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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