“Some people collect stamps; some people collect butterflies,” says photographer Robert M. Knight in the documentary Rock Prophecies. “I think I kinda collect rock stars.” Knight’s been collecting rock stars since the 60s, when as an aspiring 18-year-old photographer he crept his way into the inner circles of Led Zeppelin and Jimi Hendrix before either became rock legends. He soon became a legend himself, of rock photography. But Knight isn’t content to have shot some of the greats. He’s continually energized by younger acts. In Rock Prophecies, which caused a sensation at the 2009 Nashville Film Festival and nabbed the Audience Award for best documentary, Knight searches for the torch bearer to Stevie Ray Vaughan’s legacy. He finds him in the young guitar prodigy — now Nashville resident — Tyler Bryant. It’s a fantastic, fun, rock ‘n roll charged film, and we’re proud to bring it to you on Wednesday, October 20 at 9:00 p.m.
Michael Feinstein has been on a mission, to save and celebrate the American popular songbook created by some of the nation’s finest composers and lyricists: the Gershwins, Cole Porter, Irving Berlin, Jerome Kern, Richard Rodgers, Harold Arlen, Johnny Mercer and Harry Warren. Michael Feinstein’s American Songbook, Wednesdays, October 6-20 at 7:00 p.m., chronicles Feinstein’s labor of love.
The White House celebrates Broadway; David Gray’s Live from the Artists Den; and Patty Griffin’s on Austin City Limits. It’s another great month of music programming on NPT.
Saturday, October 2, 2010
10:30-11:00 Music Voyager: Rocky Mountain Adventures.
11:00-12:00 midnight – Austin City Limits: Jimmy Cliff.
Reggae legend Jimmy Cliff performs his greatest hits and songs from his LP Existence.
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
7:00-8:00 – Michael Feinstein’s American Songbook: Putting on the Tailfins.
This episode focuses on the 1950s and 1960s, when the Great American Songbook competed with new forms like rock & roll, and rhythm & blues.
Saturday, October 9, 2010
11:00-12:00 midnight – Austin City Limits: Spoon.
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
7:00-8:00 – Michael Feinstein’s American Songbook: Putting on the Tailfins
The best band in the land.
11:00-12:00 midnight – Live from the Artists Den: David Gray.
David Gray brought his signature mix of acoustic instrumentation and electronic samples to Wall Street for an intimate performance at the Broad Street Ballroom, housed in a 1920s building renowned for its austere Classical Revival style. The multiplatinum singer-songwriter plays hits and new songs from Draw the Line.
Thursday, October 14, 2010
8:00-10:00 – Big Band Years
Using vintage footage from the Big Band era, this nostalgic music retrospective features the biggest songs that got America through World War II.
Saturday, October 16, 2010
11:00-12:00 midnight – Austin City Limits: Patty Griffin & Friends.
Singer/songwriter Patty Griffin and her musical friends sing original and classic gospel numbers. She’s joined by Emmylou Harris, Shawn Colvin and Mike Farris.
7:00-8:00 – Michael Feinstein’s American Songbook: A New Step Every Day.
The final episode explores the fast and furious 1920s and 1930s, when jazz was hot, credit was loose, and illegal booze flowed freely in underground speakeasies.
8:00-9:00 – In Performance at the White House: A Broadway Celebration.
Emceed by Nathan Lane, this special features performances by major Broadway artists and new talent, presenting selections from musicals that reflect the spirit, energy and ambition of America.
9:00-10:00 – Rock Prophecies
An insider’s view of rock & roll through the eyes of prolific photographer Robert M. Knight.
11:00-12:00 midnight – Live from the Artists Den: Corinne Bailey Rae.
Beneath New York City’s Maritime Hotel, under the paper lanterns and vaulted ceilings of the Japanese-themed Hiro Ballroom, British neo-soul star Corinne Bailey Rae gave her fans a special treat: an intimate performance showcasing her new hit album, The Sea, seven weeks before its release.
Thursday, October 21, 2010
8:00-10:00 – Ed Sullivan’s Rock and Roll Classics – The 60s (My Music)
Spanning the years 1963-1968, this retrospective features classic song performances from The Ed Sullivan Show.
Saturday, October 23, 2010
11:00-12:00 midnight – Austin City Limits: Alejandro Escovedo/Trombone Shorty.
Rock and funk collide with Alejandro Escovedo and Trombone Shorty. Escovedo blasts out cuts from his LP Street Songs of Love. Trombone Shorty follows with a heavy dose of New Orleans funk ‘n’ roll.
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
8:00-9:30 – Great Performances: The Chicago Symphony Orchestra Riccardo Muti Inaugural.
Muti’s anticipated debut as the 10th music director of the renowned Chicago Symphony Orchestra.
11:00-12:00 – Live from the Artists Den: The Black Crowes.
The Black Crowes — a rock band Billboard coined an “Allmans-to-Zappa synthesis of influences” — performances in the unique confines of The Lyric Oxford in Oxford, Mississippi. Read our interview with drummer Steve Gorman on the NPT Media Update blog.
Saturday, October 30, 2010
11:00-12:00 midnight – Austin City Limits: Robert Earl Keen/Hayes Carl.
AUSTIN CITY LIMITS presents Texas singer/songwriters with Robert Earl Keen and Hayes Carll. Veteran Keen precedes Carll, who was this year’s winner of the Americana Music Association New/Emerging Artist Award .
Until Next Month,
Joe Pagetta