest of the day's broadcast highlights:
Sometimes it's easy to think that everything has already been done, and it's all just recycling. That "everything old is new again" applies to the arts as much as it does to martinis. But in music there continue to be innovators who break the mold, and Sandro Perri is one. He's a guitarist/percussionist/singer/electronics guy who is a great fav of The Signal (10 p.m.).
Tonight you can hear Perri, with his "penchant for beautiful melodies and strange arrangements," as my Signal colleagues put it, in concert from the LOLA Festival in London, Ontario. (Chartattack described the concert as "ethereal folk music," so that should give you another idea of what to expect.)
The Radio 2 Podcasts page has been tweaked a tad, making it easier to get directly to the Tuesday release of the Canada Live Podcast -- and to all the past editions. So that's where you'll find podcasts featuring musicians like The Duhks and Stars and Jenn Grant and Daniel Lanois etc. etc.
Today's CL Podcast is a singer-songwriter double-header from St. James Hall in Vancouver, featuring some tunes from up-and-comer Hannah Georgas and the catchy pop of Jeremy Fisher.
"April is the cruelest month, breeding
Lilacs out of the dead land, mixing
Memory and desire..." T.S. Eliot
Composer Harry Somers had T.S. Eliot in mind while he wrote the beautifully named Of Memory and Desire, a composition that The Signal broadcasts tonight, performed by the Esprit Orchestra.
Harry Somers died in 1999, and in reading about the end of his life I came across this gem: "Harry's preoccupations were music, tennis and the truth...As a young man he got his start with a scholarship to study composition in Paris - a hockey scholarship. The team wanted to honour a great hockey player with artistic talent...."
To hear the Somers' music, tune into The Signal (10 p.m.) tonight. Please keep reading for the rest of the day's broadcast highlights:
If Radio 2 could wear a banner today it might read: Cellos! Cellos! Cellos! Or, to borrow the name of Jurgen Gothe's theme, it's "Cellocity." You could interpret that as either Cello City, man, or perhaps music that moves at the speed of cello. Either way, it's cello-centric programming on two shows.
First Sunday Afternoon In Concert (Sunday 1:00 p.m., 1:30 NT), with all the concerts and features involving cello, cellists including Antonio Lysy, Amanda Forsyth and Denise Djokic.
Second, Farrago With Jurgen Gothe (Sunday 5:00 p.m. 5:30 NT), where Jurgen features music for the cello but points out that none of it is composed by Bach! There are many neighbourhoods in Cello City...
Please keep reading for the rest of the day's broadcast highlights:
Headlining Canada Live tonight: orchestral, romantic indie rock from Montreal favourites The Dears. This concert comes from a sold out show at St. James United Church in Montreal, a benefit for the Every Kid Choir. Every Kid Choir seeks to "empower children through music." There were even kids singing at this concert -- as described in The Gazette's review:
"The 10 or so kids sang along for Saviour, the closing song on the Dears' new album Missiles. A gospel-tinged, soulbaring ballad, it was an odd but understandable way to start the night (the kids had to get to bed, after all)."
You can hear it tonight on Canada Live (8 p.m.). Please keep reading for the rest of the day's broadcast highlights:
The week draws to its close, and with it one more Wordsmith -- tonight's broadcast on Canada Live (8 p.m.) features a concert by Emm Gryner, described in one review as "one of the most under appreciated talents on the Canadian music scene."
But many moons (or at least hours) before that, tune into Friday's Tempo (10 a.m. - 3 p.m.) for an elegant performance of Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 24 with Maurizio Pollini and the Vienna Philharmonic.
As the New York Times once put it, Pollini is one of the most respected pianists of his generation..."distinguished, cerebral, powerful, and precise." While Mr. Pollini (remarkably) does not appear to have a website, if you'd like a brief audio preview of Pollini in full flight, go to his Deutsche Grammophone page.
Please keep reading for the rest of the day's broadcast highlights:
Continuing the week long Wordsmiths theme on Canada Live (8 p.m.) tonight, music from Ian Tyson. It features his "new voice." Literally. A few years back he damaged his voice through trying to out-sing a bad PA system. But now he has a renewed performing career, singing in that new voice -- as you can hear tonight in a recording Radio 2 made at one of five sold out shows celebrating Tyson's 75th birthday.
Please keep reading for the rest of the day's broadcast highlights:
There are some songs everyone seems to want to sing. Cohen's Hallelujah. Led Zeppelin's Stairway To Heaven (OK, now I'm thinking karaoke). And just about anything by Gordon Lightfoot.
This evening on Canada Live (8 p.m.) you can hear many singers doing their best by Gordie, and it ain't karaoke. The performers include Oh Susanna, Rick Fines, Liam Titcomb, Ken Whiteley, Royal Wood and Jory Nash, and the music was performed at an annual tribute that's been running for 7 years at one of Canada's leading folk venues, Hugh's Room.
More about this tribute to Lightfoot later today on The Radio 2 Blog; please keep reading for the rest of the day's broadcast highlights:
In case you missed the last post about Bruce Cockburn, scroll back. Just kidding, the gist is right here: Cockburn is on Radio 2 Drive (3 p.m.-6 p.m.) today, and you can hear him play a few songs in studio, and chat with Rich about life. "Slice O' Life," to be exact. (The name of his live double CD set that comes out today.) And yes, if you'd like to know more about that, scroll back! (Please and thanks.)
Meanwhile, please keep reading for the rest of the day's broadcast highlights:
If you missed the live broadcast of the Junos Songwriters' Circle Sunday afternoon, fear not. You can hear it rebroadcast tonight on Canada Live (8 p.m.). It features performances from a stellar bunch of songwriters including Buffy Sainte-Marie, Jim Cuddy and Doc Walker. Hawksley Workman is the musical moderator; Rich Terfry is your radio host.
It starts off a week devoted to songwriting, called Wordsmiths, featuring live concerts from songwriting giants like Leonard Cohen and Ian Tyson, plus new generation wordsmiths like Sarah Slean and Corb Lund. Full details coming up shortly on the blog.
Please keep reading for the rest of the day's broadcast highlights:
Today is Juno Awards Day in Canada. Also the first ever Cupcake Camp Canada day in Ottawa. (The things you learn by googling a specific date.)
But it is celebrations of Canadian, Juno-nominated music that we're concerned with on Radio 2. And today you can hear classical nominees in live recordings on Sunday Afternoon In Concert as well as a special live broadcast from Vancouver of the Juno Songwriters' Circle.
It's hosted by Hawksley Workman and presented by Radio 2's Rich Terfry -- tune in at 3 pm in most of the country, 4 in the Maritimes, 4:30 in Newfoundland.
More about this special broadcast a little later today on The Radio 2 Blog, but for now just know that you hear some great songwriters (including Buffy Sainte-Marie) sharing songs.
Please keep reading for the rest of the day's broadcast highlights:
Inside The Music (12:00 p.m., 1:00 AT, 1:30 NT) has the blues today, with a special called Time I Met The Blues: The Buddy Guy Story. It takes a look at the great guitarist Buddy Guy, whose sound is so much a part of Chicago’s Chess Records. (While recording for Chess Guy played with Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf and Sonny Boy Williamson.)
First Time I Met the Blues: The Buddy Guy Story is hosted by Dan Aykroyd, yes The Blues Brothers Dan Ackroyd. Interviews include Guy himself, plus Junior Wells, Robert Plant, Eric Clapton, Carlos Santana and Mick Fleetwood.
Please keep reading for the rest of the day's broadcast highlights:
On the cusp of Juno Awards weekend now, and Radio 2 Juno programming is in full swing. On Radio 2 Drive (3 p.m.-6 p.m.) Rich only plays Juno nominees. That's right, every song on today's show is a Juno nominee, and a Drive fave.
Tune into Tempo (10 a.m. - 3 p.m.) to hear some of the classical music Juno nominees, and on Canada Live it's quite a double bill with concerts from k.d. Lang and Hawksley Workman.
Please keep reading for the rest of the day's broadcast highlights:
The big day is here -- brand new compositions by five young Canadian composers are premiered this evening -- live. They're the results of the Evolution competition --a highly unusual challenge where the composers were given a theme, (evolution), and only a few weeks to write and rehearse the music.
One of the composers, Gordon Williamson, describes the intensity of the experience: "It included one all-nighter (finally got to bed at 10am, and then only for 1.5 hours!), and one final score/parts proofreading push that went till 4am the day before the first rehearsal. "
Yikes, shades of university! But a much better payoff, as you can hear this evening at these broadcast times:
Tonight's Juno Award nominee concert is from a very fun band led by guitarist Lubo Alexandrove -- Lubo & Kaba Horo. They're nominated in the World Music Album Of The Year category, and though heavily Balkan-party music influenced, they also bring in jazz and and Middle Eastern influences. Or, as an album review in Vue Weekly puts it:
"The band has a ferocity of attack that is compelling...this is convivial and smokingly celebratory music..."
That's on Canada Live (8 p.m.) -- for the rest of the week's Juno-nominees on Canada Live line up, see this post. And please keep reading for the rest of the day's broadcast highlights:
As you likely know, the Leonard Cohen contest has concluded...but the music lingers on. More than lingers -- starting today you can hear Cohen's Live In London concert, an exclusive preview on the CBC Radio 2 website. The (recording itself including track listing on that) comes out on March 31st so this is a bit of a scoop.
Also coming up a little later -- April 23rd -- a broadcast on Radio 2 of a one hour interview with Leonard Cohen, done by Jian Ghomeshi. More about that closer to the date, for now, enjoy live performances of some of Cohen's greatest songs including Dance Me To The End Of Love, Suzanne, Sisters Of Mercy,Closing Time and on and on...for the next week streaming online on Radio 2.
Please keep reading for the rest of the day's broadcast highlights:
Juno week begins with Canada Live (8 p.m.) celebrating nominees through concert broadcasts including performances from k.d. lang, The Duhks, Brad Turner, Eccodek and Kathleen Edwards.
Tonight things gets underway with banjoist Jayme Stone and kora player Mansa Sissoko. Their terrific album, From Africa to Appalachia, is up for the "World Music Album of the Year" Juno.
The second concert features one-man-band Chad VanGaalen who writes dark but captivating songs. His recording, Soft Airplane, is nominated for "Alternative Album of the Year."
Next! Canada's Music Future wraps up today. It's featured some truly talented young Canadian musicians, and today's final edition is no exception.
On Sunday Afternoon In Concert (Sunday 1:00 p.m., 1:30 NT), violinist Adrian Anantawan. Born without a right hand, he's met that challenge, to date appearing with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, and at the White House. He'll perform Saint-Saens Introduction And Rondo Capriccioso, Franck's Violin Sonata In A Major and Sarasate's Carmen Fantasy Op. 25.
If "Riding with the King" makes you think not of the Royals but of B.B., you will want to tune in today to Inside The Music (12:00 p.m., 1:00 AT, 1:30 NT). Riding With The King is a profile of the great B.B. King, approaching his 80th birthday when this documentary was made.
It's narrated by Keb Mo, and in it King talks about his 60 year career, from his early days as a DJ in Memphis to his massive success as a blues guitarist. Music includes collaborations with Eric Clapton, Ray Charles and U2, and musicians talking about King include Koko Taylor, Carlos Santana, John Mayall and Buddy Guy.
An additional roots music note today: On Deep Roots (Saturday 11:00 a.m., 12:00 AT, 12:30 NT) Tom Power takes a look at the origins of country music -- in the minstrelsy tradition.
Please keep reading for the rest of the day's broadcast highlights:
Happy first day of spring -- and Nowruz, the Persian New Year which also marks the day. Musically that means two concerts on Canada Live (8 p.m.) this evening. First, from the Lian Ensemble, who use traditional Persian music and instruments, but incorporate jazz and write their own original compositions.
This concert got a fabulous response from the audience, as did the second show on the bill, from one of the most famous Iranian singers in the world -- Mohammad Reza Shajarian, performing with the Ava Ensemble. It's virtuosic music featuring Shajarian's exceptional vocals -- if you're a fan of great singing, make sure to tune in.
Please keep reading for the rest of the day's broadcast highlights:
Is it spring where you live? In T.O. it's still teasing. Warm, warmer, not so warm. But back when it was still definitely the dead of winter -- February -- The Rankin Family wrapped up a twenty stop tour in Halifax with some music from their new recording, These Are The Moments, a collection of songs chosen "to inspire and uplift - a bright light, amidst uncertain times."
You can hear The Rankins' concert tonight on Canada Live (8 p.m.). AND it should be noted, music from banjoman Old Man Luedecke with Symphony Nova Scotia, and rounding out the broadcast, east coast singer Rose Cousins performing with the symphony as well.
Please keep reading for the rest of the day's broadcast highlights:
Stars, led by Amy Millan and Torquil Campbell, is a band that is adored by fans with a fervour. As Rolling Stone once said of their music, it's "witty, pretty indie rock for the sentimental geek inside all of us." (RS also asked if Canada is "the new Sweden," not realizing that Canada is the new fill-in-the-blank-with-the-country-of-your-choice when it comes to indie music.)
Tonight Canada Live (8 p.m.) broadcasts Stars in a concert recorded at The Metropolis in Montreal. One blogger was so excited after the concert he said, "I realized at this show, held in their adopted hometown of Montreal, that, yes, I want to be Torquil, and I don’t care who knows." Well good, we all know now. Besides, Stars, whose MySpace slogan is "melodramatic popular song," would probably understand.
Please keep reading for the rest of the day's broadcast highlights:
Hopefully your morning does not involve green eggs, let alone green anything else like beer or ham. But Happy St. Patrick's Day nonetheless! Canada Live (8 p.m.) celebrates tonight with an evening of intimate Irish music from Saltspring Island, featuring trad Irish music performers Norah Rendell and Brian Miller. And we do mean "intimate" -- the concert was recorded in someone's living room!
Also tonight -- a "seisiún" of Irish music from a charming little Irish pub in Toronto called Dora Keogh. It's hosted by button accordionist Pat Simmonds, and features some of Toronto's finest traditional Irish musicians.
One final St. Paddy's day note: The Signal (10 p.m.) also goes green with Kila's decidedly contemporary take on Irish music.
Please keep reading for the rest of the day's broadcast highlights:
Amelia Curran is a sweet-yet-husky voiced singer songwriter who's inspired by language -- a certain word, or the sound of a phrase. For instance:
To hear the rest of Ms. Curran's interview with host Rich Terfry (plus her performance live in studio) tune into Radio 2 Drive (3 p.m.-6 p.m.) this afternoon.
Small aside: I called her "sweet-yet-husky voiced" but the Globe & Mail recently described her as "the kinda' dangerous Amelia Curran." So here's the final word, in this blog post at least. "The sweet-yet-husky voiced and kinda' dangerous Amelia Curran" will be on your radio today.
Please keep reading for the rest of the day's broadcast highlights:
Next! Canada's Music Future continues today on Sunday Afternoon In Concert (Sunday 1:00 p.m., 1:30 NT) with 21- year-old Toronto-based pianist Alexander Seredenko. You can hear him performing two monumental piano sonatas: Prokofiev's Sonata No. 2 In D Minor and Liszt's B Minor Sonata.
The Canada Live (8 p.m.) Next! artists begin with the idiosyncratic singer/trumpet player Kyrie Kristmanson, followed by teenage folk traditionalists The Abrams Brothers, then one man band Steve Marriner, and things wrap up with the appealing (and sometimes politically challenging) folk of Olenka & the Autumn Lovers.
Please keep reading for the rest of the day's broadcast highlights:
Oh Mercy! No, not a response to the world's economic strife, but the name of today's final installment in Inside The Music Saturday Edition's (12:00 p.m., 1:00 AT, 1:30 NT) series about Bob Dylan, hosted by Patti Smith.
Today's episode explores the music of Dylan's recent years. Interviews include David Kemper, Carolyn Wonderland, Josh Ritter, John Hiatt and Roger McGuinn among many others.
Wasn't there just a Friday the 13th a minute ago? Seems like it. But today is a lucky day for those who enjoy music and food and cooking. Because Tempo Temptations launches today -- five chefs across the country create new recipes -- inspired by classical music.
Tune into Tempo (10 a.m. - 3 p.m.) today as Julie calls the chefs and plays the piece that will serve as their culinary muse. (Each chef will return next week at 12:30 pm, to reveal how music inspired their creation.) Yes, if food be the love of music, play on!
Please keep reading for the rest of the day's broadcast highlights:
Emm Gryner is the kind of performer who will get up before 4 a.m. on the day the clocks "spring forward" to chat live on CBC. She's the kind of performer who will get out of her comfort zone by taking on acting. (In the recent and much talked about movie One Week -- she reported after screening: "It was my third time seeing the film, but the first time didn't count because I was in a state of irreparable paralysis from having to watch myself on a huge screen for the first time.")
She's also the kind of performer who is known for sunny summer songs but then -- in her recent and 11th album called Goddess -- switches gears into something much more melancholy. You can hear this today when Emm is at the Radio 2 Drive (3 p.m.-6 p.m.) piano, playing a few songs, and talking with host Rich Terfry.
Here's a wee excerpt:
For the full interview, tune into Radio 2 Drive (3 p.m.-6 p.m.) A mix of current singer-songwriters, roots and urban music hosted by Rich Terfry. Please keep reading for the rest of the day's broadcast highlights:
Autorickshaw blend contemporary jazz and funk with the classical and popular music of India. The Penderecki String Quartet champion music of our time, with a repetoire including composers like Zappa -- and have premiered over 100 new works to date. The ensembles joined forces at Wilfred Laurier University for a collaboration, and Radio 2 was there to record -- you can hear that show tonight on Canada Live (8 p.m.)
Please keep reading for the rest of the day's broadcast highlights:
Stars in your eyes? Or at least, in your eyePod? (Bad joke, sorry, but couldn't resist.) Today's Canada Live Podcast features Stars, described by one pundit as "eighties pop meets the new millennium." This concert, recorded at The Metropolis in Montreal, was performed in front of an SRO crowd, premiering music from their recentish EP release Sad Robots, and you can hear it today in the Pod.
In the radio note that tonight's Canada Live (8 p.m.) features a concert from Owen Pallett's Final Fantasy. Nice one two musical punch today from Canada Live...
Please keep reading for the rest of the day's broadcast highlights:
Hopefully you have surfaced workaday Monday with your one less hour sleep balanced by having gone to bed early. Or by living in Saskatchewan. Either way, there's some cheery news this morning in Radio Land, as the contest to win a trip to New York City to hear Leonard Cohen at Radio City Music Hall begins today! You can find all contest details here.
More shortly about matters Cohen and Radio 2, for now, please keep reading for the rest of the day's broadcast highlights:
Whoever came up with that jaunty "spring forward" saying wasn't accounting for the end of Canadian winter, when every hour of sleep is precious. Regardless, today is the day when you must set your clock ahead an hour and try not to be grumpy about it.
It's also the 8th week of 10 in the Next! Canada's Music Future series. Today on Sunday Afternoon In Concert (Sunday 1:00 p.m., 1:30 NT) the featured Next! artist is 23 year-old Valérie Milot, a harpist from Quebec City. Last fall she was recognized by an international jury of Francophone public broadcasters as a "Young Soloist" for 2009. And today you can hear her performing music by Bach, Britten and Buhr, among others.
Today the documentary series on Bob Dylan hosted by Patti Smith continues on Inside The Music Saturday Edition (12:00 p.m., 1:00 AT, 1:30 NT). This segment's called Shelter From the Storm, and it covers the many moods of Dylan during the 1970's and 80's. It looks at Dylan during his born again recording years, and at his involvement with Live Live Aid, Farm Aid, and the Traveling Wilburys.
Dylan Trivia Bulletin: This week news broke that he's (unexpectedly) releasing a followup to 2006's Modern Times-- as soon as this April. It's not named yet, but according to Rolling Stone it's made up of "raw-country love songs," contains "sly wordplay," and is replete with a "seductive border-cafe feel."
Please keep reading for the rest of the day's broadcast highlights:
Martha Wainwright is the headlining "diva" tonight on Canada Live (8 p.m.). One listener/blog reader, responding to Who's Your Diva?, says that Ms. Wainwright is her "deepest source of inspiration...She leaves herself vulnerable with every song she sings. She is able to transcend the ordinary..."
Tonight you'll hear Wainwright play one of Montreal's largest venues, The Metropolis, performing music from her latest, I Know You're Married But I Have Feelings Too. Bonus: mum and aunt (Kate and Anna) make a special guest appearance.
Also on the Canada Live diva bill, the cellist/singer Jorane.
Please keep reading for the rest of the day's broadcast highlights:
Alanis, as in Morissette, headlines tonight on Canada Live (8 p.m.) as part of the show's week long celebration of Canadian pop and jazz divas, The Week The Women Sang. The concert was a home town show for Alanis, known for her incredible pipes (and her ability to help people through breakups). Radio 2 recorded the show at the National Arts Centre at Thanksgiving, and it features a mix of music from her entire repertoire.
Also on the bill tonight, another Ottawan of renown, Kellylee Evans, a singer who has been described as ""Sade meets Erykah Badu meets Norah Jones." The performance was recorded right after her trip to Washington D.C. where she sang at one of the Presidential inaugural balls.
Five composers are currently squirreled away at The Banff Centre busily writing new music which will be premiered live on Radio 2 on March 26th.
It's all part of CBC Radio-Canada's Evolution competition -- the winner takes home $20,000 National Composition Grand Prize. All week long on The Signal (10 p.m.) Laurie checks in with the competing composers about the experience, which is quite a little pressure cooker!
Also on The Signal tonight, some new music from Issa (formerly Jane Siberry), a performer at least one of you says qualifies for "diva" status. (See Who's Your Diva?.) Also, composer Julian Anderson's first foray into digital performance with his work The Book Of Hours from a concert recorded by Radio 2 in Montreal.
Please keep reading for the rest of the day's broadcast highlights:
Great Lake Swimmers are live on Drive today. Yes, the pride of Wainfleet, Ontario, will bring their version of lush alt-country to Radio 2 Drive (3 p.m.-6 p.m.) this afternoon, at least in a scaled down fashion for the radio studio. And lovely stuff it is! Their latest, Lost Channels, was recorded in old churches, community halls and abandoned grain silos -- here's why:
For the rest of the interview and music performed live in studio, tune into Radio 2 Drive (3 p.m.-6 p.m.). And please keep reading for the rest of the day's broadcast highlights:
Some fine Canadian singers are featured all week long on Canada Live (8 p.m.) beginning today. And in tandem with this week o'divas, Tom Allen is asking Who's Your Diva? If you click on that link, you can share your thoughts, and maybe even win some CDs.
The CDs are recordings by some of the performers in the Canada Live line up: Nikki Yanofsky, Tanya Tagaq, Serena Ryder, Martha Wainwright, Jorane and Alanis Morissette. More about the singers in the days to come, but do note that tonight's broadcast features jazz singer Nikki Yanofsky, and South-African Canadian singer Lorraine Klaasen.
Please keep reading for the rest of the day's broadcast highlights:
Like a lamb or a lion where you are? Happy March, all!
Today on Radio 2 the series Next! Canada's Music Future continues on two programmes. First, on Sunday Afternoon In Concert (Sunday 1:00 p.m., 1:30 NT), host Bill Richardson presents 13 year-old pianist Jan Lisiecki, from Calgary. Yes, you read that right, thirteen.
Lisiecki has already performed numerous times on the concert stage, and today you can hear him playing Chopin Etudes, the Andante Spianto and Grande Polonaise Brilliante and Chopin's Piano Concerto No. 2 in F Major with Sinfonia Varsovia conducted by Howard Shelley.
The response to some of this performance, also online at Concerts On Demand, is best summed up by one listener who just said: "WOWWWWWWWWWWW. A once-in-a-lifetime talent."
And on Canada Live (8 p.m.) the "Next artists" this week include a singer songwriter who has emerged "at the front of the pack" of the very hot Atlantic Canada singer-songwriter scene, Amelia Curran; from St. John's, jazz and otherwise improvising trumpet player Patrick Boyle; Saskatoon's The Deep Dark Woods, known for their lovely harmony singing, and the self-described "sassy songstress" from Saskatoon, Farideh.
Please keep reading for the rest of the day's broadcast highlights -- including full details about Sunday Afternoon In Concert's Chopin special (and quiz!):
Dylan fans take note -- today you can hear part 2 of the documentary series about Bob Dylan hosted by Patti Smith on Inside The Music Saturday Edition (12:00 p.m., 1:00 AT, 1:30 NT). Like A Rolling Stone explores Dylan's "electric years" and beyond, from 1965-1974. Interviews include: George Wein, Roger McGuinn, Anthony DeCurtis, Greil Marcus, John Hiatt, Josh Ritter and Garth Hudson.
And opera fans -- today's broadcast from the Met is Verdi's ever-popular Il Trovatore. (Fans of both -- you're in luck!) More about the opera coming up on The Radio 2 Blog; please keep reading for the rest of the day's broadcast highlights:
Live dispatches from the east today on Radio 2 Drive (3 p.m.-6 p.m.) East as in East Coast Music Awards, that is. Deep Roots host Tom Power calls into the show from Corner Brook Newfoundland, home to this 21st edition of the ECMAs.
He'll give Drive host Rich Terfry the bird's eye view about the buzz bands, the best bars, the best parties...and you can hear the part about the buzz bands on air, too. You know what they say: "Go wild, Corner Brook '09!" (At least, that's what say that at this year's ECMA's!)
Please keep reading for the rest of the day's broadcast highlights:
It's been said that what you need most is a strong beginning and a strong ending. About most anything in life, but for sure music and other forms of performing arts. Funny how usually it's the beginnings that get the most attention though. But not today on Tempo (10 a.m. - 3 p.m.) when it's the best symphonic endings that are the subject of the weekly Tempo Top Five.
Care to make any bets as to what will make the list -- the electrifying ending to Shostakovich's 5th? Mahler's 9th? And what makes a symphonic ending memorable anyway -- a sense of triumph? Catharsis? Loads of volume? Certainly all the above gets them out of their seats in the concert hall!
You can hear the the Tempo Top 5 symphonic endings over the lunch hour, and also in Tempo notes -- the Haydn Symphony "marathon" continues today with Symphony No. 11.
Please keep reading for the rest of the day's broadcast highlights:
John Mann is probably best known for fronting the popular Vancouver band, Spirit of the West. His energetic stage presence and distinctive voice have steadily gained him fans over the past 25 years.
Tonight's Canada Live (8-10 p.m.) begins with a solo John Mann concert from Richmond, BC. The songs are drawn from Mann's two solo records (December Looms and Acoustic Kitty) as well as favourites from his Spirit of the West catalogue. Mann guides us into quirky memories of adolescence (When I Played Around With Knives) and hilarious songs about life on the road (Red Deer).
The second Canada Live concert this evening features Jon & Roy . . . and a lot of their friends (The Haints, Current Swell, Laura Smith, members of Jets Overhead and Mother Mother).
Jon Middleton & Roy Vizer have a popular band in Victoria with a fresh take on folk music. Tune in for highlights from both sets from a packed Alix Goolden Hall in downtown Victoria.
You can listen again to all three concerts at Concerts on Demand: John Mann, Jon & Roy and Jon & Roy's Friends or just use those pages to find out more about the artists and the concerts.
Please keep reading for the rest of the day's broadcast highlights.
Howie Beck travelled to Paris seeking inspiration. He walked the streets by day and wrote by night.
Today is the day the beguiling Mr. Beck releases his fourth album, How To Fall Down In Public. And on this very special day you can hear an exclusive interview and session on Radio 2 Drive.
Here's a short clip from the interview.
Listen to the entire interview with Rich Terfry and an exclusive in-studio performance this afternoon on Radio 2 Drive (3 p.m.-6 p.m.).
Please keep reading for the rest of the day's broadcast highlights, including a Canada Live concert of Venetian and Neapolitan songs.
In anticipation of CBC Radio 2's upcoming celebration of Leonard Cohen beginning March 8th, (including a contest to win a pair of tickets to a Cohen concert in NYC) tonight Canada Live (8 p.m.) broadcasts a tribute to Cohen.
Hosted by Vancouver singer Kate Hammett-Vaughan, the show features the following musicians: Canadians Karla Anderson, Peter Elkas, Serena Ryder, Ann Vriend, American singer/songwriter Darrell Scott, Roddy Hart from Scotland, and Australian band Monsieur Camembert.
In a related note, the Leonard Cohen Forum posts this piece from the Globe -- about Cohen's Edmonton connections.
P.S. If you're stuck at the first paragraph of this post frantically searching for a link to more info, hang tight -- details about the Cohen contest etc. coming March 2nd. So stay tuned to The Radio 2 Blog.
Next! Canada's Music Future continues with its focus on some of the terrific up and coming talent across the country. First, on Sunday Afternoon In Concert (Sunday 1:00 p.m., 1:30 NT) the Roddick String Quartet.
This ensemble came together three years ago at McGill (the Quartet takes its name from the classical colonnaded gates at the entrance to the university, named for Sir Thomas Roddick). One critic has said they "combine the spark of youth with a singleness of purpose usually reserved to long time established ensembles." And in Roddick SQ news, they're an official selection of the 2009 London International String Quartet Competition.
Then on Canada Live (8 p.m.), hear new music from the (already) critically acclaimed singer songwriter Jenn Grant; music that's a little bit jazz, a little bit folk, a little bluesy from David Myles; the jazz-influenced songwriter Meaghan Smith, and one of the newest in the tradition of traditional east coast celtic singers, Shannon Quinn.
Please keep reading for the rest of the day's broadcast highlights:
Francesco Cilea's Adriana Lecouvreur is not exactly an operatic household word. Placido Domingo, on the other hand, is. He sings the role of Maurizio in the production which comes to you from the Met today on Saturday Afternoon At The Opera (Saturday 1:00 p.m., 1:30 NT). He also sang the role of Maurizio in 1968 -- at the age of 27. And as we all know, he's still got the charm, the looks, and the great voice, 41 years later.
The story, which is loosely based on 18th century Comédie-Française actress Adrienne Lecouvreur, is about an artiste who falls for the wrong guy -- Maurizio, the handsome Duke of Saxony. Thing is, he's already snagged by the ruthless Princess de Bouillon. Love, confusion, jealousy and betrayal ensue.
More on the opera coming up on The Radio 2 Blog, for now, please keep reading for the rest of the day's broadcast highlights:
A quite delightful concert of calypso music is featured this evening on Canada Live (8 p.m.), "David Rudder's Calypso Journey." Toronto-based David Rudder has been proclaimed "a Trinidad national hero on the order of Marley in Jamaica, Fela in Nigeria and Springsteen in New Jersey." (By Rolling Stone no less.)
Rudder is joined by Trinidad's calypso legend Lord Superior, and Toronto's young calypsonian Drew Gonsalves. They perform music that spans 60 years of calypso, from the 40s through the golden age of calypso of the 50s and 60s, and right up to modern soca.
Having heard it I concur with other listeners that it's a great show. And here's a nice review of the concert from Live Music Report if you'd like a first hand account -- featuring some good photos too.
Please keep reading for the rest of the day's broadcast highlights:
It's carnival time! Well, maybe not where you live. (And certainly not where I live, sadly.) But it is on the radio, with a concert that heralds Rio's carnival, from a group called Forrotimo. They play Brazilian music, and share a passion for forró, a musical style from northeastern Brazil. Much of it is sweet dance music -- played on guitar, accordion, triangle and zabumba drum, plus vocals. As the translation to one of their songs goes:
"The musicians are here, the party is in full swing and the place is packed. The sun will soon be rising, and the lanterns will be put out. This type of "forró" outlasts the night..."
You can hear Forrotimo on Canada Live (8 p.m.), and a second Brazilian music concert as well, from Brazilian-born, Montreal based Bïa.
Please keep reading for the rest of the day's broadcast highlights:
Radio 2 has some fine guest hosts in studio this week -- all week on Tempo (10 a.m. - 3 p.m.) you can hear the estimable Andrew Craig, who many know from other hosting gigs on the CBC, as well as from his work as a musician. And on Radio 2 Drive (3 p.m.-6 p.m.), today Kelly Cutrara is in the host chair -- you may know her as a local music show host in both Toronto and Vancouver (and she's been on the Drive airwaves in the past as well).
Thursday and Friday Drive is guest hosted by Bob Mackowycz Jr., of Canadian rock radio lineage. Bob Jr. has made a name for himself in broadcasting too though, working with shows like Off the Record and The Hour, as well as co-hosting The Stroumbo Show on radio with Stroumbo, natch. (As in "oulopoulos.") So tune into hear some different takes on Tempo and Drive.
Please keep reading for the rest of the day's broadcast highlights:
Who is going to hear Diana Krall in concert, via CBC Radio 2? All is revealed today when Tom Allen does a live draw from the eligible entries in the Diana Krall contest. The contest received over 10,000 emails!
The draw happens in the third hour of Radio 2 Morning (6 a.m.-10 a.m.), and as the third hour is underway in my time zone (and via the Listen Live streams) without further ado -- here is the lucky winner! GRAHAM J. WOLFF of Kitchener, Ontario. I believe he is currently the "unofficial winner," until contacted, vetted, handing over his passport, whatever the process is to legally tie up any loose ends, but no doubt that will happen in short order.
Thanks to everyone who entered, and to those who wrote with some funny, and some moving reasons as to why you want to hear Ms. Krall. You can read these comments right here.
One of my favourite comments came from "Jack E. Bearden, on the frozen shores of the Bay of Fundy," who said:
Happy Family Day for those who are celebrating (or sleeping in, whatever the case may be); happy Monday to the rest of us. Here is what the broadcast day has in store:
Jenn Grant is a singer songwriter that everyone from Globe And Mail to Exclaim magazine music critics seem to like, with good reason. A strong singer, an interesting lyricist, unusual arrangements, what's not to like? Today she's Rich's guest on Radio 2 Drive (3 p.m.-6 p.m.) performing tunes she played live in studio, and chatting with Rich about her new recording, Echoes.
Also note that a concert celebrating the music of the late Willie P. Bennett will be broadcast tonight on Canada Live (8 p.m.). Stay tuned to The Radio 2 Blog for more about both later today.
Please keep reading for the rest of the day's broadcast highlights:
Next! Canada's Musical Future continues today on Sunday Afternoon In Concert (Sunday 1:00 p.m., 1:30 NT) and Canada Live (8 p.m.).
This morning, hear Canadian violinist Nikki Chooi. He's currently in his freshman year at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, but studied in Canada with Bill van der Sloot at the Mount Royal Conservatory and Sydney Humphreys at the Victoria Conservatory of Music, among others. Today you can hear him in a house recital from Lion's Bay, B.C. and in performance with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra.
Diana Krall fans take note -- today is the final day for you to enter the Diana Krall contest -- closing time for sending in your entry is 11 p.m. eastern tonight.
Please keep reading for the rest of the day's broadcast highlights:
He loves me not. Or no, wait, he loves me! Only problem is it took him years to figure it out. Such is the case for Tatiana in Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin, heard today on Saturday Afternoon At The Opera (Saturday 1:00 p.m., 1:30 NT), broadcast from The Met.
"Ms. Mattila sang her first Tatiana at the house and was a revelation. Onegin remains a good role for the veteran baritone Thomas Hampson, who subtly conveyed the hauteur of the entitled, clueless hero."
Stay tuned to The Radio 2 Blog for more on the opera later today, and please keep reading for the rest of the day's broadcast highlights:
No Triskaidekaphobia to start the day, not when there are happier matters of luck and chance at hand. Radio 2-wise, that means the last few days to enter the Diana Krall contest -- which if you win means you and your favourite Plus One can wing your way to Vancouver for the final concert in Krall's Quiet Nights tour.
And if you are in a romantic Plus One frame of mind, don't forget today is the final day to suggest the Canadian love song that opens your heart. (But if you're getting grumpy about all the coupley stuff check out the comments at that link -- a considerable number of unrequited or otherwise not happy-couples love songs in there too!) And please keep reading for the rest of the day's broadcast highlights:
A very special concert tonight on Canada Live (8 p.m.): "Ian Tyson At 75". It was recorded as part of Ian Tyson's bi-annual sold-out five night run at Horizon Stage in Spruce Grove, Alberta, and features music from his last recording, Yellowhead To Yellowstone And Other Love Stories. Tonight's broadcast includes an interview with Tyson and comments from some of his peers, friends and fans.
More on Mr. Tyson later today on The Radio 2 Blog; for now just make a note in your calendars/hand-held devices. And please keep reading for the rest of the day's broadcast highlights:
In case you missed the post late yesterday afternoon, here is your reminder that today the dub producer/performer who goes by Dubmatix is Rich's guest on Radio 2 Drive (3 p.m.-6 p.m.).
It's a great sound, guaranteed to have you in a good mood for the rest of the day, and though rooted in tradition also totally fresh. Or as one write up put it: "Dubmatix, one man with a relentlessly inventive approach to reverb, rhythm, and reggae - the primary colors on any dub producers palette."
Please keep reading for the rest of the day's broadcast highlights:
This note is for those who love choral music -- tonight you can hear a concert featuring the polyphonic singing of Corsican vocal quartet Barbara Furtuna, (which means "cruel fate") with Montreal's Constantinople.
Traditional Corsican men's singing is gorgeous -- if you go to the Album page on Barbara Furtuna's website (no more specific URL to give you, I'm afraid) you can hear some examples of this group. (And for those who want to go further, here is a website devoted to Corsican traditional music.)
Of course you can also just tune in to Canada Live (8 p.m.) this evening for the concert, which is one of the ongoing projects spearheaded by Constantinople, who focus on musical encounters and exchanges.
As they put it -- "The creative process of every one of our concerts feeds off of this hunger for encounters. When we are on stage, we seek this fertile synergy between the musicians but also with our audience!" And the radio audience gets the next best thing to being there.
Please keep reading for the rest of the day's broadcast highlights:
Happy Monday morning! (Hey, it's February, we all need a little pep-talkin.') And a reminder to start the week -- this is the second and last week for your chance to win a prize package to hear Diana Krall. Here are all the details. And if you'd like to say why you'd like to hear Ms. Krall please join in right here.
There have been some interesting comments, like this one from a 20-something expat Canadian in England who wrote:
"...there's something so very Canadian about her approach to it that it makes me miss home. Oh, and she was also my intro to jazz - I have since moved on to Coltrane and Mingus, and mostly instrumental rather than vocal jazz, but I'm still giving Diana the credit for opening my eyes to the genre - and I think that applies to lots of kids my age."
Please keep reading for the rest of the day's broadcast highlights:
Today marks the 4th week in the ten part series, Next! Canada's Music Future, celebrating emerging Canadian musicians. The special is heard on two shows each Sunday during the ten-weeks, Sunday Afternoon In Concert (Sunday 1:00 p.m., 1:30 NT) and Canada Live (8 p.m.).
This morning the Sunday Afternoon In Concert broadcast features the 24-year-old pianist Darrett Zusko. Zusko was born in Windsor, Ontario, and studied as a teenager with the great Canadian pianist Ronald Turini. He's already performed across North America, the UK and Spain. (They sure liked him in Spain, La Nueva España described him as one of the most promising performers of the 21st century.) Today Zusko can be heard in recital performing a programme including works by Schubert, Morawetz and Bartok.
Then on Canada Live it's indie rock band Beija Flor from Calgary; 20-year-old soul/rock driven songwriter Michael Bernard Fitzgerald; Edmonton Carole King/Joni Mitchell inspired singer-songwriter (who is currently making waves in New York) Colleen Brown, and finally another Edmontonian, acoustic country singer Ayla Brook.
Please keep reading for the rest of the day's broadcast highlights:
First call for Saturday Afternoon At The Opera (Saturday 1:00 p.m., 1:30 NT) fans for the weekend's Metropolitan Opera broadcast. This Saturday it's a biggie -- Russian soprano Anna Netrebko stars in a production of Donizetti's Lucia Di Lammermoor (which incidentally is one of the best titles for anything, ever).
Ms. Netrebko is paired with her frequent stage partner, Rolando Villazón, who sings the role of Lucia's lover Edgardo, while Mariusz Kwiecien is her scheming brother Enrico, and bass Ildar Abdrazakov is the compassionate tutor, Raimondo.
Stay tuned to The Radio 2 Blog for full details about the opera a little later today. And please keep reading for the rest of the day's broadcast highlights:
With the Juno nominations being announced earlier this week (the annual music awards take place on March 29th this year) Radio 2 programmes are starting to play some of the nominated artists. First out of the gate is Radio 2 Drive (3 p.m.-6 p.m.) -- today Rich plays tracks from Juno nominees kd Lang, Dubmatix, Jeff Healey, Coldplay, and The Duhks, among others.
And this weekend Tonic (6 p.m.) gets some early Juno fever too, with Tim playing nominees -- no less than 16 Juno nods on Saturday's show, covering jazz, world, pop, R&B, roots, and contemporary. So to listen to some of the leaders of the pack tune in to either of these shows. And of course, as we get closer to the date Juno-music will no doubt be heard right across the schedule.
As for the rest of this broadcast day, please keep reading for details.
How low can they go? When it comes to a bass, whether voice or instrument, pretty low -- though perhaps not quite as low as the song of a black hole. Tempo (10 a.m. - 3 p.m.) sticks to the more obviously musical low sounds today, featuring some of the lowest of the low (notes). It's the latest installment in a regular Tempo Thursday feature, the "Tempo Top Five Favorites."
Each Thursday over lunch (for those of you who think of lunch as the traditional 12:00 to 1:00/12:30 to 1:30 NT) Julie counts down a new top five list of Tempo favorites. And invites you to weigh in -- via the Tempo hotline 1-877-222-8166 or blog. (If you make suggestions here I shall pass them along as well.)
Also on Tempo today -- the Mendelssohn birthday tribute continues with a performance of his famous Octet, and a selection of his Songs Without Words.
Please keep reading for the rest of the day's broadcast highlights:
In this day and age of information overload, you need a catchy title. Babes For Breasts qualifies nicely. And it's catchy to a good purpose. What Babes For Breasts is is a collective of women singer-songwriters who are "taking on the human side of breast cancer one song at a time."
Tonight you can hear music from their annual event/tour, held at the National Arts Centre this past October, and broadcast on Canada Live (8 p.m.). It features Ana Muira, Amanda Rheaume, Caridad Cruz, Natasha Alexandra, Q the Romantic Revolutionary. So you can hear folk and rock and Spanish ballads and piano-based pop music as well as spoken word. (That'd be 'Q the Romantic Revolutionary.')
The Canada Live team says the concert features the "spirit of collaboration -- and great music." So that's tonight, meanwhile, please keep reading for the rest of the day's broadcast highlights:
Neko Case is one of those singers who may make you stop in your tracks the first time you hear her to say "Who was that?" She is that commanding. (Or as one writer put it, she's "a siren.")
Today you can hear her with Rich Terfry on Radio 2 Drive (3 p.m.-6 p.m.), talking about her upcoming recording, Middle Cyclone, which has a rather striking cover, as she notes here in this wee excerpt from today's interview:
And for a little more about Neko Case, hop on back to this earlier post, which includes a good video about the making of Middle Cyclone.
Please keep reading for the rest of the day's broadcast highlights:
Now we are into the serious month of winter, the one that frequently is attached to the word "blues." But on Radio 2 February provides some very nice distractions, including a chance to win tickets to a Diana Krall concert. Between now and Feb. 15th if you tune into Radio 2 Morning (6 a.m.-10 a.m.) or Tonic (6 p.m.) and hear Diana Krall, just note the title of the song, the date and time you heard it, and e-mail krallconcert@cbc.ca to be entered into the draw.
Then there's celebrating the 200th anniversary of Mendelssohn's birth tomorrow on Tempo. And later in the month there will be special programming connected to love songs, February also being the month involving chocolate. (And love in human form too, of course.)
Stay tuned for more about the Diana Krall contest, and for now, please keep reading for the rest of the day's broadcast highlights:
Next! Canada's Music Future continues today, celebrating the next generation of Canadian musical talent. Sunday Afternoon In Concert (Sunday 1:00 p.m., 1:30 NT) features the Janaki String Trio, who have been together for about four years, founded by cellist Arnold Choi from Calgary, joining musical forces with violinist Serena McKinney and violist Katie Kadarauch at the Colburn School of Music in Los Angeles.
In short order they've distinguished themselves in recital, competition and festival appearances. (Proof, should you need it, is in recognition in the form of the 2006 Concert Artists Guild International Competition and a residency at the Banff Centre.) As for their intriguing name, that comes from the Sanskrit word "Janaki," symbolizing enlightenment and self realization.
Next! continues Sunday evening on Canada Live (8 p.m.), and features singer-songwriter Royal Wood, "neo-soul, folk, old-time blues and pop" from Justin Nozuka, a jazz and Persian musical fusion sung by Soleyman Vaseghi, and jazz singer Yvette Tollar.
Please keep reading for the rest of the day's broadcast highlights:
Opera fans, this is your first heads up about what's on Saturday Afternoon At The Opera (Saturday 1:00 p.m., 1:30 NT) today -- more to come later in the morning on The Radio 2 Blog.
For those new to the Saturday broadcasts from The Met, here's a bit of history that might interest you. Since 1940, the broadcasts have been heard in Canada, and in 1990 they expanded to include regular transmission to Europe. Today worldwide coverage has grown to include not only more than 30 European countries, but also South America, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, and China. Impressive, no?
Please keep reading for the rest of the day's broadcast highlights:
If you happened to read this post earlier you will note a change -- and that is because there is many a slip between cup and lip and some of the original information on this post was innacurate. The first concert you can hear tonight on Canada Live (8 p.m.) is indeed Pink Martini -- but recorded at the Calgary JAZZ Festival, not folk festival! Apologies to the hardworking Jazz Fest folks who put on an excellent festival which celebrates its 30th anniversary this year -- running from June 22 to 28, 2009.
Pink Martini have described their blend (which includes samba, French music hall and much more) as "an urban music travelogue," which is as good a description as any.
As it turns out tonight's features just two concerts, and the second show is the alt country band of renown, Calexico.
Please keep reading for the rest of the day's broadcast highlights:
Today really is the 29th of January, not like yesterday when I thought it was, until some kind Blog Reader informed me otherwise. But what is as true today as it was yesterday is that this afternoon on Radio 2 Drive (3 p.m.-6 p.m.) songwriters Danny Michel and John Southworth are in to talk about their collaboration with the Art Of Time Ensemble.
They've written music inspired by Erich Korngold'sSuite For Piano, Two Violins And Cello. Korngold, as you may know, is responsible for much early, great film soundtrack movie, from The Adventures Of Robin Hood (which won him an Oscar) to Of Human Bondage.
Earlier this winter the brilliant step-dancing Cape Breton fiddler of renown, Natalie MacMaster, performed two shows with Symphony Nova Scotia, as part of the orchestra's 25th anniversary celebrations. Tonight you can hear the CBC Radio 2 recording of one of those concerts, broadcast on Canada Live (8 p.m.).
That MacMaster is a great musician goes without saying. That she likes to cook and solicit recipes from fans may be news though -- among her collection, aside from the obvious (Fiddlehead recipes) she also includes such tasty items as Chocolate Chip Pizza,Celtic Cousins Cocktails and everyone's favourite, Bacon & Bean Sandwiches.
Or there's the music. Tonight at 8 on Canada Live.
Please keep reading for the rest of the day's broadcast highlights:
In case you didn't catch last night's Canada Live broadcast featuring the Daniel Lanois concert recorded at Massey Hall, this post's for you. It's somehow amazing to think that Daniel Lanois had never played Massey Hall until this past autumn, but it is so -- and the results: great vocals, guitar solos, drumming...great energy!
Or, as blog reader ToronTom put it, commenting on the last post, "I had the good fortune to see this show. Wow...he's a master...Despite Lanois' worldwide recognition as a master producer, he seldom gets recognized for his own material."
Lanois is joined by Jim Wilson on guitar, Marcus Blake on bass, and the mighty Brian Blade on drums. Together they perform some primo Lanois songs -- like The Maker and Jolie Louise.
One final bit of Lanois-listening to steer you towards -- not long ago he was a guest on Radio 2 Drive, chatting with host Rich Terfry and doing some playing in the intimacy of the radio studio -- to hear that head on over to Daniel Lanois On Drive.
Please keep reading for the rest of the day's broadcast highlights:
Every Friday Tom Allen cycles over to my house with the Blog Question Of The Week in a special envelope marked "Confidential." True, or urban legend?
Yes, it's urban legend time on Radio 2 Morning, as the Blog Question Of The Week resumes after a brief sabbatical. The question is simply: "know any good urban legends/tall tales?"
Like the one about old rotary telephones circling the sun? Or Apple's new keyboard-less laptop? Maybe you know one relating to music -- like the one about playing Gordon Lightfoot's Canadian Railroad Trilogy backwards and hearing "CN, CP, CN, CP". That sort of thing.
So send in your urban legends, good yarns, myths and tall tales -- and Tom will delight in reading them on Radio 2 Morning (6 a.m.-10 a.m.) all week.
Please keep reading for the rest of the day's broadcast highlights:
Good Sunday morning to you. Today Radio 2 features Next: Canada's Music Future , with part two of the ten week series. On Sunday Afternoon In Concert (Sunday 1:00 p.m., 1:30 NT) 21-year old Canadian pianist Avan Yu, who has already performed in recital and with orchestra on four continents, as well as holding the distinction of being the only pianist to win first prize in both the Junior and Senior Divisions of the Missouri Southern International Piano Competition. Today you can hear him performing Haydn, Ravel and Chopin.
And later in the day, on Canada Live (8 p.m.), Next! presents the contemporary country/rock/celtic-influenced music of three siblings called The Higgins; soulful singer songwriter Melissa Endean; indie band leader Debra-Jean Creelman, and Shane Koyczan and The Short Story Long -- spoken word accompanied by self-described "experimental acoustic folk."
Please keep reading for the rest of the day's broadcast highlights:
American mezzo soprano Stephanie Blythe has been getting raves for her role as Orfeo in today's Met revival of Gluck's 1762 masterpiece of that name. (The New York Times called her a "once-in-a-generation" performer!) You can hear the production today on Saturday Afternoon At The Opera (Saturday 1:00 p.m., 1:30 NT). It also stars lyric soprano Danielle de Niese as Orfeo's wife, Euridice. (The role was originally written for a castrato -- now it's frequently sung by mezzos.)
Following the Met performance, host Bill Richardson speaks with recording and sound restoration guru Ward Marston. Plus he has a preview of The Emperor Of Atlantis, a chamber opera written by Victor Ullman, soon to be produced by the City Opera Of Vancouver in conjunction with the Vancouver Holocaust Education centre.
More about today's opera a little later on The Radio 2 Blog; please keep reading for the rest of the day's broadcast highlights:
So which aspects of this week's inauguration did you pay most attention to - the speech? The bow on Aretha's hat? Michelle Obama's great suit... and...The Dress? Or maybe you fixated on the most important aspect of the historic event -- the music that was played at the balls. For those of us who bailed after the Stevie Wonder moment, Sasha Frere-Jones has the music rundown.
And today on Tempo (10 a.m. - 3 p.m.) Julie tips her hat to the inauguration, closing out the inauguration week with a classic American recording of a classic American piece, Gershwin's Rhapsody In Blue performed by Leonard Bernstein at the piano, with the Columbia Symphony Orchestra.
Please keep reading for the rest of the day's broadcast highlights:
It's a good week to have the blues. Maybe not literally, but musically. First there were the Maple Blues Awards, written about on the Radio 2 Blog here. And tonight on Canada Live (8 p.m.), you can hear one of the hottest tickets of the blues concert calendar year -- the Women's Blues Revue.
It's an annual event at Massey Hall that packs the place with blues fans -- and fans of blues related music since it's by no means a "purist" take on the music. The backing band (of all or mostly women) is always great, the energy in the hall ditto. This year's featured artists are Alana Bridgewater, Lily Frost, Little Miss Higgins, ShoShona Kish, Elizabeth Shepherd and Suzie Vinnick. Stay tuned to The Radio 2 Blog for more on these women of blues a little later today -- but for now, make a date for eight (o'clock).
Please keep reading for the rest of the day's broadcast highlights:
"She flung herself full-length on the stage, drummed with her feet and, taking the corner of a small Persian rug in her teeth, worried it [while] I sat rigid and appalled on the sofa, pressed back against the chintz cushions."
Heh. Alec Guinness once wrote that, in an anecdote about the actress, Edith Evans. Thankfully this is NOT the kind of drumming you can hear tonight on The Signal. (But it is quite the image, isn't it -- couldn't resist posting the quote!)
Tonight is all about drumming of a non-tantrum order when host Laurie Brown presents a percussion-themed concert from Montreal. First, it's Metal Jacket by composer Nicole Lizée, a work inspired by Downing and Tipton (of Judas Priest fame). It explores the raw, gritty side of two instruments usually heard in non-gritty/raw (although often passionate, it must be said) musical context -- tabla and harmonium.
You can also hear Tactus, by composer Polo Vallejo -- it's a work for one percussionist playing 6 congas. Now that's the kind of conga line you want on your radio.
Please keep reading for the rest of the day's broadcast highlights:
This is indeed a historic day: January 20th, 2009, the unveiling of the Top 49 pieces of music voted onto Obama's Playlist. Kidding aside, surely this must be one of the if not the most scrutinized inaugurations in U.S. history, both within and outside of their borders. As for that other matter -- Obama's Playlist -- you came and you voted: to the tune of 131,204 votes cast in total.
If you are reading this before 5 a.m. eastern, you may be starting to mutter, "C'mon, lady, what about the list?" (At least, I hope "lady" was the word you used.) Here's the deal -- at 5:00 a.m. eastern the 49 pieces of music will be published on the website, so stay tuned.
Please keep reading for the rest of the day's broadcast highlights:
Stars on Drive! No, not a song title, or the name of a road in some Californian burg, but the critically acclaimed Montreal darlings, Stars. Band members can be heard in conversation with host Rich Terfry on Radio 2 Drive (3 p.m.-6 p.m.) this afternoon.
How critically acclaimed are they? Well, Pitchfork loves to write about them, which will tell you something if you know that the word Pitchfork (when not designating a farm implement) is most commonly paired with the word "tastemaker."
Today on Drive Stars play a few sweet tunes, and tell tall tales of the wondrous city of Montreal. Here's a little "teaser" of what you can hear in full this afternoon.
Please keep reading for the rest of the day's broadcast highlights:
A new series launches today on Sunday Afternoon In Concert (Sunday 1:00 p.m., 1:30 NT) and on Canada Live (8 p.m.). It's called Next! Canada's Music Future, and it's a 10-part series running on Sundays on Radio 2 and celebrating talented young musicians across Canada.
Sunday Afternoon In Concert will be presenting concerts from Vancouver to St. John's with an impressive array of young classical music talent. The series kicks off with Andrew Wan, who, at 23, has just been named concert master of the Montreal Symphony Orchestra! And in the final hour of the programme, Wan along with pianist Sarah Ho will be heard in recital from Edmonton performing works by Schubert, Brahms and Oscar Morawetz. (Plus you can hear him with the Newfoundland Symphony Orchestra performing Khatchaturian's Violin Concerto.)
Canada Live (8 p.m.) begins their part of the ten week series with country-roots music from Ladies Of The Canyon, jazz from drummer Karl Schwonik, a melange of Brazilian/Mexican and jazz sounds from Anna B, and originals from singer/songwriter Miss Emily Brown.
Note: Podcasts of the Sunday Afternoon In Concert performances, including behind-the-scene conversations with the performers, will be available beginning Monday, January 19th, at Radio 2's Podcasts.
Pulitzer Prize-winning composer John Adams' Doctor Atomic comes to you from the Met today on Saturday Afternoon At The Opera (Saturday 1:00 p.m., 1:30 NT). It's been largely lauded since it premiered four years ago, and this production stars Gerald Finley as J. Robert Oppenheimer.
SATO provides a nice succinct précis: 'The story is set in July 1945, when the war is in its final, terrible phase. Germany has surrendered but Japan will fight to the bitter end, costing possibly a half million casualties. And in the New Mexico desert a group of young physicists, hand-picked and led by the brilliant, complex J. Robert Oppenheimer have labored furiously in a race against Hitler to develop the world's first atomic bomb. The opera captures the hours before the test explosion, when they are confronted with the moral crisis of its inevitable use on Japanese citizens.'
Note: The opera is sung in English to Peter Sellars' libretto, and is also being seen today in the Met's HD series -- and will be broadcast on CBC's Bold (date tba).
Please keep reading for the rest of the day's broadcast highlights:
Last chance to vote on Obama's Playlist! At 8 p.m. eastern standard time tonight, voting will come to an end. And the final 49 will be unveiled on inauguration day, Jan 20, 2009, both on the website and on air throughout the day. It'll be interesting finding out how many votes came in -- as of midweek this week there were over 60,000 votes, and no doubt it's jumped significantly since then.
Today in the wrap for the Radio 2 Morning (6 a.m.-10 a.m.) portion of the voting, you can hear two very special guests with Tom, starting with Megan Follows in hour 2 of the show. And the guest in hour 3 dropped by the studio already to record a chat with Tom -- as is evidenced in the photo accompanying this post -- yup, that's Peter Mansbridge. Shan't spoil the surprise of what their favourites are though -- for that you will have to tune in. Tom's conversations with the guests on air during the past couple of weeks have been a pleasure -- from Guido Basso to Jack Layton to Ann-Marie MacDonald -- and it'll be fun hearing him chatting with both Megan Follows and Peter Mansbridge today.
Please keep reading for the rest of the day's broadcast highlights:
Book of Angels is the title of around three hundred pieces of music composed in around three months by saxophonist John Zorn. Each is named after a spiritual entity from Jewish or Kabbal tradition -- and for some years now Zorn has been commissioning performances of the pieces -- which is why you will find so many interesting interpretations of the work.
Tonight on The Signal (10 p.m.) host Laurie Brown presents music from Volume 11 of the Book Of Angels, with performance by the great Medeski Martin & Wood. The Signalites describe the music as "a heady mix of exotic lounge jazz and gnashing avant-garde mayhem." Irresistible.
"He [Zorn] is an artist of speed-completion. It is no surprise that many pieces sound similar or divide neatly into types. There is the elegiac Masada piece, restful and droning. There is the type with a kind of swing, a folk dance feeling, a clear melody. And there is the fragmented piece, calling on fast reflexes, cueing from the composer, and the comedy of sound and body."
Please keep reading for the rest of the day's broadcast highlights:
Ah, a Wednesday in mid-January. Well, this too shall pass. And in the meantime, there is music to look forward to -- including this evening's Canada Live (8 p.m.) broadcast, which features three concerts from the Vancouver Island Music Festival, starting with Victoria's Marc Atkinson Trio, who "play everything from Gypsy Swing to Russian rags."
In the middle, a concert from Cassius Khan. Kahn does something quite unusual in Indian music -- he plays the tabla and sings Ghazals simultaneously. (Actually rather difficult without seeing it to even imagine -- the complicated rhythms on the tabla and the equally complicated flowing lines of the typical ghazal.)
And third up, some traditional Appalachian fiddle and banjo music from the Dirk Powell Band. Powell is sometimes called the "Renaissance Mountain Man," no doubt due to the fact that although he learned Appalachian music from his grandfather, he also plays classical music (the harpsichord) and is on any number of movie soundtracks, including Cold Mountain and Spike Lee's Bamboozled. But back to this concert. The Can Live team recording the show says that it "entranced the crowd with a spirit and energy that rang out from the banks of the Tsolum River to snow topped Mount Washington!"
Please keep reading for the rest of the day's broadcast highlights:
Good morning, Radio 2 Blog Readers. It's Tuesday, January 13th, and you know what that means. Yes, today is the day the frisbee was invented. (A company called Wham-O began production on this day in 1957 of a Frisbee predecessor called Pluto Platters. Here's where you can read all about that.) But far more important, it's also the day commonly reported as the day the accordion was patented, in 1854. Although it should be noted that Let's Polka takes great pains to disputes that claim.
One thing that is indisputable, is that today is the second of five days of voting for the music you would like to see end up on Obama's Playlist -- you have until Friday. So vote early, vote often. (Actually, you can vote once a day.) And fyi -- you can also hear excerpts of all 100 pieces of music that are on the short list at Obama's Playlist.
Please keep reading for the rest of the day's broadcast highlights:
The Top 100 has been revealed! You can see it now on the Obama's Playlist website.
Over the weekend CBC's expert host panel, Jim Corcoran, Tim Tamashiro, Julie Nesrallah and Tom Allen weighed and sifted and mulled and -- who knows -- laughed cried and all the rest of it, to whittle down the long list of literally thousands of your nominations to come up with the short list of 100 pieces of music that would "best define Canada" to President-Elect Barack Obama.
Though actually there were some underlying guiding principles that probably kept the crying to a minimum: the final decisions were based on the number of times a selection was nominated, the strength of the case made by the letters/emails/voicemails that accompanied the nominations, and then added to that, the musical expertise of the panelists.
Today the voting begins online at the Obama's Playlist website, and ends Friday, January 16 at 11pm eastern.
That means it's now entirely up to you! It's been entertaining reading your thoughts thus far about nominated music. (You can read many of the responses here, just scroll down through the posts.) From arguing over the provenance of the theme to The Friendly Giant, to debating the merits of this or that Bruce Cockburn song, to considering what impact specific pieces of music might have on Obama's no doubt stressful new role (all in good fun) it's been a treat. Here's to the debate over the 100!
Please keep reading for the rest of the day's broadcast highlights:
Under the Julian calendar, Ukranians celebrate New Year's eve this week, and today on Sunday Afternoon In Concert (Sunday 1:00 p.m., 1:30 NT) the show features three concerts with Ukrainian and Russian connections. Siberian born baritone Dmitri Hvorostovsky his heard with the Moscow Chamber Orchestra in concert from Quebec City, including music by Bortnyansky and Tchaikovsky.
The Ottawa Chamber Music Festival celebrates Ukraine with music by the 19th-century composer Mykola Lysenko as well as Valentin Silvestrov and Yevhen Stankovych. Soprano Monica Whicher and pianist Hinrich Alpers are featured, and host Bill Richardson speaks to baritone Pavlo Hunka about an ongoing project to uncover more musical treasures from Ukraine.
And finally, the Vancouver Recital Society presents Russian–born, British–trained violinist Alina Ibragimova, who is making waves as a "BBC New Generation Artist." She's joined by French pianist Cedric Tiberghien, who divides his time between a solo career and performing chamber music, and together they perform works of Karol Szymanowski (who was born in the part of Poland that lies in present day Ukraine).
Please keep reading for the rest of the day's broadcast highlights:
Today on Saturday Afternoon At The Opera (Saturday 1:00 p.m., 1:30 NT) you can hear Giacomo Puccini's lesser-known opera (sometimes called his "unloved stepchild,") La Rondine, "The Swallow." The broadcast is (as you opera lovers well know) part of the Met season -- but last performed there in 1936!
La Rondine was intended as an operetta, with light waltzes and much lightness in general, as befits the format. Specifically it was designed for a Viennese audience familiar with the frothier works from Strauss and Lehar. But its score has much to satisfy -- in one review of a New York City Opera production some years back the NYTimes said: "This is Puccini at its light-footed and lyric best, with music that prods its characters into motion but does not mind pausing for the occasional set piece."
Today's production stars soprano Angela Gheorghiu and tenor Roberto Alagna -- for more details re: cast and characters stay tuned to The Radio 2 Blog.
Please keep reading for the rest of the day's broadcast highlights:
There are some voices that get under your skin, and John K Samson of The Weakerthans happens to be one -- at least for the Radio 2 Blogger. But the singer songwriter has more arrows to his vocal quiver (now there's a stretch, well it's Friday) as you can hear all weekend as he guest hosts The Signal (10 p.m.). On tonight's edition of the show he presents a concert by thumb piano innovator Laura Barrett, as well as featuring music from Jason Zumpano, Veda Hille and Sun City Girls.
You may know Samson's voice on the radio already if you are a fan of Canada Reads -- he's been on the panel twice (and twice picked the winner). If you're familiar with The Weakerthans lyrics it will come as no surprise to you that Samson is of a literary turn of mind -- given they're quite poetic. But you might not know that he's also been involved in the other end of the writing world -- publishing, with Arbeiter Ring , referred to by the Winnipeg Free Press as having "left wing politics with a rock-n-roll attitude." (Well, we know where the attitude comes from!) John K sits in for Pat Carrabré all weekend long.
And note: Obama's Playlist long list nominations are in the countdown phase -- they must be in by 8 pm today. The long list of 100 selections will be revealed on Monday, January 12th, and that's when the voting for the final "49" will also commence.
It's a bluesy evening tonight on Canada Live (8 p.m.), with music coming from Ottawa's Bluesfest. Although the headliner, hometown girl Kathleen Edwards, doesn't sing the blues, there can be a plaintive quality to some of her music, (as well as an aggressive, spunky and funny quality) -- and certainly a sense of the emotions that the blues can evoke.
Most recently Edwards has been in the news for her Christmas Eve appearance in Kandahar. She reportedly told the troops "I'm very honoured to have been asked to come here. I've had a most incredible time." It would be nice to be able to report something from Ms. Edwards' blog about that evening, but it looks as though she has been too busy touring since late November to update. (However, she does have many other, previous and rather entertaining entries -- she's an original.)
Such a pleasure hearing everything from Oscar Peterson to James Ehnes to Joni Mitchell to Cowboys Fringants yesterday as part of the ongoing Obama's Playlist enterprise -- all pieces selected by Radio 2 listeners. Nominations are welcome all week, so keep 'em coming. To see the music nominated so far, have a look at Obama's Playlist, bearing in mind the list is still very much in progress and will continue to grow.
Now to a programming note related to this evening -- tonight The Signal begins a new series, from the 2008 MusiMARS festival in Montreal. Each Wednesday night for the next two months the show will feature some music from the McGill U. contemporary music festival.
Tonight it's what The Signalites describe as "a journey in musical connectivity," with a piece called La Mémoire équivoque, in English "The Equivocal Memory." (We all have them. If memory serves.) For this work the composer, Jean Lesage, took a leaf out of the book of composers of the Baroque era: he takes each musical element and contrasts it with its opposite. To hear this piece, tune into The Signal (10 p.m.) this evening.
While the suggestions for Canadian music that would give President-Elect Obama a sense of the musical culture of Canada continue to fly in, (see the Obama's Playlist website for full details), there is of course other programming ongoing as well, including several concerts this evening on Canada Live (8 p.m.) you may want to make note of.
The first is from the fine South African-Canadian Lorraine Klaasen, who performs a mix of traditional Township and original songs, sung Zulu and Sotho with some French and English thrown in. And you can also hear a concert date from legendary Brazilian guitarist Egberto Gismonti -- with the chamber orchestra I Musici de Montreal, performing a Gismonti original, and including a special commissioned piece. And the third is from jazz and pop singer (she of many languages), Carol Welsman.
For the full broadcast day listings, please continue reading.
January 5th heralds a slide into the "real" working week for many, possibly just another manic Monday for others. But for every Radio 2 listener it also heralds the official "inauguration" of 49 Songs From North Of The 49th Parallel, Canada's musical wish list for President-Elect Barack Obama. It's a musical response to his upcoming inauguration.
More about this a little later today on the Radio 2 Blog -- but for now here's the skinny. Today you can start officially nominating Canadian songs you think best define Canada to (almost) President Barack Obama, via the 49 Songs From North Of The 49th Parallel site.
Then next Monday, January 12, the entries will be tallied for a shortlist of 100 pieces of music. After that, the voting begins, and the final selections will be revealed on that other inauguration day, January 20th.
Usually on Sundays the "Today On Radio 2" post begins with a lowdown on Sunday Afternoon In Concert. Its four hours encompass such a lot of fine music, and today is no exception, with the performance of a new violin concerto by Saskatchewan composer David McIntyre for Regina Symphony Orchestra concertmaster Eduard Minevich -- in honour of the RSO's 100th anniversary.
But Mr. Minevich, a fine violinist, provides a handy segue to another broadcast of note -- a special documentary about four violinists airing today on Inside The Music (Sunday Edition 12:00 p.m., 12:30 NT). It's called "The Soul Of The Fiddle," and it features Yehudi Menuhin, Stéphane Grappelli, Jean Luc Ponty and the late Canadian fiddler, Oliver Schroer.
Please have a look at Journey Into The Soul Of The Fiddle for more information about the documentary...and for all the day's highlights, continue reading.
In 1900 the Met staged La Bohème for the first time - 108 years and more than 1,200 performances later it's still amazingly popular. Today Saturday Afternoon At The Opera (Saturday 1:00 p.m., 1:30 NT) broadcasts the opera, starring Maija Kovalevska as Mimi and lyric tenor Ramón Vargas as Rudolfo.
For those who are new to the opera here's the story. It's a wintery tale that takes place on a cold Christmas Eve when a seamstress named Mimi visits a neighbour (the poet Rudolfo) looking for a match to light a candle. A match of another kind ensues (egad, what corniness, sorry). But it's the hothouse world (and cold garret reality) of Boho Paris, so the course of love runs not smoothly.
Stay tuned to The Radio 2 Blog for more details about the opera Saturday morning, and please keep reading for the rest of the day's broadcast highlights:
Had to really think about that date, but yes, it is still 2009 today, just like it was yesterday. And today on Radio 2 one of the highlights is a concert broadcast on Canada Live (8 p.m.) with Sarah McLachlan, a solo performance at the piano (and guitar), recorded as part of B.C.'s 150th birthday celebrations. (And also available online at Concerts On Demand.)
The grand finale, in Victoria, was a free ten-hour concert, attended by over 100,000 people. Among them, blogger Duane Storey who said of the Ms. McLachlan's performance that she was "the big surprise.":
"I had never seen her live before, and was absolutely astounded by her voice and how personable her stage presence was. She hit the stage with nothing more than a grand piano and a guitar, and played six or seven songs. The crowd was pretty much in awe, and so was I. I sort of wished she would have kept playing all night, as it was really quite amazing."
And it is that "quite amazing" concert you can hear this evening.
Please keep reading for the rest of the day's broadcast highlights:
It has to be said: Happy New Year! Actually, I suppose it doesn't have to be said, but it seems churlish to say have a "So-So New Year!" or even have a "Better Than Last Year New Year!" So we'll happily settle for "happy."
On this first day of 2009 I'd like to start with a quick thanks to my colleague Philly Markowitz for doing such a great job over the past week whilst I was busy with important matters such as eating too much candy. Philly braved extremely trying winter conditions where she had to shovel out her internet service provider on a daily basis, all to keep the Blog fires burning. Thanks also to Mr. Peter Cook for his fine year-end Tech Qs column yesterday -- it is a wonderful resource he provides Radio 2 Blog readers on a regular basis.
As for today, there is much fine music to accompany you on this first day of the new year. For example, on Tempo you can hear the music listeners said they'd pack in their suitcases -- were they going into outer space -- Julie's nod to the International Year of Astronomy, now upon us. (Would you pack a suitcase though? Probably not, more likely it'd be called something like a "SuitPod," and it wouldn't roll on little wheels.) Anyway, you can hear your suggestions for "space music" in the second hour of Tempo (10 a.m. - 3 p.m.) today.
Finally, a note for those looking ahead to this evening -- two fine concerts on Canada Live (8 p.m.): Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings followed by Ellington Songbook Cabaret, featuring John Alcorn, Don Francks and the great Jackie Richardson, backed by Andrew Craig and what the Can. Live folks describe as "a killer band."
Please keep reading for the rest of the day's broadcast highlights:
Posted by Philly Markowitz on Dec-31-08 at 03:00 AM
It's New Year's Eve! To celebrate the end of an often surprising and tumultuous year, Canada Live offers some joyous music this evening - music to lift your spirits as you cast your thoughts back at 2008 and forward to 2009. Before the countdown, before the bubbly, and before the singing of Auld Lang Syne, tune in to hear the incendiary Quebecois folk quartet Le Vent du Nord recorded this summer at the Festival Mémoire et Racines.
Among their many awards and accolades, Le Vent du Nord were awarded CFMAs for Traditional Album of the Year and Ensemble of the Year in 2008. Their disc Dans Les Airs made the top 10 on the recent PopMatters World Music best-of list.
The quartet is built around the magical pairing of Nicolas Boulerice on vielle-a-roue (a far lovelier name than "hurdy-gurdy", don't you think?) and Olivier Demers on fiddle. With accompaniment from guitar, accordion, foot-stomping and glorious, swirling vocal harmonies, this is as virtuosic - and as fun - as folk music gets anywhere in the world.
More details about tonight's Canada Live concerts (yes, there's another great concert, as well) and the rest of today's schedule highlights follow below.
Posted by Philly Markowitz on Dec-30-08 at 03:00 AM
When I program music, I like to play a little game with song titles, imagining the stories that could be told simply by putting one song after another. Here are a few back-to-back song titles that caught my eye from this afternoon's Drive playlist: Hard Line followed by Gone, Gone, Gone; Long Haul Driver followed by Go Places; and Fool In Love followed by Down Upon My Knees. Intrigued? Tune in this afternoon for the whole story.
While we're talking about Drive, I'd like to point your attention to a recent blog post from the folks at Take Off, Eh! praising Rich Terfry and his show. The authors say that Rich "pulls off what in other hands would almost certainly descend into navel gazing hipster cliquedom as its worst, and makes it all sound as commonplace and natural as the prairie dog...what holds all the music together is Terfry himself, who is one the most under-rated poetic talents in Canada..."
Now here's a look at what else you can hear today on Radio 2...
Posted by Philly Markowitz on Dec-29-08 at 03:00 AM
Today, CBC Radio 2 is proud to unveil an exciting new challenge - it's your chance to choose 49 songs from north of the 49th parallel - songs that you think would best represent Canada to President-Elect Barack Obama on his inauguration day. The challenge officially begins on January 5th - that gives you a week to start thinking about what Canadian songs you'd like the music-loving president to hear.
More details about the upcoming feature will follow in my next post, but first, here's a look at today's programming highlights.
Radio 2 Morning (6 a.m.) Tom offers us music from Pacifika, Holly Cole and Duffy; Bruce Cockburn's Coldest Night of the Year and a track from Molly Johnson's new CD called Lucky, plus Ben Taylor (son of James Taylor and Carly Simon) singing with Viktor Krauss: When She's Dancing.
Posted by Philly Markowitz on Dec-28-08 at 03:01 AM
Ah, we’ve come to that day that rests exactly midway between the two big seasonal blowouts of Christmas and New Year’s Eve. One could retreat and relax for a while, I suppose, but that’s not the plan for today on Radio 2 - in fact, today you might just want to polish up your dancing shoes (not to mention your living room floor).
This morning In the Key of Charles celebrates the music of midnight, the perfect time for a moonlit dance. Inside the Music explores Vancouver’s legendary Commodore Ballroom with stories of the greats who have graced the stage and the happy audiences who have danced the nights away on it’s famous horsehair under-pad sprung floor.
For the real dance workout, though, today on SAIC Bill Richardson offers us 3 concerts featuring that most elegant of dances, the waltz. The music of Strauss, Lehar, Brahms (and then more Strauss) fills the bill for a pre-New Year's Eve celebration. We’ll hear soprano Marianne Fiset with the VSO, the incendiary Marc-André Hamelin with the OSM and the St. Lawrence Quartet recorded in Calgary.
Details about all these shows and more follow below.
Posted by Philly Markowitz on Dec-27-08 at 03:00 AM
Papa-papa-papa-papa-geno, Papa-GE-NA, Papa-GE-NO! Without a doubt, it's one of the most recognizable and playful duets in the operatic repertoire. Today on SATO, you'll hear that duet in a special family-friendly holiday production of Mozart's operatic fairy tale The Magic Flute. It's an abridged one-act English-language version produced for The Met by multiple Tony and Emmy Award winning director and Oscar nominee Julie Taymor (she of Broadway's The Lion King and the Beatles-music film extravaganza Across the Universe). Her visually striking and spellbinding production is a smash hit for The Met this holiday season. Following the opera, there will be a discussion about meeting the demand for new operatic works for children with guests Dean Burry and Veda Hille, both of whom have recently created new works for children and teens.
More details about today's opera to come in the next post - for now, let's have a look at some more programming highlights for this last Saturday of the year.
Posted by Philly Markowitz on Dec-26-08 at 03:00 AM
Boxing Day sees the Radio 2 schedule return to normal. For most of us, this is a day to kick back, relax and enjoy the musical company on R2 in leisurely style. For a look at what's coming your way today, please continue reading:
Posted by Philly Markowitz on Dec-25-08 at 03:00 AM
Christmas Day is here, and our gift to you is a full day of special programming to celebrate the day and the season. If you, like me, grew up with the sounds of CBC Radio 2 in your home on Christmas Day, you know that there is an exceptional day of music ahead. I’ve already started warming up my voice so I can sing along with Handel’s Messiah later this afternoon. Halleluiah indeed!
Perhaps your home is blessed with young children; children who slept fitfully through sugarplum dreams in the hopes of hearing hooves on the roof last night. If they’ve awoken all too early this morning, you’ll be pleased that CBC Radio 2 is already offering Christmas music for your bleary-eyed first coffee and pad-down-the-hall-to-the-tree. Host Nora Young is presenting 5 hours of seasonal favourites this morning on Yule Night. The show started at 1a.m. / 1:30NL, and continues with a rich selection of music until 6:00 / 6:30 NL. And so it begins!
'Twas the morn' before Christmas, and all through the house, not a creature was stirring, except a computer keyboard. Wait a minute, that hardly seems sugar plum-ish and snow covered vista-ish. But it is the workday reality, not to mention that around here the beautiful snow is turning to rain, ice, rain, which is just all wrong.
But for those who wish to celebrate a traditional and beautiful snowy Christmas Eve you can do so in the realm of music and imagination at least, via Radio 2's holiday programming. It begins tonight at 6 p.m., and includes Gregory Charles' special Christmas Eve show, A Quebec Christmas featuring many choirs, Alleluia! A Joyful Sound (a bilingual musical celebration from Saskatchewan), and a Newfoundland house party called The Once Upon A Christmas. For more details including what you can hear tomorrow, Christmas Day, see the Holiday Schedule.
Please keep reading for the rest of the day's broadcast highlights:
It's somehow startling that a year to the day has already gone by since Oscar Peterson passed away, the shock of it still lingers. "I owe him everything, he's irreplaceable," said Herbie Hancock. "Your beautiful character and music will never die," said his young daughter, Celine Peterson.
So many musicians do owe O.P. a massive debt of gratitude, and musicians like Winnipeg pianist and band leader Ron Paley are acknowledging that and keeping his memory and music alive, with concerts like the one you can hear tonight on Canada Live (8 p.m.) -- the Ron Paley Trio'sA Tribute To Oscar Peterson.
Paley has assembled a trio consisting of two former members of Oscar Peterson's group: bassist Dave Young and drummer Terry Clarke. He's also joined by soprano Valdine Anderson and the Winnipeg Singers for the concert's finale.
And on a related note, today Katie Malloch remembers Mr. Peterson on Tonic (6 p.m.) as well.
Please keep reading for the rest of the day's broadcast highlights:
Straw hats and old dirty hankies, moppin' a face like a... whoops, sorry, just some exuberance of a Monday morning, in honour of one of Tom's guests on Radio 2 Morning (6 a.m.-10 a.m.), none other than Murray McLauchlan, who is also joined by the great guitarist and songwriter, Stephen Fearing.
They dropped by the studio to play some music, and chat with Tom about a project they're taking part in called the Canadian Songbook. You can hear Messrs. McLauchlan and Fearing in the third hour of the programme. (Note: The Blog Question Of The Week is taking a holiday, but will resume in the new year.)
Please keep reading for the rest of the day's broadcast highlights:
The big story today on Radio 2 today is the European Broadcast Union's Joy To The World, a twelve year tradition of Christmas music. This edition of the annual broadcast features fourteen concerts coming from Europe, the U.S. and Canada, starting at 6 a.m. and concluding at 6 p.m.
Canada presents the final concert of the event, with Les Violons Du Roy with La Chapelle de Québec. Early birds, you can see the playlist right here. Later day birds, stay tune to The Radio 2 Blog for more a little later (but not much later!) this morning.
Please keep reading for the rest of the day's (actually it will be the evening's by that time) broadcast highlights:
Today's opera broadcast from the Met, heard on Saturday Afternoon At The Opera, has an early start time today, (12:00/1:00 AT, 1:30 NT) pre-empting Inside The Music Saturday Edition. The production is of Jules Massenet's Thaïs, composed in 1895 and last produced at the Met around thirty years ago.
Thaïs has been called one of Massenet's "lesser known gems," and like his better known operas, Manon and Werther, it too is on the happy theme of doomed, obsessive love. (Only it explores this theme in early Christian Egypt, where decadent pagans and austere monks live side by side.)
Starring in today's production is the fabulous soprano Renée Fleming, and the (also fabulous) Canadian tenor Michael Schade, as well as (the ditto) baritone Thomas Hampson. More about the opera coming up on the Radio 2 Blog, for now, here are the rest of the day's broadcast highlights.
All week long and continuing into next week there are many "seasonal" music broadcasts on Radio 2 -- from country to classical. "Seasonal" in quotes because while of course some of it is Christmas related, not all of it is, as befits the population of this country.
One broadcast today that is in the Christmas category can be heard on Tempo (10 a.m. - 3 p.m.): Benjamin Britten's A Ceremony Of Carols. It's a beautiful work which is celebratory and intense (with some nice crunchy intervals as choral singers know well). The story of its creation is an interesting one too -- as you'll see if you click on that last link.
For the special holiday programming on December 24th and 25th, please see the Holiday Schedule. And for the rest of today's highlights, please continue reading.
The blog question of the week has been ""What music puts you in the Holiday spirit (and why)?", as you will know if you have been listening to Radio 2 Morning (6 a.m.-10 a.m.), or following the conversation (ongoing here and here).
One piece of music that conjures the holiday spirit for some is being played today on Tempo (10 a.m. - 3 p.m.), Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker Suite. (Speaking of, did you hear that the top two So You Think You Can Dance Canada contestants were in the National Ballet production of Nutcracker? Very exciting. For some of us. They played cannon dolls, challenging roles which have previously been assumed by Margaret Atwood and Steven Page, among other famed Canadians.)
Good morning, website travelers. Radio travelers too, or perhaps you are both. Today's journey on Radio 2 (sappy, sorry, but it did seem to segue easily enough) will include a visit from Lily Frost -- she of the ohrwurm Enchantment, among others. Today you can hear in conversation and in music on Radio 2 Drive (3 p.m.-6 p.m.)
The music part of that is a Christmas song, and some music from a new recording in the works. The talk part? Here's a taste of both -- just click on play.
So that's Lily Frost later today, for now, please keep reading for the rest of the day's broadcast highlights:
Forget ye not that all week Tom Allen (and the Radio 2 Blog) ask "What music puts you in the Holiday spirit (and why)?" For one person, it's Emmylou Harris doing the Coventry Carol, another it's L'Enfance Du Christ by Berlioz, someone else suggested Phil Spector's Christmas Album and more than one of us mentioned The Pogues Fairy Tale Of New York. (OK, I was one of the two, but still.)
To see all suggestions to date, and to contribute your own, just click here and/or here.)
Please keep reading for the rest of the day's broadcast highlights:
"What music puts you in the Holiday spirit (and why)?" -- that's the blog question of the week!(Courtesy of Tom Allen at Radio 2 Morning.)
Maybe it's Erran Baron Cohen's version of The Dreidel Song, on perpetual loop. Maybe it's The Vandals Oi To The World, or The Pogues Fairytale Of New York . (A personal favourite of mine, as well as whoever it is that chooses the music for Christmas scenes in Coronation Street.) Or maybe it's the bliss of not hearing music related to any holiday at all.
But regardless of whether or not you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Festivus for the Restofus, International-Eat-Lots-Of-Cookie-Dough-Day, Tom wants to know: "What music puts you in the Holiday spirit?"
He'll be reading your responses all week on Radio 2 Morning, so send 'em in, via commenting on the blog. (Note, if you discover you have to sign in to comment, fear not -- it takes literally under a minute!)
Please keep reading for the rest of the day's broadcast highlights:
Before we get to the particulars of what is on today's edition of Sunday Afternoon In Concert (Sunday 1:00 p.m., 1:30 NT), first let's get to the silly stuff. This week, it's the Christmas edition of the show's contest. To enter the draw, you merely have to identify any of the tunes in the video in the previous blog post. To enter, simply click on that link, listen, then email saic@cbc.ca
Now next Sunday, December 21,Sunday Afternoon in Concert will be pre-empted by the annual broadcast of Joy To The World, from the European Broadcasting Union. So this week Bill and accomplices (accompli?) bring out a few early Christmas presents:
From Ottawa, violinist Pinchas Zukerman, cellist Amanda Forsyth and the Tokyo String Quartet get together to share the gift of music; The Gryphon Trio unwraps a brand new work by Heather Schmidt; and the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra invites pianist Stewart Goodyear and conductor Mathias Bamert into its home to perform some Mozart and Rossini.
Host Bill Richardson also features double bass player Zdzislaw Prochownik -- need a bass bow made? He's been a double bass bow maker since 1983.
Please keep reading for the rest of the day's broadcast highlights:
Today on SATO, from the Metropolitan Opera, Canada's Ben Heppner stars in Tchaikovsky's opera The Queen Of Spades, in the role of Ghermann.
He's a handsome but poor young officer in the time honoured tradition of handsome but poor young officers. Unhappy with his standing in life he does what so many in that position have done and continue to do, he gambles. (Only in those days they didn't have VLTs, so it was the gaming tables.) Anyway, the rest of the gist of the story is of course romance -- he also hopes to win the heart of a secret love, Lisa.
Lisa's grandmother, The Countess, knows a secret that will make his pitch of woo a success, for in her youth she was known as the Queen of Spades (aka "Pique Dame"). So the question (for those who don't know how it turns out) is this:
Can Ghermann gain the secret, and convince Lisa to walk away from her fiancé Prince Yeletsky? Tune in today to find out -- and do note the early start time, pre-empting Inside The Music: 12pm in most of the country, 1 AT, 1:30 NT.
Please keep reading for the rest of the day's broadcast highlights:
For lovers of choral music 'tis the season, more choirs singing in community halls and churches and markets than you can shake a stick at. Though why you would want to shake a stick at a choir is another question. Mind you, if ever you've heard a really bad choir singing Handel's Messiah you might have the answer.
But today on Tempo (10 a.m. - 3 p.m.) this is not the case. No, a really good version of the work will be excerpted, performed by Scotland's Dunedin Consort. They're a young ensemble who have recorded a Messiah the Tempo team calls "fresh, virtuosic, and joyful."
And in another note, before getting to the rest of today's highlights, if you are a fan of Lily Frost's, do mark your calendars, she will be appearing next Wednesday Dec. 17th on Radio 2 Drive (3 p.m.-6 p.m.), not Monday as advertised elsewhere. (Insert note of chagrin here.)
And do keep reading for the rest of the day's broadcast highlights:
On December 3rd of this year the world lost one of the most influential folk singers ever -- Odetta. (If you missed the original post about Odetta on the blog, you can read it here.) Tonight Canada Live (8 p.m.) presents the last recorded performance Odetta ever did, recorded by Radio 2 at this summer’s Ottawa Folk Festival.
There's been some interesting writing about Odetta since she passed away, including this feature in the Baltimore Sun, Odetta's Voice Rumbled Deep In Our Souls, and The Nation, Listening To Odetta. As for the music, if you can't make a date with your radio, you can also hear Odetta's concert online, at Concerts On Demand.
Please keep reading for the rest of the day's broadcast highlights:
People across the country are addicted to Great Big Sea. Don't believe me? Just start reading the forum on their website. Mothers leave the kids at home with Dad and drive from city to city to hear the band. Grandparents exclaim about how great it is their grandkids were given guitar picks at the show. People take their seven-year-old kids to the show, their seven-year-old kids come home wanting to play in a band.
Today you can get a hint as to why, when two of the band members join Rich Terfry on Radio 2 Drive (3 p.m.-6 p.m.) But if the fandom isn't enough endorsement for you -- here's a clip to whet your appetite.
For a little more about the band (and a video) click here -- and please keep reading for the rest of the day's broadcast highlights:
Today it is Tuesday, in case there was any confusion over that. And in Radio 2 land that means the weekly release of the Canada Live Podcast. (After clicking on that link, just scroll down.) This week you can hear two concerts that feature two very different takes on country-influenced music.
First, Montreal's Ladies of the Canyon, who describe their music as "polymorphic, true and passionate..." (And of course the name should give you a hint as to one influence.)
And second in the pod is Vancouver's Steve Dawson, a pedal steel player whose latest recording, Telescope, is an all-instrumental recording created to showcase that instrument, which he plays in some pretty a-traditional ways.
Please keep reading for the rest of the day's broadcast highlights:
"What would you choose to PROROGUE?" -- that's the blog question of the week! (Courtesy of Tom Allen at Radio 2 Morning.)
Not so long ago some of us would have been scratching our heads at that word, thinking: "Um, positive-towards-men-who-behave-badly?" Or "Pro-logue? Storytelling on the hill?" "Or even: "P(r)erogies?" (With or without sour cream? No, wait, that's another blog question.)
But prorogue, a word that now trips off all our tongues, can also be used in a non-parliamentary context. In fact I'm doing it right now, I'm PROROGUE-ING by not getting to the point. But here it is:
What you would put off today that you could do tomorrow? Cleaning beneath the car seats? Alphabetizing your CDs? Talking to your boss about that issue, you know, the one you haven't had the nerve to bring up for the past three years?
What would you prorogue? Tom will be sifting through all the many things people would rather put off than do, and sharing them on air all week on Radio 2 Morning (6 a.m.-10 a.m.).
Please keep reading for the rest of the day's broadcast highlights:
One of the highlights is that Sunday Afternoon In Concert (Sunday 1:00 p.m., 1:30 NT) devotes its entire show to Messiaen, with French pianist Pierre-Laurent Aimard performing Eight Preludes, under the aegis of the Vancouver Recital Society. Then Messiaen's Quartet For The End Of Time, which was premiered by the composer and his fellow inmates at a POW camp, is heard in a concert from the Banff Centre.
From Ottawa, pianist Louise Bessette and friends perform keyboard pieces, including four unpublished works for the unusual combination of piano and ondes martenot (that marvellous electronic instrument which also figures prominently in Messiaen's massive Turangalila Symphony -- heard in a performance by the Toronto Symphony Orchestra from its New Creations festival). To see and hear the ondes martenot, scroll down to the second video of this related post.
Also, host Bill Richardson chats with British pianist Peter Hill, a former student of Messiaen and the author of an extensive biography of the composer.
Before Romeo and Juliet, before Lancelot and Guinevere, there was...Tristan and Isolde. And after the Vinyl Cafe, there is Saturday Afternoon At The Opera. Usually Deep Roots and Inside The Music come first, but Wagner didn't mess around when he wrote Tristan Und Isolde, it's five hours long, thus the early start.
It is indeed one of the greatest love stories of all times, and today's production is live from the Met, Daniel Barenboim conducting, and starring soprano Katarina Dalayman and Peter Seiffert in the title roles.
And as to the unusual start time, here are the specifics: You can hear SATO from 11:00 - 5:00 PM (1:00 - 7:00 AT, 1:30 - 7:30 NT).
Stay tuned to the Radio 2 Blog for more about the opera a little later this morning, and please keep reading for the rest of the day's broadcast highlights:
One of the highlights today is Canada Live's (8 p.m.), broadcast of a concert by City And Colour, a solo project by Dallas Green of the band Alexisonfire. (If you think about his name for a second -- Dallas Green -- you will get the "city and colour" handle. Nice that it has the good old fashioned Canadiaun spelling.)
Anyway, the concert comes from Massy Hall, featuring tunes from his second recording, Bring Me Your Love. That album met with much attention and still seems to be receiving it -- just this week it came out as a "special edition," which has a bunch of demo tracks as well as the original recording.
Reminds me of those old Charlie Parker albums where you'd get three or four takes of the same tune. (Not in terms of the music, of course, just the listening experience of having different versions to compare. Probably City And Colour alt takes are not at Parker tempos though.) But enough digression, please keep reading for the rest of the day's broadcast highlights:
Dreamsploitation may sound like some kind of therapists' convention, or in musical terms may conjure up a lush electronic orchestra. It's neither though -- in fact it's the work of one man from Nova Scotia, who when he's not going by the Dreamsploitation moniker, is called Chuck Blazevic.
The sound is very lush though, created by many many tiny samples from recordings and acoustic sources, all manipulated and, as Mr. Blazevic himself puts it: "...transposed and re-contextualized into an ultra-melodic tapestry of soft-psychedelia, b-movie orchestral back drops, dusty drums, and loud quiet sounds."
To hear more, tune in to The Signal (10 p.m.) Thursday night as Laurie features the music...and for the rest of the day's programming highlights, please continue reading.
Figgy Duff is a pudding, as you may know. Never had it, but it's a Newfoundland specialty involving lots of butter and sugar so it can't be bad. Figgy Duff the band was formed in 1975 in St John's, and went on to become one of the province's best known folk rock bands.
Last summer one the band's founding members, Pamela Morgan, led the group in a 25th anniversary party at the Writer's Festival at Woody Point in Bonne Bay Newfoundland, the former Orange Lodge -- the building itself had just turned 100.
Band alumni Kelly Russell, Dave Panting, Phil Dinn, Frank Maher and George Morgan were there, and the concert also served as a Duff tribute featuring an all star guest list including Daniel Payne, Sylvia Tyson, Ron Hynes and Ellen Power.
You can hear the music that was played that night this night, Wednesday evening, on Canada Live (8 p.m.).
Please keep reading for the rest of the day's broadcast highlights:
Music of note today includes Alex Cuba dropping by both Radio 2 Morning and Drive. (On the latter he'll play his Spanish language version of a Blue Rodeo hit, more about that here.)
But there's also a concert tonight you may want to hear if you are a jazz vocals fan: jazz vocalist/pianist/composer Denzal Sinclaire on Canada Live (8 p.m.). The concert comes from the 2008 Festijazz International de Rimouski, and features the St-Germain String Quartet as well as more expected jazz backing. (Bass/drums/sax, and french horn. OK, so not entirely expected.)
Nothing to do with the concert, but there's a funny pseudo FAQ on Sinclaire's website, which includes questions like: "Oh! Like Denzel Washington?" and "Do you know who you sound like?" (every singer's favourite question). He would rather be asked: Would you prefer the Yamaha, the Steinway, or the Bosendorfer? So would we all, so would we all.
Please continue reading for the rest of the day's show highlights:
Happy December! And this December Monday morning begins with a bonus version of Tom Allen's Blog Question O' The Week, on Radio 2 Morning : Where do the best songs in this country come from, east or west?
Because last week's responses were so interesting and filled with such pith and vinegar, Tom's decided to continue asking the question this week, with a few refinements. One of them is the starting point. Here's how Tom explains it:
"Tell us what you think the absolute best Canadian songs are – new, old, sad, patriotic, angry, happy, ambivalent, dumb, impenetrable, maudlin (there’s room for everything if it’s really good)…and then tell us where you think that song comes from, and why. No holds barred on the 'where' part. If you think you can convincingly argue that Four Strong Winds is an eastern song (and good luck with that), then fill your boots."
You can respond right here on the Radio 2 Blog -- Tom reads 'em all, or here or here.
And now to the rest of today's programme highlights:
Today on Sunday Afternoon In Concert (Sunday 1:00 p.m., 1:30 NT) you can hear the CBC Radio Orchestra and conductor Alain Trudel marking the end of 70 years of broadcasts with a farewell performance from UBC's Chan Centre for the Performing Arts.
The orchestra celebrates its long-standing commitment to Canadian composition with new commissions by four young Canadian composers: Kati Agocs, John Stetch, Samy Moussa and Owen Pallett. As well, the orchestra revisits the 1980, CBC-commissioned masterpiece by Claude Vivier, Lonely Child, with soprano Nathalie Paulin. (Note: Vivier is the subject of the documentary broadcast today on Inside The Music Sunday Edition 12:00 p.m., 12:30 NT as well. You can read more about the Vivier documentary here.) And the concert concludes with Beethoven's 7th.
It's a big day for SATO and opera lovers -- the Met season resumes with a new production of the dramatic legend La Damnation De Faust by Hector Berlioz.
Much buzz about this production with celebrated director Robert LePage, who interwove video projection with the live performance. But also because of the music, which is conducted by The Met's Music Director, James Levine, and stars tenor Marcello Giordani as Faust and soprano Susan Graham as Marguerite.
Stay tuned to the Radio 2 Blog for more on the opera a little later Saturday morning, but for now, here's the nutshell version: In Berlioz's romantic treatment of the legend, Faust's thirst is not so much for knowledge, but for deep feelings. Enter Méphistophélès, the Devil, in the form of Canadian baritone John Relyea, who baits his trap with a promise of love. When things start to unravel, Faust realizes that the price of Marguerite's salvation may be his own damnation. Fun stuff.
Please continue reading for the rest of the day's broadcast highlights.
This week's edition of "What Tom Got Wrong" is a mea culpa to Gordon Lightfoot fans across the country...today Tom will play the correct version of Steel Rail Blues. (Speaking of, if ever you wanted a nice defense of why it makes sense to switch back "from rubber to rail," you should read Quirks & Quarks' Bob McDonald's view on the subject.)
But here's the story. A savvy listener named Michael Smith sent in a comment saying that the version of Lightfoot's Steel Rail Blues played on the show was not from the 1966 eponymous album, but from the seventies compilation, Gord's Gold. And he was right.
So today Tom makes amends, in the final hour of the show. You have to admire a man who can admit to such an egregious error. I'm sure it won't happen again -- but other mistakes will! Thankfully, since Friday's would not be complete without What Tom Got Wrong on Radio 2 Morning (6 a.m.-10 a.m.).
Coming up today on Radio 2, music! More specifically, music and talk via an interview with the ever interesting Hawksley Workman who joins Rich Terfry on Drive. Here's just a little bit of what you can hear...note: Girls On Crutches is the name of a song...
To hear the rest of the interview, (and the music!) tune into Radio 2 Drive (3 p.m.-6 p.m.). Should you be curious to know more about Hawksley Workman, you may also want to read yesterday's more extensive post on the songwriter, which is right here.
But Hawksley W. is not the only noteworthy musician to be on the Radio 2 airwaves today -- Alanis Morissette can also be heard in concert this evening, on Canada Live (8 p.m.). More on that a little later, but for now, that's your early bird notice.
Montreal has been called "Brazil north" for the strength of its small but excellent Brazilian music community. One of the most recent performers to "make waves" (please, if you have a cliché substitute for that feel free to write in) on the scene is Brazilian-born Bia, who sings in French, Portuguese and Spanish. After a number of recordings she's finally released one in the English market, 2008's Nocturno.
One reviewer described it as "filled with angelic, sensual vocals over trickling acoustic guitars over bossa nova and samba beats." Not easy to be both angelic and sensual, but if you hear her you'll probably see what the reviewer meant. And, actually, you have an opportunity to do just that this evening, with a concert from the Théâtre de la Ville in Longueuil, Quebec, recorded by Radio 2, and broadcast on Canada Live (8 p.m.)
Now, one of the controversies already about this contest is that Tom has taken as the dividing line between east and western Canada the CFL designation, which would put Winnipeg in the east! Yesterday I railed against this, and was gratified to read this response from listener/Blog Reader Michael Viens:
"As a child of my father who was born in Saskatchewan and my mother who was born in Winnipeg, I was somewhat relieved to read in the blog above that you actually have broken from the CFL delineation and included Winnipeg.
After all, if you're not going to include all of Manitoba, I would think that you would at least defer to the geographical center of Canada: N 49° 46.054 W 096° 48.583 which is east of Winnipeg."
And then Mr. Viens goes on to point out a number of the fine Canadian songwriters to come from the west. Still, at time of writing, East was winning. But there are four days left in this week, last I counted, so you have plenty of time to register your opinion, here or here.
Note: Do not be alarmed if you are asked to sign up before commenting! CBC blogs are all gradually moving to a new system, and it literally takes less than one minute to sign up and add your comments...
Michael Ondaatje's, novel about Buddy Bolden, Coming Through Slaughter, is one of the all time great jazz novels. It's also just one example of how music and musicians influence writers. And tonight The Signal (10 p.m.) broadcasts a concert that's all about that intersection of words and music. (Actually, it's called Words And Music so we'll give it the caps it deserves.) It features Ondaatje reading from his last novel Divisadero -- set to music by composer Robert Carli.
It's presented by the Art of Time Ensemble (as part of its tenth anniversary celebration) and also includes Justin Rutledge performing music he wrote inspired by author Guy Vanderhaeghe, and a scene from the Dora Award-winning rock 'n' roll musical Fire.
Quebec is in the spotlight (at least the audio equivalent) this weekend on Sunday Afternoon In Concert (Sunday 1:00 p.m., 1:30 NT) with music from performers who took part in a recent concert by the Orchestre National de France, celebrating the 400th anniversary of Quebec City.
You can hear contralto Marie Nicole Lemieux with some songs of Duparc, and pianist Alain Lefevre performing a piano concerto by André Mathieu, conducted by Jean-Philippe Tremblay.
And the extraordinary Polish contralto Ewa Podles is heard in a recital for the Musical Club of Quebec, performing songs of Tchaikovksy and Rachmaninoff, while (on the non-Quebec front) Calgary-born soprano Erin Wall performs songs by Richard Strauss with the Calgary Phil., directed by Joseph Flummerfelt.
All that...and the proverbial more as host Bill Richardson chats with Daniel Kessler, author of a new biography of the pioneering American conductor Sarah Caldwell. (The founder of the Opera Company of Boston and first woman to conduct at the Met.)
The author explores what "one person of genius, imagination and can passion can accomplish single-handedly." Oh well, if all it takes is genius...
Please continue reading for the rest of the day's broadcast highlights:
It's the second Puccini Double Bill weekend, and fittingly so, given that 2008 marks the 150th anniversary of the birth of Puccini. This week on SATO you can hear the comic opera Gianni Schicchi, and his final uncompleted masterpiece, Turandot.
In addition to the operas, host Bill Richardson speaks to film maker Tony Palmer about Puccini, and various luminaries of the opera world weigh in on Puccini's popularity and achievements.
More to come about the opera later Saturday morning on the Radio 2 Blog, so stay tuned.
A traditional measure of when a radio programme has impact is is when someone listening says they had to pull over, or stay in a parking lot, or miss their bus -- because what they heard was so riveting/moving/hilarious/bizarre that they couldn't move 'til it was over.
Such was the case with last week's edition of What Tom Got Wrong, a new weekly Friday feature on Radio 2 Morning (6 a.m.-10 a.m.) Last week, what Tom got wrong was not putting the wrong emphasis on a word like kilometer (KiloMETRE? kilOMetre? Can never remember), something that really gets up some people's noses. No, it was about a racier mistake. Here's what Anna Ringstrom, a listener/Blog reader had to say:
"Firstly, I'd like to comment on last Friday's 'What Tom Got Wrong,' especially the piece regarding Tom mistakenly using the word 'testicle' instead of 'tentacle,' while talking about the octopus. One of the funniest segments of radio banter I have heard in a long, long while. It goes in the category of 'radio so funny you have to pull the car over to clear the tears from your eyes lest you cause a traffic accident."
Today, Part Two of this edition of What Tom Got Wrong, when Quirks & Quarks' Bob MacDonald drops by to answer the octopus question. (As in, um, do they have em, or not?)
Every city has its great halls, and in T.O. the one that has the most history, and consequently the greatest sense of special occasion rooted in tradition (admittedly blogger bias here) is "old lady" Massey Hall. It was built in the late 19th century and inaugurated in 1894 with a performance of Handel's Messiah. Throughout the years it's been home to great musicians of all styles of music. (As well as weddings, movies, boxing matches, beauty contests and chess tournaments!)
So it's a very big deal for Canadian performers who grew up hearing concerts at Massey to then tread the boards, as it were. And tonight you can hear one such concert on Canada Live (8 p.m.) with a broadcast of Ron Sexmith's Massey Hall show from October. One review of the show said: "Sexsmith showed why he should grace that hallowed stage for many years to come. " So that's tonight. But keep reading for today.
A couple of visits from Canadian musicians on Radio 2 shows this Wednesday -- Alan Doyle and Sean McCann of Great Big Sea drop by to chat with Tom about the band's tour for their new CD, Fortune's Favour, in the third hour of Radio 2 Morning (6 a.m.-10 a.m.).
And you can hear live performance and interview with Serena Ryder on Drive. Serena sings a song she wrote that has been chosen as the song children from coast to coast to coast will sing on Music Monday this spring. (For more about that, please click here.) But she also addresses other matters, for instance her new recording:
For the rest of the interview, tune in today to Radio 2 Drive (3 p.m.-6 p.m.) in the second hour of the show.
According to one review, witnesses at a performance of Mark Berube & the Patriotic Few heard "a cross between Tom Waits and Rufus Wainwright but with far more aggressive songwriting and performance style not seen since the likes of Bruce Springsteen."
Berube himself (in one interview) has described his music as "modern folk," so let's just stick with that. To hear some of that modern folk, you can tune into Canada Live (8 p.m.) Tuesday evening for a concert recorded this September in Montreal. The band was more the Patriotic Many, since in addition to the core members there were also strings and horns.
The occasion was a CD launch for Berube's latest, What The Boat Gave The River, his follow-up recording to last year's What The River Gave The Boat, a nice image, in both cases.
Some voices and the songs they sing seem to embody time and place in the growth of a nation. Maybe it's a timing thing, musical sensibility meeting up with social realities, and human need. Anyway, if that seems a little high falutin' for first thing on a Monday, this won't be:
Gordon Lightfoot (whose music did all of the above, a few decades ago) turns 70 today. And after some poor health, a few years ago, he's back -- heading out on tour in 2009.
Meanwhile, some chat around the Radio 2 Morning (6 a.m.-10 a.m.) office led to thinking about what Mr. Lightfoot might consider writing about in these very interesting times. Consequently, Tom Allen's question of the week is this: What do you think Gordon Lightfoot should be writing about today?
Tom and the Morning team will forward your responses to Mr. Lightfoot, in case he has a few minutes to pen some new tunes, maybe even before his tour, who knows! And stay tuned to The Radio 2 Blog -- more on Gordon Lightfoot a little later this Monday morning.
If it's Sunday November 16th it must be Brahms day! Actually there is no law enforcing this, but it is true that today's edition of Sunday Afternoon In Concert (Sunday 1:00 p.m., 1:30 NT) is devoted to the music of Brahms, and features four of Brahms' symphonies introduced by Pinchas Zukerman, the music director of the National Arts Centre Orchestra.
So one sumptuous sitting for the symphonies, as well as a discussion of many of the musical themes that are woven through the works. But in addition to the music, Pinchas Zukerman will talk to host Bill Richardson about why the music of Brahms still has relevance today, about how Brahms' symphonies measure up to other titans of music, like Mozart and Beethoven, and also about the special friendships he's made in his lifetime devoted to sharing this music.
Pianist Les Dala will be in studio to do some musical illustration, and all passages for violin will be performed by Pinchas Zukerman himself.
Note: The NAC performances of Brahms are available online as well, at Concerts On Demand.
Further Note: Podcasts featuring Mr. Zukerman in conversation with SAIC host Bill Richardson, will also be available via CBC Radio 2's Brahms webpage.
Today, it's one of the blockbusters, Tosca, the story of Cavaradossi the painter, who has revolutionary ideas – and friends. When he comes under the scrutiny of the evil Chief of the secret police, the beautiful singer Tosca becomes the bargaining chip in a bid for his freedom. Complications ensue.
Today's production stars Canadian soprano Adrianne Pieczonka in a production of Los Angeles Opera with Sir Richard Armstrong conducting.
And the second part of today's double header is the convent story Suor Angelica, a one-act opera drawn from the trilogy composed as Il Trittico, in a production from the Australian Opera and Ballet Orchestra. Stay tuned to the Radio 2 Blog for more about the opera, a little later Saturday morning.
In case you missed yesterday's Laonois post, you may be interested (perhaps even thrilled!) to know that you can hear Daniel Lanois today on Radio 2 Drive (3 p.m.-6 p.m.). Lanois will be performing a couple of songs as well as chatting with Rich -- and just to whet your appetite, here's a clip of that conversation:
You can tune into the third hour of the programme to hear the rest.
And note: Today Tom wraps up the Radio 2 Morning (6 a.m.-10 a.m.) question of the week: "What Music Can You And Your Kids Agree On?" with music suggested by you. And you. (And probably you too.)
The trend towards classical string ensembles playing music other than strictly classical does not appear to be on the wane. Proof, should you need it, can be heard if you are planning on pulling an all-nighter, Thursday to Friday morning. That's when Nightstream (1:00 a.m./1:30 NT) features Vitamin Strings covering Radiohead and Les Violons Du Roi playing tango.
(For more on the string thing plus a video of the Vitamin approach, please click on over here.)
And before getting to the strings, here's what the rest of the broadcast day looks like:
Attention fans of great tenors -- today on Tempo (10 a.m. - 3 p.m.) Julie presents a concert featuring renowned singer Ben Heppner. Radio 2 recorded the concert at the Chan Centre at UBC, but it's a parlour song affair, with songs by Coward, Tosti and Romberg among others.
As you may know, Heppner is a UBC alumnus -- and when asked about his years on campus he said: "The beach, the mountains were a revelation for a kid from Dawson Creek, and the start of a love affair with Vancouver." (In other words, he had fun! But also managed to practice.)
And here are the rest of the day's broadcast highlights:
Today is of course Remembrance Day. And while some of the Radio 2 shows will be acknowledging this musically, you may also be interested in the story Tom Allen tells in response to the question: Who Do You Think Of On Remembrance Day? (That link will take you to the story, as well as responses to that question from listeners/blog readers.)
And getting back to the musical response -- here is what two Radio 2 shows have in store on this November 11th:
On Tempo (10 a.m. - 3 p.m.) Julie presents Vaughan Williams' Symphony No. 3 (A Pastoral Symphony), music which rose out of his experience of the battered landscape of the Western Front during the First World War.
And on Radio 2 Drive (3 p.m.-6 p.m.) Rich presents songs of war and peace from artists including Kevin Hearn, Dubmatix, Jakob Dylan, Sinead O'Connor, Corb Lund, Belle & Sebastian, Daniel Lanois and Kathleen Edwards.
The Cairo-Toronto Collective is a musical meeting between some of Canada's best middle-eastern-jazz musicians and two artists who are stars in Cairo's music scene -- and you can hear them in concert Monday night on Canada Live (8 p.m.). The concert features a mix of traditional Arabic music and originals, and was recorded at Glenn Gould Studio in Toronto.
The Egyptian stars in question are oud and violin master Alfred Gamil and oud player Mohamed Aly, and the Canadian contingent includes Maryem Tollar on vocals and qanun, and Ernie Tollar on flutes and sax.
One review of the performance said: "Marshall McLuhan famously stated The medium is the message,' and the soul stirring and hip-sway-inducing melodies of Maryem and Ernie Tollar's Cairo-Toronto Collective say it all!"
Note: On another subject entirely, Tom asks Radio 2 Morning listeners (and anyone else who cares to comment): What music do parents and kids agree on? (The Beatles? The Hip? Raffi? The entire discography of Frank Zappa?) Do tell.
This Sunday on Sunday Afternoon In Concert (Sunday 1:00 p.m., 1:30 NT) guest host Les Dala presents music performed by one of the biggest sensations of the classical piano world -- Lang Lang.
Today you can hear Lang Lang performing Schubert, Bartok and Debussy from his recent residency at Roy Thomson Hall (see Lang Lang Adopts Toronto), and also in conversation from his subsequent performances for the Vancouver Recital Society.
Les Dala is the Music Director and Conductor of the Prince George Symphony and the Chorus Director and Assistant Conductor with Vancouver Opera, so he brings a wealth of experience to the programme -- and curiosity about music -- today he also speaks with author John Ibbitson about The Landing, a new young adult fiction book about learning and loving to play music.
Les also takes a look at the newly released video game "Wii Music" in which you can conduct a virtual orchestra. (Fun, as long as they take your tempo.)
Also on SAIC, a concert featuring Mason Bates, the composer and DJ who recently collaborated with The Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony. KWS music director Edwin Outwater said that this kind of collaboration "...fills me with hope for the future of orchestral music. Now, more than ever before, our music is connected to other kinds of music and art."
Finally, you can hear Felix Mendelssohn's String Quartet No. 2 In A Minor, Op. 13 in a performance by Australia's TinAlley String Quartet, winners of the 9th Banff International String Quartet Competition in 2007.
Today on SATO, from the 2008 Bayreuth Festival, Wagner's Parsifal, a new production that opened this year's festival and stars Detlef Roth as Amfortas, Head of the Knights of the Grail, and Christopher Ventris as Parsifal.
Wagner described Parsifal not as an opera, but as "a festival play for the consecration of the stage," the stage in question the Bayreuth Festival Theatre. And as my SATO colleagues point out, "a ticket to a performance there is the 'Holy Grail' of the operatic world." They're not kidding -- the demand for tickets is so high that 450,000 tickets requests were received from 80 countries, for fewer than 50,000 seats for this production.
Stay tuned to the Radio 2 Blog for more about the opera/festival play later this morning...
It's probably fair to say that Joni Mitchell has a few fans among Radio 2 listeners. (Massive understatement!)
Truly though, it has been wonderful reading about people's feelings and thoughts about Joni Mitchell's music on the Radio 2 Blog all week, in response to Tom (on Radio 2 Morning 6 a.m.-10 a.m.) asking for your favourite Mitchell song. (You can read everyone's comments here, and here.)
So we wish Joni Mitchell a happy 65th today, and thank Tom and the Morning crew for the celebration, which wraps up today.
Tom will feature a Joni Mitchell track each hour of the programme, and in the final hour he'll play the song most requested/talked about by Radio 2 Morning listeners. (And no, I won't give it away on the Blog! At least, not this morning, while the show is still on the air.)
Joni Mitchell's music will also be the subject of the weekly Radio 2 Blog Video Fest, posted right here around 8ish eastern time.
A quite extraordinary combination of musicians appear today, Thursday, on Radio 2 Drive (3 p.m.-6 p.m.) -- the throat singer Tanya Tagaq, and the indie group Apostle Of Hustle. They're on a mini-tour in Ontario, including a performance CBC Radio 2 will record Friday at the Glenn Gould Studio.
Today though, catch them on Drive -- and as a little sample of what you will hear, just press play.
Eccodek is not exactly a band, nor is it precisely an individual (although a talented man named Andrew McPherson who hails from Guelph, Ontario is responsible), it's more of what in these times gets called "a project."
But don't let that put you off. In the case of Eccodek, it's music that shifts dreamily (in a dub and electronica way) between music with roots in Mali, Turkey, Fiji, Nigeria, India, Canada and beyond.
Ghazal singer Kiran Ahluwalia, Turkish singer Meral Mert, Malians Mansa Sissoko and Jah Yousouff and classical Kirtan singer Onkar Singh are all involved with the latest Eccodek recording, and tonight on Canada Live (8 p.m.) you can hear an Eccodek concert that Radio 2 recorded at the Vancouver international Jazz Festival.
First, don't forget that Tom Allen (on Radio 2 Morning 6 a.m.-10 a.m.) is taking suggestions for your favourite Joni Mitchell song -- click on Which Joni Mitchell Song Will Stay With You Always and share your thoughts!
That's all this week until Friday, when Tom will play the song that gets the most votes/responses.
And second, today on Radio 2 Drive (3 p.m.-6 p.m.) Rich's special guest is jazzy/country/indie singer songwriter Jill Barber.
For now though here's a clip from the interview, what we call in the biz a "teaser":
If you feel sufficiently teased, you can hear the rest of the interview this afternoon in the second hour of Radio 2 Drive (3 p.m.-6 p.m.)
Tonight on Canada Live (8 p.m.) -- the band that names among its fans Peter Gabriel, Led Zeppelin & Prince Charles -- the Terem Quartet. They're a prodigiously talented and very funny Russian ensemble who play accordion, domras (lutes) and bass balalaika. Canada Live recorded them in a recent visit to Toronto, and you can hear that performance Monday night.
Today it's The Russian Connection on Sunday Afternoon In Concert (Sunday 1:00 p.m., 1:30 NT), musically speaking. You can hear Rachmaninoff's greatest chamber work, his Sonata In G minor,Opus 19, in a performance by cellist Amanda Forsyth and pianist Shoko Inoue.
Next it's music from Russian violinist Valery Sokolov, presented by the Vancouver Recital Society, (along with pianist David Fray) in Violin sonatas by Bach, Beethoven and Schumann.
And finally, the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra and conductor Alexander Mickelthwate welcome the Russian bass vocalist Nikita Storojev to perform highlights from Mussorgsky's opera Boris Godunov. (Also heard is Shostakovich's Symphony No. 1.)
For the rest of the (non-Russian themed) broadcast day highlights, please continue reading.
Opera fans take note -- this weekend on Saturday Afternoon At The Opera (Saturday 1:00 p.m., 1:30 NT) you can hear Wagner's first internationally successful opera, Rienzi, featuring tenor Stefan Vinke as Rienzi, in a production from The Leipzig Opera Chorus and the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, led by by conductor Axel Kober.
Based on the novel Rienzi, The Last Of The Tribunes by Edward Bulwer-Lytton, and set in ancient Rome, it's all feuds, power, and resentment. In other words: politics. (But with better singing.)
Stay tuned to the Radio 2 Blog for more on the opera later Saturday morning, for now, here are the rest of today's show highlights:
Vampires, werewolves and ghosts, oh my! Yes, it's that day, the one associated with molasses candies wrapped in orange and black paper that now seem impossible to find. Oh, and also associated with scary things, and bones.
Tonight Pat Carrabré, weekend host of The Signal (10 p.m.), celebrates Halloween with a concert by The Ghost Bees, who the Signalites describe as "spooky Halifax twins." It's an accurate description of some of their music -- echoed by a writer for Halifax's The Coast:
"Strange, spirited and often spooky, acoustic folk sometimes called freak folk."
Raindrops keep falling on my, or no, actually it's been snow across much of the country. And it not yet November, shocking.
But bets that the opening line of this post made you think, Burt, as in Bacharach. At 80 Burt Bacharach still performing, and one of those recent performances was recorded by CBC Radio 2 and will be broadcast tonight, Thursday, on Canada Live (8 p.m.).
The performance was recorded at Pop Montreal in the Eglise de St. Jean-Baptiste before 1200 appreciative Burt fans -- so if you are of that clan, do tune into the show this evening.
Also wanted to note that today Drive broadcasts an interview by Rich Terfry with Shad -- here's just a little bit of what you can hear:
For the rest, tune into Radio 2 Drive (3 p.m.-6 p.m.). Now to the rest of the day's broadcast highlights:
Today is the last day of the "Brahms Fest" on Tempo (10 a.m. - 3 p.m.), and on this afternoon's broadcast you can hear the great Brahms Violin Concerto with Pinchas Zukerman as soloist, and his longtime friend, Zubin Mehta, leading the National Arts Centre Orchestra.
Many of the concerts are already available on Concerts On Demand. Also, podcasts featuring Radio 2 host Bill Richardson in conversation with Pinchas Zukerman (speaking about the place these works hold in the classical repertoire) will be available in the next couple of weeks. (More information about that will be posted at Brahms Festival.)
Please also note: On Sunday, November 16th the entire Sunday Afternoon In Concert (Sunday 1:00 p.m., 1:30 NT) programme will be devoted to the music of Brahms.
And here are the rest of today's broadcast highlights:
The "Paganini of the steel pan" is on The Signal (10 p.m.) Tuesday night -- Liam Teague, in a broadcast that features his live performance of a world premiere, a composition called Pan Trio by Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Michael Colgrass, recorded at the Cool Drummings festival.
As well as being hailed as the Paganini etc., Teague teaches music and is one of the leaders of the steelband at Northern Illinois University. (If you're interested in some of his thoughts about steelpan and formal education you may want to have a look at the Pan In Education project.)
Please continue reading for the rest of the day's programming highlights:
Good Monday morning. Today on Radio 2 one of the highlights is the appearance of Roxanne Potvin on Radio 2 Drive (3 p.m.-6 p.m.) -- she dropped by the studio the other day to play some tunes (photographic evidence provided to the right) and Rich broadcasts the music and their conversation today.
Ms. Potvin is a bi-lingual singer from Gatineau, Quebec, whose latest recording is called No Love For The Poisonous. Her previous recording, The Way It Feels, was produced by one Colin Linden -- and yes, her music is bluesy. But also a little bit country, a little rocky, a little Beatles-inspired...here's a snippet of conversation about that very subject:
To her Ms. Potvin performing in studio, and to hear the rest of the interview, tune into Radio 2 Drive (3 p.m.-6 p.m.)
And here are the rest of the day's show highlights:
If you're looking forward to a relaxing Sunday afternoon with your radio by your side, here is what you can hear on Sunday Afternoon In Concert (Sunday 1:00 p.m., 1:30 NT): music from the Pacific Rim, plus a celebration of the pipe organ, with music from the recent Canadian International Organ Competition.
The former is via two west coast orchestras: Conductor Bramwell Tovey and the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, fresh off their seven concert Asia-Pacific tour is featured with music from their final performance, from the Shanghai Music Festival. (Music includes: Jeffrey Ryan's The Linearity Of Light, Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto, and the Symphonie Fantastique by Berlioz.)
Also, the Victoria Symphony performs a fusion of classical Chinese music with Silk Road Music. Compositions are by Alexina Louie, Chan Ka Nin, and a newly commissioned work by Jin Zhang.
As to the pipe organ music -- as previously mentioned it comes to you from the new triennial Canadian International Organ Competition, which welcomed fifteen organists from around the world to compete for $72,000 in prize money. Montreal organist and broadcaster Patrick Wedd is a special guest today, presenting some of the festival highlights.
For the rest of the day's radio highlights, please continue reading:
You know there's a folk show on Saturdays, right? Or maybe wrong, since with all the new programming some of the new-ish shows have been neglected on the Radio 2 Blog of late, and I fear Deep Roots (Saturday 11:00 a.m., 12:00 AT, 12:30 NT) has fallen into that category.
But don't let that happen to you! Deep Roots a very nice hour of music presented by the charming Tom Power from Newfoundland. Today's highlights include the latest from Canada's traveling King of the Blues (Big Dave McLean) a Canadian bluegrass band covering a Coldplay hit, and what Tom calls Grammy winner Norah Jones' "sordid Country and Western past." Heh.
And since this is a small spotlight on the folk, I should add that for the rest of the weekend Tom, along with much of the Canadian folk music community, will be at the Ontario Conference Of Folk Festivals -- I'm sure he'll have plenty of fresh folk from that conference for listeners on upcoming editions of Deep Roots.
And here's what else you can hear on your radio today:
Zaki Ibrahim, who hails from T.O./Cape Town/Vancity, is on Radio 2 Drive (3 p.m.-6 p.m.) today, in the third hour of the show.
Ibrahim's music is an original blend of soul and jazz and hip hop -- to learn a little more about her, you may want to click on over to yesterday's feature post.
World music lovers also take note: tonight Canada Live (8 p.m.) broadcasts a concert of Balkan music by Lubo And Kaba Horo -- a concert that launches Mundo Montréal, an original CBC series of world music concerts taking place at the Lion D'Or in Montreal.
Please continue reading for the rest of the daily highlights:
Sometimes a performer's name suddenly crops up everywhere, and that's been the case for me with Courtney Wing. He's a singer-songwriter working with a pretty rich musical palette, in fact the concert broadcast tonight features what has been called an "operatic folk ensemble" featuring members of Bell Orchestre and Godspeed You! Black Emperor.
His own background provides some of the musical influence (a Chinese father and a Russion/Icelandic mother -- Wing can play traditional Chinese percussion, and has sung Icelandic music...). Did I mention the concert is being broadcast on The Signal (10 p.m.) Thursday night? Now I did.
And here are rest of the day's programme highlights:
A much buzzed about concert featuring the man some call "the future of reggae" will be aired Wednesday evening on Canada Live (8 p.m.). The man in question is Jason Wilson, and the concert also features the guy who taught Bob Marley how to play guitar -- Ernest Ranglin. But wait, there's more --Pee Wee Ellis on sax and Brinsley Forde of Aswad.
All that, and a second concert with the young, talented Juno-award winning bass player, of whom Oscar Peterson once said "she has the same lope or rhythmical pulse as my late bass player Ray Brown. She is what we call serious"...Brandi Disterheft.
Please continue reading for the rest of today's show highlights:
In September the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony Orchestra collaborated with DJ Masonic (a.ka. Mason Bates, both a composer and a club DJ) with a work called Omnivorous Furniture. It was part of a KWSO series called Electronica, which featured laptop and percussion pad along with the percussion section of the KWSO.
It's not the first time Bates has worked in this kind of context by any means -- his Carnegie Hall debut included performing live electronica in the percussion section of The National Symphony, a work he had premiered at The Kennedy Center under the baton of Leonard Slatkin.
As for the KWSO collaboration, that you can hear on Tuesday night's edition of The Signal (10 p.m.). And now to the rest of the daily highlights:
Justin Rutledge, he of the literary turn of album title (his latest, Man Descending, is named after the excellent Guy Vanderhaeghe short story collection) is Rich's guest on Radio 2 Drive (3 p.m.-6 p.m.) this Monday afternoon. (He's also featured in a documentary about Dolly Parton -- something tells me he and Rich will have plenty to chat about.) And as per usual with a "Drive Live," Justin R. will play some songs as well.
More on Mr. Rutledge on the Radio 2 Blog later today; for now, here are all of the daily programme highlights:
This week Sunday Afternoon In Concert (Sunday 1:00 p.m., 1:30 NT) is hosted by Ms. Katherine Duncan, who also hosts Saturday's classical music news show, In Tune (Saturday 5:00 p.m., 5:30 NT). What's making headlines today on Sunday Afternoon In Concert though is a feature profile of the St. Lawrence String Quartet at twenty, and the Calgary Philharmonic playing tango.
The St. Lawrence String Quartet is well established as one of the world-class chamber ensembles of its generation -- early on (in 1992) they won both the Banff International String Quartet Competition and Young Concert Artists Auditions. Since then they've toured North and South America, Europe and Asia.
As part of their 20th Anniversary Tour, the quartet re-unites with founding members Barry Shiffman, and Marina Hoover in a concert for the Calgary Pro Musica Society. In addition to music by Strauss, Haydn and Dvorak, you can hear them premiere one of a series of commissions - Table At The Bushwaaker by Elizabeth Raum.
As to the tango -- the music of Argentinean tango king Astor Piazzolla is performed by bandoneón virtuoso Daniel Binelli. And more dance-related music too as The Calgary Philharmonic and conductor Roberto Minczuk perform Copland’s El Salón México and Bernstein’s Symphonic Dances from West Side Story.
Please continue reading for the rest of the day's programme highlights:
An early heads up that today on Saturday Afternoon At The Opera the opera broadcast is Verdi's I Due Foscari, a production from Vienna’s Konzerthaus, with baritone Leo Nucci as the Doge of Venice, tenor Francisco Casanova as his son, and Canadian soprano Manon Feubel as Jacopo’s wife, Lucrezia.
Please stay tuned to the Radio 2 Blog for more about the opera later this morning; for now, the rest of the daily programming highlights:
Yes, that's Colin Linden in the Radio 2 Drive (3 p.m.-6 p.m.) studio playing some tunes, talking some talk -- all of which you can hear on the show Friday afternoon.
It's been described as "living, pulsing chamber music," and you can hear it Thursday evening on The Signal (10 p.m.) "It," in case you are now wondering, is some music that blurs the lines between composition and improvisation, performed at this year's Guelph Jazz Festival and recorded by CBC Radio 2.
The musicians doing the living and pulsing are British bassist Barry Guy, (who has collaborated with the likes of Evan Parker and Derek Bailey), Swiss violinist Maya Homburger (who has performed with John Eliot Gardiner's English Baroque Soloists and Trevor Pinnock's The English Concert and leads The Chandos Baroque Players) and Canadian Jeff Reilly on bass clarinet. Reilly is familiar to many CBC listeners, through his work with a broad spectrum of performers and ensembles, from Jerry Granelli to Symphony Nova Scotia, and as a CBC producer himself.
Brahms fans take note, October is Brahms Festival month on Tempo (10 a.m. - 3 p.m.), and Julie has been featuring each of Brahms' symphonies, recorded live by the National Arts Centre Orchestra.
Today at 13:00 (that's 1 p.m. for civilians) it's Brahms' 3rd Symphony, a work thought of as being so perfect that Sir Edward Elgar once said, "When I look at the Third Symphony of Brahms I feel like a tinker." So modest.
Please continue reading for the rest of the day's show highlights:
Today's the day when we all (or at least many of us) stand behind the little cardboard facade and make the "X" with a pencil that apparently was designed for this and no other purpose.
It's also the day when someone will find out that they are the lucky winner of the Ron Sexsmith Contest -- as Tom draws the winner's name live on Radio 2 Morning (6 a.m.-10 a.m.). So if you entered, don't forget to tune into The Morning to see if you won, and to stock up on quality coffee as per Ron's request.
A quick note about today's Canada Live Podcast as well -- the concerts this week include Sarah McLachlan, which I know will be of interest to some listeners who heard the concert when it was originally broadcast.
Listener/blog reader Jonathan Crone wrote in at that time to say: "I wasn't able to listen to most of it due to the kid's bedtime, but what I did hear was fantastic. Her, a guitar, and a piano. There are so few performers that can pull that off...Amazing. "
Happy Thanksgiving Monday! And there is much music of a Thanksgiving nature in today's programming, from Oscar Peterson's The Gravy Waltz (using the term Thanksgiving music liberally) which you can hear on Radio 2 Morning (6 a.m.-10 a.m.), to a spoken word piece on the theme of homecoming, much later today on The Signal (10 p.m.).
Also wanted to note that today you can hear Prokofiev's beloved Peter And The Wolf. No, not with Ustinov, but with the fine Canadian actor Colm Feore -- Julie will be playing it in entirety on the holiday Monday version of Tempo (10 a.m. - 3 p.m.). (Can already hear him saying, "suppose a wolf came out of the forest!")
And now to the rest of the day's broadcast highlights:
Much to hear on Sunday Afternoon In Concert (Sunday 1:00 p.m., 1:30 NT) today, starting with a 100th anniversary celebration of the University of British Columbia, which included a gala from the Chan Centre featuring superstar tenor and UBC grad Ben Heppner singing Wagner's Wesendonck Lieder, as well as My Secret Heart - favourites from his collection of Parlour songs. Plus there's music of Beethoven, Jean Coulthard and Earth Songs, a new commission by Steven Chatman.
One more "SAIC" note before getting to the rest of the daily show highlights -- the Vancouver Recital Society unveils a new Hamburg Steinway with a special recital by pianist Paul Lewis.
Opera fans take note -- today on SATO Giuseppe Verdi's third opera, Nabucco featuring baritone Paolo Gavanelli as Nabucco, soprano Maria Guleghina as the king's presumed daughter, Abigaille, and Alexander Antonenko, tenor, as Ismaele. Paolo Carignani is the conductor in this production, which comes to you from the Bavarian State Opera.
More on the opera a little later Saturday morning, and for now, here are today's show highlights:
'Tis the Friday before Thanksgiving, and just a reminder that if you want to enter the Ron Sexsmith Contest today is your last chance. The draw itself will be live on Radio 2 Morning (6 a.m.-10 a.m.) on Tuesday October 14th, the day after the long weekend. (Also known as the day we go to the polls, but that's the stuff of another blog. Actually many other blogs, politics being what they are.)
As for the music on your radio today -- here's what's coming up:
The inventive singer and banjo player Abigail Washburn heads up The Sparrow Quartet, an all-star musical lineup (Béla Fleck plays banjo in the group) that brings together North American folk and roots music and Chinese traditional tunes. You can hear this concert Thursday night on Canada Live (8 p.m.).
Some beautiful music, though their rendition of His Eye Is On The Sparrow has ruffled some feathers (that really wasn't intended to be a pun, honest, it just slipped out). Still, it opens the concert and sets the tone for the imaginative approach of the group.
Also on the programme, the very fine Carolina Chocolate Drops, a trio made up of a classical violinist, a Celtic musician and a multi-instrumentalist -- who first bonded at an event called the Black Banjo Gathering, held in 2005.
And one more note before getting to the rest of the day's programme highlights -- if you missed the Martha Wainwright interview on Drive yesterday you can listen to it right here, just click on play:
Martha Wainwright is on Radio 2 Drive (3 p.m.-6 p.m.) today. I know she's famous but I've got feelings too, and mine are agitated by the steady parade of excellent musicians coming through the Drive studio -- earlier this week Beck, now Wainwright! She's going to play a few songs and talk with Rich about inspiration, writing, and meeting Annie Lennox.
In the next couple of months Rich's guests include Daniel Lanois, Tanya Tagaq and many others...will definitely keep you posted. You may also wish to subscribe to the Radio 2 Newsletter via the CBC membership centre, wherein these matters are sometimes released a little earlier than on the website.
But today it is Ms. Wainwright in the second hour of Drive.
What happens when six banjo players get together in Winnipeg? Sounds like there should be some major punch-line coming up, possibly of an uncomplimentary nature (in the long-standing tradition of banjo jokes). But in this instance it's a legitimate music query, and you can hear the legitimate musical response Tuesday night on Canada Live (8 p.m.)
The banjo gathering in question took place at Winnipeg's West End Cultural Centre, and featured old time, clawhammer and modern styles of banjo playing performed in front of an appreciative banjo-centric audience. The first part of the evening focused on the musicians playing on each other's songs; the second half was mostly given over to solo spots. Among the banjoists, recent Juno award winner Jayme Stone.
Beck is on Radio 2 Drive (3 p.m.-6 p.m.) today. Probably, for Beck fans, I could just stop writing there, the man being so frequently brilliant and all. And word has it that of all the shows in all the world (or at least in Canada) it was Rich's Drive that he wanted to be on.
There will be more on Beck a little later this morning on the Radio 2 Blog, prior to his appearance on Drive, but if you're not familiar with his music, you may want to go straight out and get his seminal Odelay, or maybe just visit his myspace site for a preview of much more recent work.
And here's the rest of what the broadcast day holds in store:
One of my colleagues at Sunday Afternoon In Concert (Sunday 1:00 p.m., 1:30 NT) sent me an email that began like this:
"A mezzo with the voice of an angel. Angelic voices adorn a massive symphony. And a cherubic young pianist whose playing is heavenly."
Lovely. And an indication of a rather celestial musical experience that awaits you, when prize-winning mezzo soprano Susan Platts is heard in recital from the Vancouver International Song Institute, accompanied by Rena Sharon in songs of Schumann, Argento, Mahler and more.
Ms. Platts is also featured in the Toronto Symphony Orchestra's season opening concert, joining music director Peter Oundjian, the women of the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir and the Toronto Children's Chorus to perform Gustav Mahler's Symphony No. 3 In D Minor.
And from the Vancouver Chopin Society - 23 year old Polish pianist Rafal Blechacz, playing Debussy, Szymanowski and Chopin. At the tender age of 20 Blechacz won five first prizes at the Chopin Piano Competition, and one of the judges, distinguished Irish pianist John O'Conor, said that Blechacz is "one of the greatest artists" he's ever heard. Hear for yourself on SAIC this Sunday afternoon.
And here are rest of the broadcast day highlights:
The broadcast day begins, logically enough, with Radio 2 Morning, Weekend Edition (Saturday 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. 6:30 NT; Sunday 6 a.m. to 8 a.m. 6:30 NT), hosted by Molly Johnson. (Who, by the way, I noticed is playing Massey Hall on October 25th, for those in T.O. or planning to visit.)
But this morning she'll be in the radio studio, spinning music about raccoons (not Rocky. R.) from Canadian band Betty And The Bobs, and non-raccoon related music from the man sometimes known as "the Tiger Woods of the ukulele," James Hill from Langley, B.C. (Sadly no commensurate endorsements though.) In the third hour of the show, Molly features the great Cuban singer Ibrahim Ferrer, and in the final hour, Jesse Cook featuring Melissa McLelland, collaborating on a Bob Dylan song.
As to the rest of the broadcast day, please keep reading:
This afternoon, the Radio 2 debut of Ron MacLean on Radio 2 Drive (3 p.m.-6 p.m.). Photographic evidence is provided on the right, and for more details please see Live On Drive: Ron MacLean.
The nutshell version is that Ron plays some of his favourite Canadian music on the show -- and he and Rich talk music and hockey and the connection between the two. Yes, there is one.
Also, a quick alert to a show you may wish to tune into on the weekend -- the fifth episode of The Nerve, which focuses on the fascinating subject of how music is intertwined with a sense of identity. You can hear that on Inside The Music Saturday Edition(12:00 p.m., 1:00 AT, 1:30 NT), and for more on The Nerve stay tuned to The Blog. For now, here are the rest of the day's broadcast highlights:
Canadian composer Claude Vivier's work explored a wide range of themes, from the expanse of the cosmos to personal mysticism and the ritual of the Catholic mass. If this intrigues you, tune in tonight, Thursday, to The Signal (10 p.m.) when host Laurie Brown presents Vivier's Et Je Reverrai Cette Ville Etrange, inspired by instruments collected by a percussionist friend in Bali, and by Vivier's own trip to Bali in the seventies.
It's one of two works that relate to memory and journey that Laurie will feature -- the other, presented by the Groundswell Ensemble of Winnipeg, is James Harley'sCuimhneachan Urramach, in memory of Harley's grandfather, who emigrated to Canada from Scotland.
But before either Bali or Scotland figure in the listening day, here's what else you can hear:
Happy first day of October. May the leaves where you live be crimson; may your pumpkins become nice pies.
As for the music on Radio 2 this Oct. 1 -- one highlight is a concert this evening on Canada Live (8 p.m.) featuring the Malian musician Habib Koite, recorded in Montreal where he has a huge fan base who always welcome him with a great deal of enthusiasm. As well as being a good guitarist he has a lovely voice -- here's proof if you can't wait until tonight to find out.
Also on the broadcast, the A Propos' Songwriters Session featuring Daniel Bélanger, Marie-Pierre Fournier, Marc Déry and Ariane Moffatt -- part of the celebration of Quebec City's 400th anniversary.
There's got to be a morning after, and it is here, post-Polaris Prize. And the winner is (insert drum roll) Caribou!
More on Caribou later this morning on the Radio 2 Blog, but for now, if you don't know his music but are curious, take a listen here to a few tracks which will give you an inkling of the many-layered beauty that is Caribou. And to hear more tune in Tuesday afternoon to Radio 2 Drive (3 p.m.-6 p.m.).
Also on Drive today -- Rich will delve into the ECHO Songwriter's prize, which is "designed to identify what's next and what's best in current independent music." This translates to five songs which were nominated by a jury of music critics -- which were then voted on by the public, online. (The voting has closed, but unless they took the songs down overnight, they are still up to listen to.)
If you want Ron Sexsmith to come to your home and scrapbook play guitar and sing, today marks the beginning of your chance to have him do just that with the CBC R2 Ron Sexsmith House Concert Contest.
Here's how it works. Each day between 7 and 8 am, Tom will play a song from Ron's new recording (it's lovely, by the way) on Radio 2 Morning. And, each afternoon between 5 and 6 pm Rich Terfry will also play a song on Drive.
So listen during those time periods, write down the name of the song and the day of the week. You need a total of three songs/dates to enter -- which you do at the Ron Sexsmith House Concert Contest site, once the contest is underway.
The contest runs from today, Monday Sept. 29 through to Thurs. Oct 9th, and there will be a live draw from all entries on Radio 2 Morning (6 a.m.-10 a.m.) with Tom Allen on Monday, October 13th.
And stay tuned to the Radio 2 Blog -- a Q&A with Ron Sexsmith coming up around 11 a.m. this morning.
Sunday Afternoon In Concert (Sunday 1:00 p.m., 1:30 NT) meditates on heroism today. Well actually we don't know if host Bill Richardson will be in lotus position, but we do know that some of the music on the show connects to the theme of heroism.
You can hear two season opening concerts from two orchestras -- the Orchestre Symphopnique De Quebec and Symphony Nova Scotia. Music includes Glinka's overture to Ruslan And Ludmilla, Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 2 with Alain Lefevre as soloist, as well as an interview with Yoav Talmi about his 10th year at the helm of OSQ.
And from Halifax, the world premiere of Peter Allen’s piano concerto, Hurricane Juan, taking place almost exactly five years since this storm hit Nova Scotia during September of 2003. The composer has written as follows about his work:
"This piano concerto, commissioned by the CBC for performance with Symphony Nova Scotia, is a portrait of Hurricane Juan, a storm that lives on in the memory of all Nova Scotians. The work is in five movements, depicting the 24 hours before, during and after the storm. The orchestra and piano alternately portray the emotional charge of both the community and the hurricane."
Please continue reading for the rest of the daily highlights.
A major programming note for this Saturday September 27th to note off the top. (Yikes, end of September already!) Canada Live (8 p.m.) and The Signal (10 p.m.) team up tonight to present live music from all ten Polaris Prize nominees. The Polaris, should you not be familiar with it, is for a Canadian album judged solely on artistic merit, not sales, essentially a best Canadian recording of the year prize, to the tune of $20,000 for the artist or band who wins -- the winner will be announced at a gala on Monday night.
But tonight you can hear the contenders, in live performances recorded by CBC, featuring: Kathleen Edwards, The Weakerthans, Two Hours Traffic, Basia Bulat, Shad, Caribou, Holy F**k, Black Mountain, Plants & Animals and Stars.
So tune in to R2 tonight at 8 p.m. across the country as hosts Alan Neal and Pat Carrabré present a special "Polaris Prize edition" of Canada Live and The Signal this evening. (And Monday night you may want to listen to Radio 3 if you want to catch the gala broadcast live at 8 p.m. as well.)
And here are the rest of the broadcast day's highlights:
Early Friday evening on Tonic (6 p.m.) Katie will feature a live set of music with Zoot Sims and Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis -- and Oscar Peterson on piano, recorded live on a 1975 European tour.
And you know, that provides the R2 Blog with the perfect excuse to link to her Excellency the Right Honourable Michaëlle Jean's speech about Mr. Peterson during his memorial concert last January, which includes a personal memory of the fifteen years that she spent in the Little Burgandy neighbourhood of Montreal, the same neighbourhood where Oscar Peterson grew up. It's a nice, and clearly heartfelt speech about the great pianist.
Today Tempo (10 a.m. - 3 p.m.) salutes Glenn Gould on what would have been his 76th birthday. Julie will be playing selections including Glenn Gould playing Bach, his famous (or infamous) recording of the Brahms Piano Concerto No. 1 with Leonard Bernstein, as well as his ode to composition, So You Want To Write a Fugue. More on that later this morning -- for now, the rest of the daily programming highlights.
Operalia is upon us. Operalia, should you not be familiar with it, was founded in 1993 by Plácido Domingo -- its intent to discover new young opera singers. More about Operalia later this morning, but for now, the broadcast details:
Tonight, Wednesday, you can hear a live-to-air broadcast of the big opera competition presented by the SATO crew, in the Canada Live time slot (8 p.m. across the country, 8:30 on The Rock), with the winners announced by Laurie on The Signal (10 p.m.) Operalia will also be rebroadcast Saturday, September 27th on SATO (1pm ET, 2pm AT). Also, on Tempo (10 a.m. - 3 p.m.) on Thursday Julie will replay the winning performance. (Please see R2's Operalia feature for more info.)
Please continue reading for the rest of the daily show highlights:
This afternoon you can hear Jason Collett in a "Drive Live," playing live and talking with host Rich Terfry on Radio 2 Drive (3 p.m.-6 p.m.)
Yes, the pride of Bramalea drops by the studio in the third hour of the show, just as he's gearing up for a tour starting in Charlottetown tomorrow, ending in Saskatoon in November. He'll play new tunes from his latest CD Here's to Being Here, taken from a line in a poem by Paul Haines. And here's one reason why:
“I really love the simple sentiment of the title. I think of it as a toast, a raising of the glass to the notion of being present to the moment."
Good morning, and welcome to the work week. (Unless of course you just worked through the weekend, in which case my condolences.) But to the business at hand.
Monday night on Canada Live (8 p.m.) you can hear the Winnipeg homecoming stop of the Wailin' Jennys, (with nary a Jenny among them) a harmony-singing roots band who had been on the road for some time before returning home to play this show. Also on the broadcast, a concert featuring ghazal singer Kiran Ahluwalia with the Manitoba Chamber Orchestra.
As noted recently on the R2 Blog, it is the 75th anniversary of the founding of L’Orchestre Symphonique De Montréal, and today on Sunday Afternoon In Concert (Sunday 1:00 p.m., 1:30 NT) you can hear music from the season opening gala -- highlights include part of Stravinsky’s Firebird, the opening of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5; pianist Lang Lang playing Tchaikovsky; and orchestral "hits" by Ravel.
Bill also features several OSM members who toured to Nunavik to perform a newly commissioned work by Alexina Louie, called Take The Dogsled, for seven instrumentalists and two throat singers.
All that, and music from Newfoundland’s Gros Morne Summer Music and from the Orford Festival of Music in Quebec. And here's what the rest of the day looks (and will sound) like:
You may have caught the first two episodes of the series The Nerve, if not, I'd like to steer you in that direction this morning.
The series is about how music interacts with the human brain, and with our lives. Today's episode is about the use of music as intimidation, as propaganda, as a force to control people (something that's sparked much scrutiny in recent years by authors and bloggers, including Dial M For Musicology). A fascinating subject, and for more info on this week's episode, see the last post.
But enough of dark early morning thoughts -- here is the rest of the broadcast day, beginning with the positive Ms. Molly Johnson and Radio 2 Morning and followed by The Vinyl Café, where music is never ever used to torture, only to soothe the savage breast, beast and whoever else got up on the wrong side of the bed.
Two concerts featuring some Canadian "heavyweights" coming up this evening on Canada Live (8 p.m.) -- first from Bill Bourne, Lester Quitzau, and Madagascar Slim, collectively known as Tri-Continental. They call their mix of blues, celtic, folk and Malagasy rhythms "universal blues," a nice description. And the second show is a celebration of the 20th anniversary of Blue Rodeo's first recording, Outskirts.
Please keep reading for the rest of the day's show highlights.
Most CBC R2 hosts and many of the people who work behind the scenes are also musicians/performers to one extent or another, whether currently practicing or not. (Guilty as charged -- lapsed! Although I am getting the piano tuned...finally.)
Rich Terfy, host of Radio 2 Drive (3 p.m.-6 p.m.), is definitely not on the lapsed side of the equation via his alter ego as Buck 65. And Thursday evening you can hear him performing with Symphony Nova Scotia, a concert recorded by Radio 2, and broadcast this evening on Canada Live (8 p.m.)
The concert features arrangements of Buck 65's hits like Way Back When and Cries A Girl, but also a CBC commission of a work by conducter/composer Dinuk Wijeratne - a triple concerto for cellist (Norman Adams), Buck 65 on turntable, and percussionist Terry O'Mahoney.
And now to the rest of today's broadcast highlights:
On Friday you may have heard Ron Sexsmith playing live on Radio 2 Drive (3 p.m.-6 p.m.), well, today you can hear another "Drive Live," it not being restricted to Friday afternoons.
Rich's guest this afternoon is Matt Mays (and one of El Torpedo's, Adam Baldwin), they'll perform music from the band's newest disc -- Terminal Romance. Trivia note: I hear that they're one of Ron MacLean's favourite bands too. (We don't know how Don Cherry feels about them, but we also don't want to worry about that at present.)
More on Mr. Mays and his music later this morning on the R2 Blog, but for now, the rest of the daily show highlights:
Regular R2 Blog readers know that the blog is, on occasion, something of a modest Leonard Cohen appreciation society. Even if, to paraphrase Nancy White, we know he will never bring our groceries in.
The festival's intention was "to acknowledge his [Cohen's] incommensurate talent with the appropriate ceremony," and to do so they brought together artists who they viewed as "influenced by his universal and immortal songbook."
Those performers included Katie Melua, Serena Ryder, Madeleine Peyroux, Garou, Chris Botti, Lhasa de Sela, Steven Page, Buffy Sainte-Marie, Zachary Richard, Thomas Hellman, Michel Pagliaro, Adam Cohen, and Joe Lovano -- and you can hear highlights on tonight's broadcast.
And here is the rest of the broadcast day, in brief:
Monday has rolled around again is it tends to do, before you even got to the grout in the bathroom with that old toothbrush or sorted your tax receipts. Oh well, it was probably ultimately more rewarding to catch up on your sleep and potato chips.
But here's something to energize you of a Monday morning, if you are k.d. lang fan -- tonight her recent Massey Hall performance will be broadcast on Canada Live (8 p.m.) Just a few months after launching her latest recording, Watershed, she played a sold-out date at Massey and Canada Live was there with their microphones (and cables, don't forget them, that's where the real work is) to record.
More on Ms. Lang a little later this morning, but for now, I'd also like to steer you to a Q&A with k.d. posted around the time that recording was released, called Watershed Moment.
And here are the rest of your daily show highlights:
This afternoon on Sunday Afternoon In Concert (Sunday 1:00 p.m., 1:30 NT) CBC R2, Festival Vancouver and Early Music Vancouver present baroque composer Jean-Philippe Rameau's Pygmalion, bringing together musicians (and dancers, though we may miss that aspect) from Vancouver and Montreal. Featured performers include soprano Suzie LeBlanc. Also on the show today, music from Le Festival de Lanaudiere and the Toronto Summer Festival -- for more information, stay tuned to the Radio 2 Blog, full details coming up late morning.
For now, here are the rest of your daily show highlights:
First item of business: Today on SATO you can hear the Canadian premiere of Marc Blitzstein's musical drama Regina, in a Pacific Opera Victoria production. It's based on Lillian Hellman's wonderful (if stressful to watch) 1939 play (and subsequent movie) The Little Foxes. This production stars mezzo soprano Kimberly Barber, and you can read much more about it a little later this morning right here on the Radio 2 Blog.
Looking way ahead to tonight's edition ofThe Signal (10 p.m.), weekend host Pat Carrabré will be playing something you may have missed when it was first broadcast, (see Idea Of North), Tanya Tagaq's interpretation of the music of Glenn Gould.
And a bunch of brand new new music too -- for some of Pat's thoughts on what he'll play, hustle on over to The Signal Blog.
Both Signal hosts always plays a nice cross-section of international and Canadian performers, but it's interesting how much more Canadian music is being played these days on R2 -- in the inaugural week of the New 2 there was a 58% increase in the number of Canadian tracks played on the air from oh, about spring of 2007. And of course to hear more of that music, here is the guide to today's show highlights:
The Cuban-Canadian music scene has grown in leaps and bounds (such a cliché, but fairly accurate) in the last decade, and tonight Canada Live (8 p.m.) showcases one of the performers to emerge from that scene: composer, arranger, keyboard player and bandleader Roberto Linares Brown.
Brown is still only in his early thirties but already a veteran, having toured with Adalberto Alvares band world-wide for four years. Now Linares Brown lives in Toronto, and he recently released his first CD, Que No Se Pierda La Esencia (That The Essence Not Be Lost). The performance you can hear tonight on Canada Live is from the CD release concert.
And here are highlights from the rest of the broadcast day:
Good Wednesday morning to you. And Wednesday being something of the turning point in the week (or "hump day" as some so elegantly put it) it seems timely to turn one's thoughts slightly in the direction of the upcoming weekend -- and a fine series running on CBC R2 called The Nerve, Music And The Human Experience. It explores some of the hows and whys of music -- as in why are we so receptive to music, and how does it work in our little brains?
Coming up a little sooner than that though, this evening on Canada Live: a concert with Kevin Parent, a big success in Francophone Quebec. How big? Well, he's won a few major ADISQ awards (and a Juno for Best Selling Francophone Album, Les Vents Ont Changé). If you follow the scene, you'll know his hits, songs like Nomade Sedentaire, Seigneur and Boomerang. That's this evening on Canada Live (8 p.m.)
Please keep reading for the full list of show highlights for the day:
Given the emphasis on the new shows on Radio 2's schedule, some of the older ones have been neglected a wee bit so it seems timely to note that Tonic (6 p.m.), Canada Live (8 p.m.) and The Signal (10 p.m.) have launched their new fall programming with fresh shows and music. Case in point, tonight on Tonic (6 p.m.) Katie features part of a concert with the incomparable Shirley Horn, recorded at the 1994 Monterey Jazz Festival.
After Shirley Horn died, in 2005, jazz writers around the world tried to conjure up words to express just what was so special about the way she interpreted songs. This description, the opening of a tribute in the Washington Post, gets pretty close:
"No one mined the depths of a lyric the way Shirley Horn did, with a whispery voice that conjured cashmere and cognac. You could lose yourself -- you couldn't not lose yourself..."
And you can lose yourself in that voice Tuesday evening when Katie plays Shirley Horn on Tonic.
But before that, the New 2 day begins bright and early with Tom Allen hosting Radio 2 Morning (6 a.m.-10 a.m.) followed by Julie Nesrallah with Tempo (10 a.m. - 3 p.m.) and Rich Terfry with Radio 2 Drive (3 p.m.-6 p.m.).
Please keep reading for the show highlights du jour:
Good Monday morning to you. And although there are many miles to go before you sleep (unless you are working the night shift) you may want to know now about an evening concert on R2's Canada Live (8 p.m.). It's called The Idea Of North, a broadcast that recently took home the Bronze World Medal for Best Music Special at the New York Festivals International Radio Awards.
In honour of Glenn Gould's 75th birthday, and the 25th anniversary of his death, CBC Ottawa commissioned artists from across the country to respond to Gould's famous Idea of North documentary -- and tonight you can hear the results. Performers include Tanya Tagaq, The Flaps, The Creaking Tree String Quartet, Veda Hill, Catherine MacLellan, and Grand Analog.
Today's programming gets underway with Tom Allen and Radio 2 Morning (6 a.m.-10 a.m.), though, followed by Julie Nesrallah and Tempo (10 a.m. - 3 p.m.), and then in the afternoons, Rich Terfry with Radio 2 Drive (3 p.m.-6 p.m.).
Feel free to CONTACT US if you'd like to respond to the programming you hear.
Now, the rest of the broadcast day on the New Radio 2:
Happy Sunday. A few matters of note today, first, welcome to Peter Togni as new host of Choral Concert (Sunday 8:00 a.m.). Peter will be familiar to R2 listeners from Weekender and other programmes that he's hosted, and he's also a composer -- in fact Choral Concert listeners will have heard some of his music on the show in the past. Today he'll feature a concert from the Elora Festival, called Double Double. Peter has personally assured me it has nothing to do with Timmies.
Also in the "new" dep't., the debut of Farrago With Jurgen Gothe (Sunday 5:00 p.m. 5:30 NT) today -- more on that a little later this morning, but for now, let it just be said that the inaugural edition features string trios...and of course the inimitable Mr. Gothe.
And today Sunday Afternoon In Concert (Sunday 1:00 p.m., 1:30 NT) launches its new season with some major concerts -- three galas celebrating some of Canada's finest musical establishments.
The Banff Centre marks its 75th anniversary with a concert featuring some of its illustrious alumni -- Jon Kimura Parker -- with Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 5 and soprano Tracy Dahl sings music by Schubert and Bernstein.
The Ottawa Chamber Music Festival joined forces with Banff this summer, and presented a concert that brought together the St. Lawrence String Quartet, an early winner in the Banff String Quartet competition, and Banff luminaries James Sommerville, French horn; Desmond Hoebig, cello; and Barry Shiffman, viola. They'll be heard in music by Mozart - the Quintet for Horn and Strings K. 407 - and Brahms' String Sextet No. 2.
And the third concert is from the Quebec 400th celebrations this summer -- The National Youth Orchestrafrom the Palais Montcalm, led by conductor Jacques Lacombe, featuring what my colleagues at SAIC call "real blockbusters" -- and they are - Beethoven's Symphony No. 5 and Ein Heldenleben ("A Hero's Life") by Richard Strauss. And you know, there is actually more than that on the show, but there has to be some element of surprise, right? As for what else you can hear on the radio today, please continue reading for the day's highlights.
Today as part of the Radio 2 launch of three new shows, Molly Johnson steps in to host the weekend edition of Radio 2 Morning. Welcome, Molly!
Molly is an accomplished jazz and blues singer who has sung aboard the Royal Yacht Britannia before the Prince and late Princess of Wales, and performed for Nelson Mandela and Quincy Jones. Sheesh, no small potatoes.
And she's also a real character -- and I mean that in the most positive of ways. She'll bring that character (not to mention her considerable knowledge about music) to the weekend edition of Radio 2 Morning, which airs from 6-10 Saturdays, and 6-8 Sundays.
(If you'd like to know a bit more about Molly and her new role -- she was the focus of a recent article in the Toronto Star, Molly Johnson Takes Detour Through Radio 2.)
Today also marks the launch of another opera season, and over the next several weeks SAATO will present some Canadian productions and a major operatic event from Quebec City to usher in autumn. In addition to performances from Vancouver, Victoria, Toronto and Montreal, Bill Richardson will team up with his Espace musique colleague Sylvia L'Ecuyer to present Operalia, an international operatic competition led by Placido Domingo. As far as today's opera goes, it's a Vancouver Opera production of Beethoven's Fidelio -- more on that later this morning.
The weekend draws nigh, and as part of the launch of three new shows you can hear Molly Johnson hosting the weekend edition of Radio 2 Morning starting Saturday morning.
But today is another weekday, Miss Scarlett, and on it you will hear Tom Allen with Radio 2 Morning (6 a.m.-10 a.m.), Julie Nesrallah with Tempo (10 a.m. - 3 p.m.) and Rich Terfry with Radio 2 Drive (3 p.m.-6 p.m.).
Did you know that these shows all have their own show blogs? Still in the early stages, as are the programmes themselves, but if you'd like to have a boo, just click on those show links.
Day three for the new weekday CBC Radio 2 shows, and there's been some good listening on all three. (Nice to hear that great New Pornographers song yesterday, Tom, and I'd have to agree with what you said -- so much better than the Old Pornographers. Heh.)
If you've arrived here by clicking through the admittedly massive CBC website trying to find more info about the shows, this is the skinny: Radio 2 Morning (6 a.m.-10 a.m.), hosted by Tom Allen, features a mix of contemporary and older tunes -- indie, pop, a little chanson, a little jazz; Julie Nesrallah brings you classical music on Tempo (10 a.m. - 3 p.m.), and in the afternoons, Rich Terfry presents songwriters on Radio 2 Drive (3 p.m.-6 p.m.).
As it does represent such a major change in the Radio 2 programming, I would like to suggest that if you want to express your opinions beyond the format of the blog, you may want to do so via CONTACT US.
As to today -- here are your daily programming highlights on the New Radio 2:
The new weekday CBC Radio 2 shows have launched, and Dylan CD refusing to track properly aside, (right, Tom?) things got off to a great start. Lovely to hear Julie sounding so at home on Tempo, first day as a radio host, ditto Rich on Radio 2 Drive. (Although Rich has pitched before for campus radio -- we won't say minor leagues, no, not those of us who also came up through community radio.)
And for R2 newcomers or oldcomers curious about the new weekday shows, here is the nutshell: Tom Allen hosts Radio 2 Morning (6 a.m.-10 a.m.), featuring a mix of contemporary artists and familiar favourites in a mix of genres; Julie Nesrallah brings you classical music on Tempo (10 a.m. - 3 p.m.), and in the afternoons, Rich Terfry presents songwriters on Radio 2 Drive (3 p.m.-6 p.m.).
The hosts and producers are proud of their new programmes, but of course also understand that the change in music programming is not to everyone's taste. Please do click on CONTACT US to further express your opinions, should you be so moved.
Meantime, here are some of the programming highlights today on the new Radio 2:
Rightfully this post should be accompanied by audio, say a fanfare, as it is the first day of the new Radio 2. The new show hosts are psyched, the producers are working flat-out, and everyone is very proud to offer you three new programmes, hosted by four talented broadcasters -- all of whom are also musicians.
Out of the early morning gate, (he's used to it!) Tom Allen brings you Radio 2 Morning (6 a.m.-10 a.m.), featuring a mix of contemporary artists and familiar favourites in a mix of genres. Next it's Julie Nesrallah with the all-classical show, Tempo (10 a.m. - 3 p.m.), and in the afternoons, Rich Terfry focuses on the song and the songwriter, on Radio 2 Drive (3 p.m.-6 p.m.). In case you'd like more info, here is a bit more detail on the new shows.
The weekend edition of Radio 2 Morning will be hosted by Molly Johnson, and fans of Jurgen Gothe (I know you are legion,) do tune into his new show, Farrago With Jurgen Gothe (Sundays 5 p.m.) Longtime CBC host Peter Togni begins presenting Choral Concert (Sunday 8:00 a.m.) on the weekend as well.
I'd be remiss not to mention that two other shows have already launched, this past spring -- Tom Powers folk/roots show, Deep Roots (Saturday 11:00 a.m., 12:00 AT), and Katherine Duncan's classical music news show, In Tune (Saturday 5:00 p.m.)
There's no question that these changes represent a huge shift in direction for the Radio 2 network. Most listeners to prime time Radio 2 are accustomed to hearing classical music throughout the broadcast day. Broadening the range to include other styles of music is obviously not to everyone's taste -- and if you wish to express your feelings about that, please go to: CONTACT US. But even if you do count yourself in that number, hopefully you may find something that you do like in the new programming -- there will be lots of excellent music.
You may also be interested in the CBC's new internet radio channels, including CBC Classical (home to classical music from across the centuries, uninterrupted 24 hours a day), which you can find right here on the Radio 2 website at New Radio 2 Channels, and via iTunes --under "radio" and then "classical." There are three other new internet channels launching today too: Canadian Composers, Canadian Songwriters, and CBC Jazz. Here's where you can find out more about how to listen to the online channels.
And stay tuned to the R2 Blog today -- coming up, a Q&A with the lovely and talented Tempo host, Ms.Julie Nesrallah.
Happy Labour Day. It hardly seems possible that summer is over, the Canadian summer is always a blink of an eye, isn't it. Not that I really mind. Sorry, summer advocates, but there's something wonderful about cooler days and autumn leaves. (You know the ones, they drift by your window, the autumn leaves of red and gold?) Not to mention real autumn apples! No more summer mushiness.
But regardless of where you stand re: summer vs. autumn, there's no question that Labour Day represents the eve of change, the new school year, the new radio season too. And this year that means some very big changes at Radio 2, with three new shows on the new daytime schedule launching tomorrow: Tom Allen's Radio 2 Morning (6 a.m.-10 a.m.), Julie Nesrallah's Tempo (10 a.m. - 3 p.m.), and Rich Terfry's Radio 2 Drive (3 p.m.-6 p.m.). Radio 2 Morning will also be heard on weekends with host Molly Johnson.
The blog will look a little different tomorrow too -- a handy dandy early morning post will tell you what's coming up each day, something some of you have suggested would be helpful.
But as to the programming today. Since it is a holiday you will not hear the programming you are used to, nor will you hear the debut of the new shows. What you will hear is a mix of the kinds of music you'll be hearing once the new shows launch.
Also, the new show hosts are not on air today, (holiday host Jeremy Harris will pop in every now and then), they're busy looking over their playlists, doing vocal exercises, practicing their intros...or maybe just drinking coffee and catching up on back issues of the New Yorker...I can't say for sure. But I can say they'll be in the host chairs tomorrow, eager and ready to play music for you. Now, here's the scoop on the programming today:
TODAY'S RADIO 2 HOLIDAY PROGRAMMING
6-10am: Singer-songwriters, world music, indie, blues -- from musicians like Bruce Cockburn, Ron Sexsmith, Van Morrison, Jamie Lidell, Alex Cuba, Nina Simone, Chris Whitely -- that should give you some idea of the range.
10am-3pm: All classical music, all Canadian. If it's not a Canadian Composer, then it's a Canadian orchestra, singer or ensemble.
3-6pm: New and older music, from the indie and roots camps, singer-songwriters, mostly Canadian -- including musicians like Matthew Barber, Kathleen Edwards, Basia Bulat, Sam Roberts, and, as they say much, much more.
Note: Tonic (6 p.m.), Canada Live (8 p.m.) and The Signal (10 p.m.) will be heard today as per usual -- for Canada Live info, please scroll down to the previous post.
Hope that you enjoy the holiday mix, and if you're interested in hearing more that you tune in tomorrow, Tuesday, September 2, for the new Radio 2.
Still the best selling jazz album of all time, and still shiver-inducing -- that's Kind Of Blue, recorded in 1959 by an incredible group of musicians assembled by Miles Davis. Its sound, based on modes rather than loads of chord changes, and the mood that created, (moody! and exquisite) connected in a way that few single recordings do. 
Ralph Vaughan Williams's Fifth Symphony was first performed in 1943, with Vaughan Williams conducting the London Philharmonic Orchestra at the Proms. No wonder 
The other day, finally catching up with PVR'd episodes of Elvis Costello's TV show, 
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You don't have to read his mind -- 
"It's in the pod" might be the 21st century equivalent of "it's in the bag." At least, when what's in the pod(cast) is as fun as today's edition of the 
It's 
'Twas the morn' before Christmas, and all through the house, not a creature was stirring, except a computer keyboard. Wait a minute, that hardly seems sugar plum-ish and snow covered vista-ish. But it is the workday reality, not to mention that around here the beautiful snow is turning to rain, ice, rain, which is just all wrong. 
"What would you choose to PROROGUE?" -- that's the blog question of the week! (Courtesy of Tom Allen at 
Rightfully this post should be accompanied by audio, say a fanfare, as it is the first day of the 
Happy Labour Day. It hardly seems possible that summer is over, the Canadian summer is always a blink of an eye, isn't it. Not that I really mind. Sorry, summer advocates, but there's something wonderful about cooler days and autumn leaves. (You know the ones, they drift by your window, the autumn leaves of red and gold?) Not to mention real autumn apples! No more summer mushiness.
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