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Ray Gordon, writer and director, and Susanne Nussbaum, cast member of "Disabled Geniuses," discuss the play and the life of people with disabilities. Nussbaum recalls experiences of discrimination she and her friends have faced due to their differences. Both interviewees then talk about the members of the play and some of the characters involved.
A master at playing the sitar, Ravi Shankar, also composed the music for the soundtrack of "Gandi". According to Shankar, there are 72 scales in Indian music and when he plays music, 90% of it is improvisation. Younger people became interested in playing the instrument after Shankar announced he was teaching George Harrison of the Beatles how to play the sitar. There is an excerpt of an interview with Shankar from 22 years ago, to the date of this program.
Starting at a young age, Ramsey Lewis really loved music and as he got older, he'd practice five or six hours a day. Lewis says he knew nothing about jazz until he met Wallace Burton at the age of 15. Burton hired Lewis on the spot to play in his band. Church music, Spanish music, Duke Ellington and the Beatles, says Lewis, were all great influences to him.
Discussing the book "The Big Boys: Power and Position in American Business" (published by Pantheon) with the author, lawyer and consumer advocate Ralph Nader.
Discussing corporate violence and power with lawyer Ralph Nader.
Discussing the book "Deadly deceits: my twenty five years in the C.I.A" with the author Ralph McGehee.
Interviewing Ralph Gleason while Studs was in Berkeley, California (3 parts). Bob Dylan and Joan Baez sings "Daddy, You Been on My Mind." Elsa Knight Thompson.
In Berkeley, Calif., Ralph Gleason, jazz and pop critic, and founding editor of Rolling Stone, talks with Studs about the history of jazz and jazz artists. They talk in depth about Billie Holiday, white performers who imitated the style of black jazz singers, and jazz festivals. Songs include Holiday's "Them There Eyes" and "God Bless the Child."
Studs interviews jazz and pop critic, and founding editor of "Rolling Stone" magazine, Ralph Gleason while in Berkeley, California (3 parts). Topics include the history of jazz, blues, and jazz culture, and how race played in the development and distribution of the music. Songs include Louis Armstrong's "(I'll Be Glad When You're Dead) You Rascal You."
The blues and jazz are topics covered by Ralph Ellison. Ellison himself started to play the trumpet at the age of seven. Ellison said for him, when hearing classical music, he then had to go and find classical literature.
Ralph Ellison, winner of the National Book Award for Fiction for his book "Invisible Man," discusses his early life and education and his life as a writer and lifetime scholar. He speaks on being a musician (trumpet), the joy of music and the Church and how they fit into the lives of African Americans.
Content Warning: This conversation includes racially and/or culturally derogatory language and/or negative depictions of Black and Indigenous people of color, women, and LGBTQI+ individuals. Rather than remove this content, we present it in the context of twentieth-century social history to acknowledge and learn from its impact and to inspire awareness and discussion. Discussing the book "By Design: Why there are no locks on the bathroom doors in the Hotel Louis XIV, and other object lessons" with designer and author Ralph Caplan. Includes an interview with George Nelson.
Content Warning: This conversation has the presence of outdated, biased, offensive language. Rather than remove this content, we present it in the context of twentieth-century social history to acknowledge and learn from its impact and to inspire awareness and discussion. Scottish psychiatrist and author R.D. Laing covers his latest outlook on the ideology of madness, with a specific focus on schizophrenia.