In this episode of American Highways, pianist Guy Livingston brings us music and cities from the global village: Kansas City, Yorktown, Knoxville, Saint Louis, Brooklyn, Houston, and Paris. Music of Laurent Coq, Roger Miller, Tobias Picker, Mark Knopfler, Bernstein, Annie Gosfield, Newt Hinton, Laurie Anderson, and Gershwin. And some odd arrangements to surprise you: An American in Paris on player piano, and Saint Louis Blues…on harpsichord!

Today’s theme is cities, which is part of a general sweeping idea that I’m currently developing – all about music and architecture. This show, which is not really about urbanism, is a first preview of some of the ideas to come. One major series I’m developing will be for Australian Broadcasting Corporation. You’ll be hearing me talk about San Marco in Venice, about Notre Dame in Paris, about the Anechoic Chamber at Harvard, and other seminal spaces that changed the course of music history.

But today’s show is about urbanism, cities, meeting places, the future, whether it be utopian or dystopian. We’ll hear music of George Gershwin, Roger Miller, Laurent Coq, Newt Hinton, and Annie Gosfield. And at the very bottom of the show, a very ghostly track by Laurie Anderson, to close out the hour: where you hear Laurie Anderson say, “Mom, you’ve raised ten kids, it’s time you got on a plane.” The centerpiece on today’s show is “Keys to the City” by Tobias Picker.

AMERICAN HIGHWAYS #57: Music and Cities

Theme Music :

Steve Reich. The Desert Music (1984)

First Movement (Fast).

Chorus of the Brooklyn Philharmonic, Members of the Brooklyn Philharmonic, Michael Tilson Thomas & William Carlos Williams.

Nonesuch Records 79101.

Tobias Picker

Keys to The City

Michael Barrett, Brooklyn Philharmonic, o.l.v. Lukas Foss.

Anthology of Recorded Music CRI 1988

Roger Miller

Kansas City Star (recorded May 31, 1965 in Nashville, Tennessee)

Roger Miller

LAB Mercury ‎– 314 526 993-2 EL

Mark Knopfler

Daddy’s Gone to Knoxville

Mark Knopfler Band

Mercury 063 292-1

Laurent Coq

Yorktown

Laurent Coq, piano; Walter Smith III, tenor sax; Joe Sander, basses; Damion Reid, drums.

Jazz & People J PCD815003

W. C. Handy

Saint Louis Blues

Alexandre Tharaud, harpsichord

Erato 50999-602552-2

Newt Hinton

Nakano-ku (à S.D.)

Guy Livingston, pianist

Wergo 6649-2

Annie Gosfield

Brooklyn, October 5, 1941

Guy Livingston, pianist

Wergo 6649-2

George Gershwin

An American In Paris

George Gershwin, pianola

Electra Nonesuch 7559-2

Laurie Anderson

The Night Flight From Houston

Laurie Anderson, voice and electronics

Warner Bros/Rhino Entertainment R2 76648