A couple of weeks ago, I had the privilege of visiting my dear friend John Abramson in Boston to collaborate on a show. John and I had been friends for over fifty years, sharing countless moments and, always, a deep love of music. Growing up in Forest Hills, Queens gave John a direct line to both the Doo Wop tradition and the folk music of Greenwich Village in the 1960s, and he spent much of our friendship turning me on to both genres. His knowledge was encyclopedic, his passion endless. This show grew out of that collaboration.
Just a few days after we recorded it, John was hospitalized, gravely ill. He returned home on Friday to be with his wife and passed away on Saturday night. This show is dedicated to John— to our friendship, to our shared passion for all kinds of music, and to the love I carry for him.
This week Next To Silence enters the mesmerizing world of Piano Circus — six pianists seated around a circle of grand pianos, where rhythm becomes landscape, repetition turns to revelation, and minimalism meets maximal energy.
Piano Circus was founded in 1989 by six British pianists — Chris Fitkin, Timothy Seddon, Max Richter, John Metcalfe, Kate Halsall, and Joby Talbot — who came together to perform Steve Reich’s Six Pianos. The group emerged from London’s vibrant contemporary music scene, blending classical discipline with minimalist experimentation, and quickly became known for their daring six-piano arrangements and collaborations with composers across the UK, Europe, and the US.
Playlist for the week of November 3, 2025:
00:00:00 Chris Fitkin; Piano Circus — Sextet
00:09::48 Steve Reich; Piano Circus — Six Pianos
00:34:29 Kevin Volans; Piano Circus — Kneeling Dance
00:43:03 Timothy Paul Seddon; Piano Circus — 16
00:47:43 Robert Moran; Piano Circus — Three Dances: Lithuanian Spin
This week’s show is built around ten jazz albums that didn’t just make waves—they changed the course of music history. These recordings stretch from the early roots of jazz to the boldest innovations of the modern era, each one a landmark that expanded what jazz could be. Tonight, we’ll move from Armstrong’s Hot Five in the 1920s, to Ellington’s Newport triumph, to Coltrane’s spiritual masterpiece, and beyond. Let’s lean in, listen closely, and hear the moments when the world of music opened a little wider.
Playlistst for the week of September 22, 2025:
00:02:12 Miles Davis (with John Coltrane, Cannonball Adderley, Bill Evans) – So What
00:11:33 John Coltrane – A Love Supreme – Pt. I: Acknowledgement
00:22:33 Louis Armstrong & His Hot Five – Heebie Jeebies
00:25:24 The Dave Brubeck Quartet – Take Five
00:30:45 The Dave Brubeck Quartet – Blue Rondo à la Turk
00:37:28 Charles Mingus – Fables of Faubus
00:48:59 Herbie Hancock – Chameleon
01:04:31 Ornette Coleman – Lonely Woman
01:09:28 Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong – Dream a Little Dream of Me
01:12:32 Duke Ellington – Diminuendo in Blue – Live at Newport
This Week’s Show brings you female voices that changed everything — Joni, Aretha, Rickie, Janis, Stevie, and more. Songs of power, tenderness, and soul, sung by women who left their mark on music history. This is the first of many shows featuring some of my favorite songs sung by female singers.
Playlist for the week of September 15, 2025:
00:00:00 Joni Mitchell – “Coyote”
00:07:44 Rickie Lee Jones – “We Belong Together”
00:12:45 Stone Poneys (feat. Linda Ronstadt) – “Different Drum”
00:15:22 Jefferson Airplane – “Somebody to Love”
00:18:16 Carole King – “It’s Too Late”
00:22:08 Jim Kweskin & Maria Muldaur – “I’m a Woman”
00:25:59 Ronnie Spector – “Don’t Worry Baby”
00:29:38 Etta James – “I’d Rather Go Blind” (1967)
00:32:13 Linda Lewis – “Spring Song”
00:34:20 Stevie Nicks – “Edge of Seventeen”
00:41:58 Heart – “Crazy On You”
00:46:52 Tina Turner – “What’s Love Got to Do With It”
00:50:40 Martha Reeves & The Vandellas – “Dancing in the Street”
00:53:18 Carly Simon – “You’re So Vain”
00:57:34 Eurythmics (Annie Lennox & Dave Stewart) – “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)”
This week’s NEXT TO SILENCE is all about transformation—when a Bob Dylan song takes on new life in someone else’s voice. From rock to folk, soul to Cajun, gospel to garage—these covers prove Dylan’s songwriting has no borders. Whether it’s Hendrix electrifying the apocalypse or Judy Collins spinning poetry into silk, we’re traveling across genres, generations, and states of mind. Let’s hear how other legends interpret the man who’s been called a poet, a prophet, and a mystery.
Playlist for the week of August 11, 2025:
00:00:00 Bruce Springsteen – “The Times They Are A-Changin’”
00:06:56 The Byrds – “Mr. Tambourine Man”
00:09:12 Jimi Hendrix – “All Along the Watchtower”
00:13:11 George Harrison – “If Not For You” (Remastered)
00:16:4 Leon Russell – “A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall”
00:21:47 Manfred Mann – “The Mighty Quinn”
00:24:38 Richie Havens – “Just Like a Woman”
00:29:23 Wanda Jackson – “Thunder on the Mountain”
00:34:37 Jimmy Buffett & Emmylou Harris – “Mozambique”
00:40:41 Judy Collins – “Just Like Tom Thumb’s Blues”
00:45:46 The Band – “This Wheel’s On Fire” (Remastered)
00:48:53 Elvis Presley – “Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right”
00:51:36 The Rolling Stones – “Like A Rolling Stone”
00:57:15 Etta James – “Gotta Serve Somebody”
01:03:51 Kuku – “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door (A Sight to Rejoice)”
This week’s show features Contemporary Indian Virtuoso Violinists. We’ll trace the resonant strings of the Indian violin through East-West fusions, rhythmic dialogues, and meditative fire. These are virtuosos who don’t just play — they translate tradition into new language.
Playlist for the week of August 4, 2025:
00:00:00 L. Shankar – “Song For Everyone”
00:09:05 L. Subramaniam – “Blue Lotus”
00:20:24 Shakti – “Joy”
00:41:36 Ganesh & Kumaresh – “Gambhira”
00:45:15 L. Shankar; Jan Garbarek; Palle Mikkelborg – “All For You”
This week’s show is a celebration of sonic invention, genre-defiance, and creative collaboration. We’re diving deep into the world of Bang on a Can, a musical collective that’s been reshaping the sound of contemporary classical and experimental music since the late 1980s. Bang on a Can was founded in 1987 by composers Julia Wolfe, David Lang, and Michael Gordon. Frustrated by the boundaries of academic classical music and inspired by punk, minimalism, noise, world music, and jazz, they envisioned a space where new music could thrive—wild, visceral, and unbound by category. What started as a marathon concert in a SoHo art gallery became a movement: a group, a label, a festival, a touring ensemble—the Bang on a Can All-Stars—and an ecosystem supporting boundary-pushing music around the world. Today’s playlist features founding composers, All-Star performers, guest artists, and offshoot collaborations.
Playlist for the week of July 14, 2025:
00:00:00 Michael Gordon; Bang On A Can All-Stars – “Gene Takes a Drink”
00:09:55 Conlon Nancarrow (arr. Ziporyn) – “Studies for Player Piano No. 3c: Boogie-Woogie Suite” 00:13:16 Julia Wolfe; Choir of Trinity Wall Street – Anthracite Fields: IV. Flowers 00:19:53 van Ziporyn – Music from Shadowbang: No. 1 Angkat
00:22:53 Jeffrey Brooks – After the Treewatcher
00:30:43 Meredith Monk – The Games: Spaceship
00:35:02 Julia Wolfe – “Reeling”
00:43:02 Don Byron – “Fyodorovich”
00:45:25 Michael Gordon; Icebreaker – “Yo Shakespeare”
00:56:09 Terry Riley – “See Them Out There”
00:59:00 David Lang – “Cheating, Lying, Stealing”
01:09:30 Lao Luo & 龔琳娜 – “Tan Te”
01:12:54 Brian Eno; Robert Wyatt; Rhett Davies – “1/2”
This week Next to Silence presents some the best recordings of 1970’s Ghanaian guitar Highlife.
The early 1970s marked a golden chapter in Ghanaian highlife music—a moment when village wisdom, city innovation, and post-independence energy converged in song. This was music built for both the dance floor and the spirit, composed of storytelling lyrics, percussive drive, and glowing melodic lines that seemed to float above it all. What you’ll hear in this playlist is a living memory of Ghana’s musical heartbeat—highlife in its guitar-band prime.
These are songs to move to, but also to sit with. They come from the people, and they bring the people together. These songs are meditations in groove, built to move both body and spirit. Let’s step into the pulse of early 70s Ghanaian highlife.
This show is dedicated to my brothers and sisters of Peace Corps Ghana 1970, along with the former students and teachers at Kadjebi Secondary School.
Playlist week of July 7, 2025:
00:00:00 African Brothers International Band – Ɛna Ɛye A Mane Me
00:08:01 Francis Kenya; The Riches Big Band – Ensuah Nzema Kotoko – The Nezema Kotoko Family
00:14:16 Oyihwam Internationals – Anoma Franoas
00:22:08 Ashanti Afrika-Jah Int Band of Ghana – Ede Mabo
00:29:41 African Brothers International Band – Abusua Nnyɛ Asafo
This week NEXT TO SILENCE presents a heartfelt tribute to one of the towering figures in American music—Brian Wilson, who passed away last week at the age of 82.
Brian wasn’t just the creative force behind The Beach Boys—he was a visionary who changed the shape of modern music. He taught us that pop could hold deep sorrow, spiritual yearning, and sheer beauty—all in the same breath.
With his passing, we’ve lost a singular voice, but the harmonies he created still echo in our lives. Tonight, we honor his journey: from the early days of surf and sunshine, through the introspection of Pet Sounds, into the kaleidoscopic ambition of Smile, and finally his brave return in later years.
Playlist for the week of June 30, 2025:
00:04:01 Surfin’ U.S.A. – The Beach Boys
04:06:27 The Warmth of the Sun – The Beach Boys
00:09:19 Help Me, Rhonda – The Beach Boys
00:12:24 California Girls – The Beach Boys
00:15:09 Please Let Me Wonder – The Beach Boys
00:17:58 In My Room – The Beach Boys
00:20:10 When I Grow Up (To Be a Man) – The Beach Boys
00:22:12 Don’t Worry Baby – The Beach Boys
00:25:00 And Your Dream Comes True – The Beach Boys
00:30:19 Wouldn’t It Be Nice – The Beach Boys
00:32:40 You Still Believe in Me – The Beach Boys
00:35:10 That’s Not Me – The Beach Boys
00:37:35 Don’t Talk (Put Your Head on My Shoulder) – The Beach Boys
00:40:30 God Only Knows – The Beach Boys
00:43:19 I Know There’s an Answer – The Beach Boys
00:46:35 Here Today – The Beach Boys
00:49:37 Caroline, No – The Beach Boys
00:56:09 Good Vibrations – The Beach Boys
00:59:45 Heroes and Villains – The Beach Boys
01:03:25 Vegetables – The Beach Boys
01:05:31 Darlin’ – The Beach Boys
01:07:42 ’Til I Die – The Beach Boys
01:10:10 Child Is Father of the Man – Brian Wilson
01:12:28 In Blue Hawaii – Brian Wilson
01:15:27 Surf’s Up – Brian Wilson
01:19:31 Love and Mercy – Brian Wilson
01:22:25 Summer’s Gone – The Beach Boys
01:28:40 I Just Wasn’t Made for These Times – The Beach Boys
A Reminder:
Next To Silence streams live at:
1700AM and on the web at PeaksIslandRadio.com
On:
Mondays Fridays @7:00PM
Tuesdays @Noon
You can find the archives of past shows at PeaksIslandRadio.com. Click on SCHEDULE – scroll down to NEXT TO SILENCE
Boho Dreams of Space and Time 