NPT MUSIC MONTHLY JANUARY 2007

Welcome to the first edition of the NPT Music Monthly, your guide to great music programming on NPT-Channel 8 in the coming month.

For pop and country music fans, Austin City Limits this month includes performances by two acts that had an especially big 2006, with both scoring five Grammy nominations. James Blunt‘s single “You’re Beautiful,” from his album Back to Bedlam, was a monster hit and garnered nominations for “Record of the Year” and “Song of the Year.” He plays ACL on January 13 with James
McMurtry.

The Dixie Chicks resumed their touring schedule in 2006 to support their long-awaited disc Taking the Long Way, a Grammy nominee for “Best Country Album.” Backed by a touring band that includes Nashville musicians Audley Freed and Pete Finney, they made a welcome appearance on ACL, which airs on January 20.

If you’re an opera enthusiast, be sure to catch director Julie Taymor, celebrated for her work bringing The Lion King to life on Broadway, using her ingenious talent to bring vivid detail to the dancing bears, flying birds and giant serpent that inhabit Mozart’s “The Magic Flute.” Great Performances at the Met debuts January 24.

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January Music Higlights:

Monday, January 1, 2007
8:00-9:30
p.m.
Great Performances: From Vienna: The New Year’s Celebration 2007
Continuing its holiday tradition, Great Performances returns to the stately splendor of Vienna’s Musikverein for the 23rd annual broadcast of the Vienna Philharmonic’s New Year’s Day celebration, hosted by Walter Cronkite.

11:00 p.m.-2:00 p.m.

Great Performances: Garrison Keillor’s New Year’s Eve Special
(REBROADCAST) Garrison Keillor of “A Prairie Home Companion” hosts a live New Year’s Eve broadcast from Nashville’s legendary Ryman Auditorium, the original home of the Grand Ole Opry. Keillor will hold court with special guests Emmylou Harris, Rhonda Vincent and the Rage, Sam Bush, Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver, Jerry Douglas, Suzy Bogguss, Old Crow Medicine Show, Jon Randall, Cowboy Jack Clement and many others. Also on hand for the fun will be “Prairie Home Companion” regulars Fred Newman, Rich Dworsky and, of course, Guy’s All Star Shoe Band. 

Friday, January 5, 2007
11:00 p.m.-12:00
a.m.
The Who: Tommy and Quadrophenia Live
This special, which highlights selected
performances from the band’s groundbreaking rock operas, features a who’s who of rock legends including Billy Idol and Elton John performing alongside founding members Roger Daltrey, Pete Townshend and John Entwistle. The dynamic performances capture The Who’s 1989 Tommy performance from The Universal Amphitheatre in Los Angeles as well as the live version of Quadrophenia from their 1996/1997 U.S. tour.


Saturday, January 6, 2007
10:00-11:00 p.m.
Austin City Limits: Damian Marley
The son of Bob Marley, Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley is a multiple Grammy Award winner for his distinctive take on his father’s reggae legacy. With his brothers Stephen and Julian as guests, Marley performs tunes from his latest album, the best-selling Welcome to Jamrock.

Friday, January 12, 2007
11:00 p.m.-12:00
a.m.
Loggins & Messina: Sittin’ in Again
In 2005, Loggins and Messina, one of the
most beloved rock groups of the ’70s, reunited for the first time since 1976 for a concert tour. Their first album, Kenny Loggins With Jim Messina Sittin’ In, was released in 1972, achieving gold status and remaining on the charts for more than two years. Over the next four years, they released a series of gold and platinum albums, most of which hit the Billboard Top 10. Taped at their concert performance in Santa Barbara, California, the special features many of the pair’s popular songs, such as “Watching the River Run,” “Your Mama Don’t Dance” and “Vahevala.”

Saturday January 13, 2007
10:00-11:00
p.m.
Austin City Limits: James Blunt/James McMurtry
England’s James Blunt showcases songs from his internationally popular album Back to Bedlam, including the massive hit “You’re Beautiful.” James McMurtry, son of author Larry McMurtry and a songwriter whose tough, literate rock sound has led him to be called “the Texan Lou Reed,” follows.

Thursday, January 18, 2007
9:00-10:00
p.m.
Beaux Arts at 50
Pianist Menahem Pressler and the Beaux Arts Trio celebrate their 50th
anniversary at Indiana University’s Jacob School of Music by recreating their triumphant public debut.

11:00 p.m.-12:00 a.m.
Circling Around: The Violin Virtuosi
The Indiana University Violin Virtuosi is a collection of 15 violinists between the ages of 10 and 17 who perform both as soloists and as an ensemble. Their demanding repertoire includes the music of Bach, Brahms, Bartok, Prokofiev, Vivaldi and Shostakovich, and many innovative contemporary compositions. The gifted students at the Indiana University String Academy are immersed in an intense musical curriculum of weekly private lessons, chamber music, theory, master classes and rehearsals. From their first squeaky triumphs through their mastery of the instrument, CIRCLING AROUND documents the students’ commitment to excellence, exemplified by the hours of practice and rehearsal, the touring and travel, and the struggles of balancing music with school life.

Friday, January 19, 2007
11:00 p.m.-12:00
a.m.
Soundstage: Peter Frampton (Part 1)
Peter Frampton was one of the most successful arena rock stars of the 70s. Frampton remains one of the most thrilling live performers around, and his two-part SOUNDSTAGE performance is no exception. In the first hour, Frampton performs songs such as his classics “Show Me the Way” and “Nassau/Baby I Love Your Way.”

Saturday, January 20,
2007
10:00-11:00 p.m.
Austin City Limits: The Dixie Chicks
After a few years spent enjoying their family lives and weathering controversy, Texas’ mighty Dixie Chicks return to the AUSTIN CITY LIMITS stage with old favorites and new classics from their defiant, Grammy-nominated new album Taking the Long Way.

Wednesday, January 24, 2007
8:00-10:00
p.m.
Great Performances at the Met: Mozart’s The Magic Flute
Dancing bears, flying birds, even a giant serpent are all brought vividly to life through celebrated director Julie Taymor’s ingenious use of puppetry.
 
Friday, January 26,
2007
11:00 p.m.-12:00 a.m.
Soundstage: Peter Frampton (Part 2)
In Peter Frampton’s second hour on SOUNDSTAGE, he performs a thrilling cover of George Harrison’s “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” and Soundgarden’s “Black Hole Sun.” Of course, “Do You Feel Like We Do” is the not-to-be missed showstopper.   

Saturday, January 27, 2007
9:00-10:00
p.m.
Heart and Soul: The Life and Music of Frank Loesser
Frank Loesser wrote the words and music for Broadway’s “Guys & Dolls,” “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying,” and “The Most Happy Fella,” among others.

10:00-11:00 p.m.
Austin City Limits: Jack Johnson/Rilo Kiley
Former surfer Jack Johnson has long been a hit at summer music festivals with his mix of folk, blues and hip-hop. He performs songs from his newest CD, In Between Dreams. Rilo Kiley fuse indie-pop and alt-country for a sound that emphasizes their emotional, playful lyrics. Highlights include songs from the band’s newest CD, More Adventurous.

As always, you can find our full schedule online at http://www.wnpt.net/schedule.html.

Until next month,

Joe Pagetta
Media Relations