“Rose petals seem to fall,” as Abbey Lincoln ushers in our homage to Edward Kennedy “Duke” Ellington, born 127 Aprils ago. Lean into the Maestro’s magic through orchestral as well as solo recordings. Plus: piano masters Ran Blake and Marian McPartland radically deconstruct Ellington classics. From a Dutch duet for harmonica & steel pan to […]
In the Wilderness ~ Haunted by the Dreams I Own Read More »
Carla Bley and Alice Coltrane, two American icons of improvised music, share our imaginary bandstand for Women’s History Month. We’ll plunge into the freewheeling joys of Bley’s jazz orchestra, then explore Coltrane’s reimagining of the harp as a spiritual instrument, including a classical chamber music arrangement of her Sanskrit-inspired “Prema.” Neil Molloy hosts. I C
In the Wilderness ~ Bley & Coltrane ~ 3-3-26 Read More »
Your voyage begins with water spiralling through the cosmos, via Japanese music for crotales, marimba, and vibes. Appealing percussive sounds from Scotland soon follow, then it’s off to France for full-throated chanting by a harmonic choir. Singaporean bassoonist Jo Anne Sukumaran jams with tabla master Sanjay Kansa Banik, and Mingus alum George Adams takes us
In the Wilderness ~ Winter Travels ~ 2/3/26 Read More »
Greek guitarist Antigoni Goni once told an interviewer, “The guitar is capable of producing many colors and voices, but these colors do not originate from the instrument. They originate inside the mind of the artist, who must cultivate the ability to tap into this universe and create these colors through the guitar.” This month on
In the Wilderness ~ Soft Guitars ~ 1-6-26 Read More »
Oat Nog Alert! Mostly moody (and maybe a little bit merry) it’s an all-Yuletide hour for the holiday season.From fingerstyle guitar to choral to jazz to cabaret to gospel, here’s your chill soundtrack for snowfall, visions of sugar plums, and that crackling Yule log in your virtual fireplace…Neil Molloy hosts. ICYMI: Show archive: https://kxrw.fm/inthewilderness/ Meet
In the Wilderness / Yuletide Edition 12/02/25 Read More »
American original Sheila Jordan would have turned 97 this November 18th, a milestone we’re missing by three months and one week. This hour of In the Wilderness delves into her peerless vocal performances from the 1970s and ‘80s, on vinyl she made with pianist-composer Steve Kuhn and double-bassist Harvie S. Along the way, we’ll hear
In the Wilderness – Sheila Jordan’s Sound of Blue – 11/04/25 Read More »
A guitar or two; likewise bass; some sweet violins to circle Charlie “the Bird” Parker; and one mighty viola in a starring role! Plus a pair of trombones, a poem by Makoto Ōoka, the magnificent voice of Betty Carter, and a nod to Ray Bradbury on the 70th anniv of The October Country because, hey,
In the Wilderness – Strings Around Autumn – 10/07/25 Read More »
Conventional wisdom tells us that summer dies the instant Labor Day ends. But is that really true? (Has it ever been?) Likewise, the calendar page heralding autumn the third week of September is no guarantee that summer heat will take a hike. Hear then, “Songs for Late Summer,” an In the Wilderness playlist curated as
In the Wilderness – Songs for Late Summer – 9/02/25 Read More »
Born on August 6, 1930, the singer-songwriter Abbey Lincoln would have turned 95 this summer. In the Wilderness honors her almost-centennial with songs ranging from her sepia supperclub days of the late 1950s to her valedictory recording in 2007. You’ll hear her compositions as well as Lincoln’s leonine flights through music by Coltrane, Billie Holiday,
In the Wilderness – 95 Years of Abbey Lincoln – 8/05/25 Read More »