Radio New Zealand - Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa

Public Service Broadcasting are two bow-tied corduroy-clad English musicians who search out old British and American wartime propaganda reels, crackly radio broadcasts and public safety films - extract the dialogue - and set it to music. Trevor Reekie talks to founding member J Willgoose esq about their debut album Inform Educate Entertain. (14′41″)

The late Bob Brozman, a virtuoso guitarist and music ethnomusicologist forged a caeer collaboratiing with musicians around the globe. On a return visit to WOMAD Taranakiin 2011, Trevor Reekie took the opportunity to speak with Brozman about dissecting the frontiers of music colonialism, his vast collection of guitars, the international influence of the Blues. (16′24″)

Trevor Reekie talks to Peter McLennan (Ex Hallelujah Picasso, DJ, Dub Asylum, video maker and journalist) who has curated his book I Believe You Are A Star and Gareth Shute (Musician, award winning author and one of the main men in the L'il Chief label about his book Concept albums. (15′52″)

Trevor Reekie talks to Peter McLennan (Ex Hallelujah Picasso, DJ, Dub Asylum, video maker and journalist) who has curated his book I Believe You Are A Star and Gareth Shute (Musician, award winning author and one of the main men in the L'il Chief label about his book Concept albums. (15′52″)

We talk with the guardian of the world's largest catalogue of vintage American blues, gospel, spirituals, jazz, boogie-woogie, and old-time country music, Gary Atkinson of Document Records. According to Jack White, who is reissuing a numbe of these recordings on his own label "these artists were the DNA of American culture. Blues, R&B, Elvis, punk rock... it all goes back to these vital, breathtaking recordings". (15′51″)

Mick Harvey first met Nick Cave in a high school covers band that mutated into one of the boldest and individualistic 'live' bands to confront Australian and UK audiences. When the Birthday Party disbanded Cave and Harvey formed The Bad Seeds embarking on a highly successful career until Harvey quit in 2009. Mick was in New Zealand recently playing shows in support of his latest work Sketches From The Book Of The Dead and dropped into Radio NZ to talk about things past and present with Trevor Reekie. (16′18″)

The pipa is a four-stringed Chinese lute that dates back two thousand years and echoes ancient Chinese musical traditions. Wu Man is a virtuoso pipa player who preserves those traditions, as well as exploring multi-cultural collaborations that are bringing the pipa to a new global audience. Trevor Reekie invited Wu Man into the Radio New Zealand studio to share her passion for the pipa. The pieces are: Intro (Wu Man), Flute and drum music at Sunset (Trad), White Snow in Spring (trad), Night Thoughts (Wu Man). (25′05″)

Steve Miller is one of the great blues-rock guitarists and songwriters of American music. But there's a lot more to Steve Miller than just those massive hit singles like 'The Joker', 'Fly Like An Eagle' and 'Take the Money and Run'. He was no overnight sensation. Back in the day before those songs took off Steve Miller's early catalogue of albums recorded for Capital Records are regarded as seminal albums that contributed to the counter-cultural soundtrack of the 70's. (16′57″)

United Kingdom author Richard King's book: 'How Soon Is Now - The Madmen and Mavericks Who Made Independent Music 1975-2005' tells the story of the emergence of the UK's independent music scene from the perspective of the record labels and their owners. Record labels like Factory, Rough Trade, Mute, 4AD, Beggars Banquet, Creation, XL and Domino provided a soundtrack to an era of music that epitomized the heroism and hedonism of a bunch of 'mavericks' who had the time, space and means to improvise. (16′35″)

Auckland singer songwriter Donna Dean has no shortage of NZ music awards to her credit, to say nothing of a Grammy nomination. Donna Dean plays live for us, accompanied by dobro player Glenn Campbell, and guitarist Greg Turner. (21′31″)

Blondie emerged from the vibrant New York scene in the late '70s, although, at the time were deemed by the 'industry' and some of their peers as the band least likely to get a deal, let alone became pop culture icons who would go on to sell more than 40 million albums globally over a career spanning four decades. Trevor Reekie talks with Blondie founding member Chris Stein. (13′54″)

U.K. music newspaper the New Musical Express, or 'N.M.E' was first published in 1952 and went on to shaped global music taste, including that in New Zealand, although not until six long, surface-mail months later! Author Pat Long has just published 'The History of the NME - High Times and Low Lives at the World's Most Famous Music Paper'. For Access All Areas Trevor Reekie talks to ex NME writer and author Pat Long about deadlines, drugs and rock n roll. (16′24″)

Tommy James was one of the biggest American rock'n'roll stars on the charts in the 60s and 70s. Perhaps best known in NZ as the writer of songs such as 'Mony Mony' and 'Crimson and Clover'; in the States Tommy had 23 gold singles plus nine gold and 9 platinum albums. He's also the co-author of a book called Me, the Mob, and the Music: One Helluva Ride with Tommy James & The Shondells. It is is a no holds barred story of hit records, payola and the complex and sometimes terrifying relationship with Roulette Records label founder Morris Levy, one of the "Godfathers" of the music business. Trevor Reekie calls up Tommy James for Radio New Zealand National. (16′45″)

Project initiator and producer Simon Grigg describes plans for a new online repository of NZ music and ephemera. AudioCulture is intended to collect the hits and myths of NZ music, connecting people, recordings, images, places, scenes and record labels from the early twentieth century to now... and into the future. (15′01″)

Paul Ubana Jones, born in the UK to an English Mum and a Nigerian father, is one of this country's most respected solo performers. A unique artist, Ubana has always done it his way, in a career that has taken him everywhere. Paul Ubana Jones is joined by Palestinian percussionist Tony Majdalani, now resident in Switzerland, for their 'East to West' Tour of New Zealand. They visited Radio NZ National's studios to perform a few songs live in a session hosted by Trevor Reekie. the songs are: Lazy Sunday; Lady Day and John Coltrane; Bone and Sand; I Know My Rider Blues. (19′49″)