Podcasts about theolonious monk

When we say David Amram has worked with everyone, we mean EVERYONE, including Aaron Copeland, Dizzy Gillespie, Theolonious Monk, Pete Seger, Jack Kerouac, and more! An American composer, arranger, & conductor, David composed the music for The Manchurian Candidate, and in 1966, David was chosen by Leonard Bernstein as the first composer in residence for the New York Philharmonic. Now you might wonder what all of this has to do with folk! David has been attending folk music conferences and festivals forever. Jamming with other musicians until the wee hours of the night, David's always the one closing down the house!  His youthful energy and spirit are practically boundless, and now we are lucky enough to have him share his stories, filled with wit, wisdom, and grace with FolkPod's own Cheryl Prashker. 

David Leach, percussionist, servant to the song and midwife to the muse was born in the shadow of the Manhattan skyline in Plainfield, New Jersey. His love of music was forged in the basement of his parents’ home while his father and godfather told and re-told stories as the strains of Miles Davis, Theolonious Monk and Stanley Turrnentine played in the background. If jazz wasn’t the norm for a young kid, David never knew it. The music spoke to him even then. At 12, David got his first set of drums. He doesn’t remember making a decision about what instrument he would play; rather, the instrument chose him. It was to be the choice that began his lifetime journey into music. In his teenage years David took the opportunity to see as many concerts as possible and two of them changed the direction of his life. He saw Angela Bofill, accompanied by percussionist, Sammy Figueroa, and then the legendary band Earth, Wind and Fire. Figueroa mesmerized him with his array of musical toys that colored the music, and the sheer showmanship of Earth, Wind and Fire convinced him that music was to be a powerful force in his life. Little did he know then, that he would eventually play and record with the venerable group. David went to Rutgers University like any nice, middle-class young man, but knew within days that he had to change his major from business to music. During college he spent much of his free time in New York City, listening to all types of music in all kinds of venues, including the theater. He remembers the magic of discovering how involved musicians were in the success of most Broadway shows, even though they were rarely seen. It was then that he developed the attitude that it is better to be heard than seen; an attitude that has served him well over the years. David graduated with a degree and a hunger to make a life that included music. Directly after graduation he moved to Los Angeles, and as they say, the rest is history. He has circled the globe, playing on six of seven continents, in innumerable countries and with the finest musicians of our time. His joy of music comes out in every note he plays and in every rhythm he creates. And like his musical hero, Paulinho de Costa, he makes it his mission to play exactly what every song needs. No more, no less.

David Leach, percussionist, servant to the song and midwife to the muse was born in the shadow of the Manhattan skyline in Plainfield, New Jersey. His love of music was forged in the basement of his parents’ home while his father and godfather told and re-told stories as the strains of Miles Davis, Theolonious Monk and Stanley Turrnentine played in the background. If jazz wasn’t the norm for a young kid, David never knew it. The music spoke to him even then. At 12, David got his first set of drums. He doesn’t remember making a decision about what instrument he would play; rather, the instrument chose him. It was to be the choice that began his lifetime journey into music. In his teenage years David took the opportunity to see as many concerts as possible and two of them changed the direction of his life. He saw Angela Bofill, accompanied by percussionist, Sammy Figueroa, and then the legendary band Earth, Wind and Fire. Figueroa mesmerized him with his array of musical toys that colored the music, and the sheer showmanship of Earth, Wind and Fire convinced him that music was to be a powerful force in his life. Little did he know then, that he would eventually play and record with the venerable group. David went to Rutgers University like any nice, middle-class young man, but knew within days that he had to change his major from business to music. During college he spent much of his free time in New York City, listening to all types of music in all kinds of venues, including the theater. He remembers the magic of discovering how involved musicians were in the success of most Broadway shows, even though they were rarely seen. It was then that he developed the attitude that it is better to be heard than seen; an attitude that has served him well over the years. David graduated with a degree and a hunger to make a life that included music. Directly after graduation he moved to Los Angeles, and as they say, the rest is history. He has circled the globe, playing on six of seven continents, in innumerable countries and with the finest musicians of our time. His joy of music comes out in every note he plays and in every rhythm he creates. And like his musical hero, Paulinho de Costa, he makes it his mission to play exactly what every song needs. No more, no less.

While most ambitious, career conscious college students were pursuing internships, IamG was getting in real work as an MC, performing on DJ Whoo Kid’s Shadyville University tour and getting covered by major college blogs, BroBible and GoodMusicAllDay. The 2013 Syracuse University Music Business major graduate is taking his grind to the next level with the release of his latest project, Mia Vita EP. The Mia Vita EP captures the party energy of his early mixtapes The Movement and Ain’t Nothing To It as well the perspective of a successful independent artist with several stints on the road under his belt. “This EP is the starting point of the new IamG,” he said. Seattle MC Dave B is a multi-talented hip-hop artist who raps, sings, writes and produces also brings to the table lyrical content reflective of the golden age of hip-hop. His depth and versatility is partially attributable to his vast musical inspirations: gospel icons Fred Hammond, Kirk Franklin; hip-hop luminaries Andre 3000, Missy Elliott, and Kanye West; R&B songstresses Aaliyah and Erykah Badu; jazz legend Theolonious Monk; and rock god Jimi Hendrix. In 2015, he released his breakthrough song “Leaves" produced by fellow Seattle native Jake One. Soon after, the Seattle Weekly named him “One To Watch” and The Fader declares he’s a “versatile rapper.”

John Lahr talks to Michael Berkeley about his passion for the American Songbook, his award-winning biographies of Tennessee Williams and Joe Orton, and his father, the actor Bert Lahr, who was the Cowardly Lion in The Wizard of Oz. Described by the playwright Edward Albee as 'the greatest drama critic of my generation', John was for 22 years chief critic and profile writer for the New Yorker. Then, in 2002, John Lahr the drama critic became John Lahr the dramatist - and the first drama critic ever to win a Tony Award when he wrote actress Elaine Stritch's one-woman show, Elaine Stritch at Liberty. He chooses music from that show, a song sung by his father, a Theolonious Monk track which reminds him of his wife Connie Booth, and he ends with the joy of Mozart's Jupiter Symphony. Producer: Jane Greenwood A Loftus Production for BBC Radio 3.