Albert Einstein’s passion for music is today a little-known side of the brilliant theoretical physicist, but thanks to the new series Genius, starring Geoffrey Rush, the importance of music in the life of this seminal 20th century figure is getting new emphasis. Promos for the scripted anthology series, which premiered April 25 on the National […]
Queen Victoria is on a campaign — for Emmys! Music is foremost among the deserving categories for this UK production from Mammoth Screen for ITV and PBS Masterpiece. The original compositions by Martin Phipps and Ruth Barrett every bit hold their own with classics from the likes of Beethoven, Schubert and Chopin that highlight each episode. In January Dubois […]
Race (W.T.) is the first series from Shawn ‘Jay Z’ Carter’s production venture with the Weinstein Company. The six-episode series promises “a stark and provocative look into systemic injustices in America.”It will air globally on the National Geographic Channel in 171 countries and 45 languages, and in January 2 018 National Geographic Magazine will devote an entire […]
Dave Porter’s music for the first two seasons of AMC’s Better Call Saul will be released by Madison Gate Records and Sony Classical on April 7, available digitally and on CD. Porter, who also scored Better Call Saul’s predecessor, AMC’s Breaking Bad, said his Saul sound was inspired by that earlier show, but stands its own with […]
The 59th Grammy Awards were pretty much all about Adele, who took home five top honors for “Hello” and the album 25. But David Bowie and his Blackstar album managed some serious time in the awards spotlight, amassing four statuettes, including Best Rock Performance for Blackstar. During his lifetime Bowie only won one Grammy, Best Video […]
Lady Gaga descended into more viewer households than the game itself, spiking the FOX sport program from a 48.8 household rating to a 50.0, which seems to indicate that sponsor Pepsi Zero Sugar succeeded in whetting the thirst of curiosity seekers with its two weeks of teaser ads counting down the days, then hours, to the […]
Raising the game to a new level, Lady Gaga has managed to commadeer NFL Super Bowl 51. Powered by PepsiCo, sponsor of her 13-minute halftime show for its new Pepsi Zero Sugar brand, La Gaga benefitted from a 12-day “countdown” with daily spots that focused on her fans’ excitement about the show, backed by her song”A-Yo.” […]
Pop funk just got a jazzy update courtesy of Spencer Ludwig, the very original 26-year-old trumpeter and singer chosen to provide the soundtrack for “NFL Honors,”a TV special airing Saturday, February 4, the night before Super Bowl 51. Ludwig was signed by Warner Bros. Records in 2015, and had been releasing a steady stream of singles, preparatory to his […]
Okay, they say the ratings were meh. But for this reviewer, NBC’s Hairspray Live! was an unqualified triumph, hitting all the right notes: it looked great; the tunes? Fantastic! Propelled me out of my seat, had me bopping to the beat. I was literally drawn to the screen, mesmerized by all the twirling, trilling and […]
The Amazon series “Mozart in the Jungle” launched season 3 with some ensemble music and a speech by star Gael García Bernal at Los Angeles’ The Grove outdoor shopping mall on Dec. 1. The show, which scored Bernal Best Actor Golden Globe as well as nabbing Best Television Series Music or Comedy trophy this year, is a backstage look […]
