Best Kevin Bales Podcasts (2024)

1
EP39: Your Instrument: Let’s Talk Pianos 24:54

26d ago24:54

24:54

The relationship between player and instrument can be life-long. You might go through several instruments as you learn to play and learn what you like in your instrument, but once you find the one, it’s a marriage that endures. Some players even assign names and genders to their instruments. On a recent trip to the Steinway factory in New York, Kev…

1
American Thanatocracy vs Abolition Democracy: On Cops Capitalism and the War on Black Life 1:34:43

8d ago1:34:43

1:34:43

In this program, Robin D. G. Kelley, Distinguished Professor and Gary B. Nash Endowed Chair in U.S. History at UCLA, examines how police in the neoliberal era–in tandem with other state and corporate entities—have become engines of capital accumulation, government revenue, gentrification, the municipal bond market, the tech and private security ind…

1
American Thanatocracy vs Abolition Democracy: On Cops Capitalism and the War on Black Life 1:34:43

24d ago1:34:43

1:34:43

In this program, Robin D. G. Kelley, Distinguished Professor and Gary B. Nash Endowed Chair in U.S. History at UCLA, examines how police in the neoliberal era–in tandem with other state and corporate entities—have become engines of capital accumulation, government revenue, gentrification, the municipal bond market, the tech and private security ind…

1
EP38: Guest Joe Alterman 19:09

1M ago19:09

19:09

A Joyful Sound As a child taking piano lessons, Joe Alterman was impressed, more so bowled over, by a guitar player named Doc Watson and his boogie style. From those seeds emerged the joyful sound that characterizes Joe’s playing. Among his idols, his mentors, was the incomparable Les McCann. Much of Joe’s work today, including a recent album, “Big…

1
EP37: Guest Saxophonist Matt Miller on Playing and Teaching 23:11

2M ago23:11

23:11

Matt Miller, a native of the Philadelphia area and a graduate of the heralded The New School in New York City, is a busy member of the Atlanta jazz community, featured regularly in various combinations of musicians, from trios to big bands. Matt talks about his responsibilities as a performer to his fellow players and his audiences, and how learnin…

1
Minority Rule in the United States 9:06

2M ago9:06

9:06

Placing the U.S. in comparative perspective, Daniel Ziblatt, professor of government at Harvard University, discusses uniquely American counter-majoritarian institutions.Ziblatt is also director of the Transformations of Democracy group at Berlin’s WZB Social Science Center. He is the author of four books, including "How Democracies Die," co-author…

1
Minority Rule in the United States 9:06

2M ago9:06

9:06

Placing the U.S. in comparative perspective, Daniel Ziblatt, professor of government at Harvard University, discusses uniquely American counter-majoritarian institutions.Ziblatt is also director of the Transformations of Democracy group at Berlin’s WZB Social Science Center. He is the author of four books, including "How Democracies Die," co-author…

1
EP36: Guest Karla Harris 23:58

2M ago23:58

23:58

Jazz Vocalist and Music Educator Karla is in the midst of an admirable career, not only as a performer and recording artist with top billing at some of the country’s most notable venues and festivals but also as an educator ensuring that future generations have access to the arts. Well-known for her performances, she has also been recognized now fo…

1
EP35: Standing Room Only: Trumpeter and Vocalist Joe Gransden 26:54

3M ago26:54

26:54

Joe Gransden has built his brand on multiple levels, perhaps best known as big band leader, heading up the 16-piece group of jazz musicians that filled Café 290 on Monday nights for more than 12 years and continues to entertain at venues and events around Atlanta and beyond, as well as performing with a variety of combinations for a variety of gigs…

1
U.S. Majorities vs. U.S. Institutions 16:37

3M ago16:37

16:37

America’s contemporary democratic predicament is rooted in its historically incomplete democratization. Born in a pre-democratic era, the constitution’s balancing of majority rule and minority rights created still-unresolved dilemmas. Placing the U.S. in comparative perspective, Daniel Ziblatt, professor of government at Harvard University, discuss…

1
U.S. Majorities vs. U.S. Institutions 16:37

3M ago16:37

16:37

America’s contemporary democratic predicament is rooted in its historically incomplete democratization. Born in a pre-democratic era, the constitution’s balancing of majority rule and minority rights created still-unresolved dilemmas. Placing the U.S. in comparative perspective, Daniel Ziblatt, professor of government at Harvard University, discuss…

1
EP34: Guest Roderick Harper 24:58

3M ago24:58

24:58

At 57, Roderick Harper is gaining steam. A versatile artist with both jazz and R&B albums, he calls on a background that started as early a small child singing along with TV commercials, through early lessons in the American Songbook and a minor in jazz studies at Southern University, to a performer audiences love for the passion and integrity of h…

1
EP33: Composers and Lyricists 23:40

4M ago23:40

23:40

Every Elton John has his Bernie Taupin. Jerome Kern had to have his Oscar Hammerstein. Even Duke Ellington needed a Billy Strayhorn or Irving Mills or Bob Russell. Point is, a song isn’t much of a song without lyrics, and how lyricists and composers work together, if unique to each pair, is one more example of the cooperation involved in making gre…

1
EP32: Collaboration: A Great Lesson 22:46

4M ago22:46

22:46

Consistent with the podcast’s focus on the life lessons that learning to play music teaches, Kevin and Mike talk about musical conversation, that is, how musicians playing together collaborate, listening to each other and accommodating each other’s playing, to create better music.By Kevin Bales

1
EP31: Getting Started In Music 27:22

5M ago27:22

27:22

Whether you’re a youngster who wants to learn how to play an instrument, or a parent who recognizes the value of music in their child’s education, or an adult who has never played but wants to learn how, it’s never too early or too late to start. Kevin shares insights on how to get started from his three decades of teaching young and adult students…

1
EP30: On The Road Again 22:42

5M ago22:42

22:42

People who make their living playing music typically do a lot of travelling. While some might have a house gig in their hometown, most find themselves in venues that take them to different parts of their country and even around the world. Those experiences—that breadth of experience—combine to be one of the great benefits of life as a musician.…

1
American Democracy and the Crisis of Majority Rule 59:49

5M ago59:49

59:49

America’s contemporary democratic predicament is rooted in its historically incomplete democratization. Born in a pre-democratic era, the constitution’s balancing of majority rule and minority rights created still-unresolved dilemmas. Placing the U.S. in comparative perspective, Daniel Ziblatt, professor of government at Harvard University, offers …

1
American Democracy and the Crisis of Majority Rule 59:49

5M ago59:49

59:49

America’s contemporary democratic predicament is rooted in its historically incomplete democratization. Born in a pre-democratic era, the constitution’s balancing of majority rule and minority rights created still-unresolved dilemmas. Placing the U.S. in comparative perspective, Daniel Ziblatt, professor of government at Harvard University, offers …

1
EP29: The Uniqueness of the Great Players 21:35

6M ago21:35

21:35

From Bill Evans to Oscar Peterson to Ahmad Jamal to Charlie Parker to John Coltrane to Miles Davis, and on and on, each of the great players is distinguished by their own unique style. In this podcast, Kevin talks about the some of those legends and how they expressed themselves, and he and Mike discuss the importance of individualistic expression—…

1
'I' and Self-Consciousness 1:53:32

6M ago1:53:32

1:53:32

What does it mean when we use the first-person pronoun ‘I’? And how does it relate to self-consciousness? In this program, Béatrice Longuenesse, professor of philosophy emerita at New York University, compares the analysis of philosophers Elizabeth Anscombe and Jean-Paul Sartre on consciousness, self-consciousness and the use of 'I'.Languenesse's c…

1
'I' and Self-Consciousness 1:53:32

6M ago1:53:32

1:53:32

What does it mean when we use the first-person pronoun ‘I’? And how does it relate to self-consciousness? In this program, Béatrice Longuenesse, professor of philosophy emerita at New York University, compares the analysis of philosophers Elizabeth Anscombe and Jean-Paul Sartre on consciousness, self-consciousness and the use of 'I'.Languenesse's c…

1
EP28: My Funny Valentine 15:45

6M ago15:45

15:45

The song from Babes in Arms, a 1937 musical by Richard Rodgers and Lorenzo Hart, has been recorded more than 1300 times by more than 600 artists. The song continues to receive mixed reviews from musicians and music critics, but it has been a favorite of artists from Frank Sinatra to Sarah Vaughan to jazz trumpeter/vocalist Chet Baker, whose recordi…

1
EP27: Why Musicians Love to Teach 19:43

6M ago19:43

19:43

So many great musicians are also dedicated teachers. They love passing along their knowledge and inspiring others, getting them excited about the things they’re excited about, infecting them with love for what they’re doing, and how exciting it is to make music with other people. It is the jazz teaching tradition at its best: “Each one, teach one.”…

1
EP26: Classical Music: A Great Resource for Jazz Musicians 18:58

6M ago18:58

18:58

Most great jazz musicians were trained in classical music. So do you need to learn classical music first before you can play jazz? Or is playing jazz about learning shapes and harmony, technique and structures, the things required to play any music well. There shouldn’t be a separation between classical and jazz; the creation and performance of mus…

1
Policies to Restore the American Dream with Raj Chetty 1:21:30

7M ago1:21:30

1:21:30

Where did the American Dream of hard work equals upward mobility go? And what will it take to bring it back? In this talk, Raj Chetty, director of Opportunity Insights and professor of public economics at Harvard University, focuses on three policy levers to increase upward mobility: reducing racial and economic segregation through more effective a…

1
Policies to Restore the American Dream with Raj Chetty 1:21:30

7M ago1:21:30

1:21:30

Where did the American Dream of hard work equals upward mobility go? And what will it take to bring it back? In this talk, Raj Chetty, director of Opportunity Insights and professor of public economics at Harvard University, focuses on three policy levers to increase upward mobility: reducing racial and economic segregation through more effective a…

1
The Science of Economic Opportunity: New Insights from Big Data with Raj Chetty 1:27:38

7M ago1:27:38

1:27:38

Children’s chances of earning more than their parents have fallen from 90% to 50% over the past half century in America. How can we restore the American Dream of upward mobility for all children? In this talk, Raj Chetty, director of Opportunity Insights and professor of public economics at Harvard University, shows how big data from varied sources…

1
The Science of Economic Opportunity: New Insights from Big Data with Raj Chetty 1:27:38

7M ago1:27:38

1:27:38

Children’s chances of earning more than their parents have fallen from 90% to 50% over the past half century in America. How can we restore the American Dream of upward mobility for all children? In this talk, Raj Chetty, director of Opportunity Insights and professor of public economics at Harvard University, shows how big data from varied sources…

1
A Conversation with Ezra Klein about Liberalism 1:26:49

8M ago1:26:49

1:26:49

California’s deepest problems — the skyrocketing cost of housing, the lagging development of clean energy, the traffic choking the state — reflect an inability of Democratic governments to build real things in the real world quickly and affordably. The result is liberal governance that routinely fails to achieve liberal outcomes. New York Times opi…

1
A Conversation with Ezra Klein about Liberalism 1:26:49

8M ago1:26:49

1:26:49

California’s deepest problems — the skyrocketing cost of housing, the lagging development of clean energy, the traffic choking the state — reflect an inability of Democratic governments to build real things in the real world quickly and affordably. The result is liberal governance that routinely fails to achieve liberal outcomes. New York Times opi…

1
EP25: Books on Music: A Few Recommendations 24:10

9M ago24:10

24:10

As avid readers, we have our favorite books about music and musicians. We discuss a few here in some detail in hopes they might be of interest to you. If you have others you like, let us know at musiclifeandtimes.com > contact us, and we’ll share them in a future podcast.By Kevin Bales

1
EP24: The Role of Music in Social Change 21:58

9M ago21:58

21:58

From the origins of jazz to the songs of the 1960s protesting the Vietnam War and supporting the Civil Rights Movement to the Grammy Song of the Year in 2021, music has played an essential role in social change, shedding light on the issues and attitudes that threaten our freedoms, here in America and around the world. Your podcasters comment on th…

1
EP23: From Vinyl to Streaming: How Music Is Delivered 19:52

9M ago19:52

19:52

From 78 rpm to 33 rpm—and of course 45s with one song on each side—from albums to CDs to streaming, the way music is delivered has evolved substantially. The intent has been to make the music you want to hear easier to access. But have we lost something along the way? Is that why vinyl outsold CDs last year for the first time since the introduction…

1
EP22: The Music of Fred Rogers as Jazz: “Beyond the Neighborhood” 17:13

10M ago17:13

17:13

In 2019, as the culmination of what they had discovered as a shared passion, the music of Fred Rogers, Kevin and Keri Johnsrud researched, selected, arranged, then recorded 11 songs composed by Fred Rogers, best known for his long-running children’s television show Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood. The jazz arrangements of what have been generally perce…

1
EP21 Guest Bruce Pulver: Above the Chatter, Our Words Matter. 33:11

10M ago33:11

33:11

The Audience Perspective: An interview with Bruce Pulver, author of Above the Chatter, Our Words Matter. Intro: As performing musicians, Kevin and Mike work to please audiences by playing their best. Bruce Pulver studied music in college but decided to pursue it “as an avocation as opposed to a vocation.” He is an avid fan of live music, even to th…

1
EP20 Music Versus Other Professions: The Process Is Much the Same 18:24

10M ago18:24

18:24

Is a career in a creative art like music really that different from other types of careers? While many people see a music career as a counterpoint to other ways to make a living, the process is much the same, including spending the time necessary to build and grow your business. And for people in other professions or business careers who spend time…

1
EP 19 High Anxiety: Dealing with Pre-Performance Nervousness 19:00

10M ago19:00

19:00

If you play music for an audience, be that at home in front of your family or for thousands of people in a concert hall, you’re likely to be nervous before you play. That’s not necessarily a bad thing; can even be a good thing as Kevin explains in this episode. But of course, shaky hands and a quavering voice aren’t helpful to your performance, so …

1
EP 18 Play for People 15:33

11M ago15:33

15:33

Learning music is about playing music. And playing music leads to performing. And because music is a communicative art, the job of a performing musician is to communicate with his or her audience, to play for the people.By Kevin Bales

1
EP17 Don’t Wait for Perfect 19:19

11M ago19:19

19:19

Most players are uncomfortable hearing their own music. They don’t find it as perfect as they think it should be. But an important lesson to learn is not to judge yourself, and indeed, first takes are often the best takes in recording sessions.By Kevin Bales

1
EP16 Vinnie D’Agostino: Out of the Corporate World and Back into Music 25:23

11M ago25:23

25:23

Vinnie D’Agostino—saxophone, clarinet, and flute—first performed as an 8-year-old and started playing professionally at 15. Throughout his youth he was convinced he would live his life as a professional musician. But as he approached his 20s, he decided on a different path, as an IT professional in the corporate world, a career he concluded as Glob…

1
EP15 Music Business or The Business of Music? 20:26

11M ago20:26

20:26

The music business, like selling records and becoming a music star, is a tiny part of the industry whereas the business of music extends to a wide range of occupations, from writing music for commercials to engineering in a recording studio to teaching. And while becoming a star is so rare that it is unachievable for the vast majority of musicians,…

1
EP14 American Popular Song 26:08

12M ago26:08

26:08

Jerome Kern, Hoagy Carmichael, the Gershwins, Richard Rodgers, Cole Porter, and so many more: the composers of the songs of the golden era of American popular music known as The Great American Songbook, of the tunes that are the platforms from which jazz musicians have launched many of their most memorable improvisations.…

1
EP13 Steal, Don’t Borrow 15:31

12M ago15:31

15:31

Imitation might be the sincerest form of flattery, but it is also the way musicians over the years have improved their skills. Great players “steal” ideas and phrases they admire and let them influence their playing and broaden their musical vocabulary.By Kevin Bales

1
EP12 Guest Dr. Gordon Vernick 28:59

1y ago28:59

28:59

Dr. Gordon Vernick, trumpeter extraordinaire and coordinator of jazz studies at Georgia State University, talks about jazz and how students can improve their playing. This episode is chock full of great insights from a revered teacher and musician.By Kevin Bales

1
#7.1 Timbeers Final Episode-Coming Soon Timbeers Adventurecast 24:39

1y ago24:39

24:39

The guy's back are back for 1 final episode........................Before the next chapter. Gary and Jason bid farewell to the podcast after 6 years. They announce a rebrand and move to YouTube where they will debut a new video and audio format called the Timbeers Adventure-cast. This will be a monthly episode that features the guys enjoying thier …

1
EP11 Guest Keri Johnsrud 20:47

1y ago20:47

20:47

Chicago-based jazz singer Keri Johnsrud talks about singing, her career, and her work with Kevin Bales on the Grammy-nominated album Beyond the Neighborhood, a collection of songs composed by Fred Rogers, host of the long-running children’s television series, Mr. Rogers Neighborhood. The podcast includes a sample of Keri’s inviting voice from an ea…

1
EP10 Mentors and Legends 22:40

1y ago22:40

22:40

Most accomplished musicians will point to influences that made a difference in their lives and playing along the way, including mentors who were genuinely interested in helping them learn and advance their careers and took the time to do so. Let’s give credit where credit is due.By Kevin Bales

1
EP09 Community Support 21:21

1y ago21:21

21:21

The jazz community is open and warm in a remarkably non-competitive way. As well, jazz musicians enjoy avid support from people who love jazz, including support systems like jazz societies, and sometimes just individuals who go out of their way to show their support. Here’s evidence of that as experienced by our podcasting musicians.…

1
EP08 Louis Armstrong 16:03

1y ago16:03

16:03

“All roads lead to Louis Armstrong, and all roads come out of that,” notes Trumpeter, Composer, and Bandleader Russell Gunn. “All pop music, not just jazz, goes back to Louis Armstrong, his timing and phrasing,” Kevin Bales adds. This episode shares stories about Louis Armstrong, his life and art.By Kevin Bales

1
EP07 Funny or Just Strange 27:30

1y ago27:30

27:30

As a musician, you typically move around a lot, working in different venues in different places. Many turn out to be, well, not conventional. Sometimes it’s worth a laugh; sometimes it’s a real problem. Here are some of the strangest situations these two career musicians have encountered.By Kevin Bales

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