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Posted by: Pat Padua
The !!!! Beat was a pioneering blues, soul and R&B television show broadcast from WFAA in Dallas, Texas and hosted by radio d.j. William “Hoss” Allen. The series, which began production in January 1966, ran for 26 episodes with stellar performances by national and regional stars, including Little Milton, Esther Phillips, Etta James, Gatemouth Brown, Louis …
Posted in: Film Music, Jazz
Posted by: Cait Miller
Tomorrow, August 25, marks American composer, conductor, and educator Leonard Bernstein’s birthday (he would be 94 years old!). Leonard Bernstein (1918-1990) was without a doubt one of the most significant and influential musical figures in American history. The Music Division is incredibly fortunate to hold the Leonard Bernstein Collection. One of the most heavily used …
Posted in: Birthdays, Composers, Pic of the Week, Special Collections
Posted by: Cait Miller
Today we’re excited about the opening of a new exhibit in the Performing Arts Reading Room’s foyer, this one dedicated to the music and legacy of composer Victor Herbert (1859-1924). Herbert was born in Ireland but developed his reputation as a world-class cellist in Germany and later immigrated to the United States in 1886 with …
Posted in: Composers, Exhibitions, Special Collections
Posted by: Cait Miller
On Monday we lost a remarkable composer, conductor and entertainer with the passing of Marvin Hamlisch (1944-2012). Hamlisch’s legacy is documented in various aspects of the Library’s collections, from sound recordings, to movie footage, to printed music. We hold, among many other items, the published score to his Academy Award-winning film score for The Sting …
Posted in: Composers, Special Collections
Posted by: Pat Padua
The intelligent universe has been fascinated with the images coming from Tuesday’s landing of Curiosity, the new Mars rover. Man’s fascination with celestial objects is as old as civilization itself, and 20th century musical ruminations on the planets range from Holst’s 1916 orchestral suite The Planets to jazz iconoclast Sun Ra’s “Interplanetary Music” on the …
Posted in: Sheet Music, Sheet Music of the Week, Special Collections
Posted by: Cait Miller
2012-13 Highlights Include the Songs of America project, a John Adams residency, Music in the Civil War mini-series, Woody Guthrie and John Cage centennial celebrations, and lots of new music, public programs, lectures and films! AMERICAN VOICES is the theme for the 2012-2013 concert season (view a detailed pdf here), offering a packed lineup of …
Posted in: Concerts and Events
Posted by: Pat Padua
The Oxford English Dictionary defines “lallapaloosa” as “something outstandingly good of its kind.” The term has its origins in American slang from the turn of the 20th century, but its most popular spelling variation is associated with a music festival of more recent vintage. Music fans converge on Chicago this weekend for the 2012 Lollapalooza. …
Posted in: Sheet Music, Sheet Music of the Week, Special Collections