Blogs

Thomas Björkroth visits Listening Lyrics this Friday. Thomas is a music enthusiast who is visiting us from Sweden. He keeps a keen ear to what’s happening music wise in Europe. In fact he has attended the Euro Vision contest for the last 10 years. We will be spinning some songs that are currently on the charts in Europe and also some songs that have made Euro Vision an international spotlight for new talent.

For those outside the listening area, the show will stream live online at KDRT.org at 4:00PM (9/25/15). It will also be available for replays in the show archives or as an podcast on iTunes under LISTENING LYRICS(link is external).

Visit Listening Lyrics on Facebook(link is external) and like to receive information on upcoming shows and behind the scene looks.

Boscoe came up in Chicago’s South Side in the late '60s and early '70s, with this self-titled release springing forth in 1973. The group’s lineup included James Rice on guitar, Ron Harris on bass, Harold Warner on trumpet, Darryl Johnson on sax, and Reg Holden on trombone. Boscoe also featured Steve Cobb on drums, and it was Cobb who drove the group's movement beyond covers to original songs with socially conscious lyrics. Boscoe’s conscious-funk-fusion sound was somewhat lost in the immense sea of talent pouring out of South Side Chicago at the time, and the group folded not long after this release.

Featuring Benny Carter and Erroll Garner tonight! In 1955 jazz pianist Erroll Garner released Concert By The Sea, a live concert recorded in Carmel. It became one of the best-selling jazz albums of all time. Sixty years later, Sony Legacy has released an expanded version with 11 new songs. Garner will be our featured artist in the second half tonight, with four selections from that album. In the first half we feature Benny Carter, with four selections spanning 1936 - 1976. Gerry Mulligan, Chico Hamilton, Buddy DeFranco, and vocals by Nancy Wilson and Ella Fitzgerald (doing Garner's classic composition Misty) round out the program.

Youth show Rocket Radio airs at 5:30 today on KDRT, immediately followed at 6 p.m. by Roots, Shoots, and Leaves, where host Tree Kilpatrick explores the relationships between music old and new, known and unknown. Last but certainly not least, Jazz After Dark begins at 8 p.m., with an hour full of 20th-century jazz. Tune in and enjoy!

Terence Blanchard has been a strong and active member of the New Orleans jazz scene for decades, working on movie scores and solo work. Breathless is Blanchard's 15th solo outing, and its title references the death of Eric Garner at the hands of New York policemen, which inspired a fair portion of the album. The songs with lyrics are often politically charged, especially "Talk to Me" and title track "Breathless," which infuses hip-hop and R&B into the contemporary jazz that is front and center throughout the album. The album is full of tracks that use typical jazz instruments with synths to create a soothing and almost hypnotic sound, such as "Midnight" and "Samadhi." The album is not afraid to branch out, as exemplified by faster paced tracks with powerful drums, such as "Compared to What" and "Tom and Jerry." 

All in all, Breathless is an example of an excellent artist at the top of his game. It is powerful at times, soothing at others, but never boring or uninspired. If you like jazz or have ever been interested in jazz, check out Breathless

DJ Dug Deep hosts New Orleans-born, Texas-raised musician, troubadour, and singer/songwriter Bruce Salmon live in the KDRT studios, Friday, September 25, 2:30-3:30 p.m. A veteran of the Austin music scene, Bruce began performing as a solo artist in 2012, releasing his first solo album A Barrel of Monkeys in 2014. His music is steeped in the Texas songwriting tradition; New Orleans jazz, funk, and blues; and more recent studies of ancestral folk music from Eastern Europe. Tune in and enjoy!

This show will be a treat. A refreshingly authentic artist with a unique sound and story. Joe Kye is a violinist-looper-songwriter and leader of the Sacramento band Joseph in the Well. Born in Seoul, Korea, raised in Seattle, Joe draws upon an eclectic array of influences, like rock, jazz, classical, and world music. Featuring violin, lush string loops, upright bass, and percussion, Joseph in the Well's unique sound has been influenced by artists including Andrew Bird, Sufjan Stevens, and Miles Davis. Joseph in the Well was recently awarded 2015 “Outstanding New Artist” and “Artist of the Year” by Sacramento News & Review’s Sammies Music Awards. Kye draws upon his immigrant upbringing for much of his songwriting.

For those outside the listening area, the show will stream live online at KDRT.org at 4:00PM (9/25/15). It will also be available for replays in the show archives or as an podcast on iTunes under LISTENING LYRICS.

This is the best Fugazi album. A perfect mix of experimentation, loudness, melody and flow. Although I had heard of the DC-based band Fugazi and knew they were imporant, I didn't grow up listening to them. I heard this album (their last) when my straight-edge/vegan/cooler-than-everybody-else roommate bought it the day it was released during my first year of college (one month after 9/11) and threw it immediately on repeat.

I was prepping myself to dislike it because I didn't really love him a whole lot. But it knocked my socks off! I immediately dug into their catalog and found plenty to love, but this one will always be my favorite. 

Listen to 95.7fm in you're in Davis or click the "Listen Now" button at the top left of this page at 5pm if you're not. Show airs on Thursday, September 24 and there will be no archived permalink to listen later.