Latest Programs
Sunday 11 May 2008
Listen Now - 11052008 |
Andrew Robson is not the first musician to fall in love with music penned nearly half a millennium ago by the Tudor composer Thomas Tallis. Vaughan Williams’ Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis; is one of the best-loved 20th century classical works. The young Australian improvising saxophonist is, however, likely the first jazz artist with an album subtitled ‘The Hymns of Thomas Tallis’. His is a respectful, loving embrace; Robson’s Bearing the Bell is quite free of swinging and/or ‘Swingle’-esque inanities. This is profoundly lyrical, quietly adventurous instrumental music for Robson’s and Sandy Evans’ saxophones, James Greening’s trombone and pocket trumpet and Steve Elphick’s double bass.
Saturday 10 May 2008
Listen Now - 10052008 |
When in Rome ... give the locals an inspired, multi-cultural, Australian surprise! Wanderlust did so at Villa Celimontana one 2004 night, as documented on their new CD. When in Rome features a compact edition of Wanderlust, plus an oud-toting guest. He’s Joseph Tawadros. The band-proper is led by trumpeter and primary composer, Miroslav {Mike} Bukovsky. His colleagues are trombonist James Greening, drummer-percussionist Fabian Hevia and keyboardist Alister Spence. Their musical conversations range widely and probe deeply.
Sunday 04 May 2008
Listen Now - 04052008 |
‘There is a soul inside of them waiting to come out’ says Tim O’Brien. He’s speaking of the vintage and custom-made instruments he plays on Chameleon. This masterful instrumentalist, singer and songwriter’s umpteenth album is the first on which he is quite solo, throughout. In Tim’s hands - one at a time - are a banjo, two different acoustic guitars, two (very different) bouzoukis, a mandola, a mandolin and a fiddle. The delicious results are sometimes unpredictable - his re-assessment of Judas, for instance. Another song sees a fiddle much older than Tim - and an even older ‘feel’ - support wry observations concerning 21st century communication modes.
Saturday 03 May 2008
Listen Now - 03052008 |
‘No lounge-room cowboys here’ says the leader of Kim Sanders and Friends’ Bent Grooves. Kim Sanders’ recent three months of study and performance in Turkey was just the latest of many journeys to various continents, islands and cultures. If you wish to ‘do your own thing’, says Kim, you should first gain some understanding of particular cultures ‘at the source’. Kim and friends are some of Australia’s finer ‘world’ musicians. On Bent Grooves they have a lot of fun and their musical embrace is spectacularly wide. But they steer well clear of the shallows. All have ‘paid their dues’. No ‘world fuzak’ here!
More Past Programs...
Everything on Aretha Franklin’s new double-CD is at least 35 years old. Rare and Unreleased Recordings from the Queen of Soul is a magnificent exception to a general rule: that ‘rare/unreleased’ is code for ‘should have stayed in the vault, but we can milk fans who will buy anything with their idol’s name on it!’ 31 of these 35 cuts {all, from 1966 through 1973} have never previously been issued. Not a few are stupendous. Jerry Wexler chose them. In many cases he was their orignal producer or co-producer. Wexler is - literally - the inventor of the term ‘rhythm and blues.’ 
6pm AEST