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Playlist: Music Station Picks for May '10

Compiled By: PRX Curators

 Credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/chaostrophy/">flickr_chaostrophy</a>
Image by: flickr_chaostrophy 
Curated Playlist

Here are May 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."

A note from PRX Editors: Check out the PRX Editors' curated twitter feed, which includes timely and curated daily editors' picks. Hide full description

Roma music: Fanfare Ciocarlia from Romania and Hasan Yarimdunia from Turkey.

From Radio Netherlands Worldwide | Part of the Hear the World 2010 series | 58:01

Roma Music is gypsy music. It’s also a party – a raucous, joyful, humorous and nearly uncontrollable party from Romania and Turkey – with perhaps a bit of the wonderfully and welcome bizarre added in.

This edition of “Hear the World” from Radio Netherlands offers excerpts from concerts by two groups living the Roma musical life: Fanfare Ciocarlia from Romania and clarinetist Hasan Yarimdunia from Turkey.

Fanfare Ciocarlia is clearly not your father’s high school band, or yours either, but they are a fun Romanian gypsy ride with winds and brass.

Hasan Yarimdunia, I think it’s fair to say, plays somewhat in the mode of the Eastern European Klezmer style, but with a distinctly Turkish flavor – often slower and more deliberate. Like Fanfare Ciocarla, the Turkish clarinetist’s music it’s all about joy, exuberance and the pure pleasure of playing highly spirited music. (Stay for the “scat” at 54:04, and the amazing percussion section that precedes it.)

Perfect for a blue Sunday or any other daypart where listeners are likely to appreciate a shot in the arm.

Promotion for the entire “Hear the World” series begins at 55:00 – the show’s producer says it’s okay to end the program before the promo segment begins.

Check out the wide list of varied performers and performances from the entire series here: http://www.prx.org/series/31581-hear-the-world.

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Roma sounds full of joy and lust for life. 

The energetic Romanian Roma wind orchestra Fanfare Ciocarlia plays its traditional repertoire with enormous dexterity, which is well suited to celebrations and parties. Music which is oozing with joy.

Wedding and party music are also master clarinettist Hasan Yarimdunia’s speciality, but in contrast to the somewhat raucous style of Fanfare Ciocarlia, in his Roma music Hasan Yarimdunia focuses on perfect melodies and subtle minute virtuoso details.

Music from the Far East: Huong Thanh from Vietnam and Sambasunda from Indonesia

From Radio Netherlands Worldwide | Part of the Hear the World 2010 series | 58:01

Here are excerpts from two live concerts produced by Radio Netherlands. I found the performance by Vietnamese singer Huong Thanh especially intriguing and touching. There’s a particular delicacy to her voice that will call you by name. She’s accompanied by exceptional players of the Koto (Japanese Zither) and Erhu (Chinese violin).

One of the most often heard and quoted Japanese melodies (meaning the only melody we've been hearing on TV, Film and commercials) is presented in its entirety. It's absolutely beautiful, if not haunting. And finally, we get to know the melody and song by name.

Sambasunda, the West Javan gamelan orchestra of gongs, drums and metalloaphones, incorporates both the Javanese and Bali gamelan traditions (apples and oranges, temperament-wise). More accurately – “exuberant ecstasy” and “modest tranquility.”

This piece is suitable for incorporating within your station’s World Music schedule or as a special you can insert within a local world music show. If music programming works within your regular Doc slots, this program is likely to be a good fit. The music, exotic and at times unusual in nature, is best suited for afternoon and evening dayparts.

From 54:54 – 58:00, the program promotes other shows from the series: the show’s producer has given stations permission to fade out prior to the start (54:54) of the fade, and it can be done both artfully and easily: alert your board operator.

See the entire series line up at http://www.prx.org/series/31581-hear-the-world.

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A performance by Huong Thanh Asian Colors: traditional Vietnamese singing accompanied on the koto (Japanese zither) and the erhu (Chinese violin), the enchanting colors of Huong Thanh’s voice are beautifully set off by the spare accompaniment.

New, refreshing sounds from the West Javan orchestra Sambasunda, which combines gamelan sounds with influences from jazz, classical Western music and Brazilian rhythms. Colorful, adventurous music which alternates exuberant ecstasy and rural restraint.

 

Porgy & Bess: A Jazz Transcription (Parts 1 & 2)

From PVP Media | Part of the Rivewalk Jazz series | 01:58:10

Here is a classic from the Riverwalk Jazz Series, honoring the revolutionary, groundbreaking Gershwin opera, Porgy and Bess on its 75th anniversary. It is available to all PRI affiliates.

The legendary singer/performer William Warfield narrates the Jim Cullum Band’s transcription of Gershwin’s score. All of Gershwin's sweetness is there -- along with the music's complexity, emotion, joy and longing -- reminding us that this music could have been yesterday, and even today.

Musical performances and inspiration are at unprecedented levels (thank you for letting me say this just once in 2010).

The program can air as 2 one-hour programs, or as a single two-hour program.

Highly recommended for all formats and all times of day.

Porgybess_1942programprx_small A milestone 2-part broadcast of Gershwin's Porgy & Bess featuring The Jim Cullum Jazz Band's renditions of the original score and narrated by the renowned William Warfield who played Porgy several times throughout his career. Gershwin considered Porgy & Bess his greatest work, and Jim Cullum says, "This jazz transcription is probably the greatest single accomplishment of the Band's 48-year history."

"Fascinating and well told. I really enjoyed this performance of Porgy and Bess. Thanks for making such great material available!" KWBU-FM listener, N. Zola

The Beatles Finale: Let It Be (59:00 / 54:00)

From Paul Ingles | 58:59

Fans, fanatics, music critics and musicians gather in this tribute and discussion about the final album and accompanying film that documented the Beatles' recording, “Let it Be.”

Producer Paul Ingles and panel take us behind the scenes, take us inside the drama(s), tell a few wonderful, rich stories and bring more than a fan’s insight into the fall segment of the Beatles musical rise and fall. It’s not always pretty, but it’s a powerful look at the Beatles’ real world.

In addition to effectively merging the album’s musical, historical and background elements, producer Paul Ingles always manages to find and assemble panels of experts who don’t lecture, over-analyze or blather with grandeur – and the fans who do not fawn.

This tribute is thoroughly enjoyable, relevant and timely for the 40th anniversary of its release in May 1970. The music never sounded finer.

Let_it_be_small The word had been out for about a month that the legendary Beatles were splitting up, when fans were able to buy what would be their 12th and last official release.  The cover featured an individual photo of each Beatle, bordered by black under just three words, Let It Be.  While few would consider it one of the Beatles' best, there are still some undeniable classics, good rockers and some clues to the dissolution of the most famous band in music history.

In this program, producer Paul Ingles presents the 5th in his series of programs deconstructing great Beatles albums.  His panel of musicians, music writers and Beatle fans includes: Anthony DeCurtis- writer for Rolling Stone Magazine, Los Angeles Times Critic Ann Powers, Jim DeRogatis of the Chicago Sun-Times, Greg Kot of the Chicago Tribune, Beatle book authors Steve Turner and Richie Unterberger, and musicians David Gans, Jon Spurney, Richard Goldman and (in the 59:00 version only) Shawn Colvin.

New Orleans Band Director, Willbert Rawlins Jr.

From David Weinberg | Part of the WWOZ- Street Talk series | 04:49

A wonderful feature documenting the long-standing tradition of a music teacher saving kids' lives by introducing them to music.

In New Orleans, one of those heroes is Willbert Rawlins Jr. WWOZ producer David Weisberg gives us a memorable 4:49 portrait of Mr. Rawlins and one of New Orleans' preeminent marching bands.

Will_rawlins_small In the recent book Nine Lives by Dan Baum, Willbert Rawlins Jr is one of the characters who takes us through life in New orleans before and after hurricane katrina. Rawlins was instrumental in helping a group of kids leave the hustle of the streets and start their own brass band. They became TBC Brass band, one of New Orleans hottest bands.