KCRW DJ Tom Schnabel tells us about Eric Whitacre’s new album “Light & Gold” streaming now as part of our Album Preview series.
Eric Whitacre “Light & Gold” (Decca)
I remember years ago, while living in my little rent-controlled apartment in Santa Monica, listening to the lilting Duruflé Requiem, calmly dreaming away, awash in the lovely choral music.  A next door neighbor of mine roared into the underground parking structure in his muscle car and yelled up, “Hey Tom, who died?”
That’s the problem with choral music.  It reminds people of …

One of music’s greatest innovators, Herbie Hancock, joined KCRW DJ Tom Schnabel this Sunday for an interview about his work that is now up in our archives.  Hancock just performed an amazing show at the Hollywood Bowl to celebrate his 70th birthday and is still producing timeless music. The session will also include selections from his new CD, The Imagine Project. This was his first visit to KCRW!
While I haven’t heard it myself, everyone who has — and many people …

The other day I got the new Michael Franti & Spearhead album in the mail.  I knew—once again—that I’d enjoy the music and words inside. It’s called “The Sound of Sunshine.”
[Audio clip: view full post to listen]
KCRW has a long and close history with Michael Franti, going back to the 80’s with his first group, the industrial punk band The Beatnigs, and even more so with his next group, The Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy.  I was stuck on the air on April 29, 1992 when the LA riots broke out, …

From KCRW DJ Tom Schnabel, who interviewed Herman Leonard in 2008. Leonard passed away Saturday at age 87 :
I’m not the only person who considers Herman Leonard his favorite jazz photographer. Quincy Jones and Miles Davis felt the same way. He captured something that no other photographers did.  Looking at his pictures makes you feel joy.
His interest in photography was sparked by seeing a picture of his older brother’s wife—nude.  Titillated by this early experience, he decided to become a photographer.  He found a way to get out of Allentown, …

In the current issue of the New Yorker, there is a profile of singer-songwriter Gil Scott-Heron.  His star burned brightly for many albums, first in the 70s for Flying Dutchman Records, later for Arista, snapped up by record mogul Clive Davis, who was blown away by a concert he attended.
I remember interviewing Gil at KCRW in 1983. He was in LA, opening for Stevie Wonder at the Forum. I still have the cassette aircheck, a signed album, and a picture of him at John Adams Middle School, site of KCRW’s …

DJ Tom Schnabel sent a link to this video out to a couple DJs and I figured I would share it with you as well.

From Tom:

This is one of the most joyful videos by one of my favorite, most inspiring groups:  Michael Franti and Spearhead. Note that it’s shot in no-man’s land, that of the favelas, the hilltop slums of Rio.  The only other non-Brazilian video shot there was Michael Jackson’s They Don’t Care About Us” from the early 90s.”
Editor’s Note: I was lucky enough to get a …

Caravan Palace is a Parisian band that creates a scintillating melange of gypsy jazz a la Django Reinhardt and electronica. They’ve sold out the Olympia in Paris several times (no small feat) and they stopped by our studios during their first ever tour of the U.S.
Their performance in Downtown LA a few weeks ago as part of Grand Performances was, by all reports, pretty incredible and we’re proud to host their live radio debut in this country! DJ Tom Schnabel will air a performance – including tracks “Dragons” and “Jolie …

Parisian gypsy jazz outfit Caravan Palace is a wonder to behold. The band is setting up down the hall to tape a session that will air during DJ Tom Schnabel’s show and it is impossible not to tap your toes and swing your hips while listening to them, even during a soundcheck! I read that they do for swing what Gotan Project do for tango and from what I can tell, that is very true. They are like electronica-fied Django Reinhardt with two scat singers – a female with operatic …

KCRW DJ Tom Schnabel was compelled him to write a remembrance for three unusual musical personalities who passed away recently, including Harvey Pekar.
KCRW will be paying tribute to the cult phenomenon by broadcasting an original radio production of Pekar’s “American Splendor” on Friday, June 16 at 7:30pm. Dan Castellaneta, the voice of Homer Simpson, stars as Pekar in the production, which first aired on KCRW in 1991. More from Tom:
Three Passings: Tuli Kupferberg, David Fanshawe, and Harvey Pekar

Three unusual musical personalities passed away this week. The first is Tuli Kupferberg, …

The latest entry in our 5Things blog is from jazz aficionado Tom Schnabel, sharing his 5 favorite Jazz Record Covers. As someone with a fine appreciation for cover art –I’m so old school I still prefer CDs over MP3s and my box sets are part of my home decor — I thought this was worth sharing. Enjoy!
5 Favorite Jazz Record Covers
By Tom Schnabel KCRW Music Host
One of the things I love most about vinyl, besides the tactile aspect is the visual aspect, album cover art, something that has been lost …