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Soundcheck (Classical)

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  • Host: John Schaefer
  • WNYC music host John Schaefer showcases the finest composers and performers with a program focused squarely on New York's vibrant cultural scene. Tune in for live music performances by leading musicians and composers, stimulating conversation about the latest trends in arts and ideas, and regular updates about the cultural, musical and artistic life of New York City.
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New York's "Underground Economy" (Soundcheck: Friday, 20 November 2009)

Fri, Nov 20 Listen
Making a living has never been easy for subway musicians but some say it's only getting tougher. Some buskers are striking up deals with corporate sponsors. Others complain that transit police have been cracking down on performers. Today, we get several views on New York’s “underground economy.” Joining us is Luke Ryan, a musician who struck a deal to be in a deodorant campaign; Heather Haddon, a reporter at amNewYork newspaper, and Steve Zeitlin, executive director of the organization City...

They Might Be Giants (Soundcheck: Friday, 20 November 2009)

Fri, Nov 20 Listen
Are you confused by cosmology? Do you really understand photosynthesis? The brainiacs of They Might Be Giants want to help demystify those scientific concepts and many others, by playing songs from their new album, Here Comes Science, live in our studio. They Might Be Giants perform an all ages in-store at Barnes & Noble in Union Square on Thursday, Dec. 3 at 6 p.m. More information here.

Grant-Lee Phillips (Soundcheck: Thursday, 19 November 2009)

Thu, Nov 19 Listen
Singer-songwriter Grant-Lee Phillips has led a notable solo career since the breakup of his band Grant Lee Buffalo. But lately, he’s finding the whole band thing to be pretty irresistible. He even roped his opening act, The Winterpills, into serving as his touring band. He joins us to perform songs from his newest album, Little Moon, live in our studio.

The Plight of Jazz in New York (Soundcheck: Thursday, 19 November 2009)

Thu, Nov 19 Listen
The recent recession took its toll on New York's jazz community, especially musicians and small venues. And earlier this year, JVC withdrew its sponsorship of the JVC Jazz Festival, leaving the city without a major summer jazz festival for the first time in almost 40 years. Today: how the city's jazz artists and clubs are keeping their head above water. We talk with New York Times jazz critic Nate Chinen.

The Jazz Loft (Soundcheck: Thursday, 19 November 2009)

Thu, Nov 19
After our look at the state of jazz in New York, we return to a golden age of the genre: the 1950s and '60s. Thousands of hours of tape recorded in a Manhattan loft during that era were recently discovered. They became WNYC’s Jazz Loft Project, a 10-part series produced in association with the Center for Documentary Studies at Duke University. Today’s episode is about a somewhat mysterious figure, Hall Overton, who is known primarily as Thelonious Monk’s arranger for the 1959 Big Band...

New York Music, Block to Block (Soundcheck: Wednesday, 18 November 2009)

Wed, Nov 18 Listen
In 1927, the Harlem renaissance peaked and Duke Ellington’s orchestra became the house band for The Cotton Club. Fifty years later, 1977 gave rise to hip hop's innovators and seminal albums from the CBGB crowd. We talk to author and music journalist Tony Fletcher about his new book, All Hopped Up and Ready To Go: Music From the Streets of New York, 1927-77, a look at local neighborhoods that served as laboratories for some of the most influential music of the 20th Century.

Rickie Lee Jones Live (Soundcheck: Wednesday, 18 November 2009)

Wed, Nov 18 Listen
Thirty years after she won a Grammy for best new artist, singer-songwriter Rickie Lee Jones has an album that she says feels like her debut. The so-called “Duchess of Coolsville," joins us to talk about the healing aspect of her new album, "Balm in Gilead," and to perform live in the studio.

High Drama: Pop vs. Score (Soundcheck: Tuesday, 17 November 2009)

Tue, Nov 17 Listen
Soundcheck Smackdown goes Hollywood! Today: music supervisor Alexandra Patsavas, who compiled the hit soundtrack to the new Twilight film New Moon, and Variety film writer Jon Burlingame debate which makes for better movie music: pop music or original score.

Dionne Warwick (Soundcheck: Tuesday, 17 November 2009)

Tue, Nov 17 Listen
In a career spanning nearly five decades, Dionne Warwick has earned five Grammy Awards and 56 Billboard Hot 100 hits, including "Say a Little Prayer" and "Do You Know the Way to San Jos." In the 1960s and early '70s she was a muse for the songwriting team of Burt Bacharach and Hal David, who wrote specifically for her cool, sophisticated alto voice. Now 68, Warwick shows few signs of slowing down, and joins us in advance of a concert with composer Michel Legrand. Dionne Warwick performs with...

Too Close for Comfort? (Soundcheck: Monday, 16 November 2009)

Mon, Nov 16 Listen
Residential sounds are the number-one noise complaint in New York City, according to the City's 311 complaint hotline. Today, Arline Bronzaft, chair of the noise committee at the city's Council on the Environment, tells us how to cope in the latest installment of Soundcheck’s monthly series on noise. Weigh in:Do you have noisy neighbors? Any confrontations? Learn to live and let live?

Forro in the Dark Live (Soundcheck: Monday, 16 November 2009)

Mon, Nov 16 Listen
When the rhythm known as forro made its way from the Northeast of Brazil to the Lower East Side it lost the accordion, gained more drums…and some American pop. New York-based outfit Forro in the Dark has featured David Byrne in its first album and for their new album, Light A Candle, they gather Brazilian Girls' Sabina Sciubba and singer-songwriter Jesse Harris. They’ll play live in our studio.

Picks of the Week (Soundcheck: Friday, 13 November 2009)

Fri, Nov 13 Listen
This week, our staff picks offer something for the jazz enthusiast, the indie music fan -- and something for nothing. Read our full reviews here.

The Life of Robert Palmer (Soundcheck: Friday, 13 November 2009)

Fri, Nov 13 Listen
The late Robert Palmer was best known as a New York Times music critic, Rolling Stone editor and author of the book Deep Blues. Others knew him as a musicologist and record producer. But Palmer was also a difficult man whose ambitions and addictions overshadowed loved ones. We talk with writer and critic Anthony DeCurtis, editor of a new collection of Palmer's work called Blues & Chaos: The Music Writing of Robert Palmer.

Sir Willard White (Soundcheck: Friday, 13 November 2009)

Fri, Nov 13 Listen
Bass-baritone Sir Willard White grew up as the son of a dockworker in Kingston, Jamaica. In 1968 he won a scholarship to study at the Julliard School. Since then, he's performed at the world’s major opera houses, recorded both opera and albums of folk songs, and received a knighthood. He joins us to talk about his current role in the Metropolitan Opera’s production of Janacek's From the House of the Dead.

The Search for Soul (Soundcheck: Thursday, 12 November 2009)

Thu, Nov 12 Listen
The Search for Soul: Beatlemania was rekindled briefly this year with a set of Fab Four remasters. But in recent years, obscure soul-music reissues have sparked a different obsession. Today: we look at the quest for “outsider soul” at labels like Numero Group, Wax Poetics and Soul Jazz. Guests include Ben Greenman of The New Yorker and Syl Johnson, the singer-producer behind ‘60s songs like the much-sampled “Different Strokes” and “Is It Because I'm Black?”

Sara Tavares Live (Soundcheck: Thursday, 12 November 2009)

Thu, Nov 12 Listen
Sara Tavares was born and raised in Lisbon to Cape Verdian parents. The young singer-songwriter juggles languages, global influences and styles to make music that places her as a potential successor to the diva of Cape Verde, Cesaria Evora. She joins us to play live songs from her new album, Xinti.

Iggy Pop Takes on the French (Soundcheck: Wednesday, 11 November 2009)

Thu, Nov 12 Listen
Punk godfather Iggy Pop spent much of this decade reuniting and rocking with his raw and influential group, The Stooges. But his latest solo album takes its cue from New Orleans jazz, French pop, and author Michel Houellebecq’s 2005 novel The Possibility of an Island. Pop joins us to talk about crafting Prliminaires.

Elizabeth and the Catapult (Soundcheck: Wednesday, 11 November 2009)

Wed, Nov 11 Listen
The band Elizabeth and the Catapult describes itself as “baroque pop”, but there are elements of jazz, funk and soul on their music. They join us to perform songs from their new album, Taller Children.

Smackdown: The Love Song vs. The Breakup Song (Soundcheck: Tuesday, 10 Nove

Tue, Nov 10 Listen
Few song topics resonate with listeners like romance and heartache. Today: Glen Hansard and Markta Irglov, stars of the 2007 film Once and the duo behind the Oscar-winning group The Swell Season, join us in The Greene Space to debate which is more powerful: the love song or the breakup song. Tell us: Are you more attracted to love songs or breakup songs? Has your preference for one over the other changed recently? Leave a comment and tell us why.

Joshua Bell with Tiempo Libre and Frankie Moreno (Soundcheck: Tuesday, 10 N

Tue, Nov 10 Listen
Violinist Joshua Bell has appeared in the world’s leading concert halls, on the Oscar-winning score to the film The Red Violin, and even in a Washington, D.C. metro station, at the urging of a Washington Post columnist. But his latest recording, At Home With Friends, was inspired by his long-time practice of holding intimate "musical soires" at his New York residence. Today, Bell joins us in the Greene Space to perform with two collaborators from the album: the hot young Latin band Tiempo...

Music by Doctor's Orders (Soundcheck: Monday, 09 November 2009)

Mon, Nov 9 Listen
Many people have faced a life dilemma or crisis that could be helped by a piece of music: dinner with the boss's wife, a second date with a die-hard Philip Glass fan, a wedding or a funeral. After our popular segment last year, The Record Doctor - aka British classical music critic and author Norman Lebrecht - returns to take your calls and comments. The surgery is open: What's troubling you? What do you want to know about buying classical recordings? Ask The Record Doctor below.

Kailash Kher (Soundcheck: Monday, 09 November 2009)

Mon, Nov 9 Listen
It’s a story a la Slumdog Millionaire: Kailash Kher used to live in cheap hotels in Mumbai while pursuing a music career. He is now one of Bollywood’s biggest stars and a judge on the TV show Indian Idol. He joins us with his band for a live performance.

Vijay Iyer (Soundcheck: Tuesday, 03 November 2009)

Fri, Nov 6 Listen
Composer and pianist Vijay Iyer has long mixed two genres in his work: jazz and Indian music. On his latest album, Historicity, he not only covers the jazz standards, but also sets his sight on popular music with covers of songs by M.I.A and Stevie Wonder. He performs lives in our studio.

Gadgets That Haven't Been Invented (Yet) (Soundcheck: Friday, 06 November 2

Fri, Nov 6
With the holiday shopping season on the horizon, tech companies are rolling out new MP3 players, iPod accessories, mobile apps and more. New York Times technology columnist David Pogue recently asked his Twitter followers for ideas for gadgets that don't exist. He joins us to share some of the results -- and to field more ideas from our listeners. Tell us: do you have a gadget in mind that doesn’t exist yet? Leave a comment below.

Bill T. Jones (Soundcheck: Friday, 06 November 2009)

Fri, Nov 6
The 200th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln's birth inspired the choreographer Bill T. Jones to explore the sixteenth president’s life in two major works: Fondly Do We Hope ... Fervently Do We Pray and Serenade/The Proposition. The often-provocative Jones joins us to talk about the meaning of Lincoln from a contemporary African-American perspective. And, he discusses the arrival of his Broadway musical Fela!, inspired by the life of African musician Fela Kuti.

The Very Best (Soundcheck: Thursday, 05 November 2009)

Thu, Nov 5 Listen
The Very Best is the collaboration between Malawian-born, London-based singer Esau Mwamwaya and the British DJ duo Radioclit. The eclectic-sounding group was tapped to be this year’s buzz band at the CMJ Music Festival -- until travel issues scuttled Mwamwaya’s visit. Now, the group joins us to talk about a critically lauded second album, Warm Heart of Africa, which features guest appearances from rapper M.I.A. and Ezra Koenig of Vampire Weekend.

Picks of the Week (Soundcheck: Thursday, 05 November 2009)

Thu, Nov 5 Listen
This week's picks include some icy sounds, an economic power trio and a multicultural bunch. Click here to read our full reviews.

All Work and No Play - But High Pay (Soundcheck: Thursday, 05 November 2009

Thu, Nov 5 Listen
The stagehands that push the pianos onto the stage at Carnegie Hall make more than the musicians who play them. Bloomberg News recently revealed that the top stagehands there earn $500,000 a year. Reporter Philip Boroff tells us about this specialized corner of the music industry. City Opera Launches a New Season New York City Opera opens its 2009-10 season with a gala tonight after an off-season of drastic cost-cutting measures. General manager George Steel sought concessions from unions –...

Conducting Your Way to the Top (Soundcheck: Wednesday, 04 November 2009)

Wed, Nov 4
Roger Nierenberg is a conductor and creator of the Music Paradigm, a program that invites executives to sit inside an orchestra and even try their hand at conducting. He joins us to share his observations on why he thinks conducting can turn business executives into successful leaders as recounted in his new book, Maestro: A Surprising Story About Leading by Listening.

Carly Simon (Soundcheck: Wednesday, 04 November 2009)

Wed, Nov 4
Carly Simon was in her 20s when she wrote songs like "You're So Vain" and "Anticipation." Over 30 years later, she re-recorded them on a new album, Never Been Gone. They came out so different that Simon says it was like "a visit with a psychiatrist." She joins us to talk about the making of her latest album, and about her recent lawsuit filed against HearMusic, the music label once backed by Starbucks, over the promotion of a 2008 release.

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