August 1999

Mozart and Brahms --Music critic Tom Manoff listens to a new CD of Clarinet Quintets. The works are by Mozart and by Brahms performed by David Shifrin and the Emerson String Quartet. Manoff says he's heard these works many times, and was very pleased by the intimacy and passion in the performances. (5:15)

First Snow on Fuji --Book reviewer Alan Cheuse tells us about the first English translation of a collection of short stories by Nobel Prize winning Japanese writer Yasunari Kawabata Cheuse says the 1958 book First Snow on Fuji broaches the topics of marriage and adultery, with the descriptive language of a master. (2:30)

Flowers in the Dustbin -- Noah speaks with James Miller, author of Flowers in the Dustbin: The Rise of Rock and Roll, 1947-1977 Miller discusses the very early days of rock, and the influence of the song "Good Rockin' Tonight." Flowers in the Dustbin is published by Simon and Schuster. (8:00)

The Lonesome Organist -- David Greenberger reviews Cavalcade, the new CD by The Lonesome Organist. The Lonesome Organist is the name used by multi-instrumentalist Jeremy Jacobsen, who lives in Chicago. He plays all the instruments on the CD, including organ, toy piano, steel drums, saws, harmonicas, melodica, pots and pans, whistle, and guitar. He would play many of these simultaneously and then layer the different recordings himself with his four-track recorder. (3:45)

The CD label is Thrill Jockey and can be found at http://www.thrilljockey.com/lonesome.html. For more info, contact lonesome@thrilljockey.com.

Until The Real Thing Comes Along -- Reviewer Alan Cheuse says a novel by Elizabeth Berg puts a modern twist on the concepts of true love, and finding a mate. Until The Real Thing Comes Along is published by Random House.(2:00)

Moby -- Tom Moon reviews the CD Play by Moby. Moby has created a hip-hop CD using samples of old gospel and folk blues recordings. Moon says that the old recordings humanize the clinical, cold sound of electronic music. (4:00)

Cesaria Evora -- Charles de Ledesma reviews a new CD from singer Cesaria Evora. Atlantico, is her third album. Evora from the Cape Verde islands off the coast of West Africa. Her music is sort of a blend of blues, creole and folk. (4:00)

Look Homeward, Angel -- Book reviewer Alan Cheuse, has been re-reading some classic American fiction this summer, including Thomas Wolfe's novel, Look Homeward, Angel. (3:00)

Randy Newman -- Nick Spitzer reviews singer-songwriter Randy Newman's latest recording, Bad Love. Newman grew up in a California family with many film music composing uncles. His family background may have led him into the kind of zany songwriting he's known for. Newman, now based in New Orleans, pens lyrics that are often cynical and witty, even subversive. Spitzer ranks this new CD as one of Newman's best efforts. (5:00)

Mother to Mother -- On August 25, 1993, American graduate student Amy Biehl , working in Capetown, South Africa to help organize democratic elections, was murdered by a mob of young men. South African writer Sindiwe Magona has written a novel about the incident. Alan Cheuse has this review of Mother to Mother. (2:30)

Africa Fete -- Music reviewer Banning Eyre says one event not to miss this summer is Africa Fete, a touring African music festival that begins in Detroit on August 12, and travels to 17 other US cities. Eyre talks with members of one of the featured groups, Kulanjan, which is made up of seven traditional musicians from Mali and Guinea, along with American bluesman Taj Mahal. The group got together for a recording session in Georgia this past spring, and explored the connections between traditional West African music and the blues. The resulting CD has just been released. (7:30)

MUSIC HERE Ol' Georgie Buck by Taj Mahal and Toumani Diabate

Von Karajan -- Music critic Tom Manoff shares his thoughts on music conducted by Herbert Von Karajan. He was the conductor for the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra until 1989. His relationship with the Nazi party made him a controversial figure, and for Manoff, this dilemma has not been an easy one to reconcile. (5:30)

Music in this piece comes from two CD's: Von Karajan conducting Mozart symphonies 40 and 41, on EMI. Von Karajan conducting Brahms Symhonie #1 on Deutsche Grammaphon.

Broke Heart Blues -- Joyce Carol Oates takes reader back to high school in the sixties in her new novel set, as many of her books, in western New York. This one is entitled Broke Heart Blues. Alan Cheuse has a review. (2:00)

Veloso -- Tom Moon reviews the CD Livro by Brazilian musician Caetano Veloso. Caetano Veloso was one of the musical pioneers who created the Tropicalia style in the late 60's. Tropicalia combines traditional Brazillian rhythms with contemporary popular songwriting. Moon says that Veloso offers an update on the Tropicalia style on his new CD. (3:30)



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