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PROGRAM NOTES: Michael Jackson Tribute

• First I must apologize, in advance, for the cringeworthy first 10 minutes of the show (and also a section about 30 minutes into it where I tell the “encounter” story) where every bit of my public speaking training and experience fails me as I pepper my stories with “you know”’s and “you-know-what-I-mean?”s. Very amateurish; I’ve been doing this long enough to know better.
  
  But at the same time, if ever there were a time to cut myself some slack on that sort of thing, it would be now. I was just trying to keep it together. When you have been crying on and off for 24 hours, on top of a night of insomnia and emotional anguish, then rushed to set up a studio to record and then speak coherently – “control” the show – there are bound to be some cracks. That’s the most obvious one. I was speaking like an ungraceful gang member. Oh, the humanity! But I was really on “autopilot.” Thank my lucky stars that YGB was there; I really don’t believe I would have been able to do it either by myself or with anyone else.

• Another thing that struck me coming out of the taping is how the odd numbness I’m experiencing prevented me somewhat from conveying just how ANGRY I am in the aftermath of this. Since there’s no going back and “inserting” it into the show, I’ll address that particular emotion in another (forthcoming) blog entry.

• There was SOOO much music to choose from that a 90-minute (or less) tribute show that fully does justice to the beauty of Michael’s body of work is absolutely impossible. I went for things, instead, that aren’t played to death, and saved the more popular tunes (most likely to be played ad nauseam in the coming days and weeks) for the “bed” we spoke over. A couple of those, however, are songs I wish we could have “spotlighted,” especially “To Make My Father Proud” and “Heaven Can Wait.” God...so many wonderful songs.

• YGB’s observation/quip, “Some people go to Neverland on crack!” really makes me laugh every time I hear it. I think that was the only time I laughed that entire day.

• It was hard to put across, as effectively as I usually do, my belief that Michael may have had some sexual contact with Jordie Chandler, the first accuser (with whom he settled in early 1994). I don’t think I did it very well on the show. On a related note, I found a post by a Huffington Post blogger who shares my observation that Michael was most likely “essentially gay,” which I also couldn’t quite articulate. It's definitely food for thought, and the blogger laid out the idea much more clearly than I ever could. I should be such an effective writer…

• I’ll get the Joh’Vonnie Jackson picture posted as soon as I can scan it.

BOOKS MENTIONED ON THE SHOW

MICHAEL JACKSON: The Magic and the Madness by J. Randy Taraborrelli
Available at Amazon
Author’s website

**THE DEFINITIVE MICHAEL JACKSON BIOGRAPHY**

On Michael Jackson by Margo Jefferson
Available at Amazon

SPECIAL: WNSR Tribute to Michael Jackson

My interview with the fabulous ESPERANZA SPALDING from this spring.

As I mentioned in my chat with her, she was a surprise (and ultimately VERY pleasant) discovery I made last year. Her name (Spanish for 'hope') couldn't be more appropriate - it's a beautiful thing to know that there are still young (she's only 24!) musicians like her coming into their own. It gives me a bit more optimism about the future than I might have had otherwise.

The thing that struck me about her during this interview was that, although her music is incredibly sophisticated, she is still a VERY young girl with a very youthful energy. No prima dona, pretentious nonsense - it was incredibly refreshing. She's the REAL DEAL,a nd it was an honor to sit and talk to her, as well as taking this photo below.

It was taken with a new camera I couldn't use yet in a dark club - we BOTH looked much better than this photo would have you believe!

Check out the OFFICIAL ESPERANZA SPALDING homepage and CLICK HERE to listen to the interview!

OPEN YOUR MIND Episode 8 - ESPERANZA SPALDING

The OPEN YOUR MIND roundtable crew is all back ad ready to jump into the spring 2009 semester with a splash!

In the is first show, Davon, Liz, Sonam and myself are joined by special guest Chris Crews, media liaison for The New School in Exile. The topics include (of course) last semester's occupation, the inauguration and first days of President Obama, Michael Phelps & "bong-gate" and the World's Biggest Breasts, to name a few.

So the sad news about this show is that Damien isn't at the table, and as it now stands, looks like he won't be with us this semester. I hold out hope that something will change, but it doesn't look promising. He is the only one among us who is actually holding down a full-time job while doing the Media Studies program (admirable -- I couldn't do it at this point in my life), and so after reviewing everyone's schedule we chose the best time for all of the panelists (and, of course, Joe as the engineer). Turns out Damien was the one who couldn't make that best time. I'm not pleased...but we soldier on.

This show was sort of odd for me. I had been anticipating it and looking forward to doing the roundtable again - the ideas were REALLY flowing while I was on break -- but when the day itself came around I was a bit off my optimal energy because I had been having a number of early mornings working a promotion (for the Quaker Oat company of all things!) on the very cold streets of Times Square. The usual set-up is that I compile and send a topic agenda and brief packet of pre-readings for the panel to receive the day before. didn't get it done this time around -- so we all feel a bit under-informed.

That, PLUS the bottle of wine before we rolled tape. GODO TIMES! Either way, the panel is always fun to listen to. I did some stutterign and stammering as the show went on -- got to work on that for next time. At least the winter break cobwebs have been shaken off...

MUSIC:
"New School Swagger" / "Bailout Money"
by Angel Folgar
www.myspace.com/angelfolgar

SHOW THEME:
OPEN YOUR MIND by Melissa Etheridge, From the Island Records album The Awakening.

EPISODE 7 - FIRST SPRING 2009 ROUNDTABLE - CLICK TO LISTEN or RIGHT-CLICK TO DOWNLOAD MP3!

I'm getting prouder and prouder of this show as time goes on. This one is my new favorite one yet, for so many reasons!

My first show of the Spring semester is a conversation with Jason Michael about his book, "Strength of a Woman: The Phyllis Hyman Story." Phyllis Hyman was one of the shining stars of my youth. The very personification of the word FABULOUS. My running buddy Marla & I were ADDICTS to Phyllis's live shows at the Blue Note in NYC in the early 90s. Marla thinks we were around older, but I place us around 17-ish when we'd be right under Phyllis hemline studying a diva at work. So much of how I comport myself onstage (and, to a certain degree, offstage as well) has been influenced by watching Phyllis.

When she took her life in 1995, I remember being more devastated than I was when even "closer" deaths (family members, etc.) occurred. I literally could not believe that Phyllis was so disconnected from how much love we, her "public", had for her. (Its somewhat surprising to me, in retrospect, that I could ever have had such a level of naivete.)

My fear is that one day I'll be surrounded by generations of younger people who will have absolutely no idea who Phyllis is. So in putting this show together, I saw it as my chance to educate people about her life and her music, and I approached it as a "love letter to Phyllis" and a way of joining up with Jason Michael in his endeavors to bring Phyllis's name to a wider level of recognition.  I don't shill for authors, musicians, or anyone -- BUT PLEASE BUY JASON MICHAEL'S BOOK! It is important that she never be forgotten.

Learn more (& BUY, BUY, BUY) the book at http://www.phyllishymanstory.com.

EPISODE 6 - JASON MICHAEL ON PHYLLIS HYMAN - CLICK TO LISTEN or RIGHT-CLICK TO DOWNLOAD MP3!

The family convenes again! We scrapped our planned 2008 Year In Review episode to address the unrest that took place on campus at The New School, what it meant about where we were and wha 2009 MIGHT look like as a result.

MP3 of EPISODE 5 - CLICK TO LISTEN OR RIGHT-CLICK TO DOWNLOAD