Some Monday morning gifts for your listening pleasure:
* A must-hear in light of more recent battles over (de/re)segregation and affirmative action is NPR's series Segregation Showdown at Little Rock:
Fifty years ago, Central High School in Little Rock, Ark., became the flash point for the nation's debate over civil rights and segregation. The enrollment of nine black children at an all-white school erupted into a story of conflict, pain and ultimately, progress toward racial integration.
* Science Friday's story from a couple weeks back about our more detailed knowledge of the human genome, via Craig Venter's DNA:
Researchers now know more about Craig Venter than ever before. Or, at least, the part of him that's defined by his genes. A paper published this week in the journal PLOS Biology reveals the genetic sequence from both sets of chromosomes making up Venter's genome. Though the Human Genome Project was completed several years ago, the new work provides a much more detailed look at the genetics of an individual. We'll talk about the work, and what it means for the field of genetics research.
* BBC's audio slideshow, Katrina Blues:
Loss and heartbreak are time-honoured inspirations for the Blues, so when Grammy award-winning musician and actor Chris Thomas King lost his New Orleans home during Hurricane Katrina, he did what any Blues musician would do. Within days of the levees breaking, he picked up his guitar and started writing. He explains how Katrina affected his community, and how she became a muse he would never forget, inspiring songs like Baptised In Dirty Water, and What Would Jesus Do?, a modern take on the moral implications of taking bread and water for survival.
(And while you're at it, more flava for your eyes with BBC's slideshow of New Orleans' brass bands.)
* Sticking with this NOLA theme, explore Terrance Blanchard's website, complete with audio samples from his amazing release A Tale of God's Will: A Requiem for Katrina. Links after the slideshow intro will lead you to an NPR feature on the album that includes audio links to "Levees" and "Over There."
Blanchard's A Tale of God's Will is some of the most expressive art I have heard from him. From the opening (a summoning of the "Ghost of Congo Square") to the end (a personal letter called "Dear Mom"), this recording reveals what many jazz fans know: Blanchard is a powerful storyteller. He doesn't need words to express anger, frustration, heartbreak, resolve, hope or love — just a trumpet.
And BTW, this is one of my latest iTunes purchases. I think I'm up to 4.8 days now...
Happy Monday!
Posted by perry032 at September 10, 2007 09:46 AM