The Afternoon Ramble

Ahead of the 13th Annual Brooklyn Folk Festival, Brian speaks to 16-year-old banjo player Nora Brown about where she learned old-time, interpreting traditional music, an annual banjo toss, and more.

Find out more about the Brooklyn Folk Festival

Listen to Nora Brown

Grammy-winning icon of the folk-rock revival movement Suzanne Vega joined Brian Cosgrove on the air ahead of a performance that took place at Suffolk Theater in Riverhead on September 12th, 2021. The show took place one year after the release of her album "An Evening of New York Songs and Stories." Both the performance and the record payed homage to New York City, featuring a collection her own songs and carefully chosen covers like Lou Reed's "Take A Walk on the Wild Side." "I included songs that were inspired by New York City or for which New York provided the backdrop," Vega explained.

Listen to "An Evening of New York Songs and Stories"

WLIW-FM's Brian Cosgrove talks to singer/songwriter Victoria Shaw about her ALL ARTS program "Songwriters Under the Covers with Victoria Shaw." Get the inside scoop about making music from Victoria and her performer/songwriter friends including Garth Brooks, Clint Black, Keb' Mo' and so many others. You can watch "Songwriters Under the Covers with Victoria Shaw" on the ALL ARTS channel or streaming at allarts.org.

Brian Cosgrove welcomed Alec Baldwin, who chose the music, spoke about his latest acting work and shared how he spent the holidays with his family on the East End. Listen to Alec's song choices for The Afternoon Ramble in this playlist.

WLIW-FM Host Brian Cosgrove talks with filmmaker Mischa Richter about his debut documentary, I AM A TOWN, featured at the Hamptons International Film Festival 2020.  Set in Provincetown, MA, I AM A TOWN focuses on the historic New England town, known as P-Town, and its artist colony where Richter, an artist himself, grew up. Evocative of the Hamptons, I AM A TOWN paints the picture of this seaside community and its diverse and colorful inhabitants.

Brian Cosgrove speaks with filmmakers from Long Island and across the country about their award-winning work and film debuts in the East End’s star-studded festival. The program kicks off with a discussion about one of our own, Long Island’s Harry Chapin with director Rick Korn talking about his documentary feature: "Harry Chapin, When in Doubt, Do Something." Another Long Islander, Tara Miele, talks about her feature film "Wander Darkly," based on a personal experience. Also featured, "With Drawn Arms" focuses on the story of Tommie Smith and his gesture of protest on the podium of the 1968 Olympic Games. Brian speaks with the film’s directors about this powerful film. Finally, it's a dog's life in the documentary feature "Stray," which follows life on the streets of Istanbul, Turkey through the eyes of three homeless dogs. Brian interviews director Elizabeth Lo about the film's unique point of view.