The Bob Edwards Show, February 4 – 8, 2013
Monday, February 4, 2013: In his new documentary Mea Maxima Culpa: Silence in the House of God, Alex Gibney tells the story of a priest in Wisconsin who ran a boarding school for the deaf and systematically molested many of the young boys in his care. Gibney has been on this program for many of his other films, all of which deal with the corruption of power in some form. His past documentaries include Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room, Taxi to the Darkside, and Client 9: The Rise and Fall of Eliot Spitzer. Then, the telecast of the 55th Annual Grammy Awards airs this Sunday. Robert Santelli heads the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles and has written several books about popular music. His latest is titled This Land is Your Land: Woody Guthrie and the Journey of an American Folksong. Santelli’s Woody At 100: The Woody Guthrie Centennial Collection is nominated for Best Historical Album. Finally, Ry Cooder’s eclectic and celebrated career qualifies him to stand among America’s most accomplished guitarists. He has relentlessly pursued new challenges, working as a session musician, a songwriter, a film music composer, and a producer. His unique collaborations have earned Cooder four Grammys, including his 1998’s worldwide smash Buena Vista Social Club. Cooder’s album Election Special is nominated for Best Folk Album at this year’s Grammy Awards.
Tuesday, February 5, 2013: Dror Moreh is director of The Gatekeepers, a striking documentary about the Israeli/Palestinian conflict. The film gives a history of Israel and its intelligence service, the Shin Bet, through interviews with the last five heads of the espionage organization. The Gatekeepers is nominated for Best Documentary at this year’s Academy Awards. Then, Tamara Saviano produced the Guy Clark tribute CD This One’s for Him and it’s nominated for a Grammy for Best Folk Album.
Wednesday, February 6, 2013: Ashok Rajamani talks to Bob about his memoir The Day My Brain Exploded: A True Story. Next,Ronnie Dunn spent 20 years as “The Voice” behind the hit superstar country duo Brooks & Dunn. Now, a year after the two amicably split to pursue solo careers, Dunn is touring behind his solo album,Ronnie Dunn. He speaks with Bob about what’s driving him to start over as a “new artist” after being part of one of popular music’s most successful acts. His song Cost of Livin is nominated for Best Country Song and Best Country Solo Performance at this year’s Grammy Awards. Finally, Bob speaks with musician Bonnie Raitt. In 1970, Raitt took a leave of absence from Radcliffe College to embark on her first tour — with The Rolling Stones. Needless to say, she did not return to school. Raitt’s soulful vocals and scathing slide guitar work have been praised by roots music aficionados for years. Raitt has won 9 Grammy Awards and her newest album Slipstream has just been nominated for Best Americana Album.
Thursday, February 7, 2013: A key purpose of President Obama’s November trip to Asia was to help manage US relations with a rising China by strengthening ties with other Asian countries. In a new book titled The China Fallacy,Donald Gross argues that the United States can benefit economically from China’s rise, strengthen Chinese advocates of human rights and democracy, and avoid a new Cold War. Then, Bob talks to Cuban trumpet virtuoso Arturo Sandoval about his life, music, and fellow musicians. He’s just been nominated for Grammys in Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album and Best Instrumental Arrangement. Finally, Jazz guitarist Pat Metheny has won a stunning 19 Grammys. He sits down with Bob to recount his over thirty five-year career and to discuss his CD Day Trip. Metheny is nominated for Best Jazz Instrumental at Sunday’s Grammy Awards.
Friday, February 8, 2013: Doyle McManus, Washington columnist for the Los Angeles Times, joins Bob to discuss the latest political news. Next, as a banjoist for The Punch Brothers, Noam Pikelny has helped expand the sound of bluegrass. He earned the first annual Steve Martin Prize for Excellence in Banjo and Bluegrass Music, and his second solo album, Beat The Devil and Carry A Rail is up for Best Bluegrass Album Sunday. Pikelny joins Bob in the Sirius XM Performance Studio to discuss his work and play a few tunes. Then, Bob visits with the North Carolina ensemble Carolina Chocolate Drops. The band followed-up their 2010 Grammy-winning album Genuine Negro Jig with their latest CD titled Leaving Eden, which is now up for Best Folk Album. Finally, the latest installment from our series This I Believe.
