Saturday, Oct. 13, 2012

Ben Sidran: Jews, Music, and the American Dream

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Although best known in some circles for writing Steve Miller’s hit song “Space Cowboy,” Ben Sidran is more widely recognized as the host of National Public Radio’s landmark jazz series Jazz Alive (winner of a Peabody Award) and as the host of VH-1 television’s New Visions series, which received the Ace Award for best music series. A pianist, producer, singer, and composer, he has recorded twenty-five solo albums, including the GRAMMY-nominated Concert for Garcia Lorca, and has produced recordings for such noted artists as Van Morrison and Diana Ross. He won an Emmy Award for his score of the documentary Vietnam: Long Time Coming. As a noted author, his latest book is There Was a Fire: Jews, Music and the American Dream, on which his MIM show will be based. “An extraordinary tour de force, weaving cultural, political, musical, and economic history. . . . Sidran is a warm, funny, and authoritative guide in this thrilling, adventurous social history of popular music.”—Daniel J. Levitin, author of This Is Your Brain on Music