Sound Beat podcast

#Sound #Belfer #Wax #Syracuse #Audio #Soundbeat #Archive #Society #History #Syracuse University Library #Record #Cylinder #Universe #Beats

1:54

Jerry Seinfeld jokes about the phrase "it is what it is' in his Netflix special, "23 Hours To Kill".

Sound Beat

Series home•Feed

A trip through the history of recorded sound

85 episodes

Sound Beat

updated about a year ago

Series home•Feed

A trip through the history of recorded sound

85 episodes

#Sound #Belfer #Wax #Syracuse #Audio #Soundbeat #Archive #Society #History #Syracuse University Library #Record #Cylinder #Universe #Beats

All episodes

1
Laguardia’s Lament 1:30

19 weeks ago1:30

1:30

You’re listening to “The Airplane” from an RCA Victor Youth Series 78 entitled “LET’S PLAY”. It was produced by Helen Myers in 1946. The year before that, New York mayor Fiorello Laguardia left office. One of his biggest achievements, the development of the airport that would bear his name, came about as the result of, well, a bit of a hissy fit. The mayor had been sold a ticket to “New York”, which was at the time serviced by Newark Airport. Indignant, he refused to step on to Jersey soil and demanded to be flown to Floyd Bennett Field in Brooklyn, and held an impromptu press conference proclaiming New York City’s need for an airport. In short, it worked, and construction began in 1939. Image: unknown author, courtesy of U.S. National Archives. Aerial view of the tip of Manhattan, New York, United States ca. 1931. Note that the Cities Service Building (now known as the American International Building), which would become lower Manhattan’s tallest building in 1932, is only partially completed.…

1
Spellbound 1:30

35 weeks ago1:30

1:30

On today’s episode we’re talking electronic music… and the importance of a thorough resume. You’re on the Sound Beat. Miklos Rosza had long considered using electronic music in a film. He got his chance when director Alfred Hitchcock and producer David O. Selznick approached him about scoring 1945’s Spellbound . Wanting to add an atmospheric, contemplative air to the piece, he settled on the theremin. Here’s a quote from Dr. Samuel Hoffmann. “I put down theremin on my card…without thinking much about it. When Miklos Rozsa thought of using a theremin in his score for Spellbound he called the union to see if any players were available. I was the only one listed at that time who could read music.” Before Rozsa’s call, Hoffmann was a practicing podiatrist in the Hollywood area. After the score won an Oscar, Hoffman and the theremin would feature in films like “The Day the Earth Stood Still”, “It Came from Outer Space” and more…see the whole list right now at soundbeat.org. Sound Beat is produced at the Belfer Audio Archive, Syracuse University Libraries. I’m Brett Barry. Link to Hoffman’s discography…

1
Low Bridge! 1:30

44 weeks ago1:30

1:30

Why did Governor Dewitt Clinton build a giant ditch across New York state? To get to the other side. From the time the first shovel went into the ground in 1817, critics blasted the Erie Canal project, dubbing it Clinton’s Ditch. But it would go down in history as an engineering marvel. When finished, it stretched three hundred and sixty three miles across New York, from : (lyrics “Albany to Buffalo”) This is Low Bridge! Everybody Down, sung by Edward Meeker in a wax cylinder recording from 1913. The Canal forever changed shipping in the Northeast, cutting transportation costs a whopping ninety percent . It also helped open a steady trade route with the Midwest, turning a seed of a downstate port town into the Big Apple . Mules like Old Sal were the early stars of the canal system, but steam powered barges rendered them obsolete by the end of the 19 th century.…

1
The Last Flight of the Lady Be Good 1:30

45 weeks ago1:30

1:30

The American B-24 Bomber Lady Be Good departed a Libyan Air Base on a bombing raid in April 1943. She did so into a sandstorm, and disappeared for 15 years. World War II raged, and then ended. Still, the whereabouts of the Lady Be Good remained unknown. It was thought the men had crashed into the Mediterranean, but in 1958 the nearly-intact bomber was found over 400 miles inland. Remains of 8 of the 9 crew members were found, some over a hundred miles north of the crash site. And, because everyone seemed to back then, they kept journals of their trek. To read excerpts, click to visit http://ladybegood.net, an excellent, and exhaustive site.…

1
Honey in the Rock 1:30

1 year ago1:30

1:30

You’re listening to the Carter Family’s rendition of “Honey in the Rock”, a Coral Record from 1949, and you’re on the Sound Beat. Frederick A. Graves originally wrote the song in 1895, but his version was a bit, well, heavy…A.P. Carter then rewrote it in 1937 to better fit the Carter Family’s repertoire. In short, he focused more on the “honey and the salvation” than the” blood and the sins”. Probably a good move, sales-wise. The Carter Family recorded for over 30 years, helping to create and then redefine country music, and were inducted into its Hall of Fame in 1970. This episode was co-written by Syracuse University Honors student Jack McCormack, part of the Sound Beat Class Partnership. Learn how students are interacting with historic sound right now at Soundbeat.org…

1
Whoopin’ the Blues 1:30

1 year ago1:30

1:30

You’re listening to one of the most distinctive signature sounds in all of recorded music, and… You’re on the Sound Beat. That telltale whoop belongs to Sonny Terry, one of the most influential harmonica players of all time. Blind, but not from birth, Terry lost his sight one eye at a time, first in early childhood, and the second in his late teens. He recorded “Whoopin’ the Blues” with Brownie McGhee in 1947 for Capitol Records. The Terry/McGhee partnership was one of the most prolific and is one of the most revered in blues history. Want to see them in action? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34FWANCq6_0 Photo credit: Ian Chadwick…

1
Big Stuff 1:30

1 year ago1:30

1:30

Holiday was born Eleanora Fagan, and nicknamed Lady Day. This 1946 recording of “Big Stuff” represents something of an anomaly in her career. It emerged only multiple, vigorous recording sessions. Her difficulties in the studio seemed to mirror those in her personal life , as Holiday was struggling with drug and alcohol abuse. The song itself was composed by Leonard Bernstein for his 1944 ballet “Fancy Free”. Once Holliday’s version was released, it was featured in the opening scene, playing from a juxebox. This episode was written in part by Syracuse University student Sarah Detweiler, as part of the Sound Beat Class Partnership project. To learn more about the Partnership, click here!…

1
The Awakening of Scrooge 1:30

1 year ago1:30

1:30

For those who celebrate it, the big day is here. Many parents are bleary-eyed and sipping coffee while the kids riot in merry madness. But short as it was, your night was probably more restful than old Ebenezer Scrooge’s. Our gift to you: Scrooge’s Awakening, an Edison Blue Amberol cylinder released in 1914. And for your stocking: listen to the whole thing right now, courtesy of the Belfer Cylinders Digital Connection . Jim Image: “Stave Four: The Last of the Spirits”, artist Fred Barnard, scanned by Philip V. Allingham” “Stave Four”…

1
Begin The Beguine 1:30

2 years ago1:30

1:30

The story goes like this: Fats Waller, the great stride pianist, is playing in a club when he spots Art Tatum walk through the door. Waller stops, turns to the audience and announces: “I just play the piano, but God is in the house tonight.” Perhaps no pianist before or since has equaled Tatum’s technical and rhythmic mastery, harmonic imagination, and sheer ability to awe. Nearly blind since childhood, his trademark was the reworking of popular standards into solo showpieces. As was the case with his version of Cole Porter’s “Begin The Beguine”, recorded in 1940. This episode was written in part by Syracuse University student Ryan Lu, as part of the Sound Beat Class Partnership project. To learn more about the program, visit soundbeat.org.…

1
The Devil and Niccolo Paganini 1:30

2 years ago1:30

1:30

Niccolo Paganini was the Jim Morrison of his day. He partied, drove the ladies wild, and was even rumored to have dabbled in the occult. Paganini was a violin virtuoso. He could play three octaves across four strings. Ask your local fiddler; that’s all but impossible. Paganini’s seemingly supernatural talents made him a celebrity, but also inspired rumors that he’d made a pact with the devil. There’s another theory out there, and this one’s a bit more scientific. Some experts believe he had Marfan Syndrome. This connective tissue disorder can result in longer arms, longer fingers … and hyper flexible hands. You’ve been listening to Paganini’s Caprice no. 24, recorded in 1920 by Jascha Heifetz, another great master of the instrument. Sound Beat is produced at the Belfer Audio Archive, Syracuse University Library.…

1
Der Graf von Luxemburg 1:30

2 years ago1:30

1:30

It’s that age old tale of love and marriage…and money. You’re listening to the Opening Overture of Franz Lehar’s 1910 operetta Der Graf von Luxemburg. We are often our own harshest critics; before it’s debut, Lehar called the piece ‘Sloppy work, completely useless.’ Despite his opinion, the play ran for 299 straight performances in its original run. The story tells of a bankrupt playboy count, approached by a Russian prince with a…semi-indecent proposal. He’ll pay the Count’s debts if the Count agrees to marry the object of his affection. Alas, she is but a lowly opera singer, and beneath his marrying station. The marriage would be a sham, (but, really, what marriage isn’t? Sorry…happy anniversary, honey.) Anyway, the move would make her royalty, a divorce would make her single, and the Prince would make her his wife. How could it possibly go wrong? Find out right here. This episode was written in part by Syracuse University student Craig Kober as part of the Sound Beat Class Partnership .…

1
Lester’s Savoy Jump 1:30

2 years ago1:30

1:30

Considered one of the most influential saxophonists in history, Lester “Prez” Young succeeded Coleman Hawkins at the height of the swing era. You’re on the Sound Beat He’s backed by his quintet on the piece, as he plays over the standard 12 bar blues. But much like his famous predecessor’s breakthrough recordings, the song lacks a clear lead melody, giving way to improvisational piano , and, of course, that sax. Young got his nickname from Billie Holiday. It was Young who gave Billie her famous “Lady Day” moniker. She returned the favor, dubbing him “Prez”… as in the president of all saxophonists. And you’ll get no argument from us. This episode was written in part by Syracuse University student Brent Kelley, as part of the Sound Beat Class Partnership project. To learn more about the Partnership, click here!…

1
Waltzing Matilda 1:30

2 years ago1:30

1:30

Waltzing Matilda is one of Oz’s best loved songs and a common refrain at national sporting events. Peter Dawson is another Aussie favorite; the bass-baritone’s recording career spanned half a century. A Matilda , in this case, is a bag or sack, and to “ Waltz Matilda” is to travel the countryside, or the bush, with a bag in tow. The song involves a hobo, a sheep, and the authorities, though you might have a hard time deciphering the language. If that’s the case, we’re happy to help you out. Click here for a different version by Rolf Harris which contains a bit of explanation, and accordion, for good measure.…

1
Cinderell-y Man 1:30

2 years ago1:30

1:30

In the 1920s and 30s, boxing was one of the most popular sports in the country. It and other forms of entertainment provided cheerful moments of respite from the gloom the Depression cast over the nation. In the movies and on radio, the public clamored for heroes like Superman and the Lone Ranger. But in the boxing ring, James Braddock proved himself the real life equivalent. After some inopportune losses and injuries, his career floundered, until a winning streak put him in the ring with Max Baer, the Heavyweight Champion of the World on June 13, 1935. If you haven’t seen Ron Howard’s film…spoiler alert: He wins. You’ve been listening to the Fontane Sisters with “The Cinderella Work Song”. Want to see that championship bout? Click away.…

1
Jolie Blon 1:30

2 years ago1:30