The Tantara Hour: Recent Episodes
BYU Radio
Join industry veteran Ron Simpson in-studio for a look at the recording process as he tracks through the music of his favorite artists, songwriters and performers that he's come in contact with through BYU's record label "Tantara Records". Enjoy the intimate outtakes, incredible stories and interesting interviews that Ron Simpson brings to The Tantara Hour.Â
This episode has a sampling of student songwriters who began to get noticed on the BYU campus from the beginning of the 90's through the end of the first decade of the new millenium. Â We review their achievements and contributions after BYU.
We're used to hearing our favorite records, but have you ever thought about the steps that usually lead to the making of that record? Â That's the idea for the show today -- the demo recordings that lead to that final recording. Â If there's a Nashville slant, it's deliberate, because it's in the Music City where the demo system most flourishes.
Singer-songwriter Cherie Call discusses with Ron in studio finding metaphors and poetry in everyday situations. Â Her perceptions lean toward the spiritual, and as a total package her music brings comfort and joy to listeners of all ages. Â They listen to some of her favorite songs during this hour.
This week, a survey of the amazing career of James Taylor, spanning decades and giving the world so many memorable songs with lyrics that remind us not only of the songwriter's life, but also our times and memorable events as well. Â Music included from all across his discography including mentioning his latest album "Before This World".
Aspects of Age in song lyrics as well as a discussion of the various phases we go through in our lives, as chronicled by the most gifted and astute songwriters. Â Also musical comments on the subject from the likes of Vanessa Williams, Dan Fogelberg, Willie Nelson, and a debut artist Jake Tengelsen.
In one of the earliest Tantara Hour episodes, Ron identified and showcased the work of several promising songwriters. Â This week we revisit some of those former BYU music students whose talent showed early. Â It includes the Maxfield Brothers Andrew and Stuart, Mindy Gledhill, as well as the campus dating-song favorite "Pretend That She's Ugly", by Lamar Holley. Â Also a guest appearance by BYU's 9-man a cappella group Vocal Point.
"Jazz influenced classical compositions for the clarinet," says Jaren Hinckley of BYU, describing the contents of this Tantara collection. Â Ron Simpson spends this hour exploring the material, commenting on the composers, and enjoying the excellent playing of both clarinetist Hinckley and his pianist partner Vince Humphreys.
Honoring BYU's acclaimed academic folklorist, who found magic in the stories that circulate among common people, Ron Simpson this week listens to the music of Bert Wilson. Â Also he discusses his similar approach to songwriting, celebrating lyrics that reveal people in their everyday settings. Â Musical examples in this episode range from 1920's troubadour Vernon Dalhart to the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.
We celebrate BYU's second collection of choral works by Eric Whitacre, "Eric Whitacre Vol. 2," recorded at BYU in 2008. Choral director Ronald Staheli of the BYU Singers discovered Eric Whitacre while he was still in Nevada, and prior to graduate school. Dr. Staheli's subsequent first album of Whitacre's choral works sold well, and drew early attention to his "sound." We follow Mr. Whitacre to London, where he now lives with his famly. BYU can be proud to be among the earliest fans, earliest adopters of the brilliant choral music of Eric Whitacre.
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"You Were On My Mind by We Five was the #3 song of 1965, but what about the album cuts? A 1965 memory triggers a posthumous tribute for country legend Merle Haggard. And then a 2016 look at the Lumineers sophomore album "Cleaopatra," and finally, thoughtful looks at Australian indie success Gotye fellow Australian, the brilliant, tragic ArtPop creator Szimon, and the heartwarming efforts of family and friends, culminating in the EMI release of Szimon's album "Tigersapp." Â Â
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The award-winning blues artist has a unique ability to comment upon the African-American culture of today in the language of the blues, yet in a manner that everyone can understand and somehow relate to. We share a back story about Keb' Mo' (Kevin Moore) and the community in which he grew up. His songs have a way of making things seem a little bit better for all of us.
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It's been a while since I found a new band among the current releases that I could honestly call a favorite, but it's happened, quite unexpectedly, with Lucius. Hooky songs, interesting arrangements, shimmering vocals, and likeable personnel. On top of all that, great songwriting technique, whether learned or instinctinve. Joyous hip music, deep biographical research, and I even break down a couple of songs to identify technique.
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Surviving the New York audition system and being cast in a series of shows that bring her ever-increasing visibility, Jessica Molaskey lands in Jason Robert Brown's "Songs for a New World." Her solo song "Stars and the Moon" remains popular to this day. She meets guitarist-singer John Pizzarelli in "Dream," the songs of Johnny Mercer. Their friendship grows into marriage. Jessica soons joins John's NY cabaret shows, and when John is invited to do an album of Paul McCartney songs, she co-produces and sings creative backups.
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Richard Rodgers' timeless favorite score--Victory at Sea--played and lovingly recalled, along with two bullet points of commentary: First, the contribution made by orchestrator-arranger Robert Russell Bennett has been seriously under appreciated, and second, the genesis-- the history-- associated with getting the show made in the first place is also fascinating, and we'll meet Henry Salomon and Robert Sarnoff.
From 1992 until today, an impressively large and diverse catalog has been created. Â With concentrations in jazz, choral, and serious music, the catalog hovers just under 100 releases. Â With time, the label's mission has evolved, and student ensembles are now presented on sister label BYU Records. Â With this program -- and in celebration of 200 episodes of the Tantara Hour -- we cruise through Tantara's catalog. Â You'll hear some favorites, and possibly others which will be completely new to you. Â But thanks, Tantara for five great years of Sponsorship.
Introducing the BYU Wind Symphony and the new CD Timeless: Wind Band Dances and Other Concert Favorites. Â It's a brand new CD, and I describe the contents in terms of 4 four-syllable words: Patriotic, Virtuosic, Programmatic, and maybe even Symbiotic. Â The CD features tried and true favorites for the concert band as well as new settings by BYU Graduates Jory Woodis and Carl S. Hammer. Â It's a Brilliant Release.
Sir Paul McCartney contacted guitarist-singer John Pizzarelli with a suggestion:Could you take some of my lesser-known songs and see if they would fit in a jazz framework? John Pizzarelli jumped to the task, and the album Midnight McCartney was conceived and of course the songs slipped wonderfully into a style Pizzarelli's team was eminently comfortable playing. We trace McCartney's catalog, spending segments two and three getting acquainted with Pizzarelli's offering in the album Midnight McCartney.
There's a lot of new buzz around the work of songwrinter-composer Vernon Duke. Â With its 2012 release of "Beyond Vernon Duke," Tantara joined Nonesuch Records with its acclaimed Dawn Upshaw CD, exploring the work of Vernon Duke. Â Four more years down the road and there seems to be almost new rush of musical, scholarly, and journalistic interest in this unique music maker. Â Join me as I cruise through some the old favorites, stopping to comment on newer discoveries, such as the resurrection of "Sweet Bye and Bye," the 1946 musical that self destructed in tryouts. Â One newly discovered Vernon Duke Record Even comes from me -- a lucky find on eBay.
Just when we thought we'd be able to experience Eagles reunion tours and albums maybe forever, de facto Eagles leader, still in great voice, passed away. Â Here's my own tribute, prepared just after I heard the news, featuring a quick reprise of some great Eagles songs and some stories you may not have heard. Â Finally, in segment 3, some lovely Glenn Frey solo tracks from his "After Hours" CD, which turns out to be a poignant farewell. Â RIP Glenn.
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An admiring survey of the work of a legendary productive Temple Square organist who had a dual career as a composer.  Many of Dr. Cundick's original works have been recorded in the catalog of Tantara Records.  This episode takes listener through a quick survey of the Cundick Catalog, wth anecdotal remembrances between the selections.  Robert Cundick was an important was an important to the Music of Tantara.
The Pori Jazz Festival has grown in its scope and now presents a main stage lineup of top names including Kylie Minogue, Paloma Faith, Jessie J, Caro Emerald, & Emeli Sande. It features all styles of pop as well as its original focus, jazz. In 2015, the Festival presented a stellar lineup from the top tier of Europop. Each artist is introduced along with a generous sampling of music.Â
Continuing BYUâs annual Celebration of Christmas series, BYU Records presents the new recording for 2015, Carol of Joy.
Featuring BYUâs combined choirs and orchestra, we hear sacred favorites of the season including a stirring new arrangement of âOh Come All Ye Faithful,â as well as winter holiday favoritesââSleigh Ride,â selections from The Nutcracker Suite, and others. Itâs a live album, beautifully captured, skillfully rendered.
An exciting debut from Utah: the three-tenor group Gentri. Our guest is Brad Robins, one of the three singers, and in between songs we uncover a few details and learn the almost-unprecedented fact that producer Stephen Nelson travels withâis part ofâGentri, and creates not only the vocal arrangements, but also the stirring orchestrations. Brad answers questions about Gentriâs past and future performances and the groupâs philosophy and business strategy.
One of the best bands of recent decades, Genesis has delivered an impressive string of familiar chart hits. Formed in 1967 and known as a âprog-rockâ or progressive rock band, Genesis didnât crack the US charts until 1978, when they began writing and producing more hummable, radio-friendly material. We follow the band from its beginning, paying attention to the musicians who left as well as those who stayed. It seems unique that those who left seem to be on good terms with those who remained, even revisiting Genesis material in their own recordings.
Lost in the glitter of early swing-era bands like Benny Goodman, Count Basie, Duke Ellington, and Glenn Miller was Chick Webb, the affable, energetic drummer who paved the way for showy drummers like Buddy Rich or Louie Bellson. But in the hindsight of history, Chick Webb is equally famous for discovering and promoting the young Ella Fitzgerald. Our story continues through the untimely death of Chick Webb and the emergence of Ella as the First Lady of Jazz.