“People keep asking certain questions about Anthony Braxton, questions such as what does he think he is doing?,” writes Robert Palmer of the New York Times. This orgy is an examination of what exactly the MacArthur winning, genre-evading, composer, multi-instrumentalist, improvisor and Jazz Master is doing.
On May 6, WHRB presented the "What Could Have Been" Orgy, a celebration of the Boston area's classical musicians and their resilience in the face of the ongoing pandemic. Here are all the interviews that were featured in the broadcast.
As of May 2020, 1,000 total recorded songs have officially incorporated elements of Slick Rick and Doug. E Fresh’s 1985 classic “La-Di-Da-Di.” We take you through hip-hop, R&B and pop history to hear some of our favourites.
I had the pleasure of interviewing TDS founder Louis Benjamin (‘79) and discussed his experience starting one of the first Black radio departments not only at WHRB but in the greater Boston area. The purpose of this interview is to uncover the historical origins of our department and to highlight and appreciate its significance in the story of Black music.
On the peaceful, pre-lockdown night of March 8th at Club Passim, Gretchen Peters opened her set of pure Americana storytelling with a dose of brutality. “Wichita” from her 2018 album Dancing With the Beast tells the story of twelve year old Cora Lee who murders her mother’s abusive boyfriend.
If a fan had closed her eyes, she could have imagined herself party to a spirited reading of a southern Gothic short story collection. Eyes open, she saw two bowlegged, middle-aged lead guitarists rocking out in a synchronization perfected by two and a half decades and twelve studio albums on the road.
It’s impossible to think of anything else in this pandemic, so it’s with regret that I inevitably place their music in the context of COVID-19: Lightning Bug’s music glows with quiet strength and hope during this tumultuous time.
Did COVID-19 cancel your graduation? Is social distancing making you feel socially distant? We consider the emotions of quarantine and the perfect music to accompany each one.