guitar

As Texas leads the nation in ‘family annihilation’ cases, what can be done?

Ken Paxton, the impeached attorney general, is headed for a Houston courtroom today on his 2015 securities fraud charges.

An update on wildfires across the state as firefighters brace for another tough day of heat and wind. We’ll hear where the fire threat is greatest and what to do to prepare.

Since 2020, Texas has emerged as the epicenter of “family annihilation” cases, in which someone kills at least two kinds of family members.

A new documentary traces the careers of two of Texas’ most famous musical siblings: Jimmie and Stevie Ray Vaughan.

And commentator WF Strong on what “Lonesome Dove “got right and wrong.

Texas Standard: April 5, 2022

Could what critics call Florida’s “don’t say gay” law be coming to Texas? The Texas Lt. Governor says it’s a top priority. Also, the end on an historic union lockout dubbed the “Battle of Beaumont”; what it says about organized labor in Texas. And, a collection of artifacts sheds new light on one of Texas’ most celebrated musicians. Those stories and much more today on the Texas Standard:

All Things Grammys

This week on The Breaks hosts Confucius and Fresh:

Discuss this year’s Grammy Awards.
Jump into the drama surrounding Kirk Franklin after his son Kerrion released a profanity laden phone call from the gospel artist.
Drop little known facts about about Grammy history, the movie “Paid in Full,” the tv shows “In Living Color” and “Snowfall” and more in the latest installment of Random Hip-Hop Facts
Fresh states the Unpopular Opinion that while it’s wonderful to see the Black Pumas represent Austin on the national stage, he still thinks Austin is being unfairly depicted as a guitar only town.
Inspired by the Megan the Stallion and Cardi B’s Grammy performance of WAP! Confucius encourages men to stop policing women’s behavior and fathers to stop policing their daughter’s sexuality in his Confucius Says segment.

You can hear the latest full broadcast of The Breaks Saturday night show.

Jackie Venson Artist Feature

For the first 50 days of quarantine during the coronavirus pandemic, Austin musician Jackie Venson live-streamed hours of musical performances from her home. She awoke at the end of the meditative marathon to a new normal for Austin musicians: no touring, no in-person shows, and no idea of what would come next. But in her calmed state of mind, Venson focused on her practice and her music, and used her platform to stand for Black musicians and Black lives. Last month, she received the honor of playing her first ACL Live performance – a culmination of her patience and perseverance in this uncertain year.

Video by Julia Reihs.

George Benson

Guitarist George Benson recorded his first album at the age of 21 and continues to be a tremendous influence in the guitar world. In this edition of Liner Notes, jazz historian and Rabbi Neil Blumofe discusses the ongoing life and career of George Benson.

Pat Martino

Through his innovative post-bop, fusion and soul jazz, guitarist Pat Martino overcame a memory crisis and focused on the present to rediscover his technique. In this edition of Liner Notes, jazz historian and Rabbi Neil Blumofe recollects Pat Martino, his struggle with amnesia, and how he re-learned his iconic technique.

Texas Standard: June 18, 2018

The Homeland Security chief tweets that the U.S. does not have a policy of separating families at the border: is that fact or fiction? Over the weekend, outrage grows over the so-called zero-tolerance policy on illegal immigration, a drama playing out across south Texas. We’ll talk with the Houston Chronicle’s immigration reporter to hear what she’s learned about how families are separated and what is and isn’t done to get them back together. Also an unusual death penalty appeal: not a plea to spare a life, but for a different method of killing, we’ll explore. Plus: does your teenager know what he or she needs to when it comes to Texas law? Those stories and so much more today on the Texas Standard:

Texas Standard: December 26, 2017

It was the biggest weather disaster in Texas history: this hour we’re exploring how it changed the contours of the lone star state. We’re retracing Hurricane Harvey’s path through southeast Texas, and the long and winding road to recovery. From Port Aransas to Houston and the golden triangle, it’s the story of a storm which the weather service warned would have no precedent, but Texans came together in ways large and small, helping strangers in need, and finding new ways forward. On this day after Christmas, we’re reconsidering an event that changed Texas in countless ways:

Texas Standard: January 3, 2017

As members of congress return to Washington, Texas lawmakers get ready to return to austin. The road ahead reconsidered today. Also when police use deadly force against an unarmed suspect, what happens next? A new investigation in Houston suggests very little. We’ll have details of a new investigative report. And Texas wine versus Texas cotton? A decision by the EPA could pit the two against each other, we’ll hear why. And Sinatra versus Sinatra in a Texas courtroom: the issue? Love and marriage. And bitcoin is ballooning, or is that a bubble getting ready to burst? Those stories and so much more today on the Texas Standard:

Texas Standard: October 4, 2016

Amid the spectacle of 2016, little serious policy discussion. Or is there room for serious debate? We’ll explore. Also lost in the drone of nasty exchanges over Trump’s taxes and Clinton’s stamina, one of the most serious humanitarian and foreign policy challenges since the Cold War, unfolding right now, yet all but ignored in the US. A top Texas analyst tells us it’s time to start paying attention. Plus: come and take it…with reservations. The people of Gonzales love their iconic flag, but have misgivings over how its being used. And isn’t it rich? Police and school districts on lockdown over clowns. Making sense of the sightings. All that and much more today on the Texas Standard:

V&B: Wes Montgomery and The Art of Confidence

In this episode of Views & Brews, KUT’s Rebecca McInroy joins Rabbi Neil Blumofe in conversation about one of the 20th century’s most influential jazz guitarists, Wes Montgromery. We’ll discuss what we give up as we make a living and how Montgomery’s music and life lessons help us learn about our own choices, and our own sense of purpose and last contribution.

This Views & Brews also features renditions of selected Wes Montgomery works performed by Mitch Watkins (guitar), Ephraim Owens (trumpet), Roscoe Beck (bass), Rich Harney (piano) and Brannen Temple (drums).

Texas Standard: June 15, 2015

The seventh largest city in the country elects its first African American mayor–what the outcome says about our political future today. Also, the faces of Texas death row…a new digital window both humanizes the condemned, and raises the hackles of some defense attorneys. Also, ever had trouble scoring those must have tickets? You might have better luck if you were a bot. What sellers could do about the problem—and why they won’t. And John Lennon’s guitar–lost in 63, resurfaces in Texas at a Presidential Library…all those stories and much more today today’s edition of the Texas Standard:

Bill Frisell (3.23.14)

Bill Frisell is not only an innovator on jazz guitar, but has worked in many genres to develop a sound-rich landscape. He fuses many cultures and sensibilities together, which can help us navigate our way through the modern American experience, both tangibly and metaphysically. Rabbi Neil Blumofe describes his sound as post-post-modern.

Herb Ellis (Sunday 8.4.13)

Herb Ellis gave us a different way of looking at the different ways of coping with the events of the 1950s and 1960s. He incorporated the blues and twang into a bee bop sound with his jazz guitar playing. He’s most well-known for joining the Oscar Peterson Trio in the 1950s.