Catherine Russell on Mountain Stage

Catherine Russell has an impressive pedigree; with her father being Luis Russell, Louis Armstrong's musical director, and her mother Carline Ray, a bassist and vocalist with advanced degrees from Julliard and the Manhattan School of Music; Russell was, from birth, poised to be a great jazz musician.

It is not surprising that she has taken to jazz, and, as a vocalist, she has performed with everyone from Jackson Browne and Rosanne Cash to Paul Simon, Cyndi Lauper, and David Bowie. And earlier this week, on the 23rd of December, she played on the Mountain Stage.


At Mountain Stage, she played several tracks from her new album, Sentimental Streak, and also a few from her '06 Debut Album, Cat. The lineup from her set was as follows: "This Joint Is Jumpin," "Back O' Town Blues," "New Orleans," "Darn that Dream, " and "Kitchen Man."

To listen to Catherine Russell's set on Mountain Stage, please CLICK HERE.
To learn more about Russell, please visit her Web site: CLICK HERE.

Caroline Kennedy Meets with Syracuse Mayor

John Kennedy's daughter, Caroline Kennedy, the NY State Senator hopeful, recently came to Syracuse for a meeting with Mayor Matt Driscoll. After exiting the meeting, Ms. Kennedy confirmed her interest in the position by stating: "As some of you may have heard, I've told Governor Paterson that I'd be honored to be considered for the position of United States Senator. I wanted to come Upstate and meet with Mayor Driscoll and others to tell them about my experience and also to learn more about how Washington could help these communities."

Mayor Driscoll had this to say about her visit and her interest in the position: "It's an appointment, not an election. So anyone who wants to come and ask me what are the issues that we see in Syracuse, I'd be happy to share that with them. But, at the end of the day, I'll be respecting the governor's process and that is it's his appointment, it is not an election and I also let Ms. Kennedy know that as well."

To read more about this, and to view a live video report, please CLICK HERE to visit News 10 Now.

Do you think Ms. Kennedy would be a good NY State Senator? Why or why not? Share your view on this by clicking on "Comments" below.

Cedar Walton Trio at the Village Vanguard

Jazz Pianist Cedar Walton has released over 30 albums since he put out his first in 1967.

A savvy veteran of jazz's hard-bop heyday, pianist Cedar Walton has always been in high demand. When he arrived in New York, musicians like Art Blakey and John Coltrane employed him on canonic recording sessions. These days, venues around the world clamor to book a jazz great of a bygone era who still fronts his own small groups. Lucky for U.S. audiences, Walton has made it an annual event to play two weeks at New York's Village Vanguard every December. Hear the Cedar Walton Trio in concert at the Vanguard, broadcast live on air by WBGO and live online at NPR Music.

To listen to the entire show online, please CLICK HERE.

Unbelievable Miracle Shot Wins the Game

SUNY Oswego's basketball team is getting some National, possibly even International attention right now as a result of a recent loss to SUNY Geneseo. However, this is no normal loss.

In the last 20 seconds of the game, SUNY Geneseo sunk a basket bringing them 1 point up...then SUNY Oswego replied with another 2-pointer, putting them 1 point up...then, with 1/10 of a second left in the game, senior SUNY Geneseo guard Scott Morton sunk a miracle, diving, over-the-shoulder shot to win the game.

This incredible sequence is certainly well worth wathcing. Check it out by clicking on the video below!

Obama Names Clinton Secretary of State

Barack Obama named Senator Hillary Clinton, his former rival for the Presidential Democratic candidate in this past election, as his Secretary of State today.

During a press conference earlier today in Chicago, Obama stated "I have known Hillary Clinton as a friend, a colleague, a source of counsel, and as a campaign opponent. She possesses an extraordinary intelligence and toughness, and a remarkable work ethic. Hillary's appointment is a sign to friend and foe of the seriousness of my commitment to renew American diplomacy and restore our alliances."

For the full story, and to listen to NPR's Tom Gjelten and Renee Montagne discuss Obama's selection on "Morning Edition," CLICK HERE.

What do you think of Obama's selection? Will Clinton prove a good Secretary of State? Voice your opinion by clicking on "Comments" below.

Richard Bona at the Basel Jazz Festival

Richard Bona, jazz vocalist and bassist born in Cameroon, recently played at the Basel Jazz Festival in Switzerland. With band members from New York, New Hampshire, Cuba, Columbia, and Surinam; his band is as eclectic as the music it plays: from reggae to African to jazz to son montuno.

To get the full story on how the concert unfolded, and to listen to the entire show, Please CLICK HERE.

The Orange Going Green?

As part of NBC Universal's Green Week, Syracuse University and the University of Notre Dame will battle it out to see which university can achieve the greatest carbon footprint reduction.

The Fighting Irish and Orange will meet each other on the turf Nov. 22, but beginning immediately and leading up to the game, SU students, faculty, staff, alumni and fans can take NBC Universal's Green Your Routine challenge to see which campus can take the most action in support of the environment. The winning university will receive $10,000 towards making its campus more eco-friendly.

Tune in to WAER on Saturday, Nov. 22, at 2:30 PM to listen to the game, and root on your team, so that the Orange can go Green!

SU students, faculty, staff, alumni and fans are invited to participate in the Green Your Routine challenge. To participate in the carbon rally, visit the Be Orange Think Green team website: CLICK HERE.

To find out more about NBC Universal's Green Week (Nov. 16-23), during which more than 200 hours of environmentally themed programming will be aired, CLICK HERE. For more information on SU's sustainable initiatives, CLICK HERE.

Who do you think will win the game this Saturday? What do you think SU should do with the funds if the Orange wins? What kinds of sustainability projects should be taking place throughout Syracuse? Let you voice be heard, click on "Comments" below.

Beajoulais and Beyond at Lemon Grass

Please join WAER on SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 23, from 4:30-8:30 PM at Lemon Grass for a night of decadence, extravagance, and exceptional food!

Chef Max, owner of Lemon Grass, will be preparing an extraordinary eight-course meal paired with complementary wines from the Beaujolais province of Burgundy, France.

Beaujolais Nouveau Menu

Roasted Young Chicken
Marinated in our famous yellow curry, cream of coconut, slow roasted.
Served with sweet chili and herb vinaigrette.
(Vegetarian will replace with fried white tofu)

Wanton Vermicelli with Forest Mushrooms Salad
This dish became famous very quickly, field greens, wild mushrooms,
wanton vermicelli, crisp garlic, fresh herbs and nuts.

Roasted Baby Rack of Lamb
Served with our famous Lemon Grass's Peanut Sauce and greens of
the day. Additional Full rack of Lamb $10.00
(Vegetarian will replace with gluten)

Tamarind Duck (Best of the Best)
The most successful entrée since our restaurant has been open.
Served with an Orange-Tamarind sauce.

Filet Mignon
Sautéed sliced filet mignon with fresh garlic, high proof whisky,
hot pepper, and cinnamon basil.
Served with a bunch of crisp cinnamon basil on the top.
(Vegetarian will replace with shredded brown tofu)

Fish of the Day
Served with chili tamarind, greens, and sprig of cilantro.

Shrimp in Green Curry
Served with cinnamon basil and chili peppers.

Coffee and Dessert

This eight-course meal with wine throughout costs $65.00 per person, and
ALL OF THE PROCEEDS FROM THIS EVENT SUPPORT WAER.

Come be a part of this year's Beaujolais Nouveau wine harvest and kick off the holiday season with great friends, fine wine and irresistible dishes. Come with a hearty appetite, and leave with a renewed appreciation for culinary and vineyard delights, and the sincere appreciation of WAER for your charitable generosity.

For more information, or to RSVP, please contact Rebecca Slye by email at raslye@syr.edu, or by telephone at 315-443-4834.

There are only a few spots left, reserve yours now!

Property Tax Cuts in Syracuse?

A few hours after Governor David Patterson announced his plan for massive cuts in funding as a result of the current state of the economy in New York, another hearing was held in Syracuse to discuss a cap on property tax rates. This hearing is the 14th to take place on this topic in the past few months.

At the hearing, Nassau County Executive Tom Suozzi exclaimed “Property taxes are crushing us here in New York State. We need the State Senate and the State Assembly to take serious action to address the property tax problem we face throughout New York…this is the worst economic crisis in this country since the Great Depression.”

He continued, by saying “There's an old saying that you can't waste a good crisis. Well, we've got a crisis now. It's a real crisis. An economic crisis that's affecting all of us. We should see this as an opportunity to address the property tax problem that we've faced for over a decade now.”

Matt Driscoll, Mayor of Syracuse, disagreed: “If cuts in these schedule payments indeed become a reality, the pressure to increase property taxes to maintain existing service levels will increase significantly,” and William Meyer, Onondaga County Legislature Chairman, backed him up: “In every local government and school district, the property tax is the tax of last resort. Minus all other revenue, we must raise property taxes.”

Who do you agree with? Are the property tax cuts a good or a bad idea, and why? Click on “Comments” below and tell us what you think.

Congress Eyes Auto Bailout

House Democrats led by Barney Frank want to push through an auto company relief plan next week that would provide $25 billion in loans from the $700 billion bailout bill. Treasury Secretary Paulson objects and some House Republicans agree.

All Things Considered, November 12, 2008

To listen to the whole story from this morning's All Things Considered, CLICK HERE.

What do you think about this bailout? Do you support it? If so, why? If not, where else do you think the money should go? Let your voice be heard: Click on "Comments" below.

Jazz stars linked to mental illness

Many of the great names in the jazz world had lives blighted by mental illness, abuse, and drugs, say researchers.

They say that the artistic creativity associated with maestros such as Miles Davis may go hand in hand with an increased risk of mental problems.

Dr Geoffrey Wills, a psychologist from Stockport, Greater Manchester, looked at the biographies of 40 world-renowned musicians.

He found that those he studied appeared eight times more likely to have suffered from drug dependency.

Dr Wills also found that mood disorders appeared to be four times more likely among this group of jazz greats.

The psychologist said that he was not trying to imply that all jazz musicians had such problems, but that they shared the same vulnerability to mental health problems as other creative types such as writers and artists.

Consider your favorite jazz musician or artist. Does this apply? Or is it much ado about nothing?

Transition from Bush to Obama: Not an Easy One

A new executive branch has begun to take shape in Washington, as transition teams from President-elect Barack Obama's staff are arriving at all of the government agencies. Their task is to identify the top issues facing the agencies — and what Obama's top priorities ought to be when he takes office on Jan. 20.

Many people who've been through presidential transitions in the past say the combination of two wars abroad, an economic crisis at home and unparalleled security threats make this one of the most challenging and important transition periods in modern history.

Indiana University law professor Dawn Johnsen, who was on the Clinton transition team in 1992, believes the transition to Obama has much higher stakes because of the many national security issues involved.

"He and President Bush have very different views on a range of issues, especially related to counterterrorism," Johnsen says. Those issues, she says, include the Guantanamo Bay facility, detainee treatment and interrogation practices.

"We need to start now, during the transition, making sure the country is moving in the direction President-elect Obama wants to take the country," Johnsen says.
Obama's team has two-and-a-half months, and counting.

Morning Edition, November 6, 2008

For more about this, and to listen to this entire segment on Morning Edition, please CLICK HERE.


What do you think are some of the fundamental policy differences between Bush and Obama? How do you think Obama is going to change things? What kind of change will he bring? Is this a good or a bad thing? Let your voice be heard: click on “comments” below.

Will The Fed's Latest Rate Cut Help The Economy?

For the second time in three weeks, the Federal Reserve has cut a key interest rate by half a percentage point, to 1 percent — the lowest level in four years. But is the action going to help get credit flowing again?

The short answer is that the cuts to the federal funds target should help, but not as much as would be expected under normal circumstances, NPR's John Ydstie tells host Michele Norris. He says the level of interest rates hasn't been the issue; the credit freeze stems from banks' unwillingness to lend for fear of not being paid back.

"These rate cuts aren't likely to ease the fears of not being paid back, but they will help struggling businesses and consumers," Ydstie says.

"That's because the federal funds rate dictates the prime rate. So businesses with existing credit lines and consumers with mortgages or credit card rates tied to the prime rate, they'll get a half-a-point rate cut, too," he says. "That should encourage some borrowing and consumption, and contribute to some economic growth."
Could the federal funds rate hit 0 percent?

Ydstie calls this a possibility. "The Fed is going to use every piece of ammunition it has to try to cushion this downturn, so we'll see just how low they go," he says.

From All Things Considered, October 29, 2008

To listen to this segment of All Things Considered in its entirety, please CLICK HERE to LISTEN NOW.

Do you agree with Ydstie that this new rate cut is going to help? If its not going to help, what do you think will? Please share your thoughts by clicking on “comments” below.

Donte Greene “Haunted” by Decision to Leave Syracuse

Donte Greene, former SU B-ball standout and 1st-Round NBA draft pick of the Sacramento Kings, was on Sportsnight this past Saturday. Donte touched upon a number of topics with Sportsnight host Chris McManus, and Danny Parkins. He spoke about how his decision to leave Syracuse “still haunts him today”, and how his believes that he is still “hated” up here (and that he had to change his phone # a few times to avoid some nasty calls).

Dante also talks about how he thinks he’ll do in the NBA…and how he thinks the team back at Syracuse will be this year. Plus…he speaks about his new found interest in Hello Kitty.

Listen to all 7 minutes of the interview; check out the WAER Sports section of Syracuse.com by CLICKING HERE.

What do you think about Dante? How do you feel about him leaving? Do you agree with how he thinks the team will be this year? Share your views below.

Palin's Campaign Cash

Media outlets report that the Republican National Committee (RNC) has spent more that $150,000 to clothe and accessorize vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin and her family since September. This includes bills from Saks Fifth Avenue in the amount of $49,425, Neiman Marcus for $75,062 and $4,716 on hair and makeup. Politico.com reports "the cash expenditures immediately raised questions among campaign finance experts about their legality under the Federal Election Commission's long-standing advisory opinions on using campaign cash to purchase items for personal use." A review of similar records for the campaign of Democrat Barack Obama and the DNC turned up no similar spending. Is this a legitimate campaign issue? Share your thoughts.

Bush Talks About the Economy

The economy didn't falter overnight, "and it's going to take a while for the credit system to thaw," Bush said just before the markets opened, speaking across a park from the White House at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce building, a symbolic headquarters of American business.

Despite a flurry of radical actions by the Bush administration and the Federal Reserve, banks in the United States and abroad are still wary of lending money to each other and to their customers. The credit clog is depriving the wheezing U.S. economy of oxygen.

Financial and credit problems have dragged on for more than a year and took a dangerous turn for the worse last month. All the fallout threatens to plunge the U.S. economy — as well as the world economy — into a painful recession.

That has led to erratic trading on Wall Street, where the Dow Jones industrials have swung widely, slashing a trillion dollars of wealth from the markets one day, only to pile some of it back on the next. The Dow fell more than 200 points shortly after opening on Friday, then recovered slightly.



Bush defended the recent deep government intrusions into private business, which would have been extraordinary for any U.S. administration but have been particularly so for a Republican president.

"I would oppose such measures under ordinary circumstances," Bush said. "But these are not ordinary circumstances."

Seeking to calm fearful investors, Bush said the steps are "big enough and bold enough to work."

From The Associated Press

Do you agree with the President? Are these steps actually going to work? Are we already in a recession? If you think so, how long do you think it will take us to get out of it? Voice your opinion: click “Comments” below.

Last Edition of "Voting for the Future"

Be sure to tune in on Thursday, October 16th at 7 pm for the last installment of our "Voting for the Future" special election reports. This series, hosted by Chris Bolt, WAER's News Director, touches on social and political topics relevant to the U.S. as a whole, and then discusses them in relation to their impact on Central New York. It is national news put in a regional context.

In this last edition of Voting for the Future, Chris will be considering the decisions ahead for the next president regarding the war in Iraq and military actions in Afghanistan.

How easy is it to make a decision to bring troops home and is that the right decision. How long would it take, even once such a decision is made? What kind of impacts has the war policy over the past five to seven years had on world opinion? And what impacts are we feeling here at home both economically and with the challenges of caring for veterans upon their return? In addition to the comments and viewpoints of experts, we invite you to call in with your questions and opinions.

So tune in Thursday, October 16th at 7 pm for "Voting for the Future, the War in Iraq," on your home for Music, News and NPR, WAER 88.3 FM.


Voice your opinion of the War in Iraq before the next WAER Voting for the Future election special. How should we define success? What would constitute a victory in this war? Which presidential candidate has the best policy for dealing with Iraq and
Afghanistan? Please click on “Comments” below to let your voice be heard.

Syracuse University : West Virgina University

Head to Head

On Saturday, October 11, at 12:00 Noon (Eastern Time), SU will take on West Virgina on the Mountaineers' home turf.

The West Virginia Mountaineers currently have a 2-2 record. Before facing the Orange, the Mountaineers face the Rutgers Scarlet Knights (1-3) this Saturday, October 4. This game may be a decent bellwether for how WV will perform against SU.

Don't miss WAER's live coverage of the game; tune in to 88.3 at noon on Saturday, October 11, and then listen again at 8 PM for the SportsNight segment, where we will recap the game.

Will SU win its second game of the season? Should there be a coaching change in the near future? Click on “Comments” below to share your thoughts now.

Programming Notes

Jazz to start airing at 8 PM

Now get more of the music you love earlier in the evening. Starting Monday, October 6, 2008 WAER moves jazz programming back to 8 PM Mondays - Fridays. Hear your favorite locally produced classic and contemporary jazz shows and NPR jazz programs immediately following Fresh Air.

Piano Jazz moves back to evenings

Marian McPartland's Piano Jazz, a forum for jazz legends and influential performers, can now be heard Thursday evenings at 8 PM starting October 9th. (Music Director Eric Cohen will aptly fill the vacated Thursday 3 PM time slot). For more information about Piano Jazz, please visit its Web site: CLICK HERE.

NPR's JazzSet is added to the schedule

Since 1992, NPR's JazzSet with Dee Dee Bridgewater has been the jazz lover's ears on the world of live music, taking listeners to hear top artists performing on stages around the world. Grammy and Tony award-winning Dee Dee Bridgewater introduces the artists and guides listeners through the hour program each week. Recent shows featured Kenny Barron and Eliane Elias live in concert. JazzSet airs Tuesday evenings at 8 PM starting October 7th. To learn more about JazzSet, please CLICK HERE.

Daily music service, JazzWorks, will start airing at 11 PM beginning October 6th.

Pulse of the Planet joins the lineup

Are you curious about mother earth? Tune in to Pulse of the Planet for a sound portrait of Planet Earth, tracking the rhythms of nature, culture and science worldwide while blending interviews and extraordinary natural sounds. Recent shows include Tsunamis, Climbing Giant Redwoods, and Ocean Dead Zones. The two-minute modules start airing October 6th on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 10:30 AM and 2:30 PM. For more information of Pulse of the Planet, please CLICK HERE.

WAER will no longer air News and Notes

In an effort to better meet the needs of our listeners, WAER will cease airing NPR's News & Notes weekday evenings at 8 PM and will replace it with music programming. Repeated listener requests to air music earlier in the evening and the declining audience for News & Notes are the reasons for the change. The program was never able to repeat the success it had airing weekdays at 9 AM. The move to 8 PM was necessitated by NPR's change in the show's production and satellite feed time. WAER sincerely regrets any inconvenience that this change may cause. Fans of the show can access the program daily on-line at www.npr.org.

Here's your chance to share your thoughts on the recent programming and schedule changes. Please click on "Comments" below and let us know what you think.

The "NPR Community"

NPR recently started their "NPR Community" initiative, explaining that: "We are making it possible for anyone who registers with us to comment on a story and to create a profile page where many interesting things can happen. We are providing a forum for infinite conversations on NPR.org. Our hopes are high. We hope the conversations will be smart and generous of spirit. We hope the adventure is exciting, fun, helpful and informative. This is important for the NPR community."

Current chatter in the NPR Community includes stories and comments with titles ranging from "House Rejects Bailout Bill; Wall Street Shudders," and "Palin Tries For Second Act On The Road," to "Exclusive Preview: Bob Dylan's 'Tell Tale Signs.'

NPR just barely beat WAER with their release of this community initiative! Very similar to their idea, the WAER Blog will serve the same purpose, but for the WAER listenership, in the Central New York area. We want to provide you, our listeners, with a forum in which you can voice your opinions on the issues most relevant to our community. Stay tuned on this issue, as we will be "going public" with the WAER Blog soon!

To learn more about the concept of "The NPR Community," please CLICK HERE; to actually visit the Community please CLICK HERE.

To add any thoughts, suggestions, comments, or anything else relevant to the WAER Blog, please click on "Comments" below and let us know what you think!

Beaujolais and Beyond

Please join WAER on SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 23, from 4:30-8:30 PM at Lemon Grass for a night of decadence, extravagance, and exceptional food!

Chef Max, owner of Lemon Grass, will be preparing an extraordinary eight-course meal paired with complementary wines from the Beaujolais province of Burgundy, France.

Beaujolais Nouveau Menu
 
Roasted Young Chicken
Marinated in our famous yellow curry, cream of coconut, slow roasted.
Served with sweet chili and herb vinaigrette.
(Vegetarian will replace with fried white tofu)
 
Wanton Vermicelli with Forest Mushrooms Salad
This dish became famous very quickly, field greens, wild mushrooms,
wanton vermicelli, crisp garlic, fresh herbs and nuts.
 
  Roasted Baby Rack of Lamb
Served with our famous Lemon Grass's Peanut Sauce and greens of
the day.  Additional Full rack of Lamb $10.00
(Vegetarian will replace with gluten)
 
Tamarind Duck (Best of the Best)
The most successful entrée since our restaurant has been open.
Served with an Orange-Tamarind sauce.
 
Filet Mignon
Sautéed sliced filet mignon with fresh garlic, high proof whisky,
hot pepper, and cinnamon basil.
Served with a bunch of crisp cinnamon basil on the top.
(Vegetarian will replace with shredded brown tofu)
 
Fish of the Day
Served with chili tamarind, greens, and sprig of cilantro.
 
Shrimp in Green Curry
Served with cinnamon basil and chili peppers.
 
Coffee and Dessert

This eight-course meal with wine throughout costs $65.00 per person, and
ALL OF THE PROCEEDS FROM THIS EVENT SUPPORT WAER.

Come be a part of this year's Beaujolais Nouveau wine harvest and kick off the holiday season with great friends, fine wine and irresistible dishes. Come with a hearty appetite, and leave with a renewed appreciation for culinary and vineyard delights, and the sincere appreciation of WAER for your charitable generosity.

For more information, or to RSVP, please contact Rebecca Slye by email at raslye@syr.edu, or by telephone at 315-443-4834.

Eric Cohen's Featured CD's of the Week

If you missed Eric Cohen's featured CD releases this week, here is a recap of what we played; consider it your "Best of New Music" cheat sheet!

1. Pianist and Vocalist Ray Brown Jr.

Born in New York City and raised in a family of musical royalty (the son of singer Ella Fitzgerald and legendary jazz bass player Ray Brown), Ray Brown, Jr. learned early to appreciate the beauty and artistry of music.

Although the primary emphasis was jazz, Ray's heart was in rock and roll and rhythm and blues. The family migrated to California where Ray studied piano at the age of 10. At 14, drums became an extended musical passion, so dad arranged for young Ray to study with Bill Douglas and later with Chuck Flores in Los Angeles.

"Because of my roots," says Ray, "people always assume I sing jazz or play jazz. That's what they ask when they meet me for the first time. People are surprised when I sing country or rock and roll.

To hear some of Ray's music, especially the tracks from his new album, Friends and Family, check out: His Web Site.

2. Saxophonist David Sanborn

David recorded his first album in 1975 ( Taking Off ) and since then he's rarely gone more then two years between releases. So far, David has released an amazing 22 solo albums.

The latest of his works, Here and Gone, came out on August 12.
Produced by the legendary Phil Ramone, the nine-track CD features a number of special guests, including Eric Clapton, Sam Moore and Joss Stone. For more information on the new album, please visit the official website of Decca Records.

For more information about David Sanborn, visit his Web site by clicking Here.

3. Guitarist Greg Chako

In 2003, after finishing a successful, steady jazz gig in China with singer Dee Dee McNeil, pianist Jack Holland, and bassist Donald Jackson, American guitarist Greg Chako moved to Japan with his Japanese wife (of 3 years) to start a new life. However, shortly after arriving in Japan, he discovered his beloved wife had terminal cancer. The shocking, all-consuming experience that followed caused a 2-3 year playing and recording hiatus. However, after the death of his wife in 2004 at age 37, he began slowly to get back into his music.

In 2005/2006 he released 2 new CDs, the first double CD containing all-original compositions called "Where We Find Ourselves", dedicated to his late wife. Played by a tight, swinging horn ensemble, the fresh, varied arrangements are mostly mainstream, with splashes of Latin and World music, and even a couple vocal tracks showing off Chakos` own lyrics, which are as thoughtful and supremely lyrical as his improvising. Shortly thereafter, he released his 7th CD, "Two`s Company, Three`s a Crowd", a series of swinging duets of guitar/piano and guitar/vocal covers, some live. Seeming content to stay and develop his performance contacts in and around the Tokyo area, Chako is now focused on promoting and extending his prolific composing and recording career.

His newest album, Everybody's Got a Name, is not only available in a traditional CD format, but also in a downloadable MP3 version which you can buy Here. For more info. on Greg Chako, please Click Here.

Words and Music Songwriter Showcase

WAER is proud to announce its sponsorship of the Words & Music Songwriter Showcase with host Jeffrey Pepper Rodgers.

The Words and Music Songwriter Showcase is a concert series featuring top musicians from Central New York sharing their original songs in an intimate acoustic setting.

Series host Jeffrey Pepper Rodgers is a grand prize winner in the John Lennon Songwriting Contest. His song "Fly," won the grand prize in the country category of the John Lennon Songwriting Contest. Judged by music industry veterans and recording artists such as Bob Weir, John Legend, and Natasha Bedingfield, the Lennon contest is one of today's most prestigious international songwriting competitions. The song can be heard on the John Lennon Songwriting Contest website at: http://www.jlsc.com (click on Winners)

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, at the Auburn Public Theater,
WAER and Words and Music will be hosting Dusty Pas'cal with Loren Barrigar plus Dick Ward, Jeff Connor, and Rory O'Bannion (See flyer below).

Dusty Pas'cal is a singer-songwriter. He's a poet, he's a picker, he's a prophet and he's a pusher, he's a pilgrim and a preacher and a problem when he's stoned, he's a walkin' contradiction, partly truth and partly fiction, taken every wrong direction on his lonely way back home. For this show, Dusty will be joined by guitarist extraordinaire Loren Barrigar.

Then, on FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, at Jazz Central in Syracuse, the Words and Music Songwriter Showcase will feature Donna Colton and the Troublemakers with Mike Gibson, Len Widdekind, and Laura Courtwright.

To view other upcoming shows, or to get more info. about the Words and Music Songwriter Showcase, Please Click Here.

Buy Back the Campaign!

We at WAER invite you to "Jump on the Buyback Bandwagon" this fall. This past spring, WAER supporters were able to cut the pledge drive in half by renewing early. Cutting the drive in half means that we get to provide you twice the music and shows that you love to listen to, and half of the on-air pledge time!

All renewals received between now and October 20, will count towards the Buy-Back Campaign. We need to raise $20,000 in renewals in order to keep our pledge drive to a 4-day drive. You can make it happen!

In addition to shortening the fall pledge drive, your renewal donation will automatically enter you into a drawing for a new HD radio!

And remember that at the $75 level, you qualify for the WAER MemberCard, good for 2-for-1 admission at local cultural events and recreational attractions as well as 2-for-1 entrees at over 25 local restaurants. CLICK HERE for a list of all the WAER Membership Incentives.


As you consider your level of giving, please remember that your annual support allows us to keep our community informed, inspired, and enriched by the news and information that WAER and NPR provide to Central New York 24 hours every day!

Please CLICK HERE to pledge, or CLICK HERE to learn more about Buy Back the Campaign.

WAER couldn't exist without your donations. Your donations fuel the intellectual and musical fire not only here at WAER, but also for NPR as a whole. Please help us keep you informed and entertained! Thank you!

Reminder: Wescott Street Cultural Fair is Approaching!

As mentioned in the last edition of WAER's Blue Notes, the Westcott Street Cultural Fair is quickly approaching. Taking place on Sunday, September 21, from 12:00-6:30 PM, the fair is sure to be a blast!

Because WAER is committed to the Central New York community, we are not only sponsors of this fair, but also active participants.

WAER's Eric Cohen will host the Main Stage, where the band Sophistafunk, led by WAER Funk Show host Adam Gold, will be rockin' from 4:00-5:00 P.M.

On the Multicultural Stage, WAER's "Top of the World" hosts Mark Bostic and Connie Wailer will emcee a number of performances including Son Boricua.



And on the Common Threads 11th Anniversary Stage, Larry Hoyt will host WAER Program Director Ron Ockert and his band The Econoline Cowboys.