The Tantara Hour

The award-winning blues artist has a unique ability to comment upon the African-American culture of today in the language of the blues, yet in a manner that everyone can understand and somehow relate to. We share a back story about Keb' Mo' (Kevin Moore) and the community in which he grew up. His songs have a way of making things seem a little bit better for all of us.

It's been a while since I found a new band among the current releases that I could honestly call a favorite, but it's happened, quite unexpectedly, with Lucius. Hooky songs, interesting arrangements, shimmering vocals, and likeable personnel. On top of all that, great songwriting technique, whether learned or instinctinve. Joyous hip music, deep biographical research, and I even break down a couple of songs to identify technique.

Surviving the New York audition system and being cast in a series of shows that bring her ever-increasing visibility, Jessica Molaskey lands in Jason Robert Brown's "Songs for a New World." Her solo song "Stars and the Moon" remains popular to this day. She meets guitarist-singer John Pizzarelli in "Dream," the songs of Johnny Mercer. Their friendship grows into marriage. Jessica soons joins John's NY cabaret shows, and when John is invited to do an album of Paul McCartney songs, she co-produces and sings creative backups.

Richard Rodgers' timeless favorite score--Victory at Sea--played and lovingly recalled, along with two bullet points of commentary: First, the contribution made by orchestrator-arranger Robert Russell Bennett has been seriously under appreciated, and second, the genesis-- the history-- associated with getting the show made in the first place is also fascinating, and we'll meet Henry Salomon and Robert Sarnoff.

From 1992 until today, an impressively large and diverse catalog has been created.  With concentrations in jazz, choral, and serious music, the catalog hovers just under 100 releases.  With time, the label's mission has evolved, and student ensembles are now presented on sister label BYU Records.  With this program -- and in celebration of 200 episodes of the Tantara Hour -- we cruise through Tantara's catalog.  You'll hear some favorites, and possibly others which will be completely new to you.  But thanks, Tantara for five great years of Sponsorship.

Introducing the BYU Wind Symphony and the new CD Timeless: Wind Band Dances and Other Concert Favorites.  It's a brand new CD, and I describe the contents in terms of 4 four-syllable words: Patriotic, Virtuosic, Programmatic, and maybe even Symbiotic.  The CD features tried and true favorites for the concert band as well as new settings by BYU Graduates Jory Woodis and Carl S. Hammer.  It's a Brilliant Release.

Sir Paul McCartney contacted guitarist-singer John Pizzarelli with a suggestion:Could you take some of my lesser-known songs and see if they would fit in a jazz framework? John Pizzarelli jumped to the task, and the album Midnight McCartney was conceived and of course the songs slipped wonderfully into a style Pizzarelli's team was eminently comfortable playing. We trace McCartney's catalog, spending segments two and three getting acquainted with Pizzarelli's offering in the album Midnight McCartney.

There's a lot of new buzz around the work of songwrinter-composer Vernon Duke.  With its 2012 release of "Beyond Vernon Duke," Tantara joined Nonesuch Records with its acclaimed Dawn Upshaw CD, exploring the work of Vernon Duke.  Four more years down the road and there seems to be almost new rush of musical, scholarly, and journalistic interest in this unique music maker.  Join me as I cruise through some the old favorites, stopping to comment on newer discoveries, such as the resurrection of "Sweet Bye and Bye," the 1946 musical that self destructed in tryouts.  One newly discovered Vernon Duke Record Even comes from me -- a lucky find on eBay.

Just when we thought we'd be able to experience Eagles reunion tours and albums maybe forever, de facto Eagles leader, still in great voice, passed away.  Here's my own tribute, prepared just after I heard the news, featuring a quick reprise of some great Eagles songs and some stories you may not have heard.  Finally, in segment 3, some lovely Glenn Frey solo tracks from his "After Hours" CD, which turns out to be a poignant farewell.  RIP Glenn.

An admiring survey of the work of a legendary productive Temple Square organist who had a dual career as a composer.  Many of Dr. Cundick's original works have been recorded in the catalog of Tantara Records.  This episode takes listener through a quick survey of the Cundick Catalog, wth anecdotal remembrances between the selections.  Robert Cundick was an important was an important to the Music of Tantara.