March podcast
Chicago Afrobeat Project
Afrobeat’s range of influences — funk, rock, jazz, afro-cuban, high life and juju music – settle into a hypnotic, dance-compelling pulse at the core of Chicago Afrobeat Project (CAbP). By drawing upon the intensity of Chicago's rich music scene, combined with a solid respect for the tradition, CAbP delivers an energized performance that stands apart from that of any other band on the afrobeat scene today. The group’s frenzied songs hit audiences with a big enough one-two punch to tirelessly draw them onto the dance floor time and time again.
Punch Brothers
Collecting five singular abilities and viewpoints into one musical force, Punch Brothers featuring Chris Thile have established their place among the most dynamic and talented presences across the full range of contemporary music-making. As performing and recording artists, composers and interpreters, technicians and stylists, they continue to push the boundaries of possibility while maintaining an unerring devotion to the basic audience experience.
Del McCoury Band
One of the best bluegrass bands around, Del has the high lonesome voice that befits a bluegrass song.
Laura Veirs
Laura Veirs grew up in Colorado Springs, Colorado, where she often spent summers camping with her family, which gave her much of her songwriting inspiration. Veirs has said that she didn’t seriously listen to music until she was in her 20s; instead, she just heard what was in her environment. She listened to folk, country, classical and pop music around the house and on the radio during her youth.
Attending Carleton College in rural Minnesota, Veirs latched onto feminist punk rock from the Pacific Northwest, eventually starting an all-female punk band called “Rair Kx!”. Laura studied geology and Mandarin Chinese. After college, she embraced older country and folk music. Her first foray into songwriting started with a geological expedition in China, where she served as translator. She was miserable and immersed herself into writing lyrics as a way of coping.
Eliza Blue
Trained as a classical violinist, Eliza grew up listening to folk and blues on her Fisher-Price record player, but had little vocal instruction. She took up the fiddle after falling in love with old timey music and soon began writing songs of her own. Guitar came next, and then mandolin and banjo. Her music regularly draws comparisons to Gillian Welch, for it’s homage to Appalachian roots, but the quality and timbre of her voice call to mind some of the great jazz vocalists.
Lucy Kaplansky
She started out singing in Chicago bars. Then, barely out of high school, Lucy Kaplansky took off for New York City. There she found a fertile community of songwriters and performers—Suzanne Vega, John Gorka, Bill Morrissey, Cliff Eberhardt, and others—where she fit right in. With a beautiful flair for harmony, Lucy was everyone’s favorite singing partner, but most often she found herself singing as a duo with Shawn Colvin. People envisioned big things for them; in fact, The New York Times said it was “easy to predict stardom for her.” But then Lucy dropped it all.
Ellis Paul
Ellis Paul is one of the leading voices of the American singer- songwriter world. He was a principle leader in the wave of singer/songwriters that emerged from the Boston folk scene, which helped revitalize the national acoustic circuit with an urban, literate, folk/pop style that helped renew interest in the genre in the 1990's. For years, he has been among the singer songwriter circuit's most popular and dependable headliners with fiercely loyal fans all over the globe.
Tété
French rock/R&B star Tété was born July 25, 1975, in Dakar, the capital city of his father's homeland, Senegal. When his parents divorced, he returned with his mother to northeastern France, to the town of St. Dizier.
As a teen, Tété drew his musical inspiration from the pop and rock music of the day. Using the guitar given him by his mother, he assembled small bands with friends and began experimenting with songwriting, composing mainly in English.
Taj Weekes
Taj Weekes’ music is more than just entertainment. The St. Lucian born, bred and based roots reggae artist’s music stirs thought, provokes discussion and inspires people to think for themselves, free from the constraints of the corporate media. On his beautiful new album DEIDEM, released on his own independent label, Jatta Records, Weekes sings assuredly and soulfully for the voiceless and the oppressed, taking his music to a new level of commitment and universal appeal.
Alash
Alash takes its name from the Alash River, which runs through the musicians' native region of Tuva. The ensemble members are graduates of the Kyzyl Arts College and students of Kongar-ool Ondar, the master throat singer and former member of the Tuvan parliament who is featured in the movie Genghis Blues. In 1999 they formed the ensemble that evolved into Alash, and Kongar-ool Ondar became the artistic director. The muscians have all been trained in traditional Tuvan music since childhood, but they also know and love western music.
The Clientele
The Clientele are a London-based band with Alasdair MacLean on vocals and guitar, Mark Keen on drums, James Hornsey on bass and Mel Draisey on Keys and Violin.
Altan
Altan celebrated 25 years together in 2010. Over those years they have established themselves as one of the most important live acts to play traditional Irish music in Ireland and on the World stage. The Boston Globe has described them as “The hottest group in the Celtic realm!” Altan have toured all over the USA and Europe. They also enjoy popularity in Japan where they frequently tour and have hosted Altan festivals in the middle of Tokyo to thousands of enthusiastic fans.
Written by Michael Rossetto
Produced by Robert Simonds
Host: Jonah Simonds (South High Class of 2010)
