World Cafe

Throughout Black History Month, World Cafe correspondent John Morrison is showcasing trailblazers and mavericks of Black music; artists who took risks and pushed boundaries. This week, John discusses the visionary composer, poet, and bandleader Sun Ra, and talks about his experimentation as well as his widespread influence.

Many artists have covered The Beatles, but only one artist, other than the Beatles themselves, has recorded Beatles songs at the iconic Abbey Road Studios. That artist is Lucinda Williams. On the next World Cafe, Lucinda talks about making her new album of Beatles songs in a place where she could feel their presence. Plus, she reveals her favorite Beatle.

Singer-songwriter Conner Youngblood, a polyglot who speaks English, Danish, Spanish, Japanese and Russian, sang in multiple languages on his latest album, Cascades, Cascading, Cascadingly. On the next World Cafe, Conner Youngblood discusses his global travels and performs songs from the new album, live.

For 24-year-old Afghan composer Arson Fahim, starting a music career in the United States was truly against the odds. Fahim spent his early childhood as a refugee in Pakistan, studied music in Afghanistan in his teens, when it was frowned upon there but not yet illegal, and then left the country just before the U.S. pulled out in 2021 to study music in Boston. On the final edition of World Cafe’s trip to Boston, Fahim shares his life story and what he has been doing to try to help those back home.

At Berklee College of Music, the Music Inclusion EnseAs part of World Cafe’s Sense of Place Boston series, revisit a conversation with singer-songwriter Ellis Paul. The Boston folk musician spoke with World Cafe’s former host David Dye in 1999 about writing and recording Translucent Soul, Paul’s break-up record about redemption, faith and renewal.mble is empowering young musicians with disabilities. For World Cafe’s Sense of Place Boston series, hear a conversation with co-founder Adrian Anantawan, in which he talks about how the ensemble unites disabled and non-disabled musicians. Plus, the world-class violinist, born without a right hand, shares how his own experience has shaped his philosophy as a musician and an activist.

Boston is a college town and wherever you find a lot of students, you can usually find lots of fledgling bands. At Northeastern University, a group of undergrads are working to take those artists to the next level, signing them to the student-run Green Line Records. On the next edition of World Cafe’s Sense of Place Boston series, hear from Green Line Records president and the head of A&R about how they are helping break new artists and listen to some of the new music the label just finished recording this Fall.

In 2019, the Pixies classic album Doolittle turned 30 years old, and the band stopped by World Cafe to play a song from Doolittle as well as music from what was then their latest album, Beneath the Eyrie. On the next World Cafe, lead singer Black Francis shares stories about recording in upstate New York, a run-in he had with a deer, and listening to early Pixies demos from when the band was first starting out.

At Berklee College of Music, the Music Inclusion Ensemble is empowering young musicians with disabilities. For World Cafe’s Sense of Place Boston series, hear a conversation with co-founder Adrian Anantawan, in which he talks about how the ensemble unites disabled and non-disabled musicians. Plus, the world-class violinist, born without a right hand, shares how his own experience has shaped his philosophy as a musician and an activist.

The Boston Red Sox may be the main attraction at Fenway Park, the oldest MLB stadium in the country, but there’s another performance going on during game day. In another dispatch from World Cafe’s Sense of Place Boston series, you’ll meet Josh Kantor, the organist at Fenway Park since 2003. Kantor explains how he got the job, how he fields song requests, and why it helps to know the ins and outs of baseball. PLUS, what songs come to mind when you think about Boston? WUMB’s Albert O, host of Afternoons with Albert O., shares the essentials.

Wally’s Jazz Cafe is a tiny live room, sitting among a sea of brick row homes in Boston. Founder Joseph Walcott launched the business in 1947, wanting to create a place where Black folks could enjoy jazz alongside Whites – his was the first integrated club – and where students could play alongside more experienced musicians. His great grandson, Frank Poindexter, runs the club alongside his mother and brothers and joins World Cafe to discuss how they have kept Joseph Walcott’s dream going.