This is from a 1943 broadcast. Here is more on Toscanini and on the Grand Canyon Suite, which was written by Ferde Grofé.
The piece is divided into five sections: Sunrise, Painted Desert; On the Trail; Sunset and Cloudburst. The best known section probably is the passage in On the Trail in which Grofé uses the instruments to portray horses or donkeys traveling on the rocky surface. It starts at the 17:20 mark.
Here are some books to check out.
Duke Ellington brought class, sophistication and style to jazz which, until that point, was proudly unpolished and raucous. His story is profound. The author, Terry Teachout, also wrote "Pops," the acclaimed bio of Louis Armstrong. Click here or on the image.
What else is there to say? Here is the story behind every song written by The Beatles. Click here or on the image.
The Grateful Dead don't get enough credit for the profound nature of its lyrics. Many of the band's songs are driven by a deep and literate Americana ("I'm Uncle Sam/That's who I am/Been hidin' out/In a rock and roll band" and "Majordomo Billy Bojangles/Sit down and have a drink with me/What's this about Alabama/Keeps comin' back to me?").
David Dodd's exhaustive study tells the story, song by song. Click here or on the image.
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