THIS AMERICAN LIFE: WHEN WE TALK ABOUT MUSIC
(RADIO)
Summary
One in this weekly series that looks at a different,
specific aspect of life in the United States in each
episode. Episodes contain several segments, or "acts,"
each of which relates to the established theme. This
installment, "When We Talk About Music," forgoes the
usual introduction from host Ira Glass and opens
immediately with the first act. The segment consists of
a live recording of a performance by Obie-winning
playwright Dael Orlandersmith. The piece was originally
performed at "Millie's Orchid Show" in Chicago; in it
Orlandersmith plays a blue-collar white man who forms
an unlikely bond with an African-American woman over
their shared love of jazz. Orlandersmith's character
describes the end of his encounter with his fellow jazz
lover. "You look so beautiful when you talk about
music," she tells him. Glass then explains that
tonight's program will focus on people whose lives have
been seriously affected by music in one way or another.
In the second act, "This American Life" contributor Dan
Gediman interviews his brother "Alex Jones," a
forty-three-year-old Tom Jones impersonator who works
as a computer analyst during the day and stars in the
"Hall of Fame Superstars Revue" by night. Gediman
recalls that he used to idolize his older brother, who
had a string of nearly successful rock bands as a young
man. Alex Jones then discusses the ways in which his
career was thrown offtrack, and he explains that his
interest in music was rekindled after the advent of
karaoke; he now competes in national karaoke
tournaments. In the third act, Sarah Vowell profiles a
man obsessed with a Seattle-based band called the
Fastbacks. Vowell speaks first with the fan, who
rattles off a litany of statistics about the band's
history. When Vowell asks members of the band the
same questions in another interview, they themselves
are stumped. The singer of the band explains to Vowell
that he is aware of the young man, to whom he refers as
"a superfan, not a stalker." In the fourth act, Glass
profiles seventy-two-year-old Chicago music-scene
figure Sam Franco, who is famous for two things: the
invention of the single-finger style that created
jazz-accordion music, and vitriolic monologues about the
inferior qualities of the the guitar. "It only has five
notes," he screams. "It's not in any symphony orchestra!"
(Network affiliation varies: local broadcast, November
1995-June 1996; on NPR, June 1996-June 1997; on PRI,
July 1997- .)
Details
- NETWORK: NPR National Public Radio
- DATE: August 9, 1996 7:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 0:59:12
- COLOR/B&W: N/A
- CATALOG ID: R:16108
- GENRE: Radio - Public affairs/Documentaries; Radio - Talk/Interviews
- SUBJECT HEADING: Jazz; Music - Analysis, appreciation; Music, Popular (Songs, etc.)
- SERIES RUN: WBEZ (Chicago, IL) - Radio series, 1995-
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Ira Glass … Host
- The Fastbacks
- Sam Franco
- Dan Gediman
- Alex Jones
- Tom Jones
- Dael Orlandersmith
- Sarah Vowell