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Playlist: Music Station Picks for March '10

Compiled By: PRX Curators

 Credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/57917705@N00/88699234/">Elisabeth D'Orcy</a>
Image by: Elisabeth D'Orcy 
Curated Playlist

Here are March picks for music stations from PRX Music Format Curator David Srebnik of Virtuoso Voices.

Find out what David listens for in music programming.

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Suggestions from David:

"Are you on Twitter? PRX is on Twitter — I've found it to be an invaluable programming resource, providing information and updates on new program that are available on PRX. It's like getting an instant update from PRX without having to go to the PRX site.

"One PRX Twitter feed contains a link to each new PRX piece.

"The second PRX feed tells you which programs have been bought in real time."

The Prince of Kosher Gospel

From Alex Goldmark | 04:14

This is terrific.

For radio professionals and lifelong radio learners, this is a template for the first-person vignette, audio postcard and radio story telling.

For your listeners, it’s a way in to meet Joshua Nelson, an African-American Jew (aka “The Prince of Kosher Gospel”), who brings additional soul to Jewish soul music.

Covers all of the musical and theological bases – like, how do you merge the gospel, or gospel music, with Jewish liturgical songs.

It would be a sin to only air this piece during Black History Month, Jewish History Month etc.

Highly recommended.

Default-piece-image-1 Joshua Nelson, a proud African-American-Jew, explains how he fuses the soul music he loved as a boy with the sometimes dreary liturgical songs of his Jewish faith. He sure can spice up a service, just have a listen to the music he makes.

The Warsaw Village Band

From Feet in Two Worlds | 07:27

Ewa Kern-Jedrychowska profiles the contemporary music group from Poland, The Warsaw Village Band. Their music treads wonderfully on both sides of the Polish music tradition - creating an enchanting look into the past, while also moving the traditional harmonies and story telling forward by calling on a variety of "World Music" influences including Indian Ragas and a lot of American Blues.

Suitable for news/music stations, eclectic music and AAA formats. If there's a strong Polish community in your market...jackpot(!).

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The Warsaw Village Band Inspires Fans, But Some Polish Immigrants Turn a Deaf Ear

The Warsaw Village Band - Photo: Kayax

The Warsaw Village Band. (Photo: Kayax)

Can traditional Polish music sound funky? Or Asian? Or bluesy? The members of the Warsaw Village Band think it can. When the six-piece band was founded 12 years ago, its young members visited Polish villages to gather vanishing songs from elderly musicians. Later these melodies became the inspiration for a new modern and eclectic style of music.

Today the Warsaw Village Band has fans all over the world. They call themselves barbarians playing hardcore folk. Recently the American magazine PopMatters named the band’s latest CD “Infinity” the top World Music album for 2009.

But while American audiences welcome the band’s innovative ideas, New York’s Polish immigrant community has had a mixed reaction.

Young Poles are enthusiastic, but older immigrants are skeptical, seeing the Warsaw Village Band’s innovative mix of styles as a blow to traditional Polish folk music.

Earl Wild at the Concertgebouw Amsterdam

From Boyce Lancaster | 58:57

This is a recently produced bio of a music-maker and history-maker featuring rare performances by pianist Earl Wild. (He died January 23, 2010.)

Although pianist Earl Wild is rarely placed at the top of the list of keyboard giants from this or recent generations, he does own a place in music history and American history. (He played for six presidents and played the National Anthem at Eleanor Roosevelt’s frequent speaking events.)

WOSU Host Boyce Lancaster profiles Earl Wild's historic place and brand of musicianship in performances from a 2005 recital. This mostly music bio also includes Wild’s thoughts and reflections on his musical development and career path, including his fun, virtuosic but artful, piano transcriptions.

Technically, the performances (Beethoven, Albinoni, Chopin and Liszt) are, at times, uneven. But the Wild stamp, musical understanding and personality are all there.

Earl Wild was a serious musician who never pushed himself on the classical music world. But when that world called on him, he knew what and how to deliver.

Suitable for all stations with a classical music component – ideal for afternoons, evenings and all weekend long.

Earl-wild_disney_small Pianist Earl Wild Performed for six U.S. Presidents fromHerbert Hoover to Lyndon Johnson, including a memorable performance at J.F.K.'s inauguration.  Mr. Wild performed before royalty and heads of state, but he was happy to play for anyone who loved music.  Earl Wild received an enthusiastic welcome at the Concertgebouw Amsterdam as he presented a recital to celebrate his 90th birthday.  Here is that performance, recorded by Radio Netherlands Worldwide.  Boyce Lancaster has produced this 59:00 special interspersed with comments by Earl Wild about his life and career.

The Chieftains

From Joyride Media | 59:01

"The reason the band stayed together is because everybody's different."

This is more of a documentary on the Chieftains and the ups, downs and historic development of Irish Music, than a St. Patrick's Day party.

Still, it's musically festive and fun, and the stories behind those ups and downs are interesting - making this a viable option for news stations with doc slots, and for any station with a world music or AAA component.

Many, many musical highlights, but Sting and the Chieftains singing the traditional Irish tune "Mo Ghile Mear" should set your table nicely, if not divinely. Ditto...Allison Krauss and "Molly Bán."

The program was originally produced in 2006, so there are a few outdated time references that are of minimal distraction.

More exceptional radio entertainment and expertise from Joyride Media.

Chieftains_small THE CHIEFTAINS RADIO SPECIAL PLEASE CONSIDER SCHEDULING THIS PROGRAM AROUND ST. PATRICK S DAY The audio for this program is now available. PRSS Feed: Wed, March 8, 1600 ET Program ID: 06-000-00198 Channel: A72.7 Stereo One-hour music documentary salutes The Chieftains, Ireland's musical ambassadors to the world. You'll hear music they've recorded throughout their storied career, interviews with the band, comments and tributes from Celtic music historians and special guest artists who have joined them over the years - including Alison Krauss, Ricky Skaggs and Don Meade. Host: Acclaimed Celtic singer/songwriter Susan McKeown Producer: Paul Chuffo, Joyride Media Length: 59 mins with top/bottom of hour breaks Broadcast window: March - April, 2006 Terms: Free for all USA radio stations Contact: Andy Cahn, cahnmedia@comcast.net, 201-386-1736

The Orchestrion: Pat Metheny's One-Man Band

From John Diliberto | Part of the Echo Location: Soundings for New Music series | 03:30

When the antique and the quirky collide with the 21st century and high tech, you get something called the Orchestrion, a mechanical orchestra that sounds part Wurlitzer, part circus organ and part orchestra.

John Diliberto showcases a giant modern day version of the Orchestrion, an instrument that “flourished in the 19th and early 20th century” on this edition from the Echo Location: Soundings for New Music series.

"An orchestrion is a generic name for a machine that plays music and is designed to sound like an orchestra or band." (Wikipedia)

This piece does a good job of tracing the Orchestrion's history and background, shows off its oddities and somewhat bizarre leanings. But it is also an instrument capable of rising above the bizarre, especially when the Orchestrion is being orchestrated by guitar legend Pat Metheny.

As you'll hear.

That contrast between the instrument's cavalcade of cacophony and Metheny's artistry creates the real payoff.

Well written, assembled and produced – and all in 3:30. This merging of the old and unusual with our high tech fused society has the potential to make a good fit within your local programming containing an arts, music and high tech component.

But, I would not underestimate its pure entertainment component as well.

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Acclaimed jazz guitarist Pat Metheny plugs to the Orchestrion, a massive instrument based on the old player piano orchestrations of yore.

It's part of Echo Location: Soundings for New Music, the weekly digest from Echoes host and Peabody Award winning producer John Diliberto, exploring the latest in modern music with quick hitting interviews, music and commentary. Each edition of Echo Location features a beautifully edited music blend, that's combined with John's thoughtful insights and artists's comments to make a sound-rich journey for listeners. Each episode can stand on its own or be scheduled as a weekly or occasional series.