T-Bone Burnett On World Cafe
Grammy Award-winning producer T-Bone Burnett is today's guest on World Cafe.
Set List
- "O Death" (Ralph Stanley)
- "I'll Fly Away" (Alison Krauss and Gillian Welch)
- "Hogfoot" (John Hartford)
Today's World Cafe guest is Grammy Award-winning producer and singer-songwriter T-Bone Burnett. Although he's been performing and producing since 1965, Burnett is perhaps best known these days for his role as music supervisor for the Coen Brother's 2001 film O Brother, Where Art Thou?
Burnett's soundtrack, which compiled originals and covers of folk and Americana music from the 1930, became a monumental bestseller and brought the music of the era, for the first time, into the contemporary mainstream. In 2001, it won the Grammy award for Album of the Year. It's now among the top 10 best-selling soundtrack albums of all time.
Today, the soundtrack is getting the 10th Anniversary Deluxe Edition treatment with a bonus disk of material. To mark the occasion, David Dye spoke with Burnett about the process of revisiting and revamping the landmark record.
In this in-depth interview, among other topics, Burnett discusses working with the Coen Brothers and the influence Bob Dylan had on his approach to curating the soundtrack.
"[Dylan] was able to look at the beginning of the last century and compress those four decades into one — like compressing diamonds — an extraordinary explosion of rock'n'roll music. And he taught that to all of us," Burnett says.
Hear more, including songs from the O Brother, Where Art Thou? 10th anniversary re-issue, on today's World Cafe.
More World Cafe
World Cafe
Next: John Fullbright
Download a track featuring the Oklahoma songwriter's unassuming, roots-based take on folk music.
World Cafe
Neal Casal On World Cafe
The veteran guitarist and member of The Cardinals plays songs from his album Sweeten the Distance.
World Cafe
T-Bone Burnett On World Cafe
Hear an interview with the legendary producer, who reflects on some of his most famous projects.
Comments
Please keep your community civil. All comments must follow the NPR.org Community rules and terms of use. See also the Community FAQ.
NPR reserves the right to read on the air and/or publish on its website or in any medium now known or unknown the e-mails and letters that we receive. We may edit them for clarity or brevity and identify authors by name and location. For additional information, please consult our Terms of Use.