Fri, 04/17/2026 - 4:00pm | Ned
Tonight on Listening Lyrics we salute James Brown—the Godfather of Soul, a man whose grooves, screams, rhythms, and swagger became a musical blueprint.
His songs didn’t just become hits—they became assignments. Generations of artists from jazz, rock, reggae, funk, blues, and pop have all taken their turn covering him. When musicians need fire, rhythm, and attitude, they often start with James Brown.
For the next hour, we’ll hear what happens when other artists borrow from the master.
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This week on Listening Lyrics, it's the Alex Jenkins Trio! These Sacramento musicians are among the most talented in the region, truly creative, and promise music full of beautiful surprises. The trio's latest record, Black Bird, received a four-star review in All About Jazz and is being played on radio stations across the country. Due to his in-depth study of the music of different cultures, Alex’s playing transcends musical traditions and boundaries. His expression of rhythm is heavily influenced by his study of Tabla (a North Indian classical percussion instrument). As a result, he has become known for his creative approach to music and his unique ability to fuse rhythmic ideas from various disciplines into one cohesive sound. Hear Listening Lyrics Fridays on KDRT 95.7fm + KDRT.org! Listen anytime via the web and the podcasts.
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Sat, 04/04/2026 - 8:45am | Ned
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Fri, 03/27/2026 - 4:30pm | Ned
So just who is Scott Schiller? The man entrusted to handle one hour of Listening Lyrics...
+ Community radio host on KDRT 95.7 FM, where he co-hosts That California Sound!—a program focused on music discovery and local/California artists
+ Live-music advocate who believes strongly that live music “invigorates the soul” and has immersed himself in the regional music scene
+ Board member of the Davis Live Music Collective, helping support and promote local performances
+ Active in local venues, including involvement with the music committee at the Davis Odd Fellows |
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Welcome to Listening Lyrics on KDRT. Today’s program is called “1926: The Sounds That Just Became Free.” Every year, music recordings reach the end of their copyright life. In 2026, recordings made in 1926—exactly 100 years ago—enter the public domain. That means the music that shaped early jazz, blues, and country can now be shared freely again. Tonight we travel back a century, to hear the sounds that helped invent modern music.
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In this episode we talk about the triggers of a melencholy feeling in music. Sometimes music doesn’t make us sad, it reminds us that we have lived. A melody can carry a memory, and when that memory returns, so does the feeling attached to it. That’s the quiet power of music.
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This week's Listening Lyrics is a musical journey through scandal and excess — inspired by the cultural undercurrents reflected in the Epstein files. The show is not about the documents themselves but about the atmosphere they reveal — wealth, temptation, secrecy, exploitation — and how artists have long warned us about these very forces.
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