Cool Instruments for Hep Cats

This is episode 4 of the podcast, ‘Cool Instruments for Hep Cats’. This episode continues from episode 3 on the Violoncello da Spalla with luthier and musician Daniela Gaidano. In early May 2023, I spoke with William Hurd. He is a professional violist and violonello da spalla player.  Will is a violist with the Air Force Strings, The United States Air Force Band. He is also a Suzuki teacher (violin and viola) in Washington, DC. Will has a unique perspective on the violoncello da spalla, as he uses it extensively in his teaching of violin and viola students.

This is episode 3 and focuses on the Violoncello da Spalla. Special guest is Daniela Gaidano, violinist, violist and luthier specializing in making violoncellos da spalla. Host, Don Rickert, is a luthier as well, whose favorite instruments to make are violoncellos da spalla. In “Cool Instruments for Hep Cats”, we delve into the fascinating realm of unusual and intriguing musical instruments. From the depths of history to the cutting edge of innovation, we'll explore the instruments that push the boundaries of what we consider music. Join us on a journey of discovery as we uncover the secrets of the world's most fascinating instruments, the people who make them, the people who play them, and the music they create.

In this episode Dr. don Rickert will be talking to Dr. Roger Landes about bouzoukis (Greek as well as Irish), octave mandolins and citterns. Episode 2, a continuation of Episode 1, features discussion and demonstrations of several of Roger's very cool instruments.

Roger is a music historian, musicologist and musician. He teaches at Texas Tech University.

Host: Dr. Donald Rickert

Guest: Dr. Roger Landes

This is the very first episode of the podcast, “Cool Instruments for Hep Cats”, a bi-weekly expedition into the world of musical instruments that are maybe a little bit out of the mainstream, and also those that truly are unusual, exotic, odd or even weird to most people.

In this episode Don Rickert talks with Dr. Roger Landes about bouzoukis (Greek as well as Irish), octave mandolins and citterns. Roger is a music historian, musicologist and musician. He teaches at Texas Tech University.

This is Part 2 of the very first episode of a new podcast, Offbeat Songs for Cool Cats. I trust that if you are listening, you are a Cool Cat and that you have a taste for the offbeat, eccentric and or weird. This episode focuses on Ska, Reggae and Ska-Punk.

This is a special kind of podcast that is exclusive to Spotify. It is called a Music + Talk podcast. If you are a free Spotify user, you will get 30 seconds of each song. If you are a Premium user, you get the whole songs. For all of you free users, we are publishing the playlists as regular public playlists. You can listen to all of the songs in their entirety using the corresponding playlist.

This podcast is brought to you by Don Rickert Musical Instruments, designers and makers of custom historical, contemporary and ground-breaking stringed instruments.

This is Part 1 of the very first episode of a new podcast, Offbeat Songs for Cool Cats. I trust that if you are listening, you are a Cool Cat and that you have a taste for the offbeat, eccentric and or weird.

This is a special kind of podcast that is exclusive to Spotify. It is called a Music + Talk podcast. It is really cool in all sorts of ways, not the least of which we can legally and ethically use any song hosted on Spotify. That’s something like 70 million. If you are a free Spotify user, you will get 30 seconds of each song. If you are a Premium user, you get the whole songs. For all of you free users, we are publishing the playlists as regular public playlists. You can listen to all of the songs in their entirety using the corresponding playlist.

This podcast is brought to you by Don Rickert Musical Instruments, designers and makers of custom historical, contemporary and ground-breaking stringed instruments.