Wednesday MidDay Medley
TEN to NOON Wednesdays – Streaming at KKFI.org
90.1 FM KKFI – Kansas City Community Radio
Produced and Hosted by Mark Manning

More New & MidCoastal Releases + The Matchsellers
+ Jen Harris & Siobhan McLaughlin Lesley of “Collective: Our Stories of Cancer”

1. “Main Title Instrumental – It’s Showtime Folks”
from: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack to All That Jazz / 1980
[WMM’s theme song]

2. U.S. Girls – “Velvet 4 Sale”
from: In a Poem Unlimited / 4AD / February 16, 1979
[6th studio album from U.S. Girls, the recording moniker of American-Canadian musician Meghan Remy. Formed in the United States in 2007 as a noise-pop project, Remy later moved the band to Toronto after marrying Canadian musician Max “Slim Twig” Turnbull. She released music on a variety of independent labels in both the United States and Canada before signing to 4AD in 2015. Her first record for that label, Half Free, was released the same year. Half Free garnered a Juno Award nomination for Alternative Album of the Year at the Juno Awards of 2016, and was a shortlisted finalist for the 2016 Polaris Music Prize. In a Poem Unlimited is her follow up and second release on 4AD.]

3. Sunny War – “If It Wasn’t Broken”
from: With the Sun / Org Music – Hen House Studios / Feb. 2, 2018
[“Los Angeles-based singer, songwriter and guitarist Sunny War (née Sydney Lyndella Ward) was born to a single mom in Nashville. She had what’s she’s described as a nomadic childhood, moving around from Michigan, Colorado, and living on the streets of San Francisco. Now in her mid-20s, War settled down in Los Angeles as a teenager, and became known for her street playing in Venice Beach. War is a fantastic guitar player. She learned her plucking style by playing “Blackbird” by The Beatles, and by falling in love with the blues. “I feel like I am a blues guitarist, but I don’t think I’m a blues artist,” she says. “I only use the scales and techniques that I know, and the only time I was trained in music was on blues guitar. I really love Elizabeth Cotten and Mississippi John Hurt,” says War.” – from NPR Music]

4. Hembree – “Continents”
from: Kitsuné America 5, the NBA Edition / Kitsuné Musique / February 15. 2018
[Kitsuné is a French record label and clothing designer. Hembree formed in November of 2015, band members include: Isaac Flynn, Garrett Childers, and Eric Davis. Their single “Had It All” was released July 26, 2017. Hembree released their debut EP, Had It All on Ribbon Music on November 3. 2017, engineered by: Isaac Flynn and Hembree. Produced by: Eric Hillman and Hembree. Mixed by: Joe Visciano. Mastered by: TW Walsh. Hembree played several North American cities opening for JR JR.]

[Hembree plays The Granada Theatre in Lawrence on Sat, April 28, with Dream Girl, and Y God Y]

5. Car Seat Headrest – “My Boy (Twin Fantasy)”
from: Twin Fantasy/ Matador / February 16, 2018
[Twin Fantasy (Face to Face) is the eleventh studio album by indie rock band Car Seat Headrest, released on February 16, 2018. It is a complete re-recording and reworking of the band’s sixth studio album, Twin Fantasy, released in 2011. Originally a started as a solo recording project by 26 year old, Will Toledo, in Leesburg, Virginia. Toledo chose the name “Car Seat Headrest” after recording the vocals of his first albums in the back seat of his car, for privacy. Car Seat Headrest released 12 albums on Bandcamp. Toledo’s production has gradually grown less lo-fi, but he still remains an effective example of the DIY ethic. Toledo saw a large influx of new fans with his 2011 release Twin Fantasy, which has become the most popular of his self-released albums. In September 2015, Car Seat Headrest announced on his Facebook page that he had signed an album deal with Matador Records. In October 2015, Car Seat Headrest released the compilation album, Teens of Style under the label. This was his first album that was not self-released via Bandcamp. The new album, Teens of Denial, was created with traditional studio processes. Car Seat Headrest is currently on tour in the Northwest, and after a May 8 show in Brooklyn, the band travels to Europe for dates in May and then will be back touring the state through June and July.]

6. Joy Zimmerman – “Say My Name (For Camille Claudel)”
from: Say My Name / Joy Zimmerman / April 23, 2016
[KC based Joy Zimmerman is singer – songwriter who performs solo, and as a duo with Jimmy Dykes, and also with a full band. Joy began playing violin before walking to kindergarten. She played classical music and sang in choirs her whole life until deciding to try her hand at guitar. Playing a chordal instrument led to the thrill of songwriting and the discovery of her solo voice. Joy has five albums of original music–two recorded and co-produced with Jimmy Dykes in Kansas City at Weights and Measures Soundlab and three recorded and produced by Fett in Nashville at Azalea Studios. Her songwriting awards include American Songwriter Lyric Contest Honorable Mention and five Walnut Valley Festival New Song Showcase wins. ]

[Joy Zimmerman plays Saturday Storytellers at Ollies Local, 3044 Gillham Rd, March 3, at 5:00 PM with Erin Eades.]

7. The Roseline – “Hurry Up and Wait”
from: Blood / King Forward Revords / September 29, 2017
[From the 5th album of the Lawrence, Kansas, based alt-country, Americana, rock band, formed by Colin Halliburton with friends in 2005. The Roseline has been through dozens of lineup changes. The current lineup includes: Colin Halliburton on guitar & vocals; Heidi Gluck on bass & vocals, Ehren Starks on keyboards, Kris Losure on guitar, Jeff Jackson on pedal steel & guitar, and Jim Piller on drums. Roseline released their last album, Townie, on June 19, 2015. More info at: http://www.roselinemusic.com]

[The Roseline play Replay Lounge in Lawrence, Sat, March 3, at 10:00 PM w/ The Grisly Hand and Rachel Mallin & The Wild Type.]

8. Tom Petty – “Yer So Bad”
from: Full Moon Fever / MCA / April 24, 1989
[“Yer So Bad” is a song co-written and recorded by Tom Petty. It was released in 1990 as the fifth single from his first solo album Full Moon Fever, It features contributions from members of his band the Heartbreakers, notably Mike Campbell, as well as Jeff Lynne, Roy Orbison (who died prior to its release), and George Harrison, Petty’s bandmates in the Traveling Wilburys.The record shows Petty exploring his musical roots with nods to his influences. The songwriting is mainly collaborations between Petty and Lynne, who was also a producer on the album. The album became a commercial and critical success peaking at No. 3 on the U.S. Billboard 200 and being certified 5× platinum in the United States and 6× platinum in Canada. Thomas Earl Petty was born Oct 20, 1950 and tragically died on Oct 2, 2017. Tom Petty was a singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer, and actor. He was the lead singer of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, formed in 1976. He previously led the band Mudcrutch. He was also a co-founder of the late 1980s supergroup the Traveling Wilburys. In his career, he sold more than 80 million records worldwide, making him one of the best-selling music artists of all time. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2001. Tom Petty release 3 solo records, 13 albums with The Heartbreakers, and two albums with The Traveling Wilburys.]

[Friday March 2, at 9:00 at recordBar, 1520 Grand Ave The Cody Wyoming Deal present Heartbroken: A Tribute to Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers. The Deal is a semi revolving lineup of some of the best KC musicians Kansas City who has served as a backing band for Alejandro Escovedo, and thrown an all star tribute to The Rolling Stones “Exile on Main Street.” This time out, The Deal consists of: Cody Wyoming on guitar & vocals, JB Moreland on guitar & Vocals, Erik Voeks on Bass & vocals, Matt Richey on drums, Lin Buck on keyboards, and Katie Gilchrist on percussion & vocals.]

10:30 – Underwriting

9. The Matchsellers – “BLUEGRASTRONAUTS”
from: BLUEGRASTRONAUTS / The Matchsellers / March 16, 2018
[3rd full length release from classically trained violinist Julie Bates from Kansas City, and a Chicago blues guitarist from Warsaw, Indiana, Andrew Morris. The Matchsellers have traveled the US and Europe developing their brand of off the wall bluegrass & old-time music. In 2017 they began collaborating with two of the Midwest’s finest musicians, Chad Graves a dobro player that has been featured in Rolling Stone and The Bluegrass Situation, and Betsey Beymer a much sought after bassist from Lakin, KS.]

[The Matchsellers play a special Bluegrastronauts Release Show on Thursday, March 15, at 7:00 PM at Westport Coffee House, 4010 Pennsylvania Ave, KCMO.]

10:36 – Interview with The Matchsellers

The Matchsellers

Julie Bates is a classically trained violinist from Kansas City. Andrew Morris is a Chicago blues guitarist from Warsaw, Indiana. They met in Leipzig, Germany. During their year of living in the former East Germany, the pair began reanalyzing the songs of their homeland, and developed a tight yet gritty bluegrass style. In the summer of 2013 they left their jobs to hit the road and haven’t looked back. In late 2014 they released their debut full length recording, and followed that up with their second release, “Songs We Made Up” in 2016. Tha Matchsellers are back in our 90.1 FM Studios to share music and information from their newest album, BLUEGRASTRONAUTS. The Matchsellers play a special Bluegrastronauts Release Show on Thursday, March 15, at 7:00 PM at Westport Coffee House, 4010 Pennsylvania Ave, KCMO.

Julie Bates and Andrew Morris thanks for being with us on Wednesday MidDay Medley.

The Matchsellers & The Breakfast Sides present a new CD of Interstellar Old-time music entitled “Bluegrastronauts” Bluegrastronauts is old-time in outer space. It’s a far away galaxy as close as your first cousin. It’s a 100,000 mile an hour horse-and-buggy.

Since 2013 Andrew Morris and Julie Bates, better known as the Matchsellers, have traveled the US and Europe developing their brand of off the wall bluegrass & old-time music. In 2017 they began collaborating with two of the Midwest’s finest musicians, Chad Graves and Betsey Beymer. Graves is one of the country’s finest dobro players and has been featured in high-profile publications such as Rolling Stone, The Bluegrass Situation and many others. Beymer is a sought after bassist from Lakin, KS.

Together the 4-piece combines absurdity, authenticity and excellent musicianship to create a performance that is representative of the present age. They are pleasantly stuck between the best aspects of bygone years and the best of the future.

10:48

Julie Bates and Andrew Morris of The Matchsellers on the February 28, 2018 edition of Wednesday MidDay Medley on KKFI 90.1 FM.

10. The Matchsellers – “Until You Came To Mind” (Live)
Also available on: BLUEGRASTRONAUTS / The Matchsellers / March 16, 2018

The Matchsellers play a special Bluegrastronauts Release Show on Thursday, March 15, at 7:00 PM at Westport Coffee House, 4010 Pennsylvania Ave, KCMO.

10:57

Julie Bates and Andrew Morris of The Matchsellers on the February 28, 2018 edition of Wednesday MidDay Medley on KKFI 90.1 FM.

11. The Matchsellers – “Stars in Your Eyes” (Live)
Also available on: BLUEGRASTRONAUTS / The Matchsellers / March 16, 2018

11:00 – Station ID

12. Vigil and Thieves – “heroin & automobiles”
from: heroin & automobiles – Single / Independent / July 25, 2017
[Vigil and Thieves is a Kansas City indie alternative quartet formed in early 2014. Sarah Storm on vocals & guitar & keys, Steph Castor on guitar, Matthew Muckenthaler on bass , Andrew Flaherty on drums. Recorded at Vibe Studios in Bedford Heights, Ohio, engineered by John Burke. Lyrics by Sarah Storm and Music by Vigil and Thieves. Previously described as “grandiose” with a “heartbreaking heaviness,” the band has honed in on dynamic and lyrically-driven song structures that have been compared to live poetry. Neverland embodies every adventure the band has collectively taken part in.]

[Vigil and Thieves play The MidCoast Takeover Fundraiser #3, Saturday, March 3, at The Brick, with The Travel Guide, and The Almighty Trouble Brothers.]

13. Screaming Females – “I’ll Make You Sorry”
from: All At Once / Don Giovanni Records / February 23, 2018
[Screaming Females is an American indie rock band, from New Brunswick, New Jersey. They have released seven full-length albums. The band comprises Marissa Paternoster on guitar and vocals, Jarrett Dougherty on drums, and King Mike on bass. Mike and Marissa formed a band in high school under the name Surgery On TV. After several lineup changes they finally decided on the trio and a name change to Screaming Females. The Screaming Females got their start in the basement show scene of New Brunswick, NJ.[citation needed] Shows are held in the houses of various bands, students, and residents, so people under 21 can attend. The band has gone on to achieve success with a wider exposure, having been featured on NPR, Last Call with Carson Daly, and MTV. Screaming Females have played with bands such as Garbage, Throwing Muses, Dinosaur Jr., The Dead Weather, Arctic Monkeys, Ted Leo & The Pharmacists, JEFF the Brotherhood, Little Lungs, Cheeky, The Ergs, Shellshag, The Measure.In 2012 Marissa Paternoster was named the 77th greatest guitarist of all time by Spin magazine.]

11:10 – Underwriting

14. The People’s Liberation Big Band – “The Council of Mice”
from: The People’s Liberation Big Band / Tzigane / November 7, 2010 (play :45 of song)
[Recipient of the 2010 Charlotte Street Generative Performing Award, Brad Cox is founder of The People’s Liberation Big Band of Greater Kansas City.]

[The Brad Cox Octet plays The Ship, Thursday, March 1, at 9:30 PM]

[The People’s Liberation Big Band of Greater Kansas City play recordBar, 1520 Grand Ave. on Sunday, March 4, at 7:00 PM as part of Jeff Harshbarger’s Alternative Jazz Series.]

Julie Bates, Andrew Morris, Jen Harris, Siobhan McLaughlin Lesley, and Rachel Hills, on the February 28, 2018 edition of Wednesday MidDay Medley on KKFI 90.1 FM.

11:15 – Interview with Jen Harris and Siobhan McLaughlin Lesley

Our next guests include: Poet Jen Harris a professional public speaker, spoken word poet, activist, published author, founder and former host of Kansas City Poetry Slam. Nationally recognized Jen Harris works as an advocate to incorporate spoken word poetry as a form of peer-based mental health therapy.

Siobhan McLaughlin Lesley is the Executive Director for Gilda’s Club Kansas City, an organization providing education and support to anyone with a cancer impact. Siobhan has over two decades of experience in providing marketing communications and development leadership to some of Kansas City’s most successful and visible marketing communications companies, as well as civic and arts organizations. Prior to joining Gilda’s Club Kansas City, Siobhan served as vice president and director of client services at Walz Tetrick Advertising and as president and COO at Valentine Radford.

Jen Harris and Siobhan McLaughlin Lesley join us to share information about, Collective: Our Stories of Cancer, a multi-disciplinary production that provides an insightful experience into life with cancer. The performance features original choreography by Jennifer Owen, music by Stacy Busch, and poetry by Jen Harris, inspired by members of Gilda’s Club who shared their stories of cancer. Performances are Friday, and Saturday, March 2 and 3 at 7:30 PM, and Sunday, March 4 at 2:00 PM, at La Esquina Gallery, 1000 W. 25th St in KC’s historic Westside. For more info you can visit: http://www.owencoxdance.org.

Jen Harris and Siobhan McLaughlin Lesley thanks for being with us on Wednesday MidDay Medley

Owen Cox Dance Group, Charlotte Street Foundation, and Gilda’s Club Kansas City present Collective: Our Stories of Cancer.

In 2018, Gilda’s Club Kansas City is hoping to raise awareness of the incidence of cancer in the local community and the positive benefits of education, support and self-advocacy. A new way of raising awareness has been brought to the fold through the multi-disciplinary production Collective: Our Stories of Cancer. Art connects people in a special and intimate way. Collective is a production that seeks to capitalize on that, celebrating those impacted by cancer, serving to unite those who have or are currently experiencing cancer, while embracing diversity and instilling hope.

The overview of Gilda’s Club… created in honor of Gilda Radner

Gilda’s Club is a community organization for people living with cancer, their families and friends. Local chapters provide meeting places where those living with cancer, their families, and friends can join with others to build emotional and social support as a supplement to medical care. Free of charge and nonprofit, Gilda’s Club chapters offer support and networking groups, lectures, workshops and social events in a nonresidential, homelike setting. The club was named in tribute to an original Saturday Night Live cast member Gilda Radner, who died of ovarian cancer in 1989. In 2009, Gilda’s Club merged with The Wellness Community to form the Cancer Support Community, although local branches generally opted to retain the name Gilda’s Club.

Gilda’s Club was founded by Joanna Bull, Radner’s cancer psychotherapist along with Radner’s widower, Gene Wilder (himself a cancer survivor) and broadcaster Joel Siegel (who died after a long battle with the disease). The first club opened in New York City in 1995, after a long fundraising campaign that included movie trailers featuring Wilder in theaters around the country. The organization took its former name from Radner’s comment that cancer gave her “membership to an elite club I’d rather not belong to.” Radner’s story can be read in her book, It’s Always Something.

In July 2009, Gilda’s Club Worldwide merged with The Wellness Community, another established cancer support organization to create the Cancer Support Community (CSC). As of 2012, there were over 20 active local affiliates of Gilda’s Club. Although some local affiliates of Gilda’s Club and The Wellness Community have retained their names, many affiliates have adopted the name Cancer Support Community following the merger. The proposed name change caused controversy in some communities. The national organization introduced a web-based diagnostic “distress screening” tool which led the Pittsburgh Gilda’s Club to change its name and sever its ties with the national organization because of a disagreement over requirements to offer the screening tool to all patients.

The performance will feature original choreography by Jennifer Owen, music by Stacy Busch, and poetry by Jen Harris, inspired by members of Gilda’s Club who shared their stories of cancer.

“The Intro/The Tale of Captain Bill Brockway”

Musical composer – Stacy Busch is a multimedia artist and performer. Stacy is the founder and president of No Divide KC, an arts and social justice non-profit that creates artistic events for various social causes. Stacy’s work has been performed throughout the country as well as in France and Iceland.

11:29

15. Jen Harris (Live) w/ Stacy Busch – “Intro/The Tale of Captain Bill Brockway”
from: Collaborations: Our Stories of Cancer / Charlotte Street – Owen Cox Dance / 2018

Jen Harris and Siobhan McLaughlin Lesley have joined us to share information about, Collective: Our Stories of Cancer, a multi-disciplinary production that provides an insightful experience into life with cancer.

The performance will feature original choreography by Jennifer Owen, music by Stacy Busch, and poetry by Jen Harris, inspired by members of Gilda’s Club who shared their stories of cancer.

The work will be performed by Jen Harris, Stacy Busch, soprano Liz Pearse, and five dancers of Owen/Cox Dance Group. Dancers include Megan Buckley, Felicia McBride, Emily Mushinski, Logan Pachciarz, and Christopher Page-Sanders.

Siobhan has served on a variety of non-profit boards in the arts and social services sectors. Currently, she serves on the Board of Directors of The Kansas City Ballet, Goodwill Industries of Western Missouri and Eastern Kansas, The Health Care Foundation’s Community Advisory Committee, the Mayor’s Task Force on Progress and Kansas City Friends of Alvin Ailey. She is also a trustee of Pembroke Hill School.
Siobhan has her master’s degree from the University of Kansas and a bachelor’s degree from Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee.

Jen Harris and Siobhan McLaughlin Lesley Thank you for being with us on WMM

Collective: Our Stories of Cancer, a multi-disciplinary production featuring original choreography by Jennifer Owen, music by Stacy Busch, and poetry by Jen Harris, inspired by members of Gilda’s Club is being publicly presented this Friday, and Saturday, March 2 and 3 at 7:30 PM, and Sunday, March 4 at 2:00 PM, at La Esquina Gallery, 1000 W. 25th St in Kansas City’s historic Westside. For info you can visit: http://www.owencoxdance.org.

11:40 – Best Original Song Nominations of the 90th Annual Oscar Awards

Next up we feature songs nominated for Best Original Song at the 90th Annual Oscar Awards, airing this Sunday Night, March 4. All five of this year’s nominees for Best Original Song will be performed on the Oscars. We’ll play 4 of the 5 nominated songs.

First up we’ll hear from Common, who duets with Andra Day on “Stand Up For Something” from the film “Marshall.” The three-time Grammy champ won an Oscar in 2014 for “Glory” from the film “Selma.” Common co-wrote this new song with nine-time Oscar nominee Diane Warren.

Second we’ll play Sufjan Stevens and his song “Mystery of Love” that he composed for “Call Me by Your Name.”

Third, we’ll hear from, Mary J. Blige, who made Oscar history as the first person to be nominated for both acting and composing in the same year. The nine-time Grammy winner will perform “Mighty River,” which she co-wrote with Raphael Saadiq and Taura Stinson for the film “Mudbound, for which she is nominated for Best Supporting Actress.

Our final Best Original Song nomination is “Remember Me” from the animated film “Coco.” sung by Grammy nominee Natalia LaFourcade and Grammy winner Miguel.

16. Andra Day – “Stand Up for Something (feat. Common)”
from: Marshall (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) / Marshal Films LLC / Sept 29, 2017
[Marshall is a 2017 American biographical legal drama film directed by Reginald Hudlin and written by Michael and Jacob Koskoff. It stars Chadwick Boseman as Thurgood Marshall, the first African-American Supreme Court Justice, and focuses on one of the first cases of his career. It also stars Josh Gad, Kate Hudson, Dan Stevens, Sterling K. Brown, and James Cromwell. Cassandra Monique “Andra” Batie known professionally as Andra Day, is an American singer and songwriter from San Diego, California. Her debut album, Cheers to the Fall, was released in 2015 and peaked at number 48 on the US Billboard 200 chart. The album was nominated for Best R&B Album and the album’s main single, “Rise Up”, was nominated for Best R&B Performance at the 2016 Grammy Awards. Lonnie Rashid Lynn, Jr. (born March 13, 1972), better known as Common, is an American hip hop recording artist, actor, poet, and film producer. Common debuted in 1992 with the album Can I Borrow a Dollar? and maintained a significant underground following into the late 1990s, after which he gained notable mainstream success through his work with the Soulquarians. In 2011, Common launched Think Common Entertainment, his own record label imprint, and, in the past, has released music under various other labels such as Relativity, Geffen and GOOD Music, among others. Common’s first major-label album, Like Water for Chocolate, received widespread critical acclaim and tremendous commercial success. His first Grammy Award was in 2003, winning Best R&B Song for “Love of My Life”, with Erykah Badu. Its popularity was matched by May 2005’s Be, which was nominated for Best Rap Album, at the 2006 Grammy Awards. Common was awarded his second Grammy for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group, for “Southside” (featuring Kanye West), from his July 2007 album Finding Forever. His best-of album, Thisisme Then: The Best of Common, was released on November 27, 2007. Common won the 2015 Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song and the 2015 Academy Award for Best Original Song, for his song “Glory” from the 2014 film Selma, in which he co-starred as Civil Rights Movement leader James Bevel. Common’s acting career also includes starring significant roles in the films Smokin’ Aces, Street Kings, American Gangster, Wanted, Terminator Salvation, Date Night, Just Wright, Happy Feet Two, New Year’s Eve, Run All Night, Being Charlie, and John Wick: Chapter 2.]

17. Sufjan Stevens – “Mystery of Love”
from: Call Me By Your Name (Orig. Motion Picture Soundtrack) / Madison Gate / Nov 3, ’17
[Call Me by Your Name is a 2017 coming-of-age drama film directed by Luca Guadagnino and written by James Ivory, based on the 2007 novel of the same name by André Aciman. It is the final installment in Guadagnino’s thematic Desire trilogy, following I Am Love (2009) and A Bigger Splash (2015). Set in Northern Italy in 1983, Call Me by Your Name chronicles the romantic relationship between Elio Perlman (Timothée Chalamet), a 17-year-old living in Italy, and his father’s American assistant, Oliver (Armie Hammer). The film also stars Michael Stuhlbarg, Amira Casar, Esther Garrel, and Victoire Du Bois. Sufjan Stevens (SOOF-yan) was born July 1, 1975, and is an American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. His debut album A Sun Came was released in 2000 on the Asthmatic Kitty label which he cofounded with his stepfather. He is perhaps best known for his 2005 album Illinois, which hit number one on the Billboard Top Heatseekers chart, and for the single “Chicago” from that album. Stevens was born in Detroit, Michigan, and lived there until the age of nine, when his family moved to Petoskey, in the northern part of the Lower Peninsula of Michigan. He was raised by his father Rasjid and his stepmother Pat, only occasionally visiting his mother, Carrie, in Oregon after she married her second husband Lowell Brams. (Brams later became the head of Stevens’ record label Asthmatic Kitty).He attended the Detroit Waldorf School, Petoskey High School and Interlochen Arts Academy, and graduated from Harbor Light Christian School. He then attended Hope College in Holland, Michigan, and earned a Masters of Fine Arts from The New School in New York City. Sufjan is a Persian name meaning “comes with a sword”. It predates Islam and most famously belonged to Abu Sufyan, a figure from early Islamic history. The name was given to Stevens by the founder of Subud, an inter-faith spiritual community to which his parents belonged when he was born. A multi-instrumentalist, Stevens is known for his use of the banjo, but also plays guitar, piano, drums, xylophone, and several other instruments, often playing all of these on his albums through the use of multitrack recording. While in school, he studied the oboe and English horn, which he also plays on his albums. Stevens did not learn to play the guitar until his time at Hope College. Stevens lives in Kensington, Brooklyn, in New York City, where he makes up the Brooklyn staff of Asthmatic Kitty Records.]

18. Mary J. Blige – “Mighty River”
from: Mudbound (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) / Netflix Studios / Nov 17, 2017
[Mudbound is a 2017 American period drama film directed by Dee Rees and written by Rees and Virgil Williams, based on the novel of the same name by Hillary Jordan. It stars Carey Mulligan, Garrett Hedlund, Jason Clarke, Jason Mitchell, and Mary J. Blige. The film depicts two World War II veterans – one white, one black – who return to rural Mississippi each to address racism and PTSD in his own way. Mary Jane Blige was born January 11, 1971. She is an American singer, songwriter, rapper, record producer, and actress. She has been honored with numerous accolades and nominations, including winning nine Grammy Awards, and being the recipient of three Golden Globe nominations including one for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Florence Jackson in Mudbound (2017), for which she also became the first woman to receive multiple Academy Award nominations in the same year including for Best Supporting Actress and Best Original Song. She started her career as a backing singer on Uptown Records in 1989. In 1992, Blige released her first album, What’s the 411?. She has released 13 studio albums, eight of which have achieved multi-platinum worldwide sales. Her album My Life is among Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, and Times All-Time 100 Albums. She received a Legends Award at the World Music Awards in 2006, and the Voice of Music Award from performance rights organization ASCAP in 2007. As of 2013, Blige has sold 75 million records worldwide. Billboard ranked Blige as the most successful female R&B/Hip-Hop artist of the past 25 years. In 2017, Billboard magazine also lists her 2006 song “Be Without You” as the most successful R&B/Hip-Hop song of all time, as it spent an unparalleled 15 weeks atop the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart and over 75 weeks on the chart. In 2011, VH1 ranked Blige as the 80th greatest artist of all time. Moreover, she is ranked number 100 on the list of “100 greatest singers of all time” by Rolling Stone magazine. In 2012, VH1 ranked Blige at number 9 in “The 100 Greatest Women in Music” list. Blige starred in the 2009 Tyler Perry box-office hit I Can Do Bad All By Myself and appeared in the film Rock of Ages (2012). She received a Golden Globe Award nomination for her musical contribution to the film The Help. In 2017, she appeared in the period-drama film Mudbound, directed by Dee Rees, for which she received nominations for the Academy Award and Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress, as well as Best Original Song nods in both award contests for the film’s song “Mighty River”.]

19. Miguel – “Remember Me (Dúo) [feat. Natalia Lafourcade]”
from: Coco (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) / Walt Disney Records / November 10, 2017
[Coco is a 2017 American 3D computer-animated musical fantasy adventure film produced by Pixar Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures. Based on an original idea by Lee Unkrich, it is directed by Unkrich and co-directed by Adrian Molina. The story follows a 12-year-old boy named Miguel Rivera who is accidentally transported to the land of the dead, where he seeks the help of his deceased musician great-great-grandfather to return him to his family among the living. The concept of the film is based on the Mexican holiday of the Day of the Dead. The film was scripted by Molina and Matthew Aldrich from a story by Unkrich, Jason Katz, Aldrich and Molina. Pixar began developing the animation in 2016; Unkrich and some of the film’s crew visited Mexico for inspiration. Composer Michael Giacchino, who had worked on prior Pixar animated features, composed the score. The film’s voice cast stars Anthony Gonzalez, Gael García Bernal, Benjamin Bratt, Alanna Ubach, Renée Victor, Ana Ofelia Murguía, and Edward James Olmos. It is the first-ever film with a nine-figure budget to feature an all-Latino cast, with a cost of $175–200 million. Miguel Jontel Pimentel (born October 23, 1985) is an American singer, songwriter, actor and record producer. Raised in Los Angeles, he began creating music at age thirteen. After signing to Jive Records in 2007, Miguel released his debut studio album, All I Want Is You, in November 2010. Although it was underpromoted upon its release, the album became a sleeper hit and helped Miguel garner commercial standing. After Jive’s dissolution in 2011, he moved to RCA Records and released his second studio album, Kaleidoscope Dream in 2012 to critical acclaim. On June 29, 2015, Miguel released his third studio album, Wildheart, which also received universal critical acclaim. Miguel incorporates R&B, funk, hip hop, rock and electronic styles into his music, and has been compared to vocalists Babyface and Prince. Miguel was born and raised in San Pedro, Los Angeles, California. He is one of two sons of a Mexican American father and an African American mother. María Natalia Lafourcade Silva was born February 26, 1984. She is a Mexican pop-rock singer and songwriter who since her debut in 2003 has been one of the most successful singers in the pop rock scene in Latin America. Her band’s name is Natalia y La Forquetina. Lafourcade’s voice has been categorized as a lyric soprano.]

20. Noel Coward – “The Party’s Over Now”
from: Noel Coward in New York / drg / 2003 [orig. 1957]
[WMM Closing Theme]

Next week on March 7, Timmy Tilton joins us as Guest Producer for our second hour.

Our Script/Playlist is a “cut and paste” of information.
Sources for notes: artist’s websites, bios, wikipedia.org

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Show #723