November 2000

Leni Stern -- Leni Stern is considered one of the most original jazz guitar composers of her time. Her new CD is her first in three years. It's called Kindness of Strangers. Reuben Jackson has the review. (4:00)

Kindness of Strangers, by Leni Stern is available on Leni Stern Recordings, http://www.lenistern.com.

Changing Face of America: Music On the Web -- Our Changing Face of America segment today explores the phenomenon of bands distributing their music over the worldwide web. We meet Jim Infantino, of the Boston band Jim's Big Ego. He takes us on a tour that starts with his thinking up a melody... and ends with a fully-produced rock tune going out over the Internet. (12:30)

The Years With Laura Diaz -- Mexican writer Carlos Fuentes is probably best known in this country for his novel about quintessential fallen and corrupt twentieth century Mexican anti-hero called The Death of Artemio Cruz. In that novel we see the history of modern Mexico through a man's eyes. In his new book, The Years with Laura Diaz, we see from the woman's perspective. Alan Cheuse has a review. (1:45)

The Years with Laura Diaz, by Carlos Fuentes is published by Faurer, Strauss, Giroux.

NPR 100: Warner Brothers Music -- Today's installment of the NPR 100 features the musical scores of Carl Stalling, who worked for Warner Brothers during the 30s, 40s, and 50s. His music borrows from a variety of genres: classical, pop, folk and jazz. It's fast, complicated and adventurous. Linda Wertheimer talks with Greg Ford, who compiled a 2-disc anthology of Stalling's music, about Stalling's style and his contribution to the world of music. (12:30)

The CD anthology is available on the Warner Brothers label.

The Posies -- Music reviewer David Greenberger tells us about a new release by The Posies. The band split up in the late nineties, but a new four-CD box set features outtakes and other previously unreleased material. It's called At Least, At Last. (4:00)

At Least, At Last by The Posies is available from Not Lame Recording Company, catalog # NLA-006, see more at http://www.notlame.com

NPR 100: Round Midnight -- Music critic Tom Moon has the story on Round Midnight, by Thelonious Monk. It's part of the NPR 100, our series on the 100 most important American musical works of the 20th century. Monk probably composed Round Midnight in 1938, though no one knows for sure. It was early in his career, when he was writing in relative obscurity. But Monk soon became known as a great jazz innovator, one of a small group of musicians who were part of the bebop revolution of the 1940s. His piano playing and compositions were challenging and inspiring to peers like Miles Davis, Sonny Rollins, and John Coltrane. He was known for angular melodies, with odd stops and starts, and clusters of notes. Round Midnight is a ballad, tender and haunting, capturing that "last call" feeling late into the evening, with a sense of solitude, sadness, and reverie. We hear from one of Monk's peers, pianist Herbie Hancock, and one of Monk's proteges, pianist Fred Hersch, who released a CD of Monk's pieces just a few years ago. For more information on the series, check out NPR 100. (9:15)

Millenium Dome Music -- Charles de Ledesma reviews the new CD from Peter Gabriel. It's called Ovo, and it's essentally the soundtrack he wrote for a show in London's Millenium Dome earlier this year. It has the trademark sound of the acclaimed singer -- distinctive yearning vocals, rich production, and world music influences. Ledesma says the CD lacks an overall structure or narrative -- the themes of the Millenium Dome shows don't quite come through -- but the wonderful sound of the songs more than makes up for it. (3:45)

The album is on Real World Music; it is currently for sale as an import, but available in most music stores and on websites that sell popular music CDs.

Night Air -- Music critic Tom Manoff takes issue with the recent trends in "classical collection CDs" -- recordings of classical music based on some sort of theme. He's seen listening one, called Night Air - The Relaxing Side of Classical Music, and found that he wasn't relaxed at all. While the music is slow and soothing, from Romantic and Impressionist composers like Ravel, Bizet, and Faure, the pieces are mostly excerpts from the larger works. Manoff says the collection focuses more on texture and less on art, ignoring the full range of the composers' artistic expression by just playing the slow parts of their pieces. In one particular example, he recommends listening to the entirerecording of Respighi's Ancient Airs and Dances, rather than just one movement from one suite. (5:30)

Night Air: The Relaxing Side of Classical Music is on the Telarc Digital label, catalog number CD-80558.

What She Saw In... -- The title of the first novel by Lucinda Rosenfeld is unique, in that it includes more than a dozen men's names. It is called What She Saw In Roger Mancuso, Guenter Hopstock... followed by thirteen more names. Alan Cheuse reviews the book. (2:00)

What She Saw In... by Lucinda Rosenfeld is published by Random House; ISBN # 0375503757.

Sade -- Elysa Gardner reviews Lovers Rock, the first new CD from Sade in eight years. Gardner says it's a fitting follow-up to hits like Smooth Operator and The Sweetest Taboo. (4:00)

Lover's Rock, by Sade is on the Epic Records label.

One Palestine? -- Robert talks with Tom Segev, author of One Palestine, Complete, about his book, which explores the history of Palestine under British rule from 1917 to 1948. He argues, through the examination of archival materials, that the British were not pro-Arab as popularly believed, but favored the Zionists. (6:00)

One Palestine, Complete, by Tom Segev is published by Henry Holt, November 2000.

NPR 100: Appalachian Spring -- Tomorrow is the centennial of Aaron Copland's birth. We celebrate a day early with this report by Jeff Lunden on Copland's Appalachian Spring, perhaps his most famous composition, and one that some critics call his best. It was written for a Martha Graham ballet, and Copland once said the music really had nothing to do with Appalachia or spring. (12:30)

Ruth Draper -- Noah talks with Susan Mulcahy, producer of a two-CD collection of Ruth Draper's performances. Draper was a character actress who would appear alone onstage, playing scenes in different voices. We hear excerpts from On the Porch in a Maine Coast Village, and The Private Secretary. Susan Mulcahy describes Draper as an inventive writer, a master of voices, and as a private person whose work has long been admired by other actors, including Uta Hagen. (9:30)

The CD is Ruth Draper and Her Company of Characters: Selected Monologues on BMG, catalog number DRC22685, available from Web site http://www.drapermonologues.com

World Musette -- Banning Eyre reviews the CD World Musette by the Paris-based group Les Primitifs du Futur -- or in English, The Future Primitives. The band, which features American cartoonist Robert Crumb on mandolin and banjo, devotes itself to old-style acoustic jazz. It sounds like it came from the 1920s. In fact, many of these compositions are contemporary, and were written by members of the group. Crumb, known for album covers and cartoons from the '60s and '70s, especially the everlasting Keep on Truckin', has had a lifelong fascination with 78 RPM records and old music. Back when this music was not the least bit fashionable, Robert Crumb was a member of The Cheap Suit Serenaders. Now he lives in Paris where he's clearly having a blast! (3:30)

The CD is World Musette by Les Primitifs Du Futur, distributed by Harmonia Mundi, catalog number Sketch 333012.

The Journey Home -- Olaf Olafsson's second novel The Journey Home was published last year in Reykjavik, Iceland It's just now coming out in English. Alan Cheuse, who teaches writing at George Mason University in Virginia, has a review. (1:30)

The Journey Home, is published by Pantheon Books.

Npr 100: Mood Indigo -- In today's installment from the NPR 100, Lou Santacroce tells the story of Duke Ellington's signature, Mood Indigo. Ellington was a master at creating an element of surprise in his compositions. His unique voicing of instruments on Mood Indigo is an example of the composer's subtle sophistication. The NPR 100 is a list of the most important American musical works of the last 100 years, as voted on by NPR listeners. (8:00)

Persian Bride -- British writer James Buchanan, whose grandfather, John Buchanan, wrote the classic thriller, The Thirty-Nine Steps, has a new book just out titled, The Persian Bride. Alan Cheuse has a review. (2:15)

Caviar -- Elysa Gardner reviews the self-titled debut CD of the band Caviar. Their first single is on the soundtrack of the movie Charlie's Angels. But Elysa says that it might be more suited to an Austin Powers sequel - it has a kitschy, neo-60s sound. (4:00)

Caviar's self titled CD is distributed by Island Records. See http://www.caviarmy.com

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