All Of It

Keb' Mo' released a breakthrough album in 1994, often called his debut, though he'd been recording and releasing music for decades beforehand. In late 2021, he received the Americana Music Association's Lifetime Achievement Award for Performance. Now he's out with a new album titled Good To Be, written between Nashville and his childhood home of Compton, California. Mo' joins us for a release day Listening Party.

Why are big name artists such as John Legend, Bruce Springsteen and Shakira cashing in on their catalogs? Variety senior music editor Jem Aswad breaks down this trend and its implications for the music industry.

Ludovico Einaudi's music draws on many different influences and has at times alienated classical critics, but it has earned him many more fans and made him one of the most-streamed classical musicians in the world. He has also composed scores for films including "Nomadland" and "The Father." His new album is a minimalist collection of piano compositions titled Underwater. Einaudi joins us for a release day Listening Party.

This year's New York Jewish Film Festival, which is presented by The Jewish Museum and Film at Lincoln Center, started on January 12, and is running through January 25. To help us preview the final weekend of the 31st edition of the festival, and recap what has screened so far, we are joined by Aviva Weintraub, director of the NYJFF.

[REBROADCAST FROM December 8, 2021] The Stephen Sondheim musical “Assassins,” about those who have attempted to assassinate American presidents, feels incredibly of-the-moment, even though it premiered in 1990. The 2021 revival was delayed due to COVID, but is now running at the Classic Stage Company. Director John Doyle, no stranger to Sondheim's work, joins us to discuss the show. He will be joined by actor Steven Pasquale, who plays John Wilkes Booth. “Assassins” is running at Classic Stage Company through January 29.

The new Broadway revival of the 1970 Stephen Sondheim and George Furth's Tony Award-winning musical "Company" switches the gender of many of the characters, including main character Bobbie, played by Tony Award-winner Katrina Lenk, and her best friend Jamie, now a gay man played by Matt Doyle. Lenk and Doyle join us to discuss the revival, which tells the story of a single woman turning 35, and contemplating whether it's time to get married. "Company" is running now at the Bernard Jacobs Theater.  

Frida is a dedicated mother who had one very, very bad day. And that one day leads to the removal of her child and Frida's induction into a new government reform program for "bad mothers." This is the plot of a new debut novel from Jessamine Chan, titled The School for Good Mothers. We speak with Chan as part of our new series highlighting first-time authors, '2022 Debuts.'    

[REBROADCAST FROM MAY 26, 2020] Former Vogue creative director André Leon Talley discusses his new memoir, The Chiffon Trenches. Talley passed away this week at age 73.

New York City's business landscape is always in a state of flux, with or without a global pandemic, and New Yorkers tend to be opinionated and sentimental about their neighborhood favorites. Gothamist Arts & Culture Editor Ben Yakas join us as we ask listeners about which shuttered New York City businesses would they bring back.  

Many recent films have sought to document and explore our current global pandemic, both through fiction and real life events. The 2021 documentary 'In The Same Breath' takes us back to the very beginning of the outbreak, in Wuhan, China. Director Nanfu Wang, known for her 2019 documentary 'One Child Nation,' returns with another deeply personal take, this time bridging her background in China and her current residency in the United States, where she is based. The film looks at the misinformation and coverups around the coronavirus outbreak, while also highlighting those who were, and are still, on the ground, from healthcare workers to distraught family members. Wang joins us to talk the film, which recently made the Oscar's shortlist for Best Documentary Feature.

Karen Brooks Hopkins joined the Brooklyn Academy of Music in 1979 and became its president in 1999, until 2015. She reflects on her tenure in the memoir BAM. . . and Then It Hit Me. Hopkins joins us to discuss the institutions and her career. The book can be preordered here.

On Age of Apathy, the new album from Grammy-winner and I'm With Her bandmember Aoife O'Donovan, the singer-songwriter explores experiences from the last two decades, beginning with her early adulthood. O'Donovan joins us for a Listening Party Preview of the album, which comes out Friday.

Cook, writer and stylist Anna Jones comes on the show to talk her newest cookbook One: Pot, Pan, Planet: A Greener Way to Cook for You and Your Family. In the new cookbook Jones continues her work in creating delicious vegetable-centered cuisine, this time with a focus on easy-to-prepare recipes (over 200!), that center sustainability. Quick squash lasagna Anna Jones Pasta has my heart like nothing else. My love affair with it was cemented when making stuffed agnolotti, caramelle and everything in between in restaurant kitchens, but it started with something simpler: my mum's lasagna. This lasagna is something slightly different but still as nostalgic and comforting. It is the quickest I've made, ready for the oven in 10 minutes (not the hour it normally takes), yet there is still a rich deep tomato sauce and those crisp baked edges to fight over. I don't pre-cook my lasagna sheets, as they cook in the sauce and I like them a little al dente. If you prefer them softer, you could use fresh pasta sheets here. This recipe was originally inspired by one of my all-time favorite cooks, Heidi Swanson of 101cookbooks.com. SERVES 6 2 ¾ cups/690 g tomato passata/purée/crushed canned tomatoes 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped a good pinch of dried chili flakes 2 x 15-ounce/400 g cans green or Puy lentils, drained (or 9 ounces/250 g home-cooked) 1/2 a butternut squash (about 1 1/3 pounds/600 g), peeled and grated 1/3 cup/50 g black olives, pitted and chopped 2 tablespoons capers the zest of a lemon, unwaxed or organic a small bunch of basil, leaves picked 2 x 4-ounce/125 g balls of mozzarella or vegan-style mozzarella 9 ounces/250 g dried lasagna sheets   Heat the oven to 400°F/200°C. In a large bowl or jug, mix the passata (or purée/crushed canned tomatoes) with the oil, half a teaspoon of flaky sea salt, the chopped garlic, chili flakes, drained lentils, grated squash, chopped olives, capers and lemon zest. Tear the basil leaves in half. Spoon a quarter of the sauce into an ovenproof dish roughly 8 inches x 12 inches/20 cm x 30 cm (I use an oval roughly the same size), tear over a third of one of the balls of mozzarella, then cover with pasta sheets. Repeat for another two layers: a quarter of the sauce, a third of a ball of mozzarella, a layer of pasta. Finish with a final layer of sauce, then tear over the whole second ball of mozzarella, sprinkle with salt and pepper, top with the basil, and drizzle with a little more olive oil. Bake for 30–35 minutes, until the mozzarella is deeply golden. Serve with a sharply dressed salad (I mix lemon juice, cider vinegar, mustard and extra virgin olive oil, and toss through a bowl of green leaves). From One: Pot, Pan, Planet by Anna Jones. Copyright © 2021 by Anna Jones. Excerpted by permission of Alfred A. Knopf, a division of Penguin Random House LLC. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.

Meal prep and cooking subscriptions were seeing a steep decline before COVID struck. Now the business is booming. Eater's associate editor Nick Mancall-Bitel, picks the best services and talks about what makes some more successful than others for those of us doing more cooking at home.

From the mushroom renaissance to the rise in popularity of hibiscus, New York Times food writer Kim Severson has some predictions for what food trends will be prominent in 2022. She joins us to discuss, and to break down her piece "How Will Americans Eat in 2022? The Food Forecasters Speak."

Every January, up-and-coming musicians from around the world are featured at globalFEST. This year is no exception, though the shows will be held remotely in partnership with NPR's "Tiny Desk" series. The event's co-founder and co-director Isabel Soffer joins to talk about this years globalFEST. The "Tiny Desk Meets globalFEST" concert series runs from Tuesday, Jan. 18 through Thursday, Jan. 20, and can be streamed online.

Roy Wood Jr., comedian and correspondent for "The Daily Show," speaks with us about his new comedy special, "Imperfect Messenger," out on January 19 on Paramount+.

WNYC news editor Kate Hinds joins us as we take calls from listeners about the top headlines of this week.  

The Sundance Film Festival runs January 20-30. Festival director Tabitha Jackson joins us to preview this year's festival and the films that will be shown.

The producer and rapper Mac Miller, born Malcolm McCormick, tragically died on September 7, 2018. Now, the first extensive biography of Mac Miller's life is set to be released. The book is called, MOST DOPE: The Extraordinary Life of Mac Miller, and it's written by music journalist Paul Cantor, featuring interviews with Miller's closest friends and collaborators. Cantor is with us to discuss the book and listen to some music. He will also be in conversation in-person with Joel Leon about his new book on February 16 at Rizzoli bookstore at 6pm. Information about the event can be found here.

A new film profiles a classical music and spoken tour featuring actor Bill Murray, cellist Jan Vogler and friends as they tour the world taking the show on the road.

"The Matrix Resurrections" is the fourth installment in the 'Matrix' film series, seeing Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Ann Moss return to the screen as Neo and Trinity for the first time since 2003's "The Matrix Revolutions." Critic at large for Vox, Emily VanDerWerff, joins us to talk the legacy of the Wachowski sisters' film franchise, which she has discussed in multiple articles, including, "Why The Matrix never stopped being relevant" and "How The Matrix universalized a trans experience — and helped me accept my own."

A new documentary features the work of former ACLU director Jeffery Robinson as he chronicles the history and enduring legacy of racism in America. Filmmakers Emily & Sarah Kunstler, and Jeffery Robinson, attorney and former deputy director of the ALCU, join to discuss their film, 'Who We Are: A Chronicle of Racism in America.'

[REBROADCAST FROM 1/17/20] Andy Lanset, the director of archives at WNYC, joins us for a special Martin Luther King, Jr. Day edition of "Andy in the Archives." 

[REBROADCAST FROM 11/15/21] The new HBO documentary “A Choice of Weapons: Inspired by Gordon Parks” provides a portrait of the acclaimed photographer and his legacy, via interviews with fans including Spike Lee, Ava Duvernay, and Kareem Abdul Jabbar, and reflections from photographers whom Parks influenced. Director John Maggio and photographer Jamel Shabazz join to talk about the film. This segment was guest-hosted by Kerry Nolan.

For WNYC's annual MLK event at Harlem's Apollo Theater, Alison spoke with some key players in African American theater about activism and art. Joining Alison on the Apollo stage were Jonathan McCrory, director of the National Black Theatre of Harlem, and Trezana Beverly, the first African-American actress to receive a Tony Award for “Best Featured Actress in a Play” for the 1977 Broadway play For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide / When the Rainbow Is Enuf. WNYC will air the full Apollo event at 3 PM and 8 PM on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Video can be streamed from our homepage starting at 7 PM.

[REBROADCAST FROM 1/17/2020] Sharon Langley and Amy Nathan join us to discuss their new children's book, A Ride to Remember: A Civil Rights Story, which tells the true story of Langley, who became the first child to desegregate the Gwynn Oaks Amusement Park in Baltimore. 

Simon Green DJs and produces electronic music under the moniker Bonobo. He approached his new album, Fragments, differently from previous albums, with little opportunity to workshop tracks by playing for live audiences in clubs. The result is a record with room for dance and contemplation, featuring Jamila Woods, Joji, and other artists. Green joins us for a release day Listening Party.

Vivian Maier was an unknown nanny until her photographs were discovered in a Chicago storage locker in 2007. Suddenly, she rocketed to posthumous fame, as critics and viewers were blown away by the way she captured ordinary workers, women, and marginalized groups. A new biography of Maier's life dives into her early years, her time in New York, France, and Chicago, and includes over 400 of her photographs, many published for the first time. Author Ann Marks joins us to discuss her acclaimed biography, Vivian Maier Developed.

Elvis Costello's new album, The Boy Named If, will appeal especially to fans of the singer-songwriter's Attractions-era rock and roll records. Costello also recently released a Spanish-language version of his 1978 album, This Year's Model. Costello joins us for a Listening Party, and to read some short stories from the book that accompanies the new album.

Clarinettist, vocalist and composer Angel Bat Dawid released a breakthrough album in 2019 and has since been an exciting jazz artist to watch. The Chicago Tribune recently named her "Chicagoan of the Year for Jazz." Starting Friday, she'll be the artist-in-residence at NYC Winter JazzFest. Originally scheduled for in-person events, the festival will now stream online through January 22. On Monday, January 17, Dawid will premiere her new work, "Afro-Town Topics: A Mythological Afrofuturist Revue." She joins us for a preview and to reflect on her career so far.

Condé Nast Traveler articles director Lale Arikoglu helps us explore options for a weekend road trip. We also take listener suggestions. 

[REBROADCAST FROM APRIL 2, 2019] Producers Alan Elliott and Terrell Whitley join us to discuss the documentary, “Amazing Grace,” which made its theatrical release on April 5, 2019. This never-before-seen documentary follows Aretha Franklin while she recorded her live double-record of the same name in 1972. Today, January 13th, is the 50th anniversary of the recording of the album, Amazing Grace, at New Temple Missionary Baptist Church in Los Angeles.

We are joined by New York Times reporter Daniel Victor, whose recent article, “Wordle Is a Love Story,” explores the creator and story behind the newest word-game sensation.

New York Times digital puzzles editor Sam Ezersky joins us to talk about the "Spelling Bee." We also ask callers about their feelings about the bee. 

Actor and SNL star Cecily Strong is starring in a new performance of the acclaimed one-woman show by Jane Wagner, "The Search For Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe." Strong joins us to discuss her performance. "The Search For Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe" is running at The Shed through February 6.

Around 400,000 new sound recordings from 1922 and earlier are now in the public domain. But what can be done with them? The Library of Congress's Citizen DJ offers one option. It collects free sound recordings in a browsable database and allows anyone to create music with them. Brian Foo, the artist and computer scientist behind the project, joins us to discuss.

Thanks to legislation passed in 2018, around 400,000 sound recordings made before 1923 are now available in the public domain. These include songs from Ethel Waters, Sophia Tucker, Al Jolson, and Fanny Brice, as well as opera and orchestral recordings from the likes of Enrico Caruso and Sergei Rachmaninoff. WNYC's John Schaefer, host of New Sounds and Soundcheck, shares some highlights.

On January 1, the public domain welcomed a new group of works that includes A.A. Milne's Winnie-the-Pooh, Ernest Hemingway's The Sun Also Rises and Agatha Christie's The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, as well as writings from Dorothy Parker, William Faulkner, Langston Hughes and more. Plus, for the first time, hundreds of thousands of sound recordings from before 1923 will also be included. Jennifer Jenkins, director of the Center for the Study of the Public Domain, highlights some of the newly public works and explains what it all means.

[REBROADCAST FROM February 16, 2021] Actor Gabriel Byrne joins us to discuss his acclaimed memoir, Walking With Ghosts, now out in paperback. The book is about his childhood growing up on the outskirts of Dublin, his brief time in a seminary, and the various jobs he took in the 1960s before joining an amateur drama group.

Lindsey Vonn is one of the most successful female alpine skiers in the history of the sport, competing in four Winter Olympic Games, and winning four overall World Cup championships before retiring in 2019. Now, she's releasing a memoir called, RISE: My Story, about her early life and career. Vonn is with us to discuss the book.

WNYC news editor Kate Hinds joins us as we take calls from listeners about the top headlines of this week.  

Ground-breaking actor Sidney Poitier died last week at the age of 94. He was the first Black performer to win the Oscar for Best Actor in 1964. Author Mark Harris joins us to discuss Poitier's life, legacy, and performances, which he wrote about in his book Pictures at a Revolution: Five Movies and the Birth of the New Hollywood. We will also take calls from listeners about their favorite Poitier performances.

The final season of the genre-defying series "Search Party" has been released on HBO Max. The series began with a group of millennials, led by Dory (Alia Shawkat), searching for a woman they went to college with after she had gone missing. But in the seasons since, the satirical takedown of New York millennials has turned into a real comedic thriller, as Dory herself becomes a famous accused murderer, and eventually finds herself imprisoned by an obsessive fan. In this final season, Dory starts a cult as she searches to provide "enlightenment" to the masses. Co-creators, executive producers, writers and directors Sarah-Violet Bliss and Charles Rogers join us to discuss the final season and the series as a whole. We are also joined by actor John Reynolds, who stars as Dory's hapless boyfriend Drew.

A debut collection from author Jean Chen Ho traces the lives and friendship of two Asian American women throughout the years. Kirkus says of 'Fiona and Jane' "Readers will wish for a Fiona or Jane in their own lives." Ho joins us to discuss as part of our series spotlighting debut authors in the month of January.

Last week, we invited the co-authors of the book, Stacked: Your Super-Serious Guide to Modern Money Management, to help give us some personal finance advice for the New Year. The segment proved so popular, that we decided to organize a part two! Returning to take your finance-related calls is Joe Saul-Sehy, one of the co-authors, and former financial advisor and creator and host of the Stacking Benjamins Podcast.

We think about ways to develop our basic skills in the kitchen with New York Times cooking writer Eric Kim. We also take your calls for questions and easy kitchen tips to improve your home cooking.

The Golden Globes did not air on television this year, nor was it even livestreamed online. But that's not the only thing new, different, and a bit odd about the awards show this year. New York Times awards show columnist Kyle Buchanan walks us through the reasons behind the change as well as recap the show, which took place last night.

Vulture film critic Alison Willmore returns to preview the most anticipated films slated for release in 2022.

[REBROADCAST FROM December 9, 2021] When actor, writer and director Kenneth Branagh was only 9 years old, his community in Belfast erupted in violence. Now, over 50 years later, Branagh has brought this story of his childhood to life in his new film "Belfast," which follows a young boy named Buddy as his family struggles to decide whether to stay in Northern Ireland. Branagh joins us to discuss the film, which he wrote and directed, and for which he won a Golden Globe last night for best screenplay.

A year before he took office, Eric Adams published a book about his plant-based diet. To welcome New York City's first vegan mayor into office, Time Out New York's Food & Drink editor Amber Sutherland-Namako joins to talk about the best restaurants around the city for vegan eating. Plus, listeners call in with their plant-based takeout and dine-in recommendations for Mayor Adams.