Episode 34 — “Lunar New Year, with Rebecca Boyle”

Cool Tunes for a Hot Planet is going to the Moon!  We celebrate the Lunar New Year with a special all-things-moon episode built around a full-length interview with science writer Rebecca Boyle, whose book, “Our Moon” was a New York Times bestseller in 2024.  We learn about how the moon helped make Earth what it is, and about its influence on our climate, our tides, and our culture.  Along the way, we’ll hear moon-inspired music from all over the world, including guest composer Janelle Chang, who joins us to talk about her arrangement of “Moonlit Night,” an ancient piece of Chinese classical music.  

Music and Video

"Paper Moon"

Vocalese of Lester Young Improvisation

Eddie Jefferson — Voice

from "The Jazz Singer"

Inner City Records IC 1016

Rebecca Boyle interview

with Warren Senders

January 15, 2026

www.rebeccaboyle.com

"How High The Moon"

Teddy Wilson Sextet

(David W. Niven Jazz Archive)

"New Moon"

Tony Vacca & Tim Moran

from "Wizard's Dance"

(Fretless LP FR 163)

https://www.tonyvacca.com/

"Tis Autumn"

Woody Herman & His Orchestra

Decca 4095-A

"Moonrise On The Lowlands"

Fletcher Henderson Orchestra

Reissued on RCA AXM2-5507

"The Complete Fletcher Henderson"

"Tin Pan Alley Cat"

Animated film by 

Dave Tendlar, 1960

(public domain)

"Blah, Blah, Blah"

George & Ira Gershwin

Matthew Cook — Voice

Josephine Riggs, piano

August 8, 2020

https://www.matthewhylandcook.com/

"Tidal Boogie"

Meade Lux Lewis — Piano

Asch Records 352-1A

"Moonlit Night"

Arrangement of traditional

Chinese piece for pipa

by Janelle Chang

Pang-Yi Lee - pipa

November 28, 2024

https://www.youtube.com/@janelleyi-chenchangcompose4518/videos

"Claire de Lune"

Composer — Claude Debussy

Sondra Bianca — Piano

Tops R1014

"An den Mond (To the Moon)"

Composer — Franz Schubert

Lyrics — Ludwig Christoph Holty

Courtney Fletcher — Voice

Marika Yasuda — Piano

February 2019

English translation by Richard Wigmore

https://www.courtneyjfletcher.com/

"Moonlight Play Song"

Recorded 1975, Obimo, Nigeria

UNESCO Anthology of African Music

Barenreiter Musicaphon  BM 30L 2311

"Chandani Raat Ati Bhaave"

Sharad Sathe — Voice

Magnasound C4HV 0217

https://sharadsathe.com/

"By the Light of the Silvery Moon"

Little Richard — Voice, piano

London Records 45-HL-U-8831

https://rockhall.com/inductees/little-richard/

"Raga Chandrakauns"

Zia Moihuddin Dagar — Rudra Veena

Air India Radio recording,

HMV LP, STC 04B 7384

NASA Moon Landing Footage

(Public Domain)

"Oh, Dear Moon"

Hafız Şaşı Osman Efendi

Columbia 78 81007-F (W 32064-1)

Reissued by Rounder Records,

"Masters of Turkish Music"

(Rounder LP-C 1051)

Louie Gohmert Clip

Online Congressional Hearing,

June 9, 20

"The Rising Of The Moon"

Áine Tyrell — Voice, 

Nick Martin — Uilleann pipes

July 2016, Hyde Park Barracks

Sydney, Australia

Courtesy Irish Australian 

Online Song Library

https://www.ainetyrrell.com/

There's A Moon Out Tonight"

The Capris

Planet Records P-1010 (1959)

"I've Got A Message From 

The Man In The Moon"

Patricia Hammond — Voice

Matt Redman — Ukelele & Voice

https://patriciahammond.com/

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