Glenview Public Library Opera Lectures (2019-2020)

This year's Opera Lovers Lecture Corps will again be lecturing at the Glenview Public Library.

The Barber of Seville by Giocchino Rossini  (September 19, 2019)
Figaro is Seville's multi-talented barber and can answer anyone's problems.  Rosina and her handsome Count Almaviva want to marry, but Rosina's guardian Dr. Bartolo wants Rosina for himself.  What to do - call on Figaro to solve the problem.

Luisa Miller by Giuseppe Verdi (October 10, 2019)
Tells the story of sweet, vulnerable Luisa, who loves Rodolfo, the son of a ruthless, unethical nobleman whom Luisa's own father loathes.  The young couple's relationship leads to catastrophe.

Dead Man Walking (Chicago Premier) by Jakes Heggie and Terrence McNally (October 17, 2019)
Recounts the story of Sister Helen Prejean and convicted murderer/death row inmate Joseph De Rocher.

Don Giovanni by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (November 7, 2019)
Don Giovanni is arrogant and dangerous.  He travels the world, snaring princesses and pheasant girls alike.  His next victim is the virtuous Donna Anna.  When her father tries to save her, Don
Giovanni kills him.  Now his victims want revenge.

The Three Queens by Gaetano Donizetti (November 21, 2019)
Featuring the finales of Anna Bolena (passionate Anne Boleyn), Maria Stuardo (proud Mary Stuart), and Roberto Devereux (mighty Queen Elizabeth I).

Madama Butterfly by Giacomo Puccini (January 23, 2019)

Lovely geisha Cio-Cio-Sa is a child bride who gives up her family, religion and culture to marry an American naval officer.  After a few nights of ecstasy, he sails away to American.  Cio-Cio-San gives birth to his son and is devastated when he returns with an American wife.

The Queen of Spades by Peter Ilich Tchaikovsky (February 6, 2020)

Gherman, an unhappy soldier desperate to know a secret hidden by a mysterious old countess – the mystery of winning at cards.  His obsession begins to overwhelm him and leads to devastation for him and the countess’s granddaughter, Lisa, whom Gherman loves.

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 2019

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony will be held on March 29, 2019 in Cleveland, Ohio.  Artists are eligible for inclusion in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twenty-five years after their first recording.

The Cure is an English rock band formed in Crawley, England in 1976.  Genres include gothic rock, post-punk, alternative rock and new wave.  The members are Robert Smith (original), Simon Gallup, Roger O'Donnell, Jason Cooper and Reeves Gabrels.  Their first album was Three Imaginary Boys in 1979 in the post-punk and new wave movements.  In the early 1980s they style of music emerged into gothic rock.  The band are to have sold 27 million records and released thirteen studio albums, two EPs, and over thirty singles.

Def Leppard is an English rock band formed in 1977 in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England.  Their genres include hard rock, heavy metal, and glam metal.  Members include Joe Elliott (lead vocals), Rick Savage (bass, backing vocals), Rick Allen (drums, backing vocals), Phil Cololen (guitars, backing vocals), and Vivian Campbell (guitars, backing vocals).  Their first album, High 'n' Dry was produced in 1981.  "Bringin' On the Heartbreak" was one of the first rock videos played on MTV in 1982.  Del Leppard have sold more than 100 millions records worldwide.  They have ranked No. 31 in VH1's "100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock" and ranked No. 70 in "100 Greatest Artists of All Time".


Janet Damita Jo Jackson was born on May 16, 1966 in Gary, Indiana.  She is an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and actress.  She is the youngest member of the Jackson family and began her career with the variety television series The Jacksons in 1976.  Jackson has sold over 100 million records.  She has had 18 top ten singles on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart.  In 2010 she ranked fifth among the "Top 50 R&B/Hip-Hop Artists of the Past 25 Years".  In December 2016 Billboard named her the second most successful dance club artist of all-time after Madonna.


Radiohead is an English rock band formed in Abingdon-on-Thames, England in 1985.  Genres include Art rock, alternative rock, electronica, and experimental rock.  Members include Thom Yorke, Johnny Greenwood, Colin Greenwood, Ed O'Brien, and Philip Selway.  They released their first single "Creep" in 1992 and Pablo Honey in 1993.  Radiohead has sold more than 30 million albums worldwide.  In 2005, Rolling Stone ranked them 73rd in "The Greatest Artists of All Time" and in 2009 the second-best artist of the 2000s.


Roxy Music was an English rock band formed in 1970 in Newcastle upon Tyne/London, England.  Their genres are art rock, glam, rock, pop rock, art pop, and progressive rock.  Members included Bryan Ferry, Phil Manzanera, Andy Mackay, Paul Thompson, Brian Eno, Eddie Jobson, and John Gustafson.  Roxy Music became successful in Europe and Australia during the 1970s.  The band's final album was Avalon in 1982.


Stevie (Stephanie) Lynn Nicks was born on May 26, 1948 in Phoenix, Arizona.  She is an American singer and songwriter.  She is best known for her work with Fleetwood Mac.  She had sold over 140 million records.  Nicks has been named one of the 100 Greatest Songwriters of All Time and the 100 Greatest Singers.  As a member of Fleetwood Mac, she was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1998.  She has eight Grammy Award nominations and two American Music Award nominations as a solo artist.  She also was awarded a Grammy Award and five Grammy Award nomination s with Fleetwood Mac.


The Zombies are an English rock band formed in St Albans, Hertfordshire, England in 1961.  Their genres are rock, psychedelic pop, baroque pop, and beat.  Members include Rod Argent, Colin Blunstone, Steve Rodford, Tom Toomey, and Soren Koch.  Their hits include "She's Not There" (1964), "Tell Her No" (1965).  Their 1968 album Odessey and Oracle ranked 100 on Rolling Stone list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.

Kennedy Center Honors - 2018

On December 2, 2018, the Kennedy Center will host its 41st annual national celebration of the arts.  Artists include, Cher, Philip Glass, Reba McEntire, Wayne Shorter. Also the creators of Hamilton - Lin-Manuel Miranda, Thomas Kail, Andy Blankenbuehler, and Alex Lacamoire, will be presented with a special Kennedy Center Honors as trailblazing creators of a transformative work that defies category.  The Honors Gala will be broadcasted on CBS Network on Wednesday, December 26 at 8 p.m. ET.

Cher was born Cherilyn Sarkisian, May 20, 1946 in El Centro, California. (Singer, actress, author, businesswoman, comedian, dancer, fashion designer, model, philanthropist, record producer,
songwriter, television host) (Genres - Pop, dance, disco, folk, rock)
She has been awarded an Academy Award for "Moonstruck", a Grammy for "Believe", an Emmy, three Golden Globes, a Cannes Film Festival Award and a People's Choice Award.
In 1965, Cher, along with her husband Sonny, gained popularity.  Her first solo in 1966, "Band Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)", was her first million-seller song.  She is currently starring in the current movie "Mamma Mia2 - Here We go Again".

Philip Glass was born on January 31, 1937 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Composer) (Genres - Minimalism, contemporary classical, film score)  Glass is a graduate of the University of Chicago and the Julliard School.  In 1974 he wrote Music in Twelve Parts and his opera Einstein on the Beach.  He has receive an Academy Award nomination for Kundun, The Hours, Notes on a Scandal and a Golden Globe for The Truman Show.  He was presented with the U.S. National Medal of the Arts by Barack Obama in 2015.  He also was named the 11th recipient of the Glenn Gould Prize, a lifetime achievement award.
His Symphony No. 11 was premiered on his 80th birthday on January 31, 2017.  The Los Angeles Philharmonic will present the word premiere of glass' Symphony No 12, based on David Bowie's album Lodger, on January 10, 2019.

Reba McEntire was born on March 28, 1955 in McAlester, Oklahoma. (Singer, songwriter, actress, record producer( (Genre - Country)
Reba began her music career singing in the Kowa High School Band.  Her first solo album was release in 1977 plus an additional five albums.  She has released 29 studio albums, 42 number one singles, 16 number one albums, and 28 albums are gold, platinum or multi-platinum sales.  She is referred to as "The Queen of Country".  She has sold more than 95 million record worldwide.
McEntire also starred in  the film Tremors and in the Broadway revival of Annie Get Your Gun, TV sitcom Reba, which she was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series-Musical or Comedy.

Wayne Shorter was born on August 25, 1933 in Newark, New Jersey. (Musician, composer) (Genres - Modal jazz, crossover jazz, post-bop, hard bop, jazz fusion, third stream)
In the late 1950s Shorter became a member, saxophone, composer and music director of Art Blakey's Jazz Messenger. In the 1960s he joined Miles Davis's Second Great Quintet and late cofounded the jazz fusion band Weather Report.  He has won 10 Grammy Awards, NEA Jazz Masters Award (1998), the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award (2015), and the Polar Music Prize (2017).

Lin-Manuel Miranda was born January 16, 1980 and is known for creating and starring in the Broadway musicals In the Heights and Hamilton.  He has won a Pulitzer Prize, three Grammy Awards, an Emmy Award, a MacArthur Fellowship, and three Tony Awards.

Thomas Kail was born on January 20, 1978 in Alexandria, Virginia and is an American film and theatre director, known for directing In the Heights and Hamilton.  He received the Drama Desk Award and Tony Award for Best Director of a Musical.

Andy Blankenbuehler was born on March 7, 1970 in Cincinnati, Ohio.  he is an American dancer, choreogrpaher and director.  He has been nominated 5 times for the Tony Award for Best Choreography and has won 3 times for Bandstand, Hamilton, and In the Heights.  He has also choreographed 9 to 5, Bring it On: The Music, and the 2016 Cats revival.

Alex Lacamoire was born on May 24, 1975 in Los Angeles, California.  He is of Cuban descent and is a composer, conductor, musical director, music copyist, and orchestrator.  He has won many Tony and Grammy Awards, including In the Heights, Hamilton, and Dear Evan Hansen.

An American Treasure

Gainesville, Florida celebrates the life and music of the late Tom Petty this weekend, today would have been his 68th birthday, with events all over town on both Saturday and Sunday. YOU can join the celebration anytime by checking out the recently released 4CD boxed set AMERICAN TREASURE that chronicles the music of an American rock legend. The music on the collection was culled from hours and hours of unreleased songs by Pettty's longtime producer Ryan Ulyate and his bandmates Mike Campbell and Benmont Tench, and includes salvaged bits of unheard music as well as some of Petty's best known songs. For more info on the release check out this article and in the meantime have a look/listen to the video for an unearthed outtake "Gainesville"

Leonard Bernstein - 1918-1990

This year marks the centenary celebration of Leonard Bernstein's birth.  He was born Louis Bernstein in Lawrence, Massachusetts on August 25, 2918 and died October 14, 1990 in New York City, New York at the age of 72.  He was a composer, conductor author, lecturer, and pianist.  According to music critic Donal Henahan, he was "one of the most prodigiously talented and successful musicians in American history."


Bernstein was influenced by the composer Marc Blitzstein, conductor Dimitri Mitropoulos, composer Aaron Copland and conductor Fritz Reiner at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, who is said to have given Bernstein the only "A" grade he ever awarded.


In 1958, he began his tenure as conductor with the New York Philharmonic Orchestra, after stepping in at the last moment for conductor Guido Cantelli, who died in an airplane crash.  At this time, he also began his series of fifty-three televised Young People's concerts for CBS.


Bernstein has been awarded Grammy Awards for Best Album for children, Best Orchestral Performance, Best Choral Performance, Best Opera Recording, Best Classical Vocal Performance, Best Instrumental Soloist(s) Performance, Best Classical Contemporary Composition, Best Classical Album, and Lifetime Achievement.  He also won a Tony Award for Best Musical.  He is a Gramophone Hall of Fame entrant, and a member of both the American Theater Hall of Fame, and the Television Hall of Fame.  In 2015 he was inducted into the Legacy Walk.  In 1990 he won the Japan Arts Association award for lifetime achievement.


His works include ballets, operas, musicals, incidental music and other theatre, film scores, orchestral, choral, chamber music, vocal music, and pianos music. Among his noteworthy are
On the Town (1944), Trouble in Tahiti (1952),
On the Waterfront (1954) Candide (1956), West Side Story (1957), MASS (1971) and A Quiet Place (1983). 

Exile in 2018

One of the real treats of lifelong music listening is rediscovering the old favorites. One of the records (or, should I say CDs) that really put a good dent in my head this summer and caught me by surprise was Matador Records 25th Anniversary remastered reissue of Liz Phair's (now) classic EXILE IN GUYVILLE.  I picked up this set thinking I would listen a couple times, maybe let the nostalgia course through my veins a bit and then move along. What I hadn’t planned for and what actually HAPPENED left me dumbstruck by that fact that I'd completely forgotten how these songs were the soundtrack to my life in 1993, in two different record stores, and more importantly how well this record still holds up 25 years later. I was surprised, if not shocked, at how good it still sounded. Right on, right? Sure, there’s some nostalgia in there for the good times past but darn if this didn’t get under my skin again THIS summer, scored by great songs with emotional pull that still leaves a mark.

Originally released in 1993, EXILE is Phair’s song by song response to the Rolling Stone’s Exile on Main Street. Not sonically, per se, or even topically, but a deeply personal, feminist landmark of emotional brush clearing that’s continually included in countless lists, including Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest albums of all time and Pitchfork’s Top 100 albums of the 90s. If you’ve never heard Phair’s music before, here’s your point of entry. If you’ve haven’t listened in a LONG while, now's a great time to revisit.

U2 is coming back to Chicago

Bono and the band is coming back to Chicago on May 22nd and May 23rd and I have tickets. U2 is quite possibly my all-time favorite band. I was thrilled when I heard they were coming back because I missed last summer's show. As I get older it seems, I go to fewer concerts, but this was one not to be missed. I will pull out my record albums and have a listen before I go. If you want to have a listen, here is what we have here at the library. Enjoy!

All That You Can't Leave Behind
The Best of 1990-2000
Unforgettable Fire
18 singles
Under a Blood Red Sky
Joshua Tree
Wide Awake in America
Rattle and Hum (live in concert DVD)
Achtung Baby
Boy
War
October
No Line on the Horizon
How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb

Broadway Lights in Chicago Spring-Fall

Cadillac Palace, Chicago
Rodgers + Hammerstein's Cinderella (April 27 - May 6)
Dirty Dancing (May 29 - June 3)
Waitress (July 3-22)
Miss Saigon (November 13 - December 8)
Fiddler on the Roof (December 18 - January 6)


Drury Lane, Oakbrook
South Pacific (April 5 - June 17)
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (July 5 - August 26)
Little Shop of Horrors (September 6 - October 28)
Disney's Beauty and the Beast (November 9 - January 27)


Marriott Theatre, Lincolnshire
Oklahoma! (April 11 - June 3)
Murder for Two (July 3 - August 26)
Sweet Charity - September 5 - October 28)
Holiday Inn (November 7 - January 6)


Music Theatre Works, Evanston
The Pirates of Penzance (June 9-17)
Anything Goes (August 18-26)
Into the Woods (December 22-31)


Oriental Theatre, Chicago
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (October 2-21)
Hello, Dolly! (October 23 - November 17)
Book of Mormon - November 20 - December 2)


Private Bank Theatre
Hamilton

There's A Riot Going On!

Record of the week in my house is the brand new album by veteran New Jersey rock band Yo La Tengo. And while there may be a RIOT in the album's title, a head fake to Sly and the Family Stone's 1971 masterpiece, it bears absolutely NO sonic resemblance to its namesake predecessor. If there's any rioting go on here it's all internal turbulence, the sound of a band reckoning with its own longevity, looking inward, and searching for answers in troublesome times. They make it seem effortless, but that's not unexpected for a band's that's been recording and touring for thirty-four years. Their fifteenth studio album has a warm, assured, enveloping sound, tranquil throbbing fuzz bass and blurry organ drone, hushed vocals and pulsing guitar thrum. It might take a couple listens for the layered, sprawling songs to take shape in your head, but a little bit of time and effort is worth it, just like catching up with an old friend again. Yo La Tengo play two SOLD OUT shows in Chicago this week at Thalia Hall. You can place a hold on the CD here.

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame - 2018

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony will be held on April 14, 2018 in Cleveland.  Artists are eligible for inclusion in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame twenty-five years after their first recording.

Bon Jovi is an American rock band from Sayreville, New Jersey and was formed in 1983.  Their genres include hard rock, glam metal, arena rock and pop rock.  Members include Jon Bon Jovi (leaad singer and namesake), David Bryan (pianist and keyboardist), Tico Torres (drummer), Phil X (lead guitarist), and Hugh McDonald (bassist). Alec John Such and Richie Sambora will play with the band at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony.

They have released 13 studio albums, plus six compilations and three live albums.  The band has sold more than 100 million records worldwide.  They have been inducted into the UK Music Hall of Fame in 2006 and were also honored with the Award of Merit at the American Awards in 2004.  In 2009 Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora were inducted into the Sonwriters Hall of Fame.

The Cars are an American rock band that originated in Boston, Massachusetts in 1976.  The band included Ric Ocasek (singer, rhythm guitarist, and songwriter), Benjamin Orr (bassist), Elliot Easton (lead guitarist), Greg Hawkes (keyboardist, and David Robinson (drummer).  The band merged 1970s guitar-oriented rock with the new synthesizer-oriented pop (combo of new wave and classic rock).

They were named "Best New Artist" in the 1978 Rolling Stone Readers' Poll and won "Video of the Year" for "You Might Think" at the first MTV Video Music Awards in 1984.  The Cars have sold over 23 million albums in the United States.

Dire Straits were a British rock band that mixed with blues and a dash of country.  They were formed in Deptford, London, England in 1977 by Mark Knopfler (lead vocals and lead guitar), David Knopfler (rhythm guitar and backing vocals0, John Illsley (bass guitar and backing vocals), and Pick Withers (drums and percussion).

Their first hit single was "Sultans of Swing."  According to the Guiness Book of British Hit Albums, Dire Straits have spent over 1,100 weeks on the UK albums chart.  They have won four Grammy Awards, three Brit Awards - winning Best British Group twice, and two MTV Video Music Awards.

The Moody Blues are an English rock band formed in Birmingham, England in 1964.  Their members included Mike Pinder, Graeme Edge, Justin Hyward, Ray Thomas, and John Lodge.  Their genres include progressive rock, art rock, psychedelic rock, pop rock, symphonic rock, proto-prog and R&B.  They were established as pioneers in the development of art rock and progressive rock with Days of Future Passed in 1967.

The band became internationally known with singles including "Go Now," "Nights in White Satin," "Tuesday Afternoon," and "Question."  They have been awarded 18 platinum and gold discs and have sold 70 million albums worldwide.

Nina Simone was born Eunice Kathleen Waymon on February 21, 1933 in Tryon, North Carolina and died on April 21, 2003 in Carry-le-Rouet, Bouches-du-Rhone, France.  She was an American singer, songwriter, pianist, arranger, and activist in the Civil Rights Movement.  Her music genres included R&B, jazz, blues, folk, soul, classical, and gospel.  She attended the Julliard School of Music in New York and was awarded her an honorary degree.

Simone recorded more than 40 albums, mostly between 1958 and 1974.  She had a hit in the United States in 1958 with "I Loves You, Porgy."

60th Annual Grammy Awards

The 60th Annual Grammy Awards ceremony was held on January 28, 2018 live from Madison Square Garden in New York City.  James Corden was the host.

The ceremony recognizes the best recordings, compositions and artists of the eligibility year, which ran from October 1, 2016 to September 30, 2017.

Bruno Mars won the most awards with "XXIVK Magic" (Record of the Year, Album of the Year, Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical), and "That's What I Like" (Song of the Year, Best R&B Performance, Best R&B Song).

There were tributes to Fats Domino and Chuck Berry ("Ain't That a Shame," "Maybellene"), The victims of the 2017 Las Vegas shooting ("Tears in Heaven"), Leonard Bernstein ("Somewhere"0, Andrew Lloyd Webber ("Don't Cry for Me Argentina"), Tom Petty ("Wildflowers") and Chris Cornell and chester Bennington ("1-800-273-8255").

Check out the display in the Audio-Visual Room.



Los Lobos in the Windy City!

It looks like the cool LA band was in Chicago for a couple of shows recently. With more than 40 years in the business, this hard working, constantly touring band – David Hidalgo, Louie Perez, Cesar Rosas, Conrad Lozano and Steve Berlin – extend an invitation to hear some tracks from their latest release, Gates of Gold (2015). If you like Los Lobos or want to get to know them better, here is a list of CDs in our collection, but don't forget you can put their sound in your pocket with Hoopla, without even leaving home. My favorite songs are Kiko and the Lavender Moon, Set Me Free (Rosa Lee), and La pistola y el corazón.
Available for download on Hoopla
And here is a list of CDs available for checkout.
Los Lobos CDs

How About Some Good Sounds?

James Elkington is a Chicago based guitar player (by way of England) who just released his first solo album on the Paradise of Bachelors label. I first saw Elkington play in his band The Zincs at a music festival not long after I moved to Chicago in 2005. Elkington can now be found as a valued sideman to artists like Richard Thompson, Jeff Tweedy, Steve Gunn and Michael Chapman (as well as a regular member of Eleventh Dream Day and Brokeback). He makes anyone that he plays with sound better. It’s a real treat to hear him show off his playing AND his own songwriting on his new album Wintres Woma (old English for “the sound of winter, I looked it up).  Melding British folk (see Bert Jansch) and jazz-traditions, I really enjoy listening to what Pitchfork calls an “elegant and assured collection of acoustic fingerpicking and smart songwriting”. Watch the video below and you can find Wintres Woma in the library’s music CD collection.

by michael w

Tony Awards – 2017

The 71st Annual Tony Awards were held on June 11, 2017, to recognize achievement in Broadway productions during the 2016–17 season. The ceremony was held at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, and was broadcast live by CBS. 

Dear Evan Hansen was written by Pasek & Paul, with a book by Steven Levenson.  It opened on Broadway at the Music Box Theatre in December 2016.

The title character, Evan Hansen, is a high school senior with a social anxiety disorder who finds himself amid the turmoil that follows a classmate’s death.

Won: Best Musical, Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Music – Ben Platt as Evan Hansen, Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical – Rachel Bay Jones as Heidi Hansen, Best Book of a Musical – Steven Levenson, Best Original Score – Pasek & Paul, and Best Orchestrations – Alex Lacamoire.

Hello, Dolly! (Revival) is a 1964 musical with lyrics and music by Jerry Herman and a book by Michael Stewart, based on Thornton Wilder’s 1938 farce The Merchant of Yonkers.  The musical follows the story of Dolly Levi (a matchmaker), as she travels to Yonkers, New York, to find a match for the miserly Horace Vandergelder.

Won: Best Performance by a Leading Lady in a Musical – Bette Midler as Dolly Gallagher Levi, Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical – Gavin Creel as Cornelius Hackl, and Best Costume Design – Santo Loquasto.

Come From Away is a musical with book, music, and lyrics by Irene Sankoff and David Hein.  It is set in the week following the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and tells the true story of what transpired when 38 planes were ordered to land unexpectedly in the small town of Gander, Newfoundland.

Won: Best direction of a Musical – Christopher Ashley.

KB

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 2017

On Friday, April 7, 2017 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, performer inductees were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.  Artists are eligible for inclusion in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twenty-five years after their first recording is released.  Inductees include Electric Light Orchestra (ELO), Joan Baez, Journey, Pearl Jam, Tupac Shakur, and Yes.


The Electric Light Orchestra (ELO) is an English rock band from Birmingham, West Midlands, England.  It was formed in 1970 by Jeff Lynne and Roy Wood with drummer Bev Bevan.  Lynne and Wood wanted to create modern rock and pop songs with classical overtones.  Their first single "10538 Overture" was released in 1972 as a homage to the Beatles.  Some of their albums include Eldorado, a Symphony (1974) and Time (1981)  They have sold over 50 million records worldwide.

Joan Chandos Baez, and American folk singer, songwriter, musician, and activist was born on January 9, 1941 on Staten Island, New York.  Her contemporary folk music includes songs of protest or social justice.  She has performed from 1960 and has released over 30 albums.  Her first three albums, Joan Baez, Joan Baez, Vol. 2 and Joan Baez in Concert have all achieved gold records.  Some of her songs include, "Diamonds & Rust", "Farewell, Angelia", "Love Is Just a Four-Letter Word", "Forever Young", "Joe Hill", "Sweet Sir Galahad" and "We Shall Overcome" (which became prominent during the Civil Rights Movement).

Journey is an American rock bank from San Francisco, California.  They formed in 1973 with former members of Santana and Rumious Bandersnatch.  "Don't Stop Believin'" (1981) was one of their top hits.  They have had two gold albums, eight multi-platinum albums, one diamond album, and 18 top 40 singles in the United States.  Their style is Arena Rock, Stadium Rock, and Concert Rock.  In the United States they have sold 48 million albums and worldwide close to 90 million records.

Pearl Jam, also known as Mookie Blaylock originated in Seattle, Washington in 1990.  They play alternative rock, grunge, and hard rock music.  Its debute album was Ten in 1991.  Members included Eddie Vedder (lead vocals), Mike McCready (lead guitar), Stone Gossard (rhythm guitar), Jeff Ament (bass), and Matt Cameron (drummer).  They have refused to make proper music videos, give interviews, and have boycotted Ticketmaster.  They have sold nearly 32 million records in the United States and 60 million worldwide.

Tupac Amaru Shakur (Lesane Parish Crooks) was born on June 16, 1971 in East Harlem, New York, and died on September 13, 1996 in Las Vegas, Nevada.  He was an American rapper who was also known as 2Pac, Makaveli or Pac.  He had sold over 75 million records worldwide, with All Eyez on Me and his Greatest Hits best-selling albums.  His themes are about violence and hardship in inner cities, racism and other social issues.

Yes (originally Mabel Greer's Toyshop) are an English rock band from London that began in 1968 by singer Jon Anderson and bassist Chris Squire.  They began playing covers to progressive and art rock in the 1970s and then pop in the 1980s.  They have sold 13.5 million albums in the United States.  Their most successful albums are The Yes Album (1971) and Close to the Edge (1972).  They disbanded in 1981 and reformed in 1983 with new musicians.  Their highest-selling album was 90125 (1983), which included "Owner of a Lonely Heart".  In 1985, they won a Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Performance with "Cinema", and received five Grammy nominations between 1985 and 1992.

Motion Picture Music

Often when I watch a movie, it is the music that makes an impression on me. I love how they use a certain song to invoke an emotion or demonstrate the character's feelings. I find myself thinking what a great choice or I wonder what song I would have chosen. Right now I can't stop listening to the soundtrack from 500 Days of Summer. I think I like the music more than the movie. Artists include the Smiths, Doves, Temper Traps and Feist to name a few. Many of the songs take me back in time, which I love, they make me feel a little lighter, like I did when I was younger. My favorite tracks are 3-9, and since I love all things foreign, the French song by Carla Bruni makes me smile. I love singing along to it even though I don't speak French. Have a listen, you won't regret it.

Wilco, the local band

Want to get to know Wilco? The alternative rock band, from sweet-home Chicago, just wrapped up a four-night gig at the Chicago Theater. The Chicago Theater is one of my favorite venues. I love the vintage feel and there really isn't a bad seat in the house, plus I love going downtown. If you are a fan or want to get to know them better, check out what we have. Don't forget you can also download music with your library card using Hoopla.

Schmilco  2016

Star Wars 2015

(The Album) 2009
Alpha Mike Foxtrot: Rare Tracks 1994-2014

What's Your 20?: Essential Tracks 1994-2014

The Whole Love Deluxe edition 2011

Sky Blue Sky 2007

Kicking Television 2005

A Ghost Is Born 2004 

Yankee Hotel Foxtrot 2002

Summerteeth 1999

George Michael ♥

As my family and I were celebrating Christmas sitting around the tree laughing and enjoying each other's company, my 19 year old daughter blurts out that someone named George Michael died. She of course only being 19 didn't know who he was, but the rest of us close to the age of George Michael, knew exactly why her announcement was so shocking. Some of us were even ruing the cell phone invention, had she not had one, we would have found out the next morning while reading the paper instead of on Christmas. I remember being a young girl hearing WHAM! for the first time, fun and carefree. Here is some of the best work by the beloved artist. I think my favorite song is Wake Me Up Before you Go-Go. The whole world will miss him dearly, lucky for us he left us something AMAZING. Thank you Mr. Michael.

Make It Big

Songs From the Last Century














Ladies and Gentlemen: The Best of George Michael

Also, check out the duets with Tony Bennett and Aretha Franklin.

Kennedy Center Honors - 2016

Kennedy Center Honors will take place on December 4, 2016 and will air December 27 on CBS at 8:00 PM CT.

Martha Argerich (born June 5, 1941)

She is an Argentine pianist who was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina.  The family moved to Europe in 1955, where Argerich studied with Friedrich Gulda in Austria.  Her parents had diplomatic posts in the Argentine embassy in Vienna.

Argerich has won innumerable competitions including the Geneva International Music Competition and Ferruccio Busoni International Competition at the age of 16.  In 1965 she debuted in the United States in Lincoln Center's Great Performers Series.

She has won three Grammy awards in 2000, 2005, and 2006.  In 2012, she was voted into Gramophone's Hall of Fame.

Eagles (formed in Los Angeles in 1971)

The original members of the Eagles were Glenn Frey, Don Henley, Bernie Leadon, and Randy Meisner.  They have sold more than 150 million records.  Two of their albums, Their Greatest Hits (1971-1975) and Hotel California, are among the 20 best-selling albums in the United States.  The Eagles have won 6 Grammy Awards in 1975, 1977 (two awards), 1979, 2008, and 2009.

The group was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1998 and the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2001.  In 1999, the Recording Industry of America honored the group with the Best Selling Album of the Century for Their Greatest Hits (1971-1975).  The Eagles were chosen last year for the Kennedy Center Honors, but because of Glenn Frey's poor health, the award was postponed.  He died a month later.

Al Pacino (born April 25, 1940)
Pacino is an American actor of stage and screen, filmmaker, and screenwriter.  He has won an Academy Award, two Tony Awards, two Primetime Emmy Awards, a British academy Film Award, four Golden Globe Awards, the Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Film Institute, the Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Award, and the National Medal of Arts.

He was first nominated for Best Actor for Serpico in 1973 and won for his role as a blind Lieutenant Colonel in Scent of a Woman in 1992.  He won Tony Awards for Does a Tiger Wear a Necktie? and Basic Training of Pavlo Hummel.

Mavis Staples (born July 10, 1939)
Staples was born in Chicago, Illion and began singing with her family in 1950.  She sang in local churches and appeared on a weekly radio show.  she made her fir solo "Crying in the chapel" for Epic Records in the late 1960s.

She perforned at the 33rd Kennedy Center Honors, won her first Grammy Award for Best Americana Album in 2011, and was awarded an honorary doctorate in 2011 from Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts, and from Columbia College in Chicago in 2012.

James Taylor (born March 12, 1948)
James Taylor is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist.  He was born at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, where his father was a resident physician.  He has four siblings who are musicians and have recorded albums.

Taylor has won six Grammy Awards, including Best Pop Vocal Performance in 1971, 1977 and 2001, Best Pop Album in 1998, Best country collaboration with Vocals in 2003, and Grammy Award-sponsored MusiCares Person of the Year in 2006.  He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000 and inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2000.

Gramophone Hall of Fame - 2016

The following artists have been chosen to join the Gramophone Hall of Fame for the year 2016 because of their influence on the classical music recording industry.

Friedrich Gulda (Pianist)
Born on May 16, 1930 in Vienna, Austria.
Died on January 27, 2000 Steinbach am Attersee, Austria.
Guilda worked in both classical and jazz music.

Gundula Janowitz (Soprano)
Born on August 2, 1937 in Berlin, Germany.
Grew up in Granz, Austria and became a naturalized Austrian.
She is a lyric soprano singer of opera, oratorios and concert recitals.

Dame Emma Kirkby (Soprano)
Born on February 26, 1949 in Camberley, Surry, England, UK.
She is an English soprano who specializes in early music.  She was appointed Dame in 2007.

Gustav Leonhardt (Harpsichordist and Conductor)
Born on May 30, 1928 in 's-Graveland, North Holland.
Died on January 16, 2012 in Amsterdam.
He was a renowned keyboard player, conductor, musicologist, teach and editor.  He was instrumental in the movement to perform music on period instruments.

Yevgeny Mravinsky (Conductor)
Born in 1903.
Died in 1988.
He conducted the Leningrad Philharmonic from 1938-88.

Eugene Ormandy (Conductor)
Born Jeno Blau on November 18, 1899 in Budapest, Austria-Hungry.
Died on March 12, 1985 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
He was a conductor and violinist who became the music director and conductor of the Philadelphia Orchestra for 44 years.  The Philadelphia Orchestra had three gold records and won two Grammy Awards during his time with them.

Anne Sofie von Otter (Mezzo-Soprano)
Born on May 9, 1955 in Stockholm, Sweden.
She made her professional operatic debut in 1983 at the Basel Opera, Royal Opera House, Covent Garden in 1985, La Scale in 1987 and Metropolitan Opera in December 1988.  Her recording of Grieg songs won the 1993 Gramophone Record of the Year.

Trevor Pinnock (Harpsichordist and Conductor)
Born on December 16, 1946 in England.
He was associated with The English Concert, former artistic director of Canada's National Arts Centre Orchestra and founded The Classical Band in New York.  He won a Gramophone Award for his recording of Bach's Brandenburg Concertos with the European Brandenburg Ensemble.

Grigory Sokolov (Pianist)
Born in 1950 in St. Petersburg, Russia.
He won the 1966 International Tchaikovsky Competition.

Jon Vickers (Tenor)
Born Jonathan Stewart Vickers on October 29, 1926 in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, Canada.
Died on July 10, 2015 in Ontario, Canada.
In 1960 he joined the Metropolitan Opera.  In 1968 he was made a Companion of the Order of Canada and received the Governor General's Performing Arts Award for Lifetime Artistic Achievement in 1998.