Playlist for the Unpopular Music Webcast for November 17, 2018

This week we hew to the usual jazzy first hour/not-so-jazzy second. No grand themes, just a bunch of music I've heard recently kind of raggedly assembled for your consideration.

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See the playlist after the break...

Playlist for the Unpopular Music Webcast for November 3, 2018

This week in recognition of the upcoming election, we present an artificact from your host's audio archive - a mixtape of political songs made in 1992 labeled "Revolution".

It is with a certain amount of trepidation that I turn over the programming to my 22-year-old self. It's easily the least jazzy, most rockin' episode in the series. The "unpopular" label is violated on several occasions. As for the political content of the songs, there's no real policy statements, essentially. At some level, you could just say it's a bunch of songs containing the word "revolution." At several occasions, there's a lot of bad language. It's more just a broad expression of where the roots of power should lie, who should benefit, and what our priorities should be. I don't distance myself from the politics presented, but sometimes worry if the proper context is clear. (For instance, I'm more pro-free speech than I am pro-outrageous-filth and its usual accompanying misogyny, and I certainly don't advocate political violence.)

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Anyway, I don't think this is about to change anyone's mind, but as last week's news showed us, people can be led to action when they hear their beliefs validated. With an opportunity to help change the direction of the country imminent, I can only hope to do the same.

See the playlist and more after the break...

Playlist for the Unpopular Music Webcast for October 27, 2018

Putting himself in meteorological peril merely by traveling to the studio, your host cast his fate to the wind to create a program with titles first reflecting the inclement weather, then the upcoming Hallowe'en festivities (boo). It sort of turned into a jazz show, but there's some pretentious 80's pop, plus a couple of rockin' selections. (For a proper Hallowe'en program check out John Funke's Backwoods Halloween Spooktacular on WMBR.org)

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See the playlist after the break...

Playlist for the Unpopular Music Webcast for October 20, 2018

Today we bring you a program unafraid to put Bartók and Stevie Wonder in the same set, among other choice pairings. A program which hopefully doesn't reflect the dreary morning in which it was assembled but rather the sunny fall afternoon when it was presented. (there's at least one song appropriate for that.)

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See for yourself after the break...

Playlist for the Unpopular Music Webcast for October 13, 2018

So, you took a few weeks off and had three weeks to put a program together. Surely it was finished well before 10:30 this morning? Ha! I say, Ha!

Truth be told, I did spend a good chunk of yesterday putting the results of a rainy day spent out-of-town on a street full of record stores¹ on to the hard drive, so there was a bit more work than usual involved. Also we'll pay tribute to the late great Hamiet Bluiett.

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See the playlist after the break...

Webcast info for October 6, 2018

Today is the third and last of some personal obligations keeping me away from the Somerville Media Center. Today we are successfully rebroadcasting the episode from May 2, 2015.

Recorded on a beautiful spring day, rather than a promising early fall day, with open studios, rather than Honk! getting people out. (that's not where I am by the way, not that you were wondering)

As I've said before, it's a good variety show episode, and one of the first to get much attention on Mixcloud. It starts out jazzy, and then goes through a Latin phase and a somewhat mellow section in the second hour. I think you'll enjoy.

Webcast info for September 29, 2018

This is the second week I have obligations keeping me away from the Media Center. I am fairly certain that this week, in place of a new live broadcast, we will present a classic episode from May 2, 2015. As I said last week, it's a good variety show episode, and one of the first to get much attention on Mixcloud. It starts out jazzy, and then goes through a Latin phase and a somewhat mellow section in the second hour. I think you'll enjoy.

Nope it was August 1, ,2015. Not sure how that happened. Will the third time be the charm.
The next live program is October 13.

Webcast info for September 22, 2018

I have some family and social obligations that will keep me away from the Media Center the next three weeks. This week in place of a new live broadcast, we will present a classic episode from May 2, 2015. Update: Nope, it was the October 21, 2017 again. Try again next week.


It's a good variety show episode, and one of the first to get much attention on Mixcloud. It starts out jazzy, and then goes through a Latin phase and a somewhat mellow section in the second hour. I think you'll enjoy.

Playlist for the Unpopular Music Webcast for September 15, 2018

A somewhat arbitrary selection for this week, with the usual jazzy/freeform divide, perhaps a bit too reliant on the Unpopular Music All-Stars (Coltrane, Zappa, Berne, Frisell, DeJohnette, Mingus.) I pump myself up a bit for Bill Frisell's show in Cambridge tonight. I present a more typical Randy Weston selection. Two events in and out side the Media Center provides minimal distraction. This post gets edited on air. Something for everyone!

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See the playlist after the break...

Playlist for the Unpopular Music Webcast for September 8, 2018

Today's program follows the usual template of jazzy first hour, less-jazzy second hour. We remember Randy Weston and Khaira Arby. (Over on Mixcloud, PFKToledo gives Randy a proper sendoff.) There's a jazzy-yet -haunting piece from between-wars Germany. There's some afro-jazz, some swinging library music, a few, let's say, "jazz-aware" classical pieces. And more, including a song which reminds me of my time working in the CD department of a bookstore where I had no jazz, or really any good records to play (imagine a context where the James Taylor Christmas Album is the album you actually look forward to.)

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See the playlist after the break...

Webcast info for September 1, 2018

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The Somerville Media Center is closed for the Labor Day Weekend, so in lieu of live webcast, we are rebroadcasting the episode from October 21, 2017. At the time I described it as "a somewhat arbitrary assortment of jazz, afro-pop, electronic, film music and a contemporary classical extravaganza."

Playlist for the Unpopular Music Webcast for August 25, 2018

Today we present a program marking the 100th anniversary of the birth of Leonard Bernstein. Bernstein is a primary influence on me, having demonstrated that different musics can live together in the same mind, even in the same music. We present today a sampling his work - his own music where he brings the concert world to the popular (ie Broadway) stage; where he brings elements of that stage (and the jazz sound-world) to his concert works. We have some jazz and rock interpretations of his works and a couple of the Maestro's benchmark interpretations of symphonic works.


See the playlist after the break...

Webcast info for August 18, 2018

I will be out of town this weekend, so in my absence we will present a rerun of my tribute to the heat from August 1, 2015. This was a pretty eclectic program with every thing from usual suspects like Monk and Coltrane to some Janáček from the then recently departed Ivan Moravec to some film noir music to a bunch of pop songs to a jazz cover of Led Zeppelin.

Stay cool.

Playlist for the Unpopular Music Webcast for August 11, 2018

Another rainy day here in Somerville. This show is also livened up a live event happening just outside the window, overheard during the first two mic breaks.

Musically, we have a bit less jazzy show than the last two or three. We dip back in to a few albums that have been recently featured, and another couple of items from that box over by the window I've been sorting through the last month.

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See the playlist after the break...

Playlist for the Unpopular Music Webcast for August 4, 2018

Pretty much a jazz show for this hot, rain-soaked summer day. Playing a few items, if not necessarily new, new to the Unpopular Music library. (and a couple of things from albums I may go back to too often.) Also, live Googling (at least, acknowledged live Googling,)

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see the playlist after the break...

Playlist for the Unpopular Music Webcast for July 28, 2018

Some music for a beautiful summer's day (at least where I was.)

The usual jazzy/freeform mix. A couple of Latin and Afro bits. A jazzy trombone concerto. Punk/jazz/disco. A variety show perhaps.





See the playlist after the break...

Hal Willner talks about the variety show

On last night's episode of Morricone Island on WFMU, noted hero of the blog Hal Willner used the term "variety show" while speaking with host Devon E. Levins about the "extravagant, cross-genre" tribute albums he's produced over the last four decades or so, as well as the episodes of "Night Music" he produced around 1990.¹ I may start using that term to describe the webcast, as they are directly influenced by these albums.

Willner was promoting a live presentation of the first of those albums, "Amarcord Nino Rota," which is happening in New York this week, but also talked about his entry into his unique spot in the music biz, as well as some of the other albums he's produced. All around an interesting program.

Playlist for the Unpopular Music Webcast for July 21, 2018

Pretty much a jazz show this week, with much of the variety that word contains. There are a couple of poppy things, and a little piano strumming from when that sort of thing was new.

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See the playlist after the break...

Playlist for the Unpopular Music Webcast for July 14, 2018

Today we return to the studio with the usual mish-mash of things jazzy and not. A tune is played after being referenced in another. An artist gets played after another group plays one of his tunes. A plea is made to support Cuneiform Records in their time of need. The microphone is bumped into on more than one occasion. Composed/conductor Oliver Knussen is remembered. A song from over thirty years ago describes the week's news. Something for everyone.

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See the playlist after the break...

Webcast info for July 7, 2018

not a recent photo from Boston

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I'm called out of town this weekend, so today we will be presenting an encore presentation of the episode from August 26, 2017.

If you recall (and I'm sure you do), I was feeling a bit lazy and uninspired, partly because of the hot weather of that week, which, after this week's clock melting weather, I would surely laugh at now.