David McGee

Sustainable Agriculture News: Urban Farming Taking Hold

BALTIMORE, CHICAGO and NASHVILLE are embracing urban farming in a big way, and out in California, the UC Riverside 'Grow Riverside' Conference is trying to encourage the movement in the Golden State.

Take A Letter

Overqualified?

Feeling boxed in and in need of new challenges at age 30, LEONARDO DA VINCI relocated from his native Florence to Milan, and promptly wrote to the Duke of Milan, touting 'certain of my secrets' he felt the Duke would find useful 'in whatever place…

Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast

Seven Questions Over Breakfast with Klaas Verplancke

JULES's latest virtual breakfast is with noted illustrator KLAAS VERPLANCKE, whose art is described by a fellow illustrator as 'strange, yet strangely comforting. Beautifully crafted, and beautifully bonkers.'

Spotlight Album

Circling Back

CARLENE CARTER's new album 'Carter Girl,' a tribute to the musical heritage of her fabled family, is a triumph, says contributing editor MICHAEL SIGMAN. 'I wanted listeners to feel like they're on a journey,' says Carlene.

Features / News

Dancing Bears: la danse de l’ours

Dancing bears have been around since at least the Middle Ages. Sheer Folk blogger SERGIO RIBNKIKOV GUNNARSON has been studying the rather obscure history of these mammalian hoofers and herein reports on his findings.

Classical Perspectives

‘Please Enjoy This Album. Or Don’t! Whatever.’

Does classical music drive loiterers out of public places? Studies say so, and violinist GIL SHAHAM is counting on his music to further the burgeoning trend on MUSIC TO DRIVE LOITERERS AWAY. He hopes everyone enjoys the album. Or not. Whatever.

Features / News

Video Moment of the Week

NU-BLU has released the second of three new videos of songs from its tenth anniversary album, appropriately titled TEN, this one being a warm, soothing bluegrass love song, 'It's a Good Day to Be With You.'

A Charlie Chaplin Moment

Chaplin on Music

Beginning with 1923's 'A Woman of Paris,' CHARLIE CHAPLIN was involving himself closely in the musical accompaniment for his films, and eventually took full control in order to 'compose elegant and romantic music to frame my comedies...'

Spotlight Album

‘Unprecedented, Powerful, Contagious’

Joyous, uplifting, even challenging in its own way, FBB by the SIBELIUS-AKATEMIAN FOLK BIG BAND takes the concept of David Bromberg's folk band a step further and delivers one of 2014's unexpected delights.

Reviews

Songs in the Key of Life

Madrid native CARMEN CUESTA follows her acclaimed bossa nova album with a collection of a dozen well-turned, mostly sensual boleros in UNA TODA VIDA...