Tonight’s radio show features poetry of Natasha Trethewey and Hafiz, and music of Florence Price, Virgil Thompson, and the Talking Heads. In this episode of American Highways, pianist Guy Livingston brings us music of the American Landscape, including three majestic (and bombastic) portraits of the Mississippi River: by Virgil Thompson, Florence Price, and Ferde Grofé. Cross the river, wash your sins away, float along, find the source…

AMERICAN HIGHWAYS #82: TAKE ME TO THE RIVER

Theme Music :

Jan Jeroen (J.J.) Spijkervet & Immersive Sound

“American Highways” Jingle

Sounds About Right

composed for Concertzender

Burleigh, H.T. (arr.)

Deep river

Roberta Alexander, Soprano; Brian Masuda, Piano

Etcetera KTC 1208

Florence Price

Mississippi River Suite-Part 1

Apo Hsu conducting The Women’s Philharmonic

KOCH 3-7518-2

Mercer/Mancini/Mehldau

Moon River (Live)

Brad Mehldau

Warner Bros. Records 9362 46848-2

Burleigh, H.T. (arr.)

Didn’t it rain

Roberta Alexander, Soprano; Brian Masuda, Piano

Etcetera KTC 1208

Virgil Thomson

The River, suite from film score

Sir Neville Marriner & Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra

Angel Records/EMI

A. Bryan

Blue River

Alexandre Tharaud, Frank Braley

Erato 50999-602552-2

George Crumb

Echoes of Time and the River – Echoes 2: I. Frozen Time

Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra, Thomas Conlin, cond.

Bridge 9127

Al Green & Mabon Hodges

Take Me to the River

Talking Heads

Rhino Records R2 76488

Ferde Grofé

Niagara Falls Suite – 4. Power Of Niagara

William T. Stromberg, cond. Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra

Naxos 8.559007

Edward MacDowell

By a Meadow Brook

Roger Shields, Piano

VoxBox CD3X 3027

Ferde Grofé

Mississippi Suite – 1. Father Of Waters

William T. Stromberg, cond. Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra

Naxos 8.559007

Henry Mancini/Mercer

Moon River

Henry Mancini

RCA ND89905

Closing Music:

David King

Super America

The Bad Plus

E1 Records: EOM-CD-2112