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David discusses the movies he's been watching, including Ready or Not 2: Here I Come, "The Three Sisters," "Forevergreen," "The Girl Who Cried Pearls," "Butterfly," "Retirement Plan," "Eiru," The Bride! and Porgy and Bess.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
El 8 de mayo de 1945, en Allentown, población del estado de Pensilvania, nacía Keith Jarrett. Escuchamos al pianista en solitario en un estudio tocando 'Be my love', 'I´m through with love' y 'I loves you Porgy' de su disco 'The melody at night with you' (1999), a dúo con el contrabajista Charlie Haden en 'Don´t ever leave me', 'No moon at all' y 'One day I´ll fly away'' del disco 'Jasmine (2010), en concierto en el Musikverein de Viena en julio de 2016 ('Over the rainbow', Part IX') y, también en julio de 2016, en el Palacio de Congresos de Budapest ('Part VII', 'Answer me, my love', 'It´s a lonesome old town').Escuchar audio
What happens when you trust your talent before anyone else does? I had the pleasure of speaking with Spider Saloff, a jazz vocalist and performer whose journey shows what it means to truly create your own path. From secretly rehearsing as a teenager to performing for the Gershwin family and building a career in jazz and cabaret, Spider shares how taking risks, following curiosity, and trusting your instincts can open unexpected doors. We also explore her resilience through personal challenges, including overcoming an abusive relationship and rebuilding her life from nothing. You will hear how music, creativity, and lifelong learning became her anchors, and why choosing your own direction can lead to a life that is both meaningful and unstoppable. Highlights: 00:10 – Discover how a passion for music at a young age can shape an entire life path 02:04 – Learn how early opportunities and saying yes can open unexpected doors 10:00 – Understand why creating your own opportunities can redefine your career 16:20 – Hear how taking bold action led to a life-changing connection with the Gershwin family 30:00 – Discover how one decision can completely change where your life and career unfold 44:44 – Learn what it takes to break free from hardship and rebuild your life with resilience Bottom of Form About the Guest: What does it take to build a lasting career in music and performance? Spider Saloff has done exactly that, earning recognition as a multi-award-winning vocalist and entertainer known for her powerful voice, wide range, and captivating stage presence. Born in Philadelphia and raised in New Jersey, she began her journey in theater at a young age, studying acting at Rowan University and the University of London. Her early career in musical theater included more than 25 major roles, but everything shifted when she discovered her passion for jazz. That move led her to work with top musicians, gain critical acclaim, and begin touring both nationally and internationally. Over time, Spider became one of the most respected interpreters of the American Songbook, known for blending deep emotion with humor in her performances. Her connection with the Gershwin family helped launch signature shows like her tribute to George Gershwin, which has been performed around the world. She has also created tributes to icons like Cole Porter and Irving Berlin, performed at major venues and festivals globally, and hosted the syndicated radio series Words and Music. Beyond the stage, she is a teacher, writer, and creator who helps others find their unique voice, continuing to inspire audiences and students alike through a career built on passion, creativity, and authenticity. Ways to connect with Spider: Website: https://spidersaloff.com LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/spiderjazz Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/spidie.saloff Twitter (@spidersaloff): https://x.com/spidersaloff?s=21&t=XIFFgGFn7E5Hd_8J8Rexfg Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6gKiYyeoZyxZTAI2EpGWbU?si=WudPV-CUQPmMThTtV508Og YouTube (@TheMartinicat): https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTLI-Gd51JdcMT0FVvvD9lA YouTube, “When You See Me”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DTbO1FWrje4 Instagram (@spider.jazz): https://www.instagram.com/spider.jazz/ About the Host: Michael Hingson is a New York Times best-selling author, international lecturer, and Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe. Michael, blind since birth, survived the 9/11 attacks with the help of his guide dog Roselle. This story is the subject of his best-selling book, Thunder Dog. Michael gives over 100 presentations around the world each year speaking to influential groups such as Exxon Mobile, AT&T, Federal Express, Scripps College, Rutgers University, Children's Hospital, and the American Red Cross just to name a few. He is Ambassador for the National Braille Literacy Campaign for the National Federation of the Blind and also serves as Ambassador for the American Humane Association's 2012 Hero Dog Awards. https://michaelhingson.com https://www.facebook.com/michael.hingson.author.speaker/ https://twitter.com/mhingson https://www.youtube.com/user/mhingson https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelhingson/ accessiBe Links https://accessibe.com/ https://www.youtube.com/c/accessiBe https://www.linkedin.com/company/accessibe/mycompany/ https://www.facebook.com/accessibe/ Thanks for listening! Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it using the social media buttons on this page. Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a comment in the section below! Subscribe to the podcast If you would like to get automatic updates of new podcast episodes, you can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher. You can subscribe in your favorite podcast app. You can also support our podcast through our tip jar https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/unstoppable-mindset . Leave us an Apple Podcasts review Ratings and reviews from our listeners are extremely valuable to us and greatly appreciated. They help our podcast rank higher on Apple Podcasts, which exposes our show to more awesome listeners like you. If you have a minute, please leave an honest review on Apple Podcasts. Transcription Notes: Michael Hingson 00:04 What if the biggest thing holding you back isn't what's in front of you, but rather what you believe Welcome to unstoppable mindset where inclusion, diversity and the unexpected meet. I'm your host. Michael hingson, speaker, author and advocate for inclusion and possibilities. This podcast explores how the beliefs we carry shape the way we live, lead and connect with others. Each week, I talk with people who challenge assumptions, face adversity head on and show what's possible when we choose curiosity over fear, together, we focus on mindset resilience and the small shifts that lead to meaningful change. Let's get started. Hi everyone, and I want to welcome you to another episode of unstoppable mindset, and we have an unstoppable mindseted, oriented sort of person today. Spider Saloff. Spider is a vocalist. She's a comedian. She is in Chicago, as I recall, but she has been to a variety of places. She is a very highly acclaimed vocalist, a singer. She sings and deals with a lot of the songs that I like, like the Great American Songbook, Gershwin, Irving, Berlin and other things like that. And she has a lot of accolades that come from any number of famous people who you've probably heard of. And so in the course of the next hour or so, I'm sure we're going to hear about a bunch of that. But for now, spider, welcome to unstoppable mindset. We're really glad Spider Saloff 01:49 you're here. Well, I'm happy to be here. Thank you for inviting me. Michael Hingson 01:53 Well, you are, you are most welcome. So how did you get into doing, acting, singing and all the other things that you do. Spider Saloff 02:04 Well, it started when I was a kid. I always loved music, and you know, it was so in love with the arts. But when I was 14, I came home and told my parents that I could get them tickets to the high school variety show. And they said, What? And I told them, I'm in it. I'm going to be in it. And they said, well, doing what? And I said, singing. And they were they were shocked, and I didn't tell them. I used to rehearse at my girlfriend's home because her family was all over it. They thought I was wonderful, and I knew my family would tell me that I couldn't do it so because it's just too foreign and too scary to them. So I ended up performing at this variety show, and my my parents were absolutely shocked, and one thing led to another. And then I met a theater director who worked at my school, and he came, he was a professional guy from New York that they hired to come in to do a musical, and I was in it. And I ended up getting the opportunity to be in a summer stock company and my parents let me go, which was amazing. I think they were just relieved to get me out of the house for the summer, but whatever it takes, but I certainly learned a lot, and I was very young for that experience, but it was, it was so, so worth it. And then after I finished high school, I went to college for theater. Now, your parents are from Russia. Oh, no, no, no, no, they're descend. My father's descendants are from Russia. That's where the name is from. But they are, I think I am about 11 different nationalities. So it's we're real much we are real much of the world. Well, there you go, yeah. Michael Hingson 04:05 So now we need to just clone that combination, since obviously you sing, well, we need to get that in other people, just just, you know, just a thought, you know, Spider Saloff 04:16 sounds good. Sounds dangerous to me. Michael Hingson 04:18 Actually, I know it's either that or we're gonna Spider Saloff 04:21 have to get more, more of one than more than one of Michael Hingson 04:24 me, more than one spider? No, we can't have that. Well, either that or we get AI to to imitate you. But we don't want to do we don't want to do that either, scary stuff. 04:35 Yeah, yeah, it is. Michael Hingson 04:36 Well, so how did you encounter and come up with the name spider. Spider Saloff 04:44 I did not choose it. I, you know, I never thought that my real name made any sense from the time I was a child, it's, I'm like, that doesn't make sense. And then I got the nickname when I was in college, because I have, I'm. Really a small person, but I have very long arms and legs, and it was a nickname, and it just stuck with me. And then finally I surrendered to it as a professional name, and people don't forget it. They may not like me, but they don't forget the name. And then it just stuck. And it's been that way ever since, how could Michael Hingson 05:20 somebody not like you? Spider Saloff 05:23 Well, I don't know. I'm sure there's somebody out there. I would love to thank everyone. Just endorse me, but Michael Hingson 05:31 we'll see. Well, yeah, I mean, it'll all go so where did you go to college? Spider Saloff 05:37 I went to a college that doesn't exist anymore, actually, now it is Rowan University. It's in New Jersey, outside of Philadelphia, and it became Rowan University when it got the largest private donation in history. But it was a state college called Glassboro State College, and it was a fine arts school at the time. There were several of my friends, including the conductor for the Lion King and Broadway people, all went to school there, and now it has no arts program at all. But part of our program, I did get to study at University of London too. So that was really exceptional. And it was so wonderful, a wonderful school, great opportunity. You know, it's, it was outside of Philadelphia, close to New York, and now it's an engineering school. For the most part. There isn't, there are no fine arts there at all. Well, that's too bad. But, well, yeah, I know, but somebody's got to do the engineering, Michael Hingson 06:39 I guess. I Well, there's truth to that too. Now, have you seen THE LION KING LIVE on Broadway? I have Spider Saloff 06:46 never seen it, and it's never seen it. I gotta see it. I've got to see it. I it just never happened. I kept intending to go and I never saw it. And I know people that played for it as well. 06:59 You've seen the movie. No, you haven't seen the movie Spider Saloff 07:02 either, anything Lion King. My goodness, I know I better. That's one of my goals. By the end of the year, let me see if I can see it. Michael Hingson 07:10 Well, I'll tell you my lion king story. A my brother in law knew someone who knew some of the actors in Lion King, and he and his wife and their little girl, who at the time was like three or four, were coming through New Jersey, where we lived in Westfield, and we all arranged to go see The Lion King. It was a Wednesday afternoon. It was a matinee, and near the beginning when scar, the bad guy meets the hyenas, who he works with, they all come on, they come on stage and they're growling and all sorts of things like that. Well, in the theater, the hyenas come from the back of the theater, down the stairs, and they walk past everyone growling and making all these noises? Well, my wife was in a wheelchair her whole life. She was a t3 paraplegic, and when one of the hyenas came up next to her, because we were able to arrange for an accessible seat, which was right on the aisle, this hyena comes up right next to her and goes, you've never seen a woman who is totally paralyzed suddenly literally jump up and almost walk out of the theater. It was amazing. She he shocked her completely. But it was so much fun. And of course, Alanya, the little girl, was just there with these big, huge eyes over all of this. But what Karen, my wife, told me later was that what was interesting about it was that when she was obviously watching all of this, and she said, You got totally used to the the puppets being the animals they were. They didn't you. They didn't even look like puppets anymore. They were just the animals. Spider Saloff 09:05 And that's exactly what I've heard about it, that it's like, it was fascinating. You're completely swept away with it. Michael Hingson 09:10 Yeah, wow. So, so it's cool, but, yeah, you gotta, you gotta go see The Lion King. It is absolutely worth it. The music is wonderful and all that. Wow. So we got to see it on Broadway, which was cool. Well, so you, so you went to college, and then what did you do? Spider Saloff 09:32 Well, when I got out of college, I, you know, was doing theater, but I ended up in musicals because I sang, and I really my training, my formal training, really is acting. I did not train as a singer. I just started singing naturally when I was a teenager, and then I just did a ton of musicals. I was in musicals like forever and but. I always loved jazz, and that was always in my back pocket. And then at one point, I really decided I wanted to pursue jazz while it was still in musical theater, because it was getting harder and harder to get roles, because they wanted, this is in the late 80s. They wanted you to be a dancer as well, and that was not going to happen for me. So I really thought, you know, I just, I want to check out the whole nightclub scene, you know, in Cabaret, where you could produce your own show. And so I started to really pick the minds of the guys in the pit band. And I talked to all these pit musicians, and they would tell me about, you know, places to go, and how they there were guys I met there that introduced me to other people, that helped me to do my first demo, and then started working in clubs. And then that really changed everything for me. Michael Hingson 11:01 So you got very much involved in doing a lot of Spider Saloff 11:04 jazz, yeah, jazz and cabaret, and it was all small clubs. But then that was what got me major press attention. And then I started touring with a show that I co wrote with a guy named Ricky ritzel, who's from New York, and we did a show called 1938 and that was my first recording as well. And then then just kept going from there, and that's how a lot of things happened, was really just deciding to do my own thing and create my own world of performance. So you're also Michael Hingson 11:45 known for doing something related in one way or another to comedy? Spider Saloff 11:50 Well, yeah, I've always done comedic roles, and I can't say I have ever done stand up, but I may be getting close to it, I'm not sure, but I always involve a lot of comedic monologs in everything I do. Like, if you see me at a jazz club, I will tell stories. And, you know, it's part of, part of who I am, is a lot of the comedy stuff. And, you know, crazy stories and telling stories about people, and, you know, doing imitations of people that I've met over the years and that kind of stuff. So it's, it is part of my whole persona on stage. Michael Hingson 12:33 What's your favorite musical that you've done? Boy, it's probably a toughy. Spider Saloff 12:40 I did so many, I have to say, Guys and Dolls. Okay, guys and dolls. I was Adelaide and Guys and Dolls, one of the best roles I've ever done. It was really a good choice for me, and and I, and I have to say I was in what, four productions of Fiddler on the Roof, and I've been two seidels, one Hava and fru masera, so but I love that show. I think it's magical. Michael Hingson 13:21 Just it is. Have you ever been in numb? I like Guys and Dolls, but my favorite, and it's just been that way for a long time. I don't know why was the music? Man, were you ever in the music? Spider Saloff 13:32 Man, I was, but there's no, there's no role in that for me. But I was one of the pick a little ladies. Oh, it is one of my favorite shows. Though, I think it's a masterpiece. I love love love music, man. I think it's just brilliant. Michael Hingson 13:48 You don't think you could have done you? Lily capecni shim you know, Spider Saloff 13:53 I was too young to do it at the time. Michael Hingson 13:54 Yeah. Well, like always, now there's always Marion, Spider Saloff 14:00 no, I don't have the soprano chops for that. They let me do it in Sutton Foster's keys. Well, I was thrilled that they took it down for her, because I could actually do it in those keys. That would be great. Michael Hingson 14:16 I saw it a couple of times on Broadway. Now I'm blanking out on the person it was in. Well, we saw it in, like, 2002 1001 and I'm trying to remember I'm blanking out on the person who played Marion. She actually ended up getting Lou Gehrig's disease and passed away. Spider Saloff 14:43 I don't know who. I don't know, which Michael Hingson 14:45 totally shocked us. Spider Saloff 14:46 I'm drawing a blank, I don't know. Michael Hingson 14:48 Yeah, I'm blanking out on her name. I may think of it, but, Oh, forgive us. She did a she did a great, a great job. But, yeah, but there's nobody like Robert Preston to play Harold Hill. And. Spider Saloff 15:00 Anyway, oh, that movie is so beautiful. I love that movie. Yeah, music, man is brilliant. It really is brilliant. Well, that Michael Hingson 15:10 goes back to, you know, Mr. Mr. Meredith. Meredith Wilson, Spider Saloff 15:18 yes, and I read, I read his book. Have you ever do you know of his book called he doesn't know the territory? Michael Hingson 15:27 No, I'll have to see if I Spider Saloff 15:28 can find writing and production of music. Man, I love, love. Love that book. And it's about all the trials of getting it produced and how he did. They did one of the opening one of the readings when they were trying to raise the money to do it. And moss Hart. Moss and Kitty Hart were there, and they hated it so much they walked out the middle of it. Opening Night, moss Hart was there, and he he saw, he saw Meredith Wilson in the lobby, and he shook his hand, and he said, he said, Great show. But you know what, you still haven't licked that book. Oh gosh, because he was an outsider. I mean, he wasn't part of the Broadway team. And no, the fact that he actually played with a John Philip Sousa, like, what, yeah, couch or something. It was real deal. Like, real real, like, old timey marching band stuff. Michael Hingson 16:35 Yeah, amazing. Well, then he also did The Unsinkable Molly Spider Saloff 16:39 Brown, yes, yes, another great show, yeah, not produced very often. But no, Michael Hingson 16:45 no, it's not. It's, it's sort of sad. Oh, well. But you, you've been very much involved with with a lot of jazz and so on. Tell us about meeting the Gershwin family and and your your involvement with Gershwin, which, you Spider Saloff 17:01 know, he, of course, magical. It was. It was truly a life changing event for me, my partner and I, Ricky ritzel And I had been doing 1938 and then we decided to write this show that was called Porgy and Bess, a cabaret concert, oh boy. And it was in New York, and a very powerful guy from ASCAP came to see it, and Michael kirker, and he came to see it, and he said, this show is brilliant. He goes, but you guys are going to get shut down by the Gershwin family, so you need to call them and see if they'll give you permission. So I had the phone number for Leopold godowsky, the third who is the nephew of George and Ira. His mother is Frankie Gershwin, who was George and IRA's younger sister, and I was a wreck. My hands were shaking, and I called him on the phone and and he was very polite. He just had this incredibly mannered guy, you know, it was really lovely. He goes, Well, you know, I don't see that we could allow Porgy and Bess be performed in a night club, and it wasn't like we were doing the show. We were just right. We were telling a story about how it was written and then just performing the songs as separate entities, but they were enfolding into the story. So I said, Would you would you want to comment? Would you want to see it? If we put it on a videotape, and he goes, Oh, I don't know. He goes, let me think about it. So then I called him back right away. I had the nerve to call him back again. I said, Well, would you come to see the show. He said, you know, what would you and your partner be willing to come and perform it at my home in Connecticut? There you go. And I'm like, What? What? So this whole thing got put together, and we went up to the Gershwins home in Connecticut. We met Leopold and his fabulous wife, Elaine, and they had, they said, we're having, we're having 40 close friends here for dinner. They were cooking dinner themselves, and it was this magical house in Connecticut. They had 40 industry people there. It was crazy. I mean, there were all these famous people there, and we were, we did like, as he called it, a 30 minute musicale. We did highlights from the show in their living room by the great. End piano, and I believe the piano had belonged to George, because Leopold is classical pianist as well. So we did the show, and then we all had dinner, and this friendship started. So what evolved was they, they did, let us do the show, but then my relationship continued with them, and when the Gershwin Centennial started in 1996 it was Iris 100th birthday, two years before George's. In 98 I became part of the centennial presentation, so I got to tour with my Gershwin concert under their brand, and also record my Gershwin album with their brand on it. And it was the beginning of a beautiful friendship. And it was, it was a huge, you know, a huge mark in my career, and it opened a lot of doors for me. So wonderful, wonderful people. Michael Hingson 21:03 One of my favorite pieces of all times. Calling it a piece is probably not totally accurate. It's bigger than that, but one of my favorite things from classical music has always been Rhapsody in Blue. And I don't know why, but the very first time I heard it, I loved it, and I've enjoyed it ever since. I've heard the Boston Pops do it, you know, and and others do it. It's just one of those neat things I've just always loved. Spider Saloff 21:30 I'm getting chills just talking about it, because that was so groundbreaking at the time when Paul Whiteman had the contest right of who was going to be able to cross the borders of jazz and classical. And you know, who else was in that contest was Aaron Copland, oh my gosh, Eric Copeland, and he was always in competition with Gershwin, yeah, and Gershwin won and musically, that that changed the whole concept of jazz, I mean, to be accepted in a classical arena. It was really remarkable. What that what that piece did, like, amazing. Michael Hingson 22:18 I actually heard once the Paul Whiteman arrangement of Rhapsody in Blue was performed by a group I don't even recall where, but it was outside. It was a little different, but it still was just so neat to hear this. Spider Saloff 22:36 The first person to hear it, yep. I mean, Paul, my Paul Whiteman was incredible, though. I mean, what a what a groundbreaking person. He was artistically, right? Michael Hingson 22:48 Yeah, he, he did some amazing things, Spider Saloff 22:51 yeah, yeah, you know what I've got to mention. And I hope this doesn't make make our interview too dated. But last night, I saw the movie Blue Moon. That is about about Larry Hart. Oh, my God, I haven't seen that. I'm gonna have to. It just came out last week. Oh, okay, it's not gonna be very often. It's absolutely gorgeous, and Ethan Hawk plays Larry Hart. It it's it's beautiful and funny and heartbreaking, and it all the whole premise is Larry Hart has to go to opening night of Oklahoma, oh gosh, and how painful it is, and this whole cathartic thing he's going through. So the bulk of the entire it's more like, like a theater piece. The whole thing takes place at the bar at Sardi's when he's talking to the bartender and waiting for for Rogers and Hammerstein to show up. And it's, ah, Wowza, it's brilliant. It's brilliant. And talk about, I don't know how they ever got that produced, because it's definitely a movie that's not going to appeal to everybody, but boy, is it brilliant. Michael Hingson 24:14 Wow. Well, hopefully it will come out in some place where I can can watch it up here, and that'll be cool, yeah, Spider Saloff 24:22 and I think it's probably going to go to streaming pretty soon, I'm sure, yeah. So you'll have a lot of opportunities. But I really was happy to go to the theater and see it. But wow, and people in the audience were laughing at all the jokes they were getting, all the sly, Sly comments of Larry Hart, like, wow, witty, witty, witty, just brilliant, just brilliant. Michael Hingson 24:51 Well, your whole Gershwin relationship, obviously, is pretty significant. You even did some Gershwin concert. In Russia, Spider Saloff 25:02 yes, yes. That was why I went to Russia. They were having a Gershwin Centennial in St Petersburg in 1998 because that is the, that is the origins of the Gershwin family. They are from St Petersburg. And so I was hired with my pianist to go to St Petersburg. And do we? Did we were there for seven days, and I think we did like five concerts, and it was amazing to be there, because this was when Russia was getting good. This was, like the good part, and still was scary. It was scary. We stayed in this really creepy hotel that was like a government hotel, and the rooms were bugged. And then when the hallways there were padded walls, like where they could pull these panels out, and there was all kinds of wiring in there, bugging and strange stuff. The concert hall was absolutely magical. It was an old concert hall, and people went crazy, and when I sang the song vodka, which is an oddity, by Gershwin, by way, herbert stothard, Otto Harbach, Oscar Hammerstein and George Gershwin wrote this crazy song called vodka. And when I did the song, people stood on their chairs and screamed, the Russians just loved, loved, loved the concert, the audiences couldn't have been better, and the people that ran the organization couldn't have been weirder. It was, it was very strange. And when we went to leave, the guy that booked us and me and my pianist, they they took our passports, and we had to go to a little room where they said that we our visas were expired and and we had to pay money to get out of there, and they were mad at the guy that was our manager, because he sassed them. And anyway, we had to wait. We were afraid we're going to miss the plane. And then finally, they came out with, like a little, a little tape from an adding machine, and they, they said, you have to pay $58.23 American. So they charged us this $58 and we paid it and ran to get on the plane and and I'm like, I was never so scared in my life. I didn't know what they were going to do, but it was an experience, and it was thrilling and beautiful. But don't think I'm going back to Russia, not in the near term. Yeah. Oh, and then that's when all these people said, my name is sell off. You are my cousin. I come home with you like there were so many people with my name, because in this country, there aren't that many. Aren't that many sell offs. My family is pretty small, and occasionally I'll meet us a sell off. But they're usually, they're usually rabbis, or it's like there aren't that many of us out there, but it was, it was an amazing experience. Loved it. Michael Hingson 28:28 Now, did you when you were over there, sing any of the songs or anything in Russian, or did that matter? Spider Saloff 28:34 Oh no, oh no, let's didn't do that, huh? I'm not. No, I, you know, I'm good at doing accents, and sometimes I will learn to say, like I would learn a little bit of French to get by, but then they would start asking me questions, and I didn't know what they were saying, and then they thought I was just being a jerk, you know, I'm pretending I don't understand them or something. But it was, No, I don't speak. I can barely handle English, but I didn't know whether you might have Michael Hingson 29:05 tried to learn one of the songs just for fun. Spider Saloff 29:08 There wasn't time. This went together so fast. I think we only had, like, two weeks notice. They had rushed the visas and, you know, we had, we had passports in order, but it was a lot of legal red tape. Michael Hingson 29:25 But that's why it cost $58.33 to get out. I don't know, very crazy one of those things. Oh, yeah. Well, well, at least it was affordable. Spider Saloff 29:41 Well, it will, and it was exciting. I mean, everything was paid for. But, oh, this was another weird thing they paid. They paid us in cash, American dollars, and I needed to hide, I had to hide it in my boot. I put it in. Hide the soul of my boot when I'm okay, wow, yeah, it was, it was creepy all the way down the line. It was very strange. Oh, well, yeah, things happen. 30:11 Things happen. Yeah, I was, Spider Saloff 30:12 I'm very, very, very fortunate that I got, got to do it, yeah? Michael Hingson 30:19 So obviously a wonderful memory. And yeah, oh yeah, one of those things that you'll you'll always treasure. You bet. Well, so when did you move to Chicago? Spider Saloff 30:32 Oh, well, when? When I started to get get my feet wet in New York, in the nightclub scene and the jazz scene, I got some really fabulous reviews, including the New York Times. And there was a guy from Chicago who I met through the great Julie Wilson, and his name was Bill Allen, and he was partners with Bobby Short, and he opened this really crazy club in Chicago, very famous, called the Gold Star sardine bar. And both Liza Minnelli had played there the Basie band. He squeezed the Basie band in there, but it was this tiny little place right in downtown Chicago, and it was really wild. And a lot of people had played there. Tony Bennett had played there, and Liza and I kind of was courting the room. I kept talking to him. He had he had found my press kit. Think he had been sent three different press kits, and we don't know which one he opened, and he called me, and we kept this ongoing conversation about coming out to do performance there, and then finally, he decided to bring me out for New Year's Eve, and my husband and I flew out, and it was just we were we had a couple of friends here in Chicago that we visited, but we didn't know anybody here. I'd never been to Chicago, you know, but it was magical. And then he said, Well, I'm going to have you back. I'm going to have you back. And then I didn't hear from him. And finally, the following September, he asked if I could come and play for a month, and I had almost no warning, because he was very impulsive and really crazy. So he asked me to come out for a month, and I did. They put me up in a hotel, and I played with the musicians. Were magical. People were so great. And so I played for a month, and then he said, you know, what would you think about about moving here? And my husband and I were both excited about it. Then we didn't hear anything from him. And then right after So, the first week of February the following year, he calls me up and said, Could you move here? And I'm like, I guess so. Why he goes, Well, I'll book you here for a year, and we'll arrange to get an apartment. And can you start like next week? Oh, gosh, ah, so I did it. I came out, and then my husband came out. We took a sublet on an apartment right downtown in Chicago, sight unseen. We moved here with our cat, and the rest was history. I ended up having the best nobody has a gig for a year, yeah, and and hired partially by the only person that had a gig forever, who was Bobby Short. So because I had met Bobby Short in New York, and he kind of gave bill the okay, you know, he liked me. And then I, I met Tony Bennett there, and Liza interrupted my show one night and crawled on to the over the balcony, onto the stage. And it was magical. There were lines around the block and and I got, I was courted by the press in Chicago like you wouldn't believe. I mean, it was magical. So when my run was up there, I started working at other clubs, and also I started touring at concert tours of my shows, like the Gershwin show, and started to tour. So it just became another life for me. But I'm, I'm in Chicago forever. As far as I'm concerned. I adore it here. I just love it. Michael Hingson 34:45 So when did you move there? Spider Saloff 34:47 The beginning of 92 Michael Hingson 34:49 Okay, all right, so when Liza, when Liza invaded the stage? Did you guys sing together? Spider Saloff 34:55 No, this is what happened. I had met Liza. Yeah, well, I was still living in New York, and I was friends with Billy Stritch, who was liza's musical director. So he was a friend of mine, and he introduced me to Liza, and because she was he was conducting a bit that big show she did at Radio City Music Hall that was a tribute to Vincent Minnelli. Right? She did this spectacular show at Radio City, and Billy was musical directing, and that's when they really became partners. And he introduced me to Liza, and she was just a doll, one of the nicest, coolest people in show business. So I met her, and she was really kind to me, very friendly, very sweet. And so they were playing at the Chicago theater. Liza was doing her one woman show, and it was closing this particular Saturday that I was at the Gold Star, and I had sent Billy a note to to, you know, come by when they're we're done. So I'm doing the second set. And then crazy Bill Allen at the break. He goes, he goes, Okay, people are going to come in here. Joe Pesci is going to come in and and he's going to come up and meet you. And I'm like, Joe Pesci. Joe Pesci was doing a movie here, and his double, his gangster double, used to come in and see me at the gold star. So anyway, the break comes, I'm on stage, and all of a sudden the door opens, and they come in, and it's, it was Billy and Liza and Joe Pesci. And Joe Pesci comes up on stage with Billy and my band kind of crawls off the stage, because by now, there are, there's about, I don't know, 200 people packed in a 70 person room, and their people are coming out of the woodwork. They're like, sitting on top of the bar, and I can't even get off the stage. And Joe Pesci. Pesci leans down, he's like, hey, hey, honey, my my double. He thinks you're great. He goes, Yeah, we're gonna do some songs now. And I'm like, okay, so I sat there, and Billy came up and played. The bass player was there with them. Joe Pesci got up and sang. He was adorable. And then Liza is sitting right by this. They called it the opera box. There was a big, like private table that was right next to the stage. She crawls over the bar onto the stage, and people are just screaming. It was absolutely nuts. And she did like three songs, and she was losing her voice. She had just done a killer thing at the Chicago theater, and she was really, like, raspy. Did it anyway? And she ended with New York, New York, and people were like, screaming. It was just bonkers. It was bonkers. And so that's what the Gold Star was like. It was just a crazy place, and you didn't know who was going to come in the door, who was going to interrupt your show? You just, you just didn't know. Michael Hingson 38:24 Yeah. And they even had the Count Basie orchestra there, and that was, how'd they fit him? How'd they Spider Saloff 38:30 fit him in? Couldn't fit them. It was like a publicity stunt, yeah, and the band was all stuffed in there, and there were a few people that could get in the room, but people were standing in the hallway to hear Pacey pants. This is way before my time. Yeah, it was like in the early 80s, when they opened and they were way crazier then, then when, when I came, Michael Hingson 38:53 you settled them down. Did Spider Saloff 38:55 you No? No, but they, they, they, well, I was there for a year, and then the following year, I went back a few times on Saturdays, and then Bill told Jeremy Conn and I that we were going to be the regular actor because they were always on the verge of closing. They wouldn't have any liquor, and somebody would be coming in the back door with liquor because they didn't pay their liquor bill. And it was, he was in a lawsuit. And anyway, they told us that he goes, Yeah, yeah. Call me on Tuesday and we're gonna we're getting all the details straight. Now. You guys are going to be regular. Here Tuesday came and there were chains on the door. Oh, gosh. And that was the end of it. It ended, and it was a magical time, but there were a lot of problems, a lot of legal problems going on. Michael Hingson 39:50 I met Liza Minnelli once. That was the second or third time I was interviewed by Larry King, and she was now. She was going to perform on the show as well, but it was after September 11, and so I got, I got to meet her, and that was about it, but I did get to meet her, which was fun. Exciting. It was fun. How exciting. And every time we walked out after the interviews, there were lots of photographers outside. Everyone was taking pictures, and we had to put up with all that, but I guess it provided a lot of visibility, but it was kind of fun to be able to do that. Spider Saloff 40:34 How cool. I never met Larry King. I knew a lot of people were on his show. But well, how exciting that you did it twice? Michael Hingson 40:43 Well, actually we there were five interviews with Larry. The first one was right after September 11. It was on the 14th. And then there was another one. There was either one or two more. I think there was one more in November of 2001 and then on the anniversary, in 2002 was the third. But there there were five altogether, and during one of them, and I think it was the one on the anniversary or in 2002 but I have to go back and see if I can research it. But anyway, Hillary, Hillary Clinton and Chuck Schumer were, were there? Lisa Beamer, Todd Beamer, his wife Todd's the guy who said, let's roll on flight 93 when they took over the plane again and got it in a crash in Shanksville. Wow, and and Queen. Nor was there. So who I'm sorry, Queen nor from? Who is the queen of Jordan? Oh, wow. And she and she and Roselle had a thing for a while. Roselle was my guide dog at the time, so they visited. It was kind of fun. Oh, wow. But, yeah, it was, it was interesting. But as I say, then we, we did meet Liza briefly, and that was kind of fun. She said she's Spider Saloff 42:09 a doll, yeah, doll. Oh, yeah. What a great person, yeah. Michael Hingson 42:13 Well, so I was looking at all the things that you sent me, and I noticed Tony Bennett. I got to meet Tony Bennett once we were on Regis and Kelly live in November of 2001 and I was sitting there, and I heard that Tony Bennett was going to be on the show. And suddenly he comes over and he says, Hey, I'm Tony Bennett. Good to meet you. I've heard about you. So we chatted for a while, and he and Roselle had a thing too, and he and Roselle had a thing too. Spider Saloff 42:45 So that was good. Oh, that Roselle. Oh, but yeah, I met him at the Gold Star, and he because he had played there several times, you know, as a future act. And he was doing, he was in. He was in town to do something. Maybe it was at the Chicago theater as well, but he came in, hanging out in his in his white dinner jacket, absolutely charming. And he sat down and talked to me between sets. It's like talking to your uncle, like he's like, Yeah, what do you think of this weather here in Chicago, and it was like just the friendliest, most laid back, cool guy and and I've seen him perform several times. I adored him. Michael Hingson 43:32 I regret I never got to see him live other than hearing him do, other than hearing him on regents and Kelly, he did a New York state of mind. Spider Saloff 43:41 Oh, cool. Very cool, Michael Hingson 43:43 wow, very soft spoken guy. But when he can sing, he can he could Bell it, Bell it out, Spider Saloff 43:49 and he and he sang the same forever, like, that's my my idols are. I want to sound the same forever, and I have the two, the two, the two most remarkable preserved voices were Ella Fitzgerald and Mel Tormey, both of them, they had chops forever like that. They they were just very, very careful and smart about the way they use their voices. Michael Hingson 44:18 Yeah. Johnny Mathis lasted a long time. I don't know what he sounds like. Spider Saloff 44:24 He just sounded the same forever. Yeah, killer, woo hoo, wow. And I never got to see him live, but I know people that did, and I mean, not that long ago, and they were blown away. Like, just Yeah, killer, yep, Michael Hingson 44:43 amazing, another amazing guy. Well, so have you ever had any any real kind of challenges and sort of negative things that have happened to you in your life? You've obviously been very successful. And all that. But, you know, unstoppability oftentimes happens when you have a challenge. Spider Saloff 45:05 Oh yes, well, you know, small things, challenges. I mean, like the worst, though, was when I was very young, a young actress, I got swept away by a guy that was a director. He was 10 years older than me, and I ended up in a really terrible abusive relationship for years, and didn't know how to get out, and I did. I ended up doing a six part. I have a YouTube channel, and this was two years ago. I did a six part series called learning to love you, and it was the very subject of what happens in abusive relationships and why people stay and why they are convinced that they can't live without the person. They're convinced that they're powerless. They are told they have to depend on this person, and they're very afraid. And I I was so lucky to break away from there and get out. And when I got out. I mean, I this guy completely left me with no money, no home, no job, and I was so ashamed to tell my family. I didn't tell them till months after it had happened, and I went, you know, trying to get trying to get more work as an actress. I worked as a bartender in a comedy club, and I did that's what I had a lot of comedian friends because of that era, and my friends, and eventually my family, really helped me to get out of it. But I had to get I had to be independent through the whole thing, I my first place I ever I was homeless for six months, and I would go around on busses going between wherever and Atlantic City because the casinos were there. So I could get a free ride to Atlantic City and then get a free bus back to New York. I could get a bus back to Philadelphia. I could go around on these busses and just stay at people's houses a couple of nights a week, and not having a place to live, it was horrible. So when I finally moved somewhere, I moved in with an actor friend of mine who had just got out of his abusive relationship, and I slept on the floor of an attic for like, the first six months that I was living on my own, and I was so grateful to have that floor and and I just kept saying every night before I went To bed, it it gets better from here. It's going up, it's going up, and it did. It did. It was it's remarkable. It's remarkable. Michael Hingson 48:09 What? What did you learn from that relationship? Spider Saloff 48:14 Beware of predators. I really never, never lose sight that you're the person in charge. Yeah, you are the person in charge of your life, and you're the only one that's allowed to do that. And you don't, you don't bend to anybody that's asking you to do anything too far. You just, you have to be very skeptical about, you know, who's getting close to you? And I was married long after that, I was married to my husband, and he passed away, oh, 16 years ago, and but there's been, there's been a lot of strange loss and and trauma. But I I am blessed with resilience, and I have to say, the thing that keeps me steady music, music and beauty and art can carry me through anything, and I'm surrounded by that and the best, best, best friends in the world. Oh, man, and my family and my friends are amazing, and I'm very, very fortunate, very fortunate. Michael Hingson 49:32 How long were you married? Before he passed away, Spider Saloff 49:35 we would have been married 17 years. Oh, my wife, Michael Hingson 49:41 my wife. My wife and I were married 40 years. She passed away in November of 2022 lot. Well. Thank you. I appreciate that. And I I always say when I when I tell that to anybody that she's watching from somewhere, and if I misbehave, I'm going to hear about it, so I don't even. Chase the girls. I also point out that they're not chasing me, so it's okay, but, but, but, you know, so many wonderful memories after 40 years, and people say, Well, are you going to move on? And I say, No, I'll never move on. I'll move forward, but I won't move on. I don't want to forget, but I'll move forward. Spider Saloff 50:20 That's an interesting twist of words there. Yeah, no. I mean, I have moved my life has become, actually, way, way better since my husband passed. I was dealing with a lot, and he was, he was dealing with severe mental illness, and it was very it was very hard near the end, my life is beautiful now. And I, I'm just, I feel like everything is new all the time. And I, I don't really have any close relationships, in romantic relationships. I tried a couple since he passed, but I don't, I don't think I'm good at it. I do better on my own. I'm much better on my own. Michael Hingson 51:18 Yeah, yeah. I know what I know what you mean. And as I said, it'll be three years in two weeks for me and I, when we got married, we had both lived alone. And when she was when she passed, it wasn't totally all of a sudden. So I I had some time to prepare. But it it has worked out pretty well. And so now I have a dog and a cat who keep me honest. The cat especially, oh, we have a cat. Her name is stitch, and she likes to be petted while she eats, and she'll yell at me until I come and pet her while she's eating and what. And when I travel somewhere to speak and I come home, I hear about it for quite a while. How could I ever do that? But she's not left alone. You know, I've got somebody who comes in. She has to give me what for? Well, she does. That's her obligation. Just ask her, absolutely, yeah. And how come you took that dog with you and not me? It's a guide dog. Spider Saloff 52:20 So this is not fair, yeah. Michael Hingson 52:24 Well, the other side of it is, I don't want her to ever get the idea that she can go out of the house. She She developed, on her own, a fear of going outside we she went out into our garage once when we first moved in here, and I kept calling her, she wouldn't come in, so I turned the lights off and I closed the door, and 10 seconds later, she's at the door wanting in, and so she doesn't try to go out. So I really feel blessed that she Spider Saloff 52:49 Yeah, that's good, yeah, yeah, yeah. I had a cat that never wanted to go near the door either, because he had been an alley cat. Everything outside that door was the alley going back there. Yeah, he also was a, he was a big fat house cat. Like, just wanted to lay around and luxuriate and eat and, you know he was, he was really a sweetie. I don't have pets anymore because I'm I leave too often? Michael Hingson 53:21 Yeah, you travel a lot. Well, a lot we at least I have people to help take care of stitch when I'm not here. So it does work out. Yeah, so do you so with all the things that you've been doing and singing and so on, do you teach voice to people? Spider Saloff 53:40 I do. I've taught at a school I didn't start teaching till I moved to Chicago, and this guy named David bloom, he's kind of a Chicago icon. He's had a jazz school in Chicago for years, and he asked me to teach at the school about a year after I moved to Chicago, and I said, I don't know how to teach. He said, Yes, you do. You just teach what you know. And I started teaching. And then I did courses there for a long time. I met a lot of people, and I've had wonderful students, and I still work there on occasion when we have a course. But I teach privately now, and I am. I just love it so much. I mean, I learned so much from my students all the time. You know, they're, they're just amazing, and they're all different, all different voices, all different age groups, all different reasons why they want to sing. But it's, it's one of the joys of my life. Students, they're fantastic. And I adore teaching voice. And I really a coach, you know, I teach performance and coaching, and it's not so much technique. I do some technique, but mostly it's working with. What, what the singer has to offer. Michael Hingson 55:03 I like the way you put it though that you learn so much from students. I think the day we stop learning, the day we become useless, we we always need to learn, learning, and life is all about learning, every Spider Saloff 55:15 day, learning, you bet it's exciting. It keeps you ticking. Michael Hingson 55:21 It does. It's so much fun. And it's, you know, like the internet, I regard it as an as a wonderful treasure trove. There's always neat stuff to learn. So I don't worry about the so called dark web and all that. You know, I didn't know that I would Spider Saloff 55:35 learn as much as I did about, you know, the internet and and the things covid really well. I always, always had a website. I had a guy that became my webmaster, that heard me radio and like there were all. I always was connected with it. But to the extent that I learned how to produce videos that all happened during covid, I really thought I was never going to be performing again live. I you didn't know, you know, that talk, you know, it was just so such a weird world. All of a sudden it was but learning to adapt. That was what we all learned from covid, was adapting and being open to new experiences. You know, that was a major, major factor of the whole thing. Michael Hingson 56:23 And living alone, you have to cook your own food. Spider Saloff 56:25 And like I've always, cooked my own food. Oh, my God, do I love to cook. Yeah, every day for myself. I love cooking and throwing parties. I must be Michael Hingson 56:35 a little bit lazy. I enjoy cooking. But when Karen was here. We shared the responsibility, and it's it's a lot to cook for one person, so I don't do as much of it as I used to, but I don't suffer. I will Spider Saloff 56:50 point that out you guys suffer, no, but I probably I cook for myself. Every day I cook. Almost everything I eat, I don't cook for myself is when somebody magically takes me to dinner or I go to somebody's house. I've got a lot of friends, so I get to eat at other people's houses and go out to restaurants, but I do and look forward to cooking for myself. I just can't wait to see what am I gonna have today, like I get excited about it. You know, it's a joy for me. Michael Hingson 57:23 I cook more easy meals, but I also do my own cooking. I mean, I don't go out very often, and that's fine. Yeah, I enjoy being home. I enjoy being home with a puppy and a kitty and listening to the radio and all that sort of stuff. So I hear you fabulous, fabulous. So you did some work on on radio series. Spider Saloff 57:45 Oh, yes, one of the, actually, the very first pianist that I worked with at the Gold Star sardine bar is a guy named Brad Williams. And we've been friends for years, and then at one point, this, this this guy that was a big fan of mine, Bill Sheldon. He was an old way, older fellow. The three of us created a radio series that's called Words and Music, that's about the American Songbook, and we were on the air for two and a half years. We were on we were part of NPR, and we were syndicated internationally, all through our classical station here in Chicago, W FMT, and it was the most challenging but wonderful time to crank those shows out. We never worked so hard as we did for that show, but those are still out there, you know. And we the copies of that show are available on CD. People can purchase them, and you can learn about that on my website too. Michael Hingson 58:49 I have been collecting old radio shows since 19 Well, let's see, probably 1968 and I've collected a bunch, and I'm also part of the radio enthusiast of Puget Sound, so we recreate programs every year. So I wasn't able, I wasn't able to be at the one that they did up in Washington State in September, because I was speaking somewhere. But there's going to be another one around. Well at Christmas, it's actually going to be the fifth, fourth, fifth and sixth. I think it is. Of December, we're going to recreate something like 12 or 13 different shows, and that's a lot of fun. Spider Saloff 59:34 Wowza, what are the shows like? What is it comprised of performance or recordings or what? Michael Hingson 59:42 No, no, we're actually going to perform live up in Washington, and people are invited to come and be in the audience, and they'll also be broadcast on yesterday usa.com and yesterday usa.net whichever you go to yesterday, USA is a, is a network. It's, it's got a red net. Work in a blue network, just like NBC used to have, and they play old radio shows and a lot of interviews with people. So there's still some old radio actors who will be there as part of it, Carolyn Grimes, who played Zuzu and it's a wonderful life will be there, and Beverly Washburn, who was on the Jack Benny show, and and there'll be other people, and it's kind of neat. And Larry Albert, who will be doing some of the voices, and who's was Harry Niles for years, and still is, I guess, on NPR and and so on. But it's really fun. Spider Saloff 1:00:39 That's excellent. What a blast. Yeah, it is, wow. Well, have a happy holidays with that. Michael Hingson 1:00:46 And yeah, well, I want to thank you for being here. How do people reach out to you, if they'd like to, to reach out, or if you Spider Saloff 1:00:54 want them to my website, spider jazz, calm, and you can find everything and too much information about me, and then, and if you want to get in touch with me directly, write to my email address. Spider jazz@gmail.com makes it easy. And maybe you can take private lessons, because I teach on Zoom. Ah, there you go. Me how. Yeah, cool. Michael Hingson 1:01:20 Well, thank you for being here, and I want to thank you all for listening today and watching whichever you do or both. Love to hear your thoughts about our conversation. Feel free to email me. Michael H, i@accessibe.com that's m, I, C, H, A, E, L, H, I at accessibe, A, C, C, E, S, S, i, b, e.com, wherever you're monitoring us today, please give us a five star rating, and please give us a review. We love your reviews. We appreciate your input. If you can think of anyone who you think ought to be a guest, and if you listening out there want to be a guest, please reach out to me. We're always looking for more people to come on the podcast. We met spider through someone else who has been on the the podcast as well. And spider, if you know anyone who want who you think ought to be a guest, yep, love to hear from you. I got some ideas, cool. Well, I want to once again. Thank you for being here. This has been absolutely fun. Spider Saloff 1:02:16 Thank you, Michael, what a blast. I'll be talking to you soon. Michael Hingson 1:02:24 Thank you for being here with me on unstoppable mindset. I hope today's conversation left you with a fresh perspective, a new insight, or at least something worth thinking about if you're ready to go deeper into the ideas that shape how we see ourselves and others, I have a free gift for you. Head over to Michael hinkson.com and download my free ebook, blinded by fear. It explores the invisible beliefs that hold us back and shows you how to reframe them so you can move forward with clarity and confidence. Be sure to subscribe to our podcast, leave a review and share this show with someone who can use a reminder that growth starts with mindset. When people think differently, we all move forward together. Thanks again for listening. Keep learning, keep questioning and keep choosing to live with an unstoppable mindset you.
From soybeans grown in our northern parishes to shrimp caught off our southern shores, Louisiana is truly the most delicious state in the union. But due to a growing list of obstacles such as climate change, tariffs, and the proliferation of cheap, imported goods, times are tough right now for our farmers and fishermen. Which is why it's more important than ever to get behind the delicious ingredients that come from our state. On this week's show, we celebrate food cultivated right here in Louisiana. We begin with Jady Regard, owner and "Chief Nut Officer" of Cane River Pecan Company. What started out as a small pecan shop in downtown Natchitoches has grown into a nationwide resource for pecan gifts of all kinds. Jady tells us about the family business and his effort to make the pecan America's national nut. Next, we visit visit Chef Marcus Jacobs at Porgy's, a dock-to-plate seafood market in Mid-City New Orleans. Marcus and his partners are on a mission to bring awareness and change to the struggling Louisiana seafood industry by only sourcing locally. That also includes introducing locals to the treasure trove of lesser-known fish species caught in the Gulf of Mexico. Finally, we get an up close look at Louisiana's rice production with expert Steve Linscombe. Steve currently serves as director of the Rice Foundation, but for most of his career, he was instrumental in innovating Louisiana's rice varieties and cultivation. For more of all things Louisiana Eats, be sure to visit us at PoppyTooker.com.
From soybeans grown in our northern parishes to shrimp caught off our southern shores, Louisiana is truly the most delicious state in the union. But due to a growing list of obstacles such as climate change, tariffs, and the proliferation of cheap, imported goods, times are tough right now for our farmers and fishermen. Which is why it's more important than ever to get behind the delicious ingredients that come from our state. On this week's show, we celebrate food cultivated right here in Louisiana. We begin with Jady Regard, owner and "Chief Nut Officer" of Cane River Pecan Company. What started out as a small pecan shop in downtown Natchitoches has grown into a nationwide resource for pecan gifts of all kinds. Jady tells us about the family business and his effort to make the pecan America's national nut. Next, we visit visit Chef Marcus Jacobs at Porgy's, a dock-to-plate seafood market in Mid-City New Orleans. Marcus and his partners are on a mission to bring awareness and change to the struggling Louisiana seafood industry by only sourcing locally. That also includes introducing locals to the treasure trove of lesser-known fish species caught in the Gulf of Mexico. Finally, we get an up close look at Louisiana's rice production with expert Steve Linscombe. Steve currently serves as director of the Rice Foundation, but for most of his career, he was instrumental in innovating Louisiana's rice varieties and cultivation. For more of all things Louisiana Eats, be sure to visit us at PoppyTooker.com.
Diane Paulus joins the show for a deep dive into her remarkably storied career, starting with the serendipitous discovery of her father's history as a director for the Army Entertainment Corps in post-war Tokyo. She shares how growing up at the doorstep of Lincoln Center and performing as a child at the New York City Ballet shaped her rhythmic, music-first approach to storytelling. Diane also pulls back the curtain on the "NASA mission" level of complexity required to mount her latest production, Masquerade, explaining the mathematical precision needed to move audiences through six floors of a converted art supply store. The conversation explores Diane's obsession with the audience's role as the "final character" and her mission to move theater beyond the traditional proscenium. From the disco-fueled origins of The Donkey Show to the egoless, collaborative rehearsal process of rotating six different Phantoms, Diane reveals how she manages to make the impossible possible. It is an inspiring look at the future of immersive experiences and the enduring power of human-centered, visceral ritual. Diane Paulus is a Tony Award-winning director and the Terrie and Bradley Bloom Artistic Director of the American Repertory Theater at Harvard University. Her celebrated Broadway credits include the high-octane revivals of Hair, Pippin, 1776, and The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess, as well as the hit musicals Waitress, Finding Neverland, and Jagged Little Pill. She is currently the visionary behind Masquerade, a brand-new immersive reimagining of The Phantom of the Opera in New York City. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
GERSWHIN: Porgy and Bees (selec., Acto 3) (7.12). J. Lemalu (baj.-bar.), I. Kabatu (sop.), B. Nwobilo (sop.), M. Forest (ten.), A.-R. Simpson (sop.), G. Baker (bar.), Coro de niños, Coro Arnold Schönberg, Orq. de Cámara de Europa. Dir.: N. Harnoncourt. BACH: Prelude, Allemande (Suite para violoncello solo nº 2 en Re menor BWV 1008) (6.52). N. Harnoncourt (vc.).Escuchar audio
American Gallery - Porgy, Bess and GeorgeBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/harold-s-old-time-radio--4206392/support.
durée : 01:28:45 - Joshua Henry, le baryton de Broadway - par : Laurent Valière - A l'affiche successivement de Hamilton, Carousel, Porgy and Bess et Ragtime, Joshua Henry est une voix qui porte aujourd'hui à Broadway. Portrait d'un ténor avec beaucoup d'extra en haut et en bas de sa tessiture. Vous aimez ce podcast ? Pour écouter tous les autres épisodes sans limite, rendez-vous sur Radio France.
As a pendant to, and continuation of, my Black History Month 2026 series on Countermelody, I am pleased and honored to present to you the exquisite African American lyric soprano Klesie Kelly, who, as with numerous other singers that we have explored together this month, has made her life, career, and home abroad, in this case, Germany, where she came to pursue post-university studies in Detmold and from there simply put down roots. Though unlike me, Kelly was not born in Milwaukee, she did spend some of her formative years there, including pursuing her undergraduate degree at the University of Wisconsin Madison. In her years in Germany, Kelly was not only an active and deeply respected both on the operatic stage and the concert platform (where her performances of Bach were particularly lauded), but she also dedicated herself to the education of many of the finest singers to have come through the Musikhochschule in Köln. I have managed to unearth a number of invaluable sound documents of Klesie Kelly, including a number of recordings of Lieder and duets with instrumental obbligato accompaniment, and peerless performances of Bach cantatas, as well as a 1970 concert performance of Porgy and Bess in the Netherlands, and an ultrarare recording made during her undergraduate years in Wisconsin. Excerpts from all of these are heard on the episode, which salutes (and delivers flowers to) one of the most respected German-American musical figures of her generation. Countermelody is the podcast devoted to the glory and the power of the human voice raised in song. Singer and vocal aficionado Daniel Gundlach explores great singers of the past and present focusing in particular on those who are less well-remembered today than they should be. Daniel's lifetime in music as a professional countertenor, pianist, vocal coach, voice teacher, and author yields an exciting array of anecdotes, impressions, and “inside stories.” At Countermelody's core is the celebration of great singers of all stripes, their instruments, and the connection they make to the words they sing. By clicking on the following link (https://linktr.ee/CountermelodyPodcast) you can find the dedicated Countermelody website which contains additional content including artist photos and episode setlists. The link will also take you to Countermelody's Patreon page, where you can pledge your monthly or yearly support at whatever level you can afford.
Comme s'il voulait protéger son opéra Porgy and Bess de quelque sorte de blanchiment, George Gershwin a tenu à ce que son opéra soit toujours joué par des interprètes afro-descendants. Mais dans la mesure où le livret écrit par Ira Gershwin et DuBose Heyward, laisse passer quelques préjugés raciaux dans la construction de ses personnages, il pourrait … Continuer la lecture de « Metaclassique #369 – Stéréotyper »
This week we'll be talking about the life and career of the man that many call the Father of American opera: Carlisle Floyd. Our guests are Floyd's neice, Jane Matheny, and his biographer, Thomas Holliday. A native of Latta, South Carolina, Carlisle Floyd became a professor of composition at Florida State University in 1947. His magnum opus, Susannah, was first performed in 1955 and became the most performed American opera, second to Gershwin's Porgy and Bess.Floyd was both composer and librettist of his operas, which typically portrayed themes common to rural America, especially the post-Civil War South. 2026 in the centennial of Carlisle Floyd's birth and today we'll talk with our guests about his long life and his career.
Now in his second season as Music Director with the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra, Kwame Ryan can also add Grammy Award winner to his list of accomplishments. On this Piedmont Arts episode, general manager and host Frank Dominguez caught up with Maestro Ryan and they talked about the award, as well as his recent engagement conducting George Gerswin's Porgy and Bess with the Metropolitan Opera in New York City.
В прошлом году саксофонист Алексей Круглов выпустил свой 100-й альбом, поэтому его смело можно назвать самым продуктивным джазменом России. 30 января этого года со своим #bigband и певицей Кариной Кожевниковой вышел альбом с оперной музыкой Джорджа Гершвина Porgy & Bess. Сразу замечу, что классическая музыка этим ребятам дается очень хорошо. Яркий пример этому альбом Bach Games ©️2024, название которого говорит само за себя. Еще ребята делали обработки военных песен - Друзья-однополчане. Это особенный альбом, который я обозревал и даже брал интервью у Алексея, что бы он подробнее рассказал об этой работе 2021 года. А впервые я услышал этого перформера в 2020 году обозревая альбом Yardbird Suite, где речь шла о знаменитом бибопере Charlie Parker.Как мы слышим не обязательно быть Ella Fitzgerald или Louis Armstrong, чтобы исполнять эту оперу. В данном случае мы слышим только женский голос, но думаю пройдет время и мы услышим мужской тоже. И если мечтать дальше, то возможно Юнона и Авось тоже появится в джазовой обработке и вообще джаз будут сочинять больше на русском языке. По любому, начало есть и надо сказать большое спасибо Алексею и его команде за такую прекрасную работу. Мне не знакома художественная тема этой оперы, но слушая этот альбом, захотелось увидеть ее на сцене оперного театра в исполнении артистов. Напишите в комментариях, кто был, какие ваши впечатления?Я же расскажу свои о музыке. Во-первых, тексты на английском звучат без акцента - это говорит о хорошей подготовке, знании темы и языка. Во-вторых, музыканты играют не только хорошо по нонам, но и замечательно импровизируют. То есть, как говорит Алексей, играют играючи, как в игру - это слышно не только на скете певицы, но и в общей картине всего оркестра, и особенно в спонтанных соло. Хотя я не уверен, это спонтанно или так написано в нотах. Отсюда в-третьих, аранжировки, если они есть, а они есть и просто великолепны. По ощущениям это намного интереснее и приятнее, чем рок-оперы моей молодости, пронизанные драматизмом.СЛУШАТЬ АЛЬБОМ - https://band.link/4rJSNИНТЕРВЬЮ - https://youtu.be/Uipun-2VuGg?si=E8AkI19Ip1nsnfdQДРУЗЬЯ-ОДНОПОЛЧАНЕ - https://t.me/discor/6009YARDBIRD SUITE - https://t.me/discor/5747BACH GAMES - https://t.me/discor/7193Лучший трек альбома в плей-листе JAZZ по-русски 9 на AppleMusic и SpotifyПоставь лайк ❤️ и подпишись на канал JAZZ по-русски https://t.me/discor
To kick off Black History Month 2026 (which, contrary to the current US administration, is still a thing, and not just on Countermelody, either!), I present to you another Zwischenfach singer, the (mezzo-)soprano Inez Matthews. She was born in Ossining, NY on 23 August 1917 and died in the Bronx on 28 March 2004. She is probably most famous for singing the role of Serena on the legendary 1951 (nearly) complete recording of Porgy and Bess (as well as lending her voice to the 1959 Otto Preminger film) which was conducted by Lehman Engel and starred icons Lawrence Winters and Camilla Williams. She also created the role of Irina in Kurt Weill's Lost in the Stars (opposite Todd Duncan, who created the role of Porgy in 1935). She also sang in the 1952 revival of Virgil Thomson and Gertrude Stein's Four Saints in Three Acts, alongside her brother Edward, who created the role of Saint Ignatius in the work's 1934 premiere. In spite of these impressive credentials, Inez Matthews today is not nearly as well-remembered as, say, either Winters or Williams. In addition to these accomplishments, Matthews also recorded in 1954 Schubert's two major song cycles Schöne Müllerin and Winterreise as well as the posthumous Schwanengesang collection. That as early the mid-1950s Inez Matthews was the first Black artist (and only the second woman after Lotte Lehmann) to record those Schubert cycles, is extroardinary; that her performances are so exceptionally good, lends these recordings more than mere historical value. However, until the song cycles were recently reissued by Parnassus Records as part of their “Black Swans” series, these remained virtually inaccessible to listeners. Today's episode includes selections from almost all the above-mentioned recordings, as well as an exceptional 1953 recording of spirituals accompanied by Jonathan Brice, brother of the esteemed contralto Carol Brice. And let us also tip our hats to Herr Schubert, who just celebrated his 229th birthday! Countermelody is the podcast devoted to the glory and the power of the human voice raised in song. Singer and vocal aficionado Daniel Gundlach explores great singers of the past and present focusing in particular on those who are less well-remembered today than they should be. Daniel's lifetime in music as a professional countertenor, pianist, vocal coach, voice teacher, and author yields an exciting array of anecdotes, impressions, and “inside stories.” At Countermelody's core is the celebration of great singers of all stripes, their instruments, and the connection they make to the words they sing. By clicking on the following link (https://linktr.ee/CountermelodyPodcast) you can find the dedicated Countermelody website which contains additional content including artist photos and episode setlists. The link will also take you to Countermelody's Patreon page, where you can pledge your monthly or yearly support at whatever level you can afford.
Stop 2 on our 100 year trip through the history of the American musical: 1935 and Porgy & Bess. With music by George Gershwin and lyrics by his brother Ira and original Porgy novelist Debose Heyward, Porgy & Bess was immediately hailed as a masterpiece when it debuted in 1935, though it has been troubled from the start by the question of whether it's too much of an opera to be a musical, and vice versa. As time has passed, the question of whether the piece is inherently racist has also risen and gotten more urgent. But the score remains as one of the great acheivements of the American theater, regardless of genre. In this episode, we discuss the iconic "Summertime" and Porgy & Bess. All clips are from a 1935 recording of Abbie Mitchell, who originally sang "Summertime" in the first prodcution, and are protected by the Fair Use guidelines of Section 107 of the Copyright Act for criticism and commentary. All rights reserved to the copyright owners. Watch a modern operatic performance of "Summertime." George Gershwin introducing and conducting pieces from Porgy & Bess, including "Summertime." Listen to the SMSTS playlist on Spotify Follow SMSTS on Instagram: @somuchstufftosing Email the show: somuchstufftosing@gmail.com Recommended Reading/Viewing: George Gershwin in the New York Times about calling Porgy & Bess a "folk opera" Sondheim's 2011 letter responding to an article about the most recent Broadway revival Ethan Mordden, Anything Goes: A History of American Musical Theater (Mordden's other volumes are also excellent resources for more in-depth discussion) Broadway: The American Musical
Voor veel jazzliefhebbers is jazz bijna synoniem met instrumentale muziek. Onterecht, naam mijn mening. Deze TORcast een aantal jazzklassiekers waarbij de tekst echt een centrale rol speelt — songs waarin het verhaal, de emotie of de poëzie minstens zo belangrijk is als de muzikale uitvoering. Billie Holiday – “Strange Fruit” (1939) Een van de meest aangrijpende jazznummers ooit. De tekst — gebaseerd op een gedicht van Abel Meeropol — beschrijft lynchpartijen in het Amerikaanse zuiden. De woorden maken het nummer; zonder de tekst zou de impact ondenkbaar zijn. Nina Simone – “Mississippi Goddam” (1964) Een scherpe, bijna cabareteske aanklacht tegen racisme en geweld. Simone gebruikt haar stem als politiek instrument, en de tekst draagt de volledige kracht van het nummer. Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong – “Summertime” (1935; jazzinterpretaties jaren '50) Oorspronkelijk uit Porgy and Bess. De tekst is simpel maar poëtisch; de dromerige, bijna wiegende woorden vormen de kern van elke jazzversie. Nat King Cole – “Nature Boy” (1948) Een mystiek, filosofisch verhaaltje in liedvorm. De tekst is poëtisch en tijdloos en draagt vrijwel volledig de melancholieke sfeer. Het nummer werd geschreven door eden ahbez, een excentrieke Amerikaanse songwriter die leefde volgens naturistische en spirituele principes. Hij schreef zijn naam bewust volledig in kleine letters en leefde jarenlang een ascetisch leven in Californië. Volgens biografische informatie ontstond “Nature Boy” terwijl ahbez bijna kluizenaarsachtig leefde in een grot nabij Palm Springs. [en.wikipedia.org] Sarah Vaughan – “Lullaby of Birdland” (1954) Een nummer waarin de tekst perfect de romantiek van jazz en nachtclubs vangt. Veel vocalisten laten hun improvisaties versmelten met de lyrische inhoud. Billie Holiday – “God Bless the Child” (1941) Holiday schreef het zelf. Het gaat over onafhankelijkheid, trots en de harde realiteit van financiële ongelijkheid. De woorden zijn essentieel voor de emotie. Eric Clapton – “Nobody Knows You When You’re Down And Out” (geschreven door Jimmy Cox, 1923) Het lied vertelt over iemand die ooit leefde als een miljonair, vrijgevig was naar vrienden en leefde in luxe. Maar zodra het geld op is, blijft er niets over — geen vrienden, geen middelen, geen status. De beroemde regel: “Nobody knows you when you’re down and out.” verwoordt op pijnlijke wijze de eenzaamheid die kan ontstaan door financiële tegenslag en het opportunisme van relaties die afhankelijk zijn van geld. Carmen McRae – “'Round Midnight” (met tekst van Bernie Hanighen) Oorspronkelijk een instrumentaal stuk van Monk, maar met de tekst krijgt het een totaal andere, intieme dimensie: een verhaal van nachtelijke melancholie. Frank Sinatra – “Angel Eyes” (1958) Een klassieker uit de bebop- en croonertraditie. De tekst vol liefdesverdriet staat centraal; Sinatra's interpretatie is bijna theater. Chet Baker – “My Funny Valentine” (1952) Hoewel vaak zacht en fragiel gezongen, draagt de tekst de hele emotionele lading. Een van de beroemdste jazzstandards waarbij de woorden de complexe liefde weergeven. Abbey Lincoln – “Throw It Away” (1980) Lincoln staat bekend om poëtische, spirituele teksten. In dit nummer zijn de woorden – over loslaten en innerlijke vrijheid – de kern van het stuk. Ella Fitzgerald, The Paul Smith Quartet – Mack The Knife (1960) Tijdens dit concert vergat Ella Fitzgerald de originele tekst van “Mack the Knife” — en in plaats van te stoppen, improviseerde ze ter plekke geheel nieuwe, geestige en ritmisch briljante teksten. Dit moment werd iconisch, omdat het haar ongeëvenaarde spontaniteit, muzikaliteit en humor liet zien. Volgens bronnen is dit optreden een van haar meest geprezen liveperformances ooit. Ze improviseert onder meer regels als dat ze “de tekst kwijt is”, en maakt zelfs grappen over hoe goed ze zichzelf vindt. Het publiek reageert uitzinnig; de performance werd meteen legendarisch.
What an incredible weekend for opera lovers in New York. I'm still buzzing from Saturday's performance of Porgy and Bess at The Metropolitan Opera.
Encore! Encore! This December Janet, John, (and Pen) wanted to revist the astounding life of the director of A Warm December, an extremely talented actor, activist, and diplomat... Sidney Poitier! Born in Miami, Florida on February 20th in 1927, this Bahamian-American actor changed the game for black actors forever in the motion-picture industry by becoming the African American to win the Academy Award for best actor and the first Black movie star. Even though he seemed destined for the stage and stardom, Poitier worked hard to amass such a massive career in Hollywood. He got his start in the American Negro Theatre after applying for the second time after a previous rejection because of his accent (which he worked on changing to American pronounciation for six months). While studying acting, he made his Broadway debut in Lyrsistrata in 1946. His first film role was as Dr. Luther Brooks, a hospital's only Black doctor who treats a bigoted white cirminal, in No Way Out (1950). His refusal to play into racial sterotypes helped create inroads for Black people into American media culture. He later starred, worked in, and directed many films such as, Porgy and Bess (1959), A Raisin in the Sun (1961), and A Patch of Blue (1965), A Warm December (1973), Uptown Saturday Night (1974), and Stir Crazy (1980). He also went onto winning the Academy Award for Best Actor for Lilies of the Field (1963). He also received a Grammy Award, two Golden Globe Awards, and a British Academy Film Award! Join us as we revist Tribute 10 Mini-Sode: Sidney Poitier! To learn more about this episode and others, visit the official Cinema Sounds & Secrets website!
Peter Filichia, James Marino, and Michael Portantiere talk about Tartuffe @ New York Theatre Workshop, The Bridges Of Madison County: In Concert @ Carnegie Hall, Diversion @ The Barrow Group, Christine Pedi’s Snow Business @ The Laurie Beechman Theatre, Anna Christie @ St. Ann’s Warehouse, Porgy and Bess at the Met, read more
Peter Filichia, James Marino, and Michael Portantiere, talk with Jasmine Amy Rogers. We review It’s A Wonderful Life @ Irish Rep, Sherie Rene Scott in The Queen of Versailles, Gotta Dance @ The York, Porgy and Bess at the Met, A Christmas Carol @ Perelman Performing Arts Center, This World read more
We celebrate Mr. Entertainment himself and the first half of his extraordinary career in advance of what would have been his 100th birthday. Songs from Mr. Wonderful, West Side Story, Porgy and Bess, and more.
Georgina Godwin meets American writer and historian Harlan Greene at the 2025 Charleston Literary Festival to discuss the playwright Dorothy Heyward, who is the subject of Greene’s book ‘Porgy’s Ghost’.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
durée : 00:16:39 - Disques de légende du mercredi 29 octobre 2025 - Mélange d'opéra, de blues, de negro spiritual et de jazz, "Porgy and Bess" est jouée pour la première fois dans un théâtre privé de Broadway en octobre 1935. Le voici dans une version de John Mauceri et l'Orchestre symphonique de Nashville enregistrée en 2006. Vous aimez ce podcast ? Pour écouter tous les autres épisodes sans limite, rendez-vous sur Radio France.
On Friday's show: We get an update on controversial plans to close a two-block section of Polk Street as a part of the $2 billion expansion of the George R. Brown Convention Center.Also this hour: Children's author Kate DiCamillo talks about how teachers reading to her in school helped shape her into a two-time Newbery Medal winner. DiCamillo, the author of titles like Because of Winn-Dixie and The Tale of Despereaux, will be in Houston for an event with Inprint on Sunday to discuss her latest book, Lost Evangeline.Then, we break down The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly of the week.And it's been 50 years since Houston Grand Opera first presented the American opera Porgy and Bess, which won the organization a Tony and a Grammy Award. As the Gershwins' folk opera returns to the stage, we reflect on its legacy.Watch
From Carnegie Hall to the Metropolitan Opera, renowned baritone Gordon Hawkins has shared the operatic stage with Mirella Freni, Placido Domingo, and Grace Bumbry. His roles over his career have included title roles in "Rigoletto" and "Porgy and Bess," as well as Alberich in the "Ring" cycle, Baron Scarpia in "Tosca" and Marcello in "La boheme." He currently serves on the faculty at Arizona State University. He visited IPR's Studio A, where he reflected on his distinguished career and recorded Samuel Barber's "Sure on this shining night" with collaborative pianist Casey Robards.
durée : 01:29:00 - « Porgy And Bess », 90 ans - par : Laurent Valière - C'est le 10 octobre 1935 que l'œuvre la plus ambitieuse de George Gershwin, "Porgy and Bess", ouvre à Broadway dans le circuit privé. Échec relatif à sa création, l'œuvre est désormais entrée au répertoire des opéras du monde entier. - réalisé par : Céline Parfenoff Vous aimez ce podcast ? Pour écouter tous les autres épisodes sans limite, rendez-vous sur Radio France.
In this episode Bryan and Josh are diving into UFO 50, the long-awaited indie collaboration from Derek Yu, Jon Perry, Eirik Suhrke, Paul Hubans, Ojiro Fumoto, and Tyriq Plummer collects fifty original games into one sprawling anthology made by a fictional company called UFO Soft between 1982 and 1989. They explore its meta-narrative, collective authorship, its “lost console” aesthetic, and how its ambitious scope becomes a keen commentary on the experience of creating games across a console generation. From the clever chaos of Party House to the moody depths of Porgy and the sprawling weirdness of Grimstone, we'll talk about which games could stand alone and which thrive because they exist in conversation with the rest. Not every game shines equally, but together they form a unique love letter to game-making and retro gaming. Three Word Reviews:Bryan - Crafty Creative Cornucopia Josh - A Design FeastShow Notes:TIGsource - The Indie Game SourceEggplant: The Secret Lives of GamesMichael Brough
1 / 4 MDJ Script/ Top Stories for October 8th Publish Date: October 8th Commercial: From the BG Ad Group Studio, Welcome to the Marietta Daily Journal Podcast. Today is Wednesday, October 8th and Happy Birthday to R.L. Stine I’m Keith Ippolito and here are the stories Cobb is talking about, presented by Times Journal 1. Man falsely accused of Walmart kidnapping reportedly seeking $25 million in damages 2. Atlanta tenor Timothy Miller launches St. Catherine’s community concert series on Oct. 19 3. Roger Hines publishes debut book All of this and more is coming up on the Marietta Daily Journal Podcast, and if you are looking for community news, we encourage you to listen and subscribe! BREAK: INGLES 7 STORY 1: Man falsely accused of Walmart kidnapping reportedly seeking $25 million in damages Mahendra Patel just wanted to help. That’s what he thought he was doing back in March at a Walmart in Acworth—helping a woman he assumed was disabled, struggling to manage two kids in a motorized cart. Instead, he was accused of trying to kidnap her child. What followed was a nightmare: Patel was arrested, denied bond, and spent 46 days in jail. He lost 17 pounds, endured threats from inmates, and was denied his medication. All for what? A misunderstanding. Surveillance footage later cleared his name, showing Patel calmly shopping, finding Tylenol, and leaving the store. Now, he’s suing Acworth for $25 million. STORY 2: Atlanta tenor Timothy Miller launches St. Catherine’s community concert series on Oct. 19 Mark your calendars: local tenor Timothy Miller will take the stage at St. Catherine’s Episcopal Church in Marietta on Oct. 19 at 3 p.m. as part of The Friends of Music concert series. You’ve probably heard Miller’s powerful voice before—maybe during the seventh-inning stretch at a Braves game, belting out “God Bless America.” But his talent goes far beyond that. From Verdi’s Aida to Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess, and even Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9, Miller’s resume is as impressive as it is diverse. The concert is free (yes, free!), with donations welcome. No tickets needed—just show up early for a good seat. STORY 3: Roger Hines publishes debut book 2 / 4 Roger Hines has released his first book, The Hard and the Beautiful: Life in a Family of Seventeen Children, and it’s as heartfelt as the title suggests. In this memoir, Hines—child number 16 of 17—paints a vivid picture of growing up in rural Mississippi. Life was tough: tenant farms, cotton fields, and the weight of poverty. But it was also rich, thanks to faith, laughter, and the unshakable love of his parents, Walter and Levie Hines. “Poverty doesn’t have to be a dead end,” Hines says. “We were poor, but we were rich in all the ways that matter.” The book is available now on Amazon and at local retailers. We have opportunities for sponsors to get great engagement on these shows. Call 770.799.6810 for more info. We’ll be right back. Break: INGLES 7 STORY 4: Police: Intoxicated man made false bomb threat at Johnnie MacCracken’s James E. Lusk, 29, of Marietta, allegedly called in a fake bomb threat to Johnnie MacCracken’s Celtic Firehouse Pub late on Sept. 26—because, according to police, he was drunk and angry. Not exactly a great combo. The arrest warrant also claims Lusk grabbed a woman by the arm during the incident, leaving her in pain. He was arrested three days later and charged with simple battery, false public alarm, and filing a false crime report. Lusk spent a few hours in the Cobb County jail before being released on Sept. 30 on a $10,000 bond. STORY 5: Home Depot hosts Kidde’s Cause for Alarm Home Safety Event On Oct. 4, Kidde teamed up with The Home Depot and iHeartMedia to host a lively fire safety event at The Home Depot on Roswell Road in Marietta. Part of Kidde’s Cause For Alarm campaign, the day was all about raising awareness for fire and carbon monoxide safety—and making homes safer, one alarm at a time. The event kicked off with a Donation Drive-Thru “parade,” complete with fire trucks, gear, and local firefighters from Sandy Springs. Families enjoyed music, food, giveaways, and even met Homer, The Home Depot mascot. The goal? Donate up to $1 million in alarms. Break: 3 / 4 STORY 6: Liberty joins the lineup: Cobb County’s newest K-9 embarks on duty Meet Liberty, the newest (and furriest) member of the Cobb County Sheriff’s K-9 Unit. She’s an 11-month-old bloodhound with a nose for tracking—whether it’s missing people or suspects. But don’t let her serious skills fool you; she’s still a puppy at heart, with a love for stuffed animals (or, honestly, anything she can shred). Liberty is partnered with Deputy Barry Bales, a 17-year veteran who previously worked with K-9 Shax, now retired. “Liberty’s tracking abilities will be a huge asset,” said Sheriff Craig Owens. Expect to see her out and about soon—sniffing, serving, and stealing hearts. STORY 7: Marietta Square gets a seasonal makeover The Marietta Square’s looking a little creepier (and a lot more creative) this October, thanks to the 22nd annual Scarecrows on the Square competition. Local businesses, schools, nonprofits, and just plain crafty Marietta folks have all joined in, decking out scarecrows with everything from humor to heart. Judging happens this week, with winners—Best in Show and category champs—announced at HarvestFest on Oct. 18. HarvestFest kicks off at 9 a.m. in Glover Park, featuring arts and crafts, a pie-eating contest, costumes, and kid-friendly fun. We’ll have closing comments after this. Break: INGLES 7 Signoff- Thanks again for hanging out with us on today’s Marietta Daily Journal Podcast. If you enjoy these shows, we encourage you to check out our other offerings, like the Cherokee Tribune Ledger Podcast, the Marietta Daily Journal, or the Community Podcast for Rockdale Newton and Morgan Counties. Read more about all our stories and get other great content at www.mdjonline.com Did you know over 50% of Americans listen to podcasts weekly? Giving you important news about our community and telling great stories are what we do. Make sure you join us for our next episode and be sure to share this podcast on social media with your friends and family. Add us to your Alexa Flash Briefing or your Google Home Briefing and be sure to like, follow, and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. Produced by the BG Podcast Network Show Sponsors: ● www.ingles-markets.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Caitlin Carney is co-owner of Porgy's Seafood Market in New Orleans.Caitlin calls herself the “Lady Monger.” Her business, Porgy's Seafood Market, is a purple storefront on a busy corner in Mid-City New Orleans. It feels like a cross between a fish shop, a lunch joint, and a neighborhood bar.It's a market with a mission: to reconnect New Orleanians with Gulf seafood. A lot of the fish sold in the city is not from the Louisiana coast. Most shoppers are getting their seafood from big supermarket chains, which don't always make buying local a priority. And those shoppers often choose the fish that's most familiar, like salmon or tilapia, which are not from the Gulf of Mexico. Meanwhile, Caitlin says, it's getting less and less profitable for independent fishers to harvest seafood from the Gulf.Caitlin is trying to educate consumers and also trying to make it more profitable for fishers in Louisiana to keep working. One way she does this is by selling bycatch, which is unintended, non-target catch. Often bycatch is thrown away, even when it's delicious, and the fisher makes no profit.“We love what we call hot fish, which are hot fish—you know, they're sexy,” she says. “Whenever we get bycatch, and they come in and they're gorgeous, we're like, ‘Damn, that's a hot fish!' “One of our favorite bycatch is scorpionfish, which is really fantastic as a sashimi,” she adds. “We got some long tail bass in the other day that I didn't even know you could get. So, yeah, it's always an adventure.”if Caitlin can buy it and then convince her customers that it's worth trying, that means additional revenue for the fisher.Thanks for listening to A Peace of My Mind's podcast. For photos, videos, and additional content, visit our website and follow us on Instagram.
I tried at the end of last week to do a memorial episode honoring my mother who died just a week ago. At the time I couldn't quite manage it, but I am back again using a different approach: I tell vignettes of mine and my mother's lives as they intertwined with the voice and presence of a singer we both enormously admired and enjoyed: Miss Leontyne Price. In between the personal stories, which extend from my earliest childhood to the day before my mother died, I weave in recordings of Leontyne in opera (Aida, La forza del destino, Antony and Cleopatra, Porgy and Bess), song (Hermit Songs, Vier letzte Lieder), spirituals, and more. There will be one more memorial tribute featuring another of Jane's Divas within the week. Thank you again for your empathetic and loving wishes. Countermelody is a podcast devoted to the glory and the power of the human voice raised in song. Singer and vocal aficionado Daniel Gundlach explores great singers of the past and present focusing in particular on those who are less well-remembered today than they should be. Daniel's lifetime in music as a professional countertenor, pianist, vocal coach, voice teacher, and author yields an exciting array of anecdotes, impressions, and “inside stories.” At Countermelody's core is the celebration of great singers of all stripes, their instruments, and the connection they make to the words they sing. By clicking on the following link (https://linktr.ee/CountermelodyPodcast) you can find the dedicated Countermelody website which contains additional content including artist photos and episode setlists. The link will also take you to Countermelody's Patreon page, where you can pledge your monthly or yearly support at whatever level you can afford.
On the September 30 edition of Music History Today, BBC 1 radio premieres, as does Porgy & Bess, & the Magic Flute. Also, happy birthday to Trey Anastasio of Phish. For more music history, subscribe to my Spotify Channel or subscribe to the audio version of my music history podcasts, wherever you get your podcasts fromALL MUSIC HISTORY TODAY PODCAST NETWORK LINKS - https://allmylinks.com/musichistorytoday
In this powerful and heart-centered episode of the Big Seance Podcast, Patrick sits down with Jamilah Davis McKenzie—a minister, spiritual counselor, and boutique owner, whose life is steeped in legacy, music, ministry, and magic. With the grounded wisdom of your favorite “cool auntie,” Jamilah opens up about surviving a traumatic gunshot wound, living with PTSD, and her eclectic spiritual path rooted in church ministry, Hoodoo, ancestral veneration, and radical authenticity. She shares how her work—whether through oracle readings, retreats, or ministry—creates sacred spaces where people can heal, reconnect, and transform. With a no-nonsense edge and plenty of heart, Jamilah reminds us that true spiritual service often happens in the most unexpected places. Visit BigSeance.com/261 for more info. Other Listening Options Direct Download Link In this episode: Intro :00 Jamilah Davis McKenzie is a minister, spiritual coach, spiritual counselor, wedding officiant, boutique owner, motivational speaker, and event host dedicated to helping people live their most authentic and fulfilled lives. With a nurturing spirit and a no-nonsense edge, she brings the energy of your favorite “cool auntie”—a Gen X hippie with a sharp tongue, a soulful heart, and a deep commitment to truth and transformation. The daughter of a Tony-nominated opera singer and a non denominational pastor who once served as Malcolm X's bodyguard, Jamilah's life has always been steeped in legacy, purpose, and power. A gifted singer herself, she blends ancestral strength with modern-day wisdom to create spaces where people can heal, grow, and reconnect with their truest selves. :45 Just like the guests from the past three episodes, Patrick met Jamilah this past winter at Missouri Paracon! 1:58 Jamilah and Deb DeRousse's Mystical Magical Retreat by Mystical Awakenings with Big Seance previous guest and friend, Andrea Perron. 7:41 “We make sure that people come in one way and leave different.” “It's all about just building community, being there for each other, and finding a safe space.” Jamilah survived being shot in the head in a road rage incident in 1993, and she suffers from PTSD. 12:04 “I know what it feels like to be so down. I know what it feels like to feel like you're nothing but a burden on people. Have you noticed that nobody can convince you of how unworthy you are, more than yourself?” “Part of healing is getting back in touch with that inner child who used to laugh at fart jokes.” Unity Tree Interfaith Ministries 16:11 The daughter of a minister, Jamilah grew up in the church. She loved the music and community, but she had questions. She has begun to describe herself as a “Spiritual Eclectic.” 18:16 “A lot of people can go on Ancestry.com or DNA or whatever, and they can trace stuff back. As an African American, I can't do that. There's only so far I can go. And one of the ways that I feel more connected is through the practices that my people brought here. And that's where the hoodoo comes in, and that's where the indigenous stuff comes in, and that's where ancestor veneration comes in. So I take what I need to build the spiritual life that makes me a better person, so then I can be a better person to help other people.” 22:50 There are many ways to be of service. “I can't tell you how many times I have given a message to someone across the table as I'm doing a reading. I cannot tell you how many times I have ministered to someone over oracle cards. And in a traditional sense, I'd be going to hell right now. But that's where I was of most use. The person sat down for a word. They sat down to be filled at that point and I gave it to them.” 23:35 Jamilah breaks down her empathic abilities. 26:50 Ancestor Veneration and how the practice of Hoodoo was born. 28:10 “We had to use Christianity to kind of mask our faith, so we had to put it in with Christianity to be able to practice anything, or to be able to save any of our culture, or any of our heritage, or any of our religion, because we weren't supposed to be doing that.” On the topic of gatekeeping Hoodoo: “Understand who you are and who you're asking. We're telling you to make sure that you call for your sake, not because we're trying to gatekeep.” 33:16 “There are people of all walks of life, of all skin colors who practice Hoodoo and have a beautiful time doing so. Just make sure that you're really called.” “A ritual or a spell is nothing but a prayer coupled with action.” 36:11 Being Gen X: “Think about this. Everything we fantasized about, all the things we wished we could have, we have seen come to pass. So we are the magical generation.” 42:22 Jamilah and Patrick discuss AI. Jamilah is all about it! 45:02 Skyclad Handmade Boutique 49:23 Shoutout to Dale Quigley of the Seeking Vibes Podcast, who recently interviewed Jamilah. Check it out! 51:32 Jamilah's parents and grandparents have fascinating stories! Her mother is a Tony-nominated opera singer known for her roles in Porgy and Bess and Aida! 53:00 “The help they were giving me didn't really help me. I found my help in talking to other people and then finding out that my story helped them. And then I saw myself reflected in their response to me.” More on Jamilah's childhood, her struggles as a young adult, PTSD, imposter syndrome, ministry, and spiritual counseling. 53:55 Youtube channel coming soon! 58:35 “I do not do pop ups.” 1:06:10 Outro 1:09:10 Resources: Jamilah on Facebook SkycladHandmade.com Mystical Awakenings Unity Tree Interfaith Ministries The Big Seance Podcast can be found right here, on Apple Podcasts, Pandora, Spotify, TuneIn Radio, Amazon Music, Audible, iHeart Radio, and YouTube. Please subscribe and share with a fellow paranerd! Do you have any comments or feedback? Please contact me at Patrick@BigSeance.com. Consider recording your voice feedback directly from your device on my SpeakPipe page! I would love to include your voice feedback in a future show. The candles are already lit, so come on in and join the seance!
Will Trice is the Executive Director of the Arkansas Repertory Theatre and has been since 2019. He has served as a producer for nearly 30 productions on Broadway, the West End, and National Tours. Trice is a three-time Tony Award winner for All The Way, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, and Porgy & Bess, though he gives away any credit to the fabulous actors, writers, and production crew. He is a five-time Tony nominee for Fiddler on the Roof, The Royal Shakespeare Company's Wolf Hall, You Can't Take It With You, The Glass Menagerie, and The Best Man. Other credits include: American Son, starring Kerry Washington; The Lifespan of A Fact, starring Daniel Radcliffe; American Buffalo; American Psycho; Lady Day At Emerson's Bar & Grill, starring Audra McDonald (Broadway & West End); The Realistic Joneses, starring Toni Collette, Michael C. Hall, & Marisa Tomei; Blithe Spirit, starring Angela Lansbury (West End & National Tour); The Bridges of Madison County; and Glengarry Glen Ross, starring Al Pacino. Prior to his career in producing, Trice served as a Business Analyst with management consulting firm McKinsey & Company, an Artistic Administration Associate with The Metropolitan Opera, and a Strategic Growth Associate with alternative asset managers D.E. Shaw & Company. He holds degrees from Southern Methodist and Northwestern Universities.
Excerpt of the 12 Jul 1937 Tribute to George Gershwin, featuring Al Jolson. This was one of two numbers performed by Al Jolson on a radio tribute broadcast the evening following George Gershwin's death. The complete broadcast circulates with other Jolson radio shows on the Official Al Jolson Website at www.jolson.org.
This Day in Legal History: Richard and Mildred Loving ArrestedOn this day in legal history, July 11, 1958, Richard and Mildred Loving were arrested in Central Point, Virginia, for violating the state's Racial Integrity Act, which banned interracial marriage. The couple had legally wed in Washington, D.C., but upon returning to Virginia, they were charged with "cohabiting as man and wife, against the peace and dignity of the Commonwealth." Richard, a white man, and Mildred, a Black and Indigenous woman, pled guilty and were sentenced to one year in prison, suspended on the condition that they leave the state for 25 years.The Lovings relocated to Washington, D.C., but their desire to return home ultimately led to a pivotal civil rights case. In 1963, they wrote to Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy, who referred them to the ACLU. Attorneys Bernard Cohen and Philip Hirschkop took up their case, arguing that Virginia's law violated the Equal Protection and Due Process Clauses of the Fourteenth Amendment. After years of legal battles, the case reached the U.S. Supreme Court.In Loving v. Virginia (1967), the Court unanimously struck down laws banning interracial marriage, declaring that "the freedom to marry… may not be infringed by the State." Chief Justice Earl Warren wrote that Virginia's law served no legitimate purpose "independent of invidious racial discrimination." The decision invalidated similar laws in 15 other states.The Lovings never sought to become civil rights icons—they simply wanted to live as a married couple in their home state. Their quiet determination reshaped American constitutional law, affirming marriage as a fundamental right and setting a legal precedent that continues to influence equal protection jurisprudence.The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals temporarily paused a lower court ruling that had blocked President Donald Trump's executive order removing collective bargaining rights for large segments of the federal workforce. U.S. District Judge James Donato had issued the initial injunction in June, finding the executive order likely violated federal employees' First Amendment rights and targeted unions viewed as adversarial to Trump. The appeals court's administrative stay keeps the order in limbo while it considers the administration's appeal, with oral arguments scheduled for July 17.Trump's order affects 21 federal agencies and would make it easier to discipline or fire employees while restricting union challenges. The order notably broadened national security exceptions to collective bargaining beyond intelligence agencies like the CIA and FBI. Unions argue the move is retaliatory and affects many workers who don't handle national security matters.Earlier, a Washington, D.C. judge blocked the same order at seven agencies, including the DOJ and Treasury, but that ruling is also stayed pending appeal. The Trump administration has also filed lawsuits to void existing union contracts, though one such suit by the Treasury was dismissed for lack of standing. A related case remains pending in Texas.US court pauses block on Trump eliminating union bargaining for federal workers | ReutersThe White House is currently reviewing federal agency layoff plans following a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision that permits large-scale downsizing of the government workforce. Two senior officials confirmed the review is aimed at minimizing future legal challenges by ensuring all plans comply with congressional rules and civil service regulations. Coordination is being handled through the White House Counsel's Office and the Office of Personnel Management. Although no specific timeline has been announced, officials say the layoffs are an "immediate priority," with a goal to reduce the size of government swiftly.The ruling, welcomed by the Trump administration, allows agencies to act on plans developed earlier this year under the guidance of the Department of Government Efficiency, led by Elon Musk. However, the administration acknowledged that labor contracts and due process protections still apply, and lawsuits are expected even if legal thresholds are met.The State Department has already confirmed it will begin issuing termination notices imminently, having proposed nearly 2,000 job cuts in May. Overall, about 260,000 federal employees have already exited through firings, resignations, or early retirements since January. The layoffs are expected to affect more than a dozen departments, including Agriculture, Commerce, and Veterans Affairs.White House reviews mass federal layoff plans, aims for swift action | ReutersMahmoud Khalil, a Columbia University student and permanent U.S. resident, has filed a $20 million claim against the Trump administration, alleging false imprisonment and malicious prosecution. Khalil, a pro-Palestinian activist, was detained for over 100 days by immigration authorities who accused him of undermining U.S.–Israel relations. His legal team submitted the claim under federal rules requiring damages claims to be filed before a lawsuit. Homeland Security dismissed the claim as "absurd," defending its actions as lawful.Khalil argues his arrest was politically motivated, targeting him for his pro-Palestinian speech, and says he would accept an official apology and a policy change as an alternative to monetary compensation. He was released on bail in June after a federal judge ruled his detention violated his First Amendment rights. The case has drawn widespread attention from civil rights and Palestinian advocacy groups, who accuse the administration of equating criticism of Israel with antisemitism.Trump has publicly pledged to deport foreign students participating in anti-Israel protests, and Khalil was the first high-profile detainee under this initiative. His lawyers continue to challenge his deportation, and the administration has six months to respond to his compensation claim.Mahmoud Khalil seeks $20 million from Trump administration over immigration arrest | ReutersThis week's closing theme is by George Gershwin.This week's closing theme is dedicated to one of America's most iconic composers—George Gershwin, who died on July 11, 1937, at just 38 years old. Though his life was short, Gershwin's musical legacy is vast, bridging the worlds of classical music and jazz with unprecedented flair. His compositions resonate with a distinctively American voice, and no piece captures that better than Rhapsody in Blue. Premiered in 1924, the work opens with a now-famous clarinet glissando and bursts into a vibrant, restless energy that seems to embody the optimism and chaos of early 20th-century New York.Commissioned by bandleader Paul Whiteman, Rhapsody in Blue was Gershwin's first major attempt to merge classical form with jazz idioms. What emerged was a concerto-like work that thrilled audiences and critics alike and marked the beginning of serious recognition for jazz as a concert-hall art form. Gershwin performed the piano solo himself at the premiere, having written much of it in a hurry and leaving some sections to be improvised on the spot.His sudden death from a brain tumor shocked the music world. It cut short the career of a composer who had already revolutionized American music and was poised to do much more. In works like Porgy and Bess and An American in Paris, Gershwin demonstrated a rare ability to synthesize European traditions with American vernacular music. But Rhapsody in Blue remains his most enduring testament—a collision of elegance, innovation, and vitality.As we reflect on Gershwin's passing this week, we close with Rhapsody in Blue, a work that continues to pulse with life nearly a century after its premiere. Its blend of bluesy lyricism and orchestral sweep makes it a fitting tribute to a composer whose voice was silenced too soon.Without further ado, George Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue, enjoy! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.minimumcomp.com/subscribe
We're joined by Stephanie Boluk (UC Davis), Patrick LeMieux (UC Davis), and Trent Kusters (League of Geeks) to discuss Grimstone, the 40th game in the UFO 50 collection. “Praise Biggan, the four of you survived the saloon fire. But somethin' tells me this story's just gettin' started...” Next week: Lords of Diskonia Audio edited by Dylan Shumway. Discussed in this episode: Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster https://finalfantasypixelremaster.square-enix-games.com/en_US/ SaGa Frontier Remastered https://saga-franchise.square-enix-games.com/en-us/games/saga-frontier-remastered Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake https://dragonquest.square-enix-games.com/games/en-us/dragon-quest-1-2-hd2d-remake/ Super Mario RPG https://www.nintendo.com/us/store/products/super-mario-rpg-switch/ Undertale https://undertale.com/ Final Fantasy VIII Remastered https://www.square-enix-games.com/games/final-fantasy-viii-remastered Mother 3 https://mother3.fobby.net/ Final Fantasy VII https://finalfantasyviipc.square-enix-games.com/en Tales of Symphonia Remastered https://en.bandainamcoent.eu/tales-of/tales-of-symphonia-remastered Hylics https://mason-lindroth.itch.io/hylics Huicholes: The Last Peyote Guardians https://vimeo.com/ondemand/huicholesfilm The Road to Dragon Quest https://archive.org/details/road-to-dragon-quest Space Funeral https://thecatamites.itch.io/space-funeral Yume Nikki https://store.steampowered.com/app/650700/Yume_Nikki/ The Thousand Crimes of Ming Tsu by Tom Lin https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/tom-lin/the-thousand-crimes-of-ming-tsu/9780316542173/?lens=little-brown Game Maker's Notebook - XCOM Creator Julian Gollop Shares Game Design Tips , Dev Stories and More https://gamemakersnotebook.libsyn.com/xcom-creator-julian-gollop-shares-game-design-tips-dev-stories-and-more Stephanie's Bluesky https://bsky.app/profile/chouxsalad.bsky.social Patrick's Bluesky https://bsky.app/profile/alt254.bsky.social Trent's Bluesky https://bsky.app/profile/trentkusters.bsky.social A Year of UFO 50 - Mortol II https://eggplant.show/ep-a-year-of-ufo-50-mortol-ii A Year of UFO 50 - Rock On! Island https://eggplant.show/ep-a-year-of-ufo-50-rock-on-island A Year of UFO 50 - Mortol https://eggplant.show/ep-a-year-of-ufo-50-mortol A Year of UFO 50 - Fist Hell https://eggplant.show/ep-a-year-of-ufo-50-fist-hell A Year of UFO 50 - Vainger https://eggplant.show/ep-a-year-of-ufo-50-vainger A Year of UFO 50 - Porgy https://eggplant.show/ep-a-year-of-ufo-50-porgy A Year of UFO 50 - Bushido Ball https://eggplant.show/ep-a-year-of-ufo-50-bushido-ball Into the Depths: Kentucky Route Zero - Part 1 https://eggplant.show/into-the-depths-kentucky-route-zero-part-1 https://bsky.app/profile/eggplantshow.bsky.social https://www.youtube.com/eggplantshow http://discord.gg/eggplant https://www.patreon.com/eggplantshow
Now in its 31st year, the AfroSolo Arts Festival is thrilled to return to Commonwealth Club World Affairs with "We Come This Far by Music—Let Freedom Ring! Part 2," featuring African American artists and music. The AfroSolo Arts Festival, directed by Thomas R. Simpson, is showcasing a cast of classically trained artists. This program is led by Dr. Carl Blake, pianist and director, and features Bradley Kynard, baritone; Shawnette Sulker, soprano; William Underwood, flutist. It's a joyful, soul-stirring program of music based on African American experiences, as part of San Francisco's Juneteenth Celebration—a national celebration that commemorates the freeing of enslaved people in Texas two years after the Emancipation Proclamation. AfroSolo Arts Festival is made possible through the support of the California Arts Council, Grants for the Arts, Dream Keeper Initiative, Kenneth Rainin Foundation, SF Arts Commission, and The Friends of AfroSolo. About the Performers Dr. Carl Blake, piano and program director. Carnegie Recital Wigmore Hall (London) and L'Hermitage St. Petersburg, Russia Toured in France, England, Central and South America, Caribbean as artistic ambassador for the U.S. Department of State. Currently, director of music, Church for the Fellowship of All Peoples, San Francisco, and a board member, Noontime Concerts. Bradley Kynard, baritone. This season: The Emissary by Oh/Rourke and Prospero's Island by Shearer/Stevens, Zebul in Jeptha by Handel, Mer hahn en neue Oberkeet (BWV 212) by J.S. Bach, A Little Girl Dreams of Taking the Veil by Wold, Sophia's Forest by Beecher/Moscovitch, and Harriet's Spirit by Shelby/Olvera with Opera Parallèle, Moby Dick, Heggie/Scheer with San Francisco Opera. Brooke. In Little Women, by Adamo. Shawnette Sulker, soprano. Featured artist with San Francisco Opera; Die Königin der Nacht, Cleopatra, Porgy and Bess, Jake Heggie's Intelligence, Allen Shearer's Prospero's Island. Soloist, Carmina Burana, Messiah, and Mahler's symphonies concert performances at Teatro di San Carlo, Lincoln Center, and Leipzig's Gewandhaus. William Underwood III, flutist. Performs in traditional, avant-garde, social and sacred arenas as a solo, collaborative and recording flutist. A veteran of AfroSolo Festivals in San Francisco. Toured Japan extensively with Kyodo Tokyo Incorporated . An Arts Member-led Forum program. Forums at the Club are organized and run by volunteer programmers who are members of The Commonwealth Club, and they cover a diverse range of topics. Learn more about our Forums. Organizer: Anne W Smith and Thomas R. Simpson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Send us a textGeorge Feltenstein from the Warner Archive joins host Tim Millard to discuss the remarkable restoration and reconstruction of the 1945 film "Rhapsody in Blue," now available on Blu-ray in its complete 161-minute version for the first time in 80 years.• Warner Bros.' restoration team combined original camera negative footage with a composite fine-grain master to reconstruct the complete film as director Irving Rapper intended• The rediscovered 5-minute Porgy and Bess sequence featuring Anne Brown's full performance of "Summertime" replaces the truncated 1:45 version shown in theaters• The Warner Brothers Studio Orchestra deserves special recognition for their outstanding musical performances and arrangements by Ray Heindorf• Many actual Gershwin associates appear in the film, including Paul Whiteman's orchestra, Oscar Levant, and Al Jolson performing "Swanee"• The film successfully portrays Gershwin's dedication to creating uniquely American music that incorporated jazz and diverse cultural influences• This frame-by-frame restoration delivers unprecedented audio and visual quality, surpassing even the original theatrical presentation• Robert Alda delivers a charismatic performance as George Gershwin, supported by excellent performances from Joan Leslie, Alexis Smith, and Charles CoburnPurchase Link: RHAPSODY IN BLUE (1945) [EXTENDED PRE-RELEASE VERSION] Blu-ray The Extras Facebook pageThe Extras Twitter Warner Archive & Warner Bros Catalog Group As an Amazon Affiliate, The Extras may receive a commission for purchases through our purchase links. There is no additional cost to you, and every little bit helps us in the production of the podcast. Thanks in advance. Otaku Media produces podcasts, behind-the-scenes extras, and media that connect creatives with their fans and businesses with their consumers. Contact us today to see how we can work together to achieve your goals. tim@theextras.tv
It's Pride Month, and what better time to focus on queer musical culture in all its various manifestations! As far back as I can remember, I have been an Opera Queen, and today I kick off our queer celebrations with the a tribute to one of our favorite divas, the late Grace Bumbry. The chutzpah that she demonstrated throughout her career found particularly thrilling manifestation when she began transitioning to soprano roles in the early 1970s. Always an intrepid singer, Bumbry had a confidence, a fearlessness that swept all before it. Sometimes her reach exceeded her grasp, but even so, the results were always breathtaking, more often than not in a good way. I am not going to make the tired claim that Bumbry should have remained a mezzo and that when she started singing soprano, she destroyed her instrument. This tired trope is belied by the evidence at hand, including an active singing career that lasted more than 60 years. A while back I did a version of this episode featuring her studio recordings of the soprano repertoire, but there's a wild, abandoned quality to her soprano singing that is especially compelling in live recordings. So today I have sought out live performances captured on recordings between 1971 and 2007 (at a seventieth birthday concert) which reveal La Bumbarina at her most thrilling, including excerpts from Tosca, La Gioconda, Il Trovatore, Nabucco, Porgy and Bess, Ernani, L'Africaine, Aida, Salome, and Anna Bolena with such co-stars as Franco Corelli, Norman Bailey, Louis Quilico, and her beloved frenemy Shirley Verrett. If you love Grace, you don't want to miss this episode. Countermelody is a podcast devoted to the glory and the power of the human voice raised in song. Singer and vocal aficionado Daniel Gundlach explores great singers of the past and present focusing in particular on those who are less well-remembered today than they should be. Daniel's lifetime in music as a professional countertenor, pianist, vocal coach, voice teacher, and journalist yields an exciting array of anecdotes, impressions, and “inside stories.” At Countermelody's core is the celebration of great singers of all stripes, their instruments, and the connection they make to the words they sing. By clicking on the following link (https://linktr.ee/CountermelodyPodcast) you can find the dedicated Countermelody website which contains additional content including artist photos and episode setlists. The link will also take you to Countermelody's Patreon page, where you can pledge your monthly or yearly support at whatever level you can afford.
The earliest selection on last week's Elisabeth Söderström episode featured the soprano at 24 singing the title role of Madama Butterfly. In that live recording, we also heard as Sharpless her compatriot the baritone Hugo Hasslo, to whom I introduced my listeners last fall. Today I dive a little bit deeper into Hasslo's extant recordings. Considering what a great singer he was, and how his reputation has merely grown with the passage of time, it's shocking how rarely Hasslo recorded in the studio. Therefore the majority of this episode consists of live recordings, from as far back as Hasslo's operatic debut in 1940 as Guglielmo under the baton of Fritz Busch, through to his performance as di Luna alongside Jussi Björling's final operatic appearance in Sweden twenty years later. Along the way we hear excerpts from Rigoletto, Il tabarro, Yevgeny Onegin (or should I say Eugen Onegin), Il trovatore, and… Porgy and Bess (?!?!). I also include a sample of the singing of Hasslo's teacher, the Scottish tenor Joseph Hislop to show that the apple did not fall far from the tree! Other singers appearing on the episode include Sena Jurinac, Einar Andersson, Sigurd Björling, Eric Sædén, Margareta Hallin, Arne Tyrén, Aase Nordmo Løvberg, Apollo Granforte, and a surprise visit from last week's subject, the transcendent Elisabeth Söderström. Countermelody is a podcast devoted to the glory and the power of the human voice raised in song. Singer and vocal aficionado Daniel Gundlach explores great singers of the past and present focusing in particular on those who are less well-remembered today than they should be. Daniel's lifetime in music as a professional countertenor, pianist, vocal coach, voice teacher, and journalist yields an exciting array of anecdotes, impressions, and “inside stories.” At Countermelody's core is the celebration of great singers of all stripes, their instruments, and the connection they make to the words they sing. By clicking on the following link (https://linktr.ee/CountermelodyPodcast) you can find the dedicated Countermelody website which contains additional content including artist photos and episode setlists. The link will also take you to Countermelody's Patreon page, where you can pledge your monthly or yearly support at whatever level you can afford.
From church choir in Eatonville, Florida, to becoming the first Black Phantom on Broadway, Norm Lewis opens up about his unique path to the stage. He shares how early dreams of a tennis career turned into a life in music and theatre, and the surprising way a cruise ship job launched it all. In this candid conversation, Norm reflects on near-misses, bold moves, and the audition advice that changed his life. We also discuss his current role in Ceremonies in Dark Old Men, a rarely produced Off-Broadway play making a powerful return. Norm dives into the emotional depth of playing a character reckoning with failure and legacy, and how the story echoes his own questions about longevity, identity, and purpose in the industry. Plus, we talk about the importance of representation, founding Black Theatre United, and why mentorship is such a vital part of his mission today. Norm Lewis is a Tony, Emmy, and SAG Award-nominated performer known for his Broadway roles in The Phantom of the Opera, Porgy and Bess, Sweeney Todd, Les Misérables, Once on This Island, and Chicken and Biscuits. His screen credits include Da 5 Bloods, The Good Fight, Pose, and NBC's Jesus Christ Superstar Live. He is a founding member of Black Theatre United and currently stars Off-Broadway in Ceremonies in Dark Old Men. This episode is powered by WelcomeToTimesSquare.com, the billboard where you can be a star for a day. Connect with Norm: @normlewis777 on Instagram Black Theatre United: blacktheatreunited.com Connect with The Theatre Podcast: Support us on Patreon: Patreon.com/TheTheatrePodcast Twitter & Instagram: @theatre_podcast Facebook.com/OfficialTheatrePodcast TheTheatrePodcast.com Alan's personal Instagram: @alanseales Email me at feedback@thetheatrepodcast.com. I want to know what you think. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Emmy, Tony, and SAG Award nominee Norm Lewis joins The Art of Kindness with Robert Peterpaul to discuss leading a cast with kindness, the unique way advertising influenced his career, his new show Ceremonies in Dark Old Men and more. NORM LEWIS was recently seen onstage starring in the national tour of the Tony Award-winning production of A Soldier's Play and in Andrew Lloyd Webber's West End Concert of Love Never Dies. He starred in Spike Lee's critically acclaimed, "Da 5 Bloods," and in the groundbreaking FX series, Pose. Additionally, Mr. Lewis can be seen starring opposite Hilary Swank in the feature "The Good Mother," Amazon Prime's newest series, Swarm, and Hulu's, Up Here. He was also seen as 'Caiaphas' in the award-winning NBC television special, “Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert!,” alongside John Legend, Sara Bareilles, and Alice Cooper. Mr. Lewis returned to Broadway in the Fall of 2021, starring in Chicken and Biscuits at the Circle In The Square Theatre. He previously appeared in the Broadway revival of Once on This Island and as Sweeney Todd in the Off-Broadway production of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street at the Barrow Street Theatre, receiving the AUDELCO Award for his performance. In May of 2014, he made history as The Phantom of the Opera's first African American Phantom on Broadway. He has been seen on PBS in the Live From Lincoln Center productions of Showboat with Vanessa Williams, Norm Lewis: Who Am I?, New Year's Eve: A Gershwin Celebration with Diane Reeves, as well as American Voices with Renée Fleming and the PBS Specials First You Dream – The Music of Kander & Ebb and Ella Wishes You A Swingin' Christmas. He can be seen recurring in the VH1 series, Daytime Divas, also alongside Vanessa Williams. His additional television credits include Women of The Movement, Law & Order, Dr. Death, Mrs. America, Better Things, The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Bull, Chicago Med, Gotham, The Blacklist, and Blue Bloods, as well as in his recurring role as Senator Edison Davis on the hit drama Scandal. Mr. Lewis is a proud, founding member of Black Theatre United, an organization which stands together to help protect Black people, Black talent and Black lives of all shapes and orientations in theatre and communities across the country. He received Tony, Drama Desk, Drama League, and Outer Critics Circle award nominations for his performance as Porgy in the Broadway production of The Gershwins' Porgy & Bess. Other Broadway credits include Sondheim on Sondheim, The Little Mermaid, Les Misérables, Chicago, Amour, The Wild Party, Side Show, Miss Saigon, and The Who's Tommy. In London's West End he has appeared as Javert in Les Misérables and Les Misérables: The 25th Anniversary Concert, which aired on PBS. Off-Broadway Mr. Lewis has performed in Dessa Rose (Drama Desk nomination, AUDELCO Award), Shakespeare in the Park's The Tempest, The Two Gentlemen of Verona (Drama League nomination), Captains Courageous, and A New Brain. His regional credits include Porgy in The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess (A.R.T.), Ragtime, Dreamgirls (with Jennifer Holliday), First You Dream, Sweeney Todd, and The Fantasticks. His additional film credits include Christmas In Tune (starring opposite Reba McEntire), Magnum Opus, Winter's Tale, Sex and the City 2, Confidences, and Preaching to the Choir. Norm's albums "The Norm Lewis Christmas Album" & "This is The Life" can be found on Amazon.com as well as cdbaby.com. Ceremonies in Dark Old Men Tickets: https://www.thepeccadillo.com/ Follow Norm: @thenormlewis Follow us: @artofkindnesspod / @robpeterpaul youtube.com/@artofkindnesspodcast Support the show! (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/theaok) Got kindness tips or stories? Want to just say hi? Please email us: artofkindnesspodcast@gmail.com Music: "Awake" by Ricky Alvarez & "Sunshine" by Lemon Music Studio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
We're joined by guest hosts Adam Saltsman (Finji), Trent Kusters (League of Geeks), and Teddy Dief (We Are OFK) to discuss Vainger, the 29th game in the UFO 50 collection. “The Vainger returns to Io and finds itself betrayed. The enemy must be found and eradicated.” Next week: Rock On! Island Audio edited by Dylan Shumway. Discussed in this episode: Prince of Prussia https://adamatomic.itch.io/prince Deus Ex https://store.steampowered.com/app/6910/Deus_Ex_Game_of_the_Year_Edition/ The Swapper https://store.steampowered.com/app/231160/The_Swapper/ Transistor https://www.supergiantgames.com/games/transistor/ Uncle Slam's record Vainger speed run https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q12oY8A5ekA Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown https://store.steampowered.com/app/2751000/Prince_of_Persia_The_Lost_Crown/ Bloodborne https://www.playstation.com/en-us/games/bloodborne/ Magic, Kevlar, and Conspiracies with Tactical Breach Wizards Dev Tom Francis https://interactive.libsyn.com/magic-kevlar-and-conspiracies-with-tactical-breach-wizards-dev-tom-francis Usual June https://store.steampowered.com/app/2702430/Usual_June/ Hyper Light Drifter https://store.steampowered.com/app/257850/Hyper_Light_Drifter/ We Are OFK (game) https://store.steampowered.com/app/1490340/We_Are_OFK/ We Are OFK (artist page) https://www.ofk.cool/ Teddy Dief's webpage https://www.teddydief.com/ Gaburi Chicken, LA https://gaburiusa.com/ A Year of UFO 50 – Warptank https://eggplant.show/ep-a-year-of-ufo-50-warptank A Year of UFO 50 – Camouflage https://eggplant.show/ep-a-year-of-ufo-50-camouflage Surviving Overland with Adam Saltsman https://eggplant.show/28-surviving-overland-with-adam-saltsman A Year of UFO 50 – Porgy https://eggplant.show/ep-a-year-of-ufo-50-porgy A Year of UFO 50 – Bushido Ball https://eggplant.show/ep-a-year-of-ufo-50-bushido-ball https://www.youtube.com/eggplantshow http://discord.gg/eggplant https://www.patreon.com/eggplantshow
We're joined by Trent Kusters (League of Geeks) and Kayin (I Wanna Be The Guy) to discuss Porgy, the 22nd game in the UFO 50 collection. "Strange happenings near the coast! Dive deep and get to the bottom of what's fishy in the sea." Next week: Onion Delivery Audio edited by Dylan Shumway. Discussed on this episode: Kayin's Porgy Blog Post – ”On Backtracking” https://kayin.moe/backtracking Games: Agency as Art – C. Thi Nguyen https://global.oup.com/academic/product/games-9780190052089?cc=us&lang=en& A Play of Bodies – Brendan Keogh https://mitpress.mit.edu/9780262037631/a-play-of-bodies/ Shadow The Past's Porgy Speedruns (1st World Record run) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SoYXGkX2_IA&t=1s Game Maker's Notebook – 17 Year Development Journey with Caves of Qud https://interactive.libsyn.com/17-year-development-journey-with-caves-of-qud Kayin's website https://kayin.moe/about Kayin on bluesky https://bsky.app/profile/kayin.moe Trent on bluesky https://bsky.app/profile/trentkusters.bsky.social http://discord.gg/eggplant https://www.patreon.com/eggplantshow
Today on another encore edition of the Rarified Heir Podcast, we are speaking with Josh Langsam, grandson of the great Cab Calloway. Our conversation with Josh was full of amazing family connections as well as a terrific lists of firsts from Cab Calloway that was fascinating to learn about. From fashion to language to composing and performing, Cab Calloway was both an entertainer as well as a cultural icon. While many of us knew him first from his appearance as Curtis in The Blues Brothers film, as the basis for both Jake and Elwood. While that film helped bring Cab back into popular culture, Cab's influence on popular culture in the first half of the 20th century. A song writer and performer whose song “Minnie The Moocher” sold one million copies – the first black entertainer to do so. He was also the first black entertainer to have a radio show and even was made into a cartoon in a Betty Boop short. And if that's not enough, none other than George Gershwin based the character Sportin' Life in the smash hit Porgy and Bess on Cab as well. We spoke to Josh about his grandfather's legacy and how he is working to enhance his legacy in 2025 and beyond. We spoke about Josh's plans for the estate and frankly, the what's and how's of running such an estate. We learned a lot from Josh on this episode as there was a lot to learn. So sit back and take a listen to the Rarified Heir Podcast. Everyone has a story.