Creole Eyes and Classical Ears: Van Dyke Parks & Tom McDermott

Conversation with, and music from, Van Dyke Parks, an eclectic, popular classicist known as a composer and keyboardist, arranger and producer, with a great love of calypso and Hawaiian cowboy music. The man behind the curtain for so many artists, the Hollywood-based Parks is well-regarded for writing and studio work with Brian Wilson and the Beach Boys, Ry Cooder, Lowell George and Randy Newman, among many others. He recently became a fan of pianist Tom McDermott, a St. Louis-born, New Orleans-dwelling and Brazilian-influenced vernacular virtuoso. Parks thought enough of McDermott’s recorded repertoire to collect and reissue some of it as Bamboula — so-named for the composition by the mutually-admired New Orleans 19th century pianist Louis Moreau Gottschalk. Tom McDermott, also a fan of Scott Joplin, Jelly Roll Morton, Professor Longhair and James Booker, plays in his parlor for us.

HOUR ONE

America Van Dyke Parks

Tokyo Rose, Warner Bros.

Sailin' Shoes Little Feat

Sailin' Shoes, Warner Bros.

Sail On Sailor The Beach Boys

Good Vibrations: Thirty Years of the Beach Boys, Capitol

Jack Palance Mighty Sparrow

The Early Years, BLS

FDR in Trinidad Ry Cooder

Into the Purple Valley, Warner Bros.

Wah She Go Do Bonnie Raitt

Takin' My Time, Rhino

Instrumental: Simple Calypso Esso Trinidad Steel Band

Esso, Minky

SEGMENT: Van Dyke Parks

Instrumental: Available Space Ry Cooder

Ry Cooder, Warner Bros.

CLIP: Van Dyke Parks on Randy Newman

excerpt: Vine Street Van Dyke Parks

Song Cycle, Warner Bros.

Bet No One Ever Hurt This Bad Randy Newman

Creates Something New Under the Sun, Reprise

Cheek to Cheek Lowell George

Thanks, I'll Eat It Here, Warner Bros.

De Camino a la Vereda Buena Vista Social Club feat. Ibrahim Ferrer

Buena Vista Social Club, Nonesuch

Hawaiian Roughrider Leabert Lindsay

Na Mele O Paniolo, Warner Bros.

Cowboy Van Dyke Parks

Moonlighting: Live at the Ash Grove, Warner Bros.

Heroes and Villains The Beach Boys

Smiley Smile, Capitol

End Bed: The Stars and Stripes Forever Tom McDermott and Matt Perrine

New Orleans Duets, Rabadash

HOUR TWO

The Crysanthemum Tom McDermott

Danza, STR Digital

The Banjo, Opus 15 Louis Moreau Gottschalk

American Piano Music Played By Amiram Rigai, Smithsonian Folkways

East St. Louis Baby Professor Longhair

Professor Longhair's Boogie, Catfish

Java Allen Toussaint

The Complete 'Tousan' Sessions, Bear Family

Tricks Ain't Walkin' No More Jelly Roll Morton and Tom McDermott

New Orleans Duets, Rabadash

On the Sunny Side of the Street James Booker

Junco Partner, Hannibal

Instrumental: So Swell When You're Well James Booker

Spiders on the Keys: Live at the Maple Leaf, Rounder

SEGMENT: Tom McDermott

The Peanut Vendor Billie and De De Pierce

Gulf Coast Blues, Arhoolie

Bamboula Tom McDermott

Bamboula, Minky

Instrumental: Boll Weevil Blues Eubie Blake

Memories of You, Shout! Factory

Have You Seen My Baby Ringo Starr

Ringo, EMI

Hey Good Lookin' Meschiya Lake and Tom McDermott

Live at Chickie Wah Wah, Chickie Wah Wah

Lewis Boogie Jerry Lee Lewis

Complete Sun Singles, Bear Family

Eh, Petite Fille Clifton Chenier

Louisiana Blues and Zydeco, Arhoolie

Early in the Morning Irma Thomas and Tom McDermott

Simply Grand, Rounder

End Bed: The Crave Tom McDermott

The Crave, STR Digital

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A Grateful Journey: Kris Kristofferson