The piece is a delight to listen to for the music alone. There are long stretches of time where nothing but music plays and it's so for a good reason. It gives us an inkling of the development of Tarab and Saltana. It may be hard for one to listen for the clues. As a matter of fact, there is no bookmark of where a tarab is achieved. Tarab, as the interviewees explain, is a coming together of various elements, incluing the audience. The explanations are clear and concise. The subjects do a wonderful job of demonstrating the various stages of the melodic development. It was easier for me to relate to the music since I was exposed to it the first ten years of my life. As a first time listener, though, a listener would find joy in the music that goes beyond enjoyment. There's, as usual, a brilliant performance by Oum Kalsoum.

At the beginning of the piece, we learn from Mr. Fox that the Dalai Lama has 'accused' Dr. Thurman of having vigor and wit. The two have a laugh over that. Well, vigor and wit are essentially the theme of this finely tuned piece. It's like eavesdropping on two friends who know a lot about the subject they're discussing, two friends, authors of dozens of books between them, openly share their thoughts without any demonstration of pretense. This piece, at the core, is about education of the heart being as important as shaping a clever brain. Here the spirit is truly in action since there's never a dull moment during this interview...or dialogue, rather. I believe this piece has never aired in its entirety. It definitely should.

Not quite the making-of I was hoping for, but fun to listen to nonetheless. This one is a step ahead of other WOTW pieces because it features interviews with John Houseman, Arthur Anderson, and Howard Koch. There's nothing like listening to the people who were part of the show. The interviews were sometime hard to follow, the recordings are not of high quality. The second segment is a parody of WOTW. I guess after listening to tons of parodies, the parody didn't do much for me. It would have if the language style was updated. Nevertheless, it is worth listening to.

A virtuoso trumpeter, Sandoval's love of bebop dances out of his trumpet and his words. Here he talks about his new album which showcases his incredible talent in playing other musical styles. In addition he shares his thoughts on music and musicianship. A vey good Sandoval introduction.

Compelling piece on choral works of some of the greatest such as Bach, Telemann, and Handel, but mainly focusing the 'Passion' works of Johann Sebastian's. Controversial lyrics are mainly the cause of debate, but the piece delves into elaborate discussions about the use of music to emphasize the libretto as well as the reflection of the times these pieces were composed. Bach's music by itself evokes emotional response from listeners, but understanding the content of the piece creates an ethical/moral dilemma as well. The debate continues about how future interpretations of the works can be best presented to listeners without censoring. Should measures be taken to educate listeners about the pieces or should it be ignored?

Ah the wonderful history of the rise and fall and revival of the sweet jingles. Piece brings you the clips from the classics, some modern substitutes, and off-key renditions by customers who recall (sing) their favorites (?). It turned on the jingle juke box in my head. So much so that the mere mention of the keywords will get you off and humming too no matter how much you hate them. You think I'm kidding? 'Zoom Zoom Zoom'...'Put the lime in the coke, you nut'...'I'm loving it'...oh it's too much.

Very funny production about the reunion of the Ramon Raquello Orchestra, 65 years after being doomed by the 1938 broadcast of War of The Worlds. There are some laugh out loud moments. Some actors were brilliant in the piece while others were a bit weak, but, as a whole, this live recording stands out as a thoroughly enjoyable performance piece.

Confessions from people who are on opposite sides of the business. The piece is dark, but the interviewees talking candidly makes it a very revealing one. Misconceptions are discussed and feelings are shared, among others, but resulting in a well balanced piece.

I can't quite call it a nature piece, because it's more than that. The 24 hour cycle recordings made for the 'Here-ings" CD are fascinating. The sounds seem foreign and that's because we almost never listen that closely. 'The Land' is a perfect place for the sounds to live in since the silence around them makes for a peaceful 'neighborhood'. I especially liked the sound of ants circling around the microphone by the ant hill.

Ms. Maxwell is well spoken and well versed in theatre language, but here she gets to the topic a bit late, that is if I follow the title too closely. The lecture is personal and will only resonate with theatre lovers. There is wit in her lecture, but not translatable to newcomers of theatre. I don't suppose, however, that this lecture was meant for an audience who were not aware of Ms Maxwell's work or the Shaw festival, but in this case, it has stepped out of the auditorium and is no longer projected to a specified audience. The piece appears to be more of Ms. Maxwell's take on her life and her work.
I don't think it's fair to compare, but Michael York's lecture, while having a personal touch, had more universal value in its lesson. I personally don't like to hear words like 'baleful' on radio, but that's just me. In summary, if you look for a commentary on the title, you may be disappointed. But if you like what Ms. Maxwell has to offer from her experience, you may like it.

Mr. Hannon is a good whistler, sounding almost like a bird chirping a tune. Although the thing that drives me up the wall is the vibrato thing a lot of whistlers use on slow tunes, but his use of the technique is just right, not that anyone else in the world cares about that. The piece is very upbeat and made me feel better. How many sad people do you know who whistle? Here's a piece that tells me to love life without telling me. It just introduced me to Jeff Hannon. If only he played guitar.

The piece does not shed new light on the art of fearbusting. And that's because it does not have great source material to work with. Listeners these days are a lot more sophisticated and if not given specific information, method, or ideas will tune out. The piece does not, in all fairness, present the author's work as a groundbreaking event. It merely introduces the latest release of an audiobook on the subject. Whether the audiobook stands on its own merit is a separate debate.

A lesson in brevity, this short piece is crafted like a house of cards. Not one card (word) is out of place. Listen to what the couple doesn't say in the piece, and you too will notice the presence, or absence, of what makes this play outstanding.

At the core of this anecdotal piece is an insight into Hunter Thompson's energy as a human being, often misinterpreted by the rest of the world. Mr. McDonald asks for a signature from Thompson's son Juan on a copy of 'Hell's Angels' who adds writes 'In the spirit of HST.' That spirit is captured quite well with this piece.

A very inspiring piece about the singers who, despite over 100 performances a year, are quite relaxed and upbeat. Not only are they fantastic performers with intricate and smooth harmonies in their songs, they also support themselves and their former neighbors in Liberia. Music, once again, is their instrument of choice to end dificulties, and begin new chapters in their own and the lives of others.