Sam Amidon is a singer-songwriter on the fiddle, banjo, and guitar, but he’s mostly known for recasting traditional American folk songs into vibrant contemporary soundscapes. He spoke to NewsHour Weekend Special Correspondent Tom Casciato about his Vermont upbringing and how he pairs the sounds of traditional folk music to those of free jazz and more.
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 1972 that non-unanimous juries—those that convict a defendant with a split decision—are a violation of the 6th Amendment. But a loophole, until recently, allowed two states to maintain the practice. Special Correspondent Tom Casciato looks at the roots of split-jury verdicts and what faces those convicted by them. This segment is part of PBS NewsHour Weekend’s series “Chasing the Dream: Poverty and Opportunity in America.”
Rufus joined Tom Casciato via Zoom from L.A. to discus his Audible special “Road Trip Elegies” and more, including how his mother convinced him when he was a kid that he would one day play Annie onstage.
Cindy Blackman Santana joined Tom on Zoom from her home in Hawaii to discuss her musical journey: from being a kid entranced by greats like Buddy Rich and Tony Williams, to playing in her 20s with Art Blakey, to a stint with Lenny Kravits before joining Santana, and on and on – all while being one of the most badass drummers of her generation.
We spoke via Zoom, me at home, Kingfish at the Delta Blues Museum in his hometown of Clarksdale, MS, where he learned to play guitar as a kid. We talked about about his guitar style and influences, as well as how his award-winning career was given a jumpstart by the legendary Buddy Guy. He also played and sang a couple tunes from his award-winning debut album, “Kingfish.” Enjoy.
While at Levon Helm Studios in Woodstock, NY, to interview Courtney Barnett and film her show there, Tom Casciato met up with singer/songwriter John Sebastian of Lovin’ Spoonful fame to discuss how the spirit of the great drummer for The Band still infuses the spirit of the place.
The acclaimed Australian singer-songwriter completed her first U.S. solo tour earlier this year. Tom Casciato spoke with Barnett at the historic Levon Helm Studios in Woodstock, NY. They discussed not only her music, but also making up words, writing with compassion, and how in general we all oughta know better by now.
Since her debut solo album in 2005, singer-songwriter Buika has built her career by defying musical genres. The Latin Grammy-winning vocalist infuses flamenco, jazz, soul, blues and Spanish folk into her music, and sings in multiple languages, including her native Spanish. Tom Casciato spoke with Buika about her musical roots and why, for her, every venue she sings in is a “big stage.”
Two-time Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Graham Nash has hits aplenty spanning his nearly six-decade career. But the 77-year-old singer-songwriter recently chose to perform a special run of shows featuring his lesser-known first two solo albums in their entirety, which together describe a crucial chapter in his personal and artistic life. Tom Casciato recently spoke to Nash to learn more.
The “many worlds” theory in quantum mechanics suggests that new universes — and new versions of you — are created thousands of times per second. Bestselling author and theoretical physicist Sean Carroll discusses the concept and his new book, “Something Deeply Hidden,” with NewsHour Weekend’s Tom Casciato.