KCSM Highlights
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Raphael Wressnig is not your ordinary B-3 organ player. He confidently brings out the inherent pyrotechnic power and mightiness of the large B-3 console and he is proud of his central role in performing what he calls “organ-heavy soul & funk”. The majestic instrument, the Hammond organ, replaces the singer and plays the leads while its bass register locks in with the drums and carries the band. Wressnig concocts exciting mixed-genre music from his fervid imagination. His fluency in soul, funk, jazz and blues has garnered him the attention of an international claque of critics and multiple nominations, over the past decade, for both the DownBeat Critics and Readers Polls as “Best Organ Player of the Year”. Raphael drops by the Doodlin' Lounge for a chat with Pete.
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Singer/songwriter Roberta Donnay has a wide variety of musical influences and a broad focus with the music she performs, from sharing the stage with Elvis Costello or Leon Russell, to her ongoing shows of 1920s and ‘30’s music with her group The Prohibition Mob Band, to her most recent CD, Blossom-ing, a collection of songs celebrating the music of vocalist/pianist, Blossom Dearie. Blossom Dearie never had the name-recognition of some of her vocal contemporaries, like Ella Fitzgerald or Sarah Vaughan, but she has always been a favorite with jazz musicians and a particular inspiration for Roberta Donnay. Donnay and Dearie share a similar vocal sound, something Donnay initially resisted but now embraces in this heartfelt tribute to one of her favorite singers.
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The Rise of the New Labor Movement. The last few years have seen a wave of labor organizing as it becomes more and more clear to workers that what they do is not expendable, but actually the heart of every business. From walkouts to unionization, workers everywhere, from Starbucks to Amazon to your local coffee shop have come together to build and exercise their power. In this episode we explore the issues that led people to organize their workplaces, the ins and outs and ups and downs of the process, and the backlash. On the forefront of the next labor revolution, we visit a coffee shop in Maine called Little Dog whose staff starts a union. Then we talk to Robert Chala from the UCLA Labor Center about the rise in unionization efforts among service workers and the social and cultural ethos in a post lockdown country that have led to this new wave of the labor movement.
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Mr. Marlon Richardson, Education Director for Hip Hop for Change, Inc. Hip Hop for Change, Inc. uses grassroots activism to educate people about the socio-economic injustices and advocate solutions through Hip Hop culture. The San Francisco based-organization raises funds for local causes that enrich marginalized and historically oppressed communities.
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John Lee Hooker was one of the most influential and important musicians of the 20th Century. He single-handedly invented his own electric guitar boogie sound, which he let loose on the world with his first single, "Boogie Chillen'" in 1948. By early 1949, it was a number one R&B hit and Hooker was on his way to infamy. He took the Delta Blues he had learned growing up from his step-father, William Moore and his sister's boyfriend, Tony Hollins and turned it upside down, creating his own distinct style. A style that was often copied, but never fully coped. Hooker knew that he wasn't going to make any money getting stuck in record company contracts, so he would record for any company that would pay him up front. He waxed for numerous labels during the late 1940s and early '50s and recorded under several pseudonyms, in order to protect himself from lawsuits. This week, Matt The Cat digs deep into John Lee Hooker's early work for the Modern, Sensation, King, Staff and Chess labels as we feature his most important records from 1948-51. This is where it all began for the consummate "boogie man" . . . it's in 'em and it's got to come out!
NPR Jazz News
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What do New Jazz Underground, Black Sabbath and Remi Wolf have in common? According to NPR Music producer Lars Gotrich, they put out the best tracks of the week.
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Music can shift, uplift or even subvert a scene. This week on 8 Tracks, we play music supervisor, imagining songs by Kamasi Washington and Carin León on the big screen.
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Can you taste color or hear pictures? You might have synesthesia. This week on 8 Tracks: A few songs that pirouette and paint, plus new music by Charli XCX, Mdou Moctar and TikTok shoegazer Wisp.
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The Richmond, Va. band brings its signature hot and funky "solar music" to the Desk.
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You, a Pisces full of wisdom, have discovered a new song that lights up your soul. This week on 8 Tracks: Mild to wild obsessions with SZA, Bat for Lashes and Alice Coltrane.
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The free jazz band with a punk ethos runs through six songs without breaks.
NPR News
NPR Music News