Past Programs
Strings - 2008
Warsaw Village Band
20/09/2008
Infinity is the fourth studio album from Warsaw Village Band. The group began in 1997. Ever since, it has been surprising people at home and abroad. Vocally and instrumentally, these adjectives are equally apropos: novel, ancient, startling, beautiful, powerful, haunting. Before tonight’s featured artists were even born, a certain famous African-American ensemble coined a motto which also fits the young Polish sextet: ‘Ancient to the Future.’
To discover more, start at this very well-linked place:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warsaw_Village_Band
Bar Kokhba: <i>Lucifer</i>
09/08/2008
Sephardic ‘Surf’? This hitherto-unsuspected genre almost fits some of the music on Lucifer: Book of Angels Volume 10. The more extreme end of John Zorn’s wildly eclectic musical world may be ‘hellish’ to some ears, but not so anything here. Zorn’s compositions for Lucifer are immediately-attractive, mostly genial and nigh-irresistible. They also reward close attention. Lucifer is the first new recording in a decade by the Bar Kokhba sextet: violinist Mark Feldman, cellist Erik Friedlander, guitarist Marc Ribot, double bassist Greg Cohen, drummer Joey Baron and percussionist Cyro Baptista.
Zorn is an extraordinarily multi-faceted musician. To discover a little (or a lot) more, begin at this well-linked place:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Zorn
Annbjørg Lien
25/05/2008
Our featured album is not at all like last night’s, but does also come from northern Europe. Waltz With Me is an unusual string quartet project, informed by ancient traditions, but novel. Norwegian leader/composer Annbjørg Lien is a virtuoso of the Hardanger fiddle. Mikael Marin from Sweden (and the great band Väsen) plays 5-string viola. Cellist Christine Hanson is from Canada, but lives in Scotland. Bruce Molsky is a master of North American ‘ole-timey’ fiddle music.. and many other things besides. Here, he plays American and Scandinavian fiddles and guitar. Bruce also sings, as does one of Norway’s greatest vocalists - the quartet’s special guest, Kistern Bråten Berg.
Annbjørg Lien’s site:
www.annbjorglien.com
Rahim Alhaj with Sadaqa Quartet { first aired on 3.6.07 }
13/01/2008
Tonight’s featured album is an ’unlikely’ success. Friendship is a collaboration between an Iraqi master of the oud {the fretless, Arabic lute} and a Western string quartet. Lutenist/composer Rahim Alhaj fled Iraq in1991. Since 2000 - having gained sanctuary as a political refugee - he’s lived in Albuquerque. He and the Sadaqa Quartert recorded Friendship at the University of New Mexico.
Note: this program’s original broadcast came one week after another show which involved a string quartet where you would not expect one. In our summer season that show did not air ’last week’ - it is that of Saturday 29.12.07. The ’Turtle-’Trane’ edition’s audio is yours to demand from this website until Saturday 26.1.08.
Rahim Alhaj has an informative site, here: www.rahimalhaj.com
