Author Description

Feted for its broad definition of ′good music′, The Music Show, presented since 1995 by Andrew Ford, has always been willing to break down traditional categorisations of music. All music styles are covered in the program, from medieval chant to Webern string quartets and Elvis Costello singing Burt Bacharach. Guests on The Music Show have included Emmylou Harris, Philip Glass, k.d. lang, Baaba Maal, Paul Kelly, and Bryn Terfel. In this book Anni Heino draws on the amazing archives of interviews conducted over the years and skilfully draws them together into fascinating chapters that cover topics ranging from what makes a jazz singer to getting the political into the musical messa≥ from the relationship that musicians have with their instruments to the relationship they have with their voices; from the composers to the performers to the directors of performance. Everyone from Yehudi Menuhin to Bob Geldof, from Billy Bragg to Kinky Friedman has a voice, trying to put into words this most intangible and abstract form of art and communication. They may have been serious or funny, irascible or easy-going, shy or articulate, unexpected and profound, but all have been immensely passionate about what they do; about music and how it is made.