Cool Tunes For a Hot Planet

Episode 39 of Cool Tunes for a Hot Planet is about honoring the rebirth of springtime, the workers who bring life to the community, and the elders who have held strong to the harmony of the planet despite centuries of opposition and pollution. Building on the mandate of April’s Earth Day, now is the time to put those good ideas into action, and move forward together to bring peace and justice to an ailing world.

Episode 35 of Cool Tunes for a Hot Planet is about working together, in communities both small and large, to overcome the multiple assaults on humanity we all experience now – the rise of fascism, the chaos of pointless wars, the degradation of the climate, propelled by corporate greed and political denial. It’s a formidable array of foes we face, but if we keep our eyes on the prize and work as a unified resistance, we shall overcome.

Episode 36 introduces two skilled and passionate composers, Kris Davis and Sumi Tonooka.  Both women have made artistic homes for themselves in the jazz tradition, and both often venture into other realms and genres with great assurance.  Although they've never met each other, their recent works are complementary, and this episode presents them side by side.Composer and pianist Kris Davis encountered a new word, "solastalgia," coined by philosopher Glenn Albrecht.  It means "the homesickness you have when you are still at home, and your home environment is changing in distressing ways," and it inspired the "Solastalgia Suite," featuring a virtuoso performance by Poland's Lutoslawski Quartet, and released earlier this year on Pyroclastic Records, Davis' own record label. Warren Senders interviews Davis about the piece and its complex emotional layers.Sumi Tonooka grew up in Philadelphia, and came up in the city's intensely creative jazz community.  Her recent recording is also a suite, titled "Under The Surface."  With her group, Alchemy Sound Project, she created a set of pieces built around the idea that trees and arboreal ecosystems communicate with one another, sharing nourishment, support, and protection.  She talks with Warren about her work in music and activism.Music and VideoKris Davis interviewFebruary 5, 2026"The Known End"from the Solastalgia Suite(Pyroclastic PR-44)"Ghost Reefs"from the Solastalgia Suite(Pyroclastic PR-44)"Softly, As You Wake"from "Run The Gauntlet"Kris Davis — prepared piano, Robert Hurst — bass,Johnathan Blake — drums"Pressure and Yield"from the Solastalgia SuiteDizzy's, New YorkJune 13, 2024"Interlude"from the Solastalgia SuiteDizzy's, New YorkJune 13, 2024"An Invitation to Disappear"from the Solastalgia Suite(Pyroclastic PR-44)"Degrees of Separation"from the Solastalgia SuiteDizzy's, New YorkJune 13, 2024"Towards No Earthly Pole"from the Solastalgia Suite(Pyroclastic PR-44)Sumi Tonooka InterviewJanuary 29, 2026"Under The Surface"Alchemy Sound ProjectSumi Tonooka - piano; Erica Lindsay - tenor saxophone; Samantha Boshnack - trumpet; Michael Ventoso - trombone;Gregg August - bass; Salim Washington - multi reeds, bass clarinet, flute and tenor saxophone; Johnathan Blake -drums(ARC-6770)"Saveur"From "Under The Surface"Alchemy Sound Project,Exuberance, Philadelphia,December 17, 2025"For Stanley"From "Under The Surface"Alchemy Sound Project(ARC-6770)"Only The Midnight Skyand Silent Stars"San Francisco Conservatoryof Music OrchestraConductor: Edwin Outwater,February 2023"Interval Haiku"From "Under The Surface"Alchemy Sound Project,Exuberance, Philadelphia,December 17, 2025"Mother Tongue"From "Under The Surface"Alchemy Sound Project(ARC-6770)"Heavy-Footed"from "Run The Gauntlet"Kris Davis — piano, Robert Hurst — bass,Johnathan Blake — drumsEvery attempt has been made to secure permission from copyright holders of audio and video content used in this program.  The use of copyrighted material is for non-commercial, educational purposes, and is intended to provide benefit to the public.  Copyrighted material used is supplementary and illustrative, and does not detract from the commercial value of the original content.  "Cool Tunes For A Hot Planet" uses only the minimum amount of copyrighted material to fulfill its educational purpose.  We believe our use constitutes "Fair Use" of this material as provided for in the US Copyright Act of 1976, Sections 106A-117.If you feel any content in this episode violates your copyright, please contact us immediately and we will address your concern appropriately.

Episode 35 of Cool Tunes for a Hot Planet is all about holding on in the face of the oppressive forces confronting us. Holding on while we resist the violence and injustice – racial injustice, climate injustice, social injustice –with hope. And with song. Now, as in the Civil Rights movement of the 60’s, music is a way to bond and unify us in whatever acts of peaceful resistance we can muster. No act is too small to confront the enormity of the evils we face. Email your Representative, talk to friends and family, boycott businesses that enable the corruption, above all VOTE. And by all means, sing.

Episode 34 — “Lunar New Year, with Rebecca Boyle”Cool Tunes for a Hot Planet is going to the Moon!  We celebrate the Lunar New Year with a special all-things-moon episode built around a full-length interview with science writer Rebecca Boyle, whose book, “Our Moon” was a New York Times bestseller in 2024.  We learn about how the moon helped make Earth what it is, and about its influence on our climate, our tides, and our culture.  Along the way, we’ll hear moon-inspired music from all over the world, including guest composer Janelle Chang, who joins us to talk about her arrangement of “Moonlit Night,” an ancient piece of Chinese classical music.  Music and Video"Paper Moon"Vocalese of Lester Young ImprovisationEddie Jefferson — Voicefrom "The Jazz Singer"Inner City Records IC 1016Rebecca Boyle interviewwith Warren SendersJanuary 15, 2026www.rebeccaboyle.com"How High The Moon"Teddy Wilson Sextet(David W. Niven Jazz Archive)"New Moon"Tony Vacca & Tim Moranfrom "Wizard's Dance"(Fretless LP FR 163)https://www.tonyvacca.com/"Tis Autumn"Woody Herman & His OrchestraDecca 4095-A"Moonrise On The Lowlands"Fletcher Henderson OrchestraReissued on RCA AXM2-5507"The Complete Fletcher Henderson""Tin Pan Alley Cat"Animated film by Dave Tendlar, 1960(public domain)"Blah, Blah, Blah"George & Ira GershwinMatthew Cook — VoiceJosephine Riggs, pianoAugust 8, 2020https://www.matthewhylandcook.com/"Tidal Boogie"Meade Lux Lewis — PianoAsch Records 352-1A"Moonlit Night"Arrangement of traditionalChinese piece for pipaby Janelle ChangPang-Yi Lee - pipaNovember 28, 2024https://www.youtube.com/@janelleyi-chenchangcompose4518/videos"Claire de Lune"Composer — Claude DebussySondra Bianca — PianoTops R1014"An den Mond (To the Moon)"Composer — Franz SchubertLyrics — Ludwig Christoph HoltyCourtney Fletcher — VoiceMarika Yasuda — PianoFebruary 2019English translation by Richard Wigmorehttps://www.courtneyjfletcher.com/"Moonlight Play Song"Recorded 1975, Obimo, NigeriaUNESCO Anthology of African MusicBarenreiter Musicaphon  BM 30L 2311"Chandani Raat Ati Bhaave"Sharad Sathe — VoiceMagnasound C4HV 0217https://sharadsathe.com/"By the Light of the Silvery Moon"Little Richard — Voice, pianoLondon Records 45-HL-U-8831https://rockhall.com/inductees/little-richard/"Raga Chandrakauns"Zia Moihuddin Dagar — Rudra VeenaAir India Radio recording,HMV LP, STC 04B 7384NASA Moon Landing Footage(Public Domain)"Oh, Dear Moon"Hafız Şaşı Osman EfendiColumbia 78 81007-F (W 32064-1)Reissued by Rounder Records,"Masters of Turkish Music"(Rounder LP-C 1051)Louie Gohmert ClipOnline Congressional Hearing,June 9, 20"The Rising Of The Moon"Áine Tyrell — Voice, Nick Martin — Uilleann pipesJuly 2016, Hyde Park BarracksSydney, AustraliaCourtesy Irish Australian Online Song Libraryhttps://www.ainetyrrell.com/There's A Moon Out Tonight"The CaprisPlanet Records P-1010 (1959)"I've Got A Message From The Man In The Moon"Patricia Hammond — VoiceMatt Redman — Ukelele & Voicehttps://patriciahammond.com/Every attempt has been made to secure permission from copyright holders of audio and video content used in this program.  The use of copyrighted material is for non-commercial, educational purposes, and is intended to provide benefit to the public.  Copyrighted material used is supplementary and illustrative, and does not detract from the commercial value of the original content.  "Cool Tunes For A Hot Planet" uses only the minimum amount of copyrighted material to fulfill its educational purpose.  We believe our use constitutes "Fair Use" of this material as provided for in the US Copyright Act of 1976, Sections 106A-117.If you feel any content in this episode violates your copyright, please contact us immediately and we will address your concern appropriately.

Episode 33 of Cool Tunes for a Hot Planet strikes a somber note to the chaos unfolding in our streets – violence led by agents of destruction wearing ICE uniforms. These are dark times in our country, around which we hope music can shed some light, echo what’s in our hearts, generate a little catharsis, and maybe even light a spark of resistance.

Episode 31 of Cool Tunes for a Hot Planet meets the New Year with new resolve to inspire all our listeners to do something healing for our planet. It can be making “good trouble,” as John Lewis once told us; it can be raising awareness with song; it can be coming together in community. Or simply being a caring person to those around you. We dedicate this episode to the future.

Episode 30 (Season 2) is a profile of the legendary activist collective The Church of Stop Shopping, led by Reverend Billy (William Talen) and Savitri D. Beginning with anti-consumerist actions in New York's Times Square in the 1990s, the church grew into a powerful performing force, with infectious gospel grooves, dozens of voices in harmony, and Reverend Billy's heartfelt, eloquent anti-consumption message delivered in true prophetic voice. Warren Senders' interview with Reverend Billy and Director Savitri D is interspersed with video of the Church's music-filled activism and activism-filled music, and supplemented with historical and cultural context. To learn more, go to revbilly.com.Music and Video"I Am Not The Only One"The Stop Shopping Choirfrom "The Sun Is A Star That Keeps Me Warm"Richard Nixon, Lloyd Shopping CenterPortland, Oregon, September 13, 1960KGW Vault, PortlandGeorge W. BushCNN, December 2006"On The Road!"Reverend Billy and theChurch of Stop Shopping"Bye, Bye Buying"Reverend BillyDecember, 2013Billy Graham CrusadeFilm recorded 1957Billy Sunday Warns AmericaFilm recorded 1926"It's The End of the World"Reverend Billy and theStop Shopping ChoirJoe's Pub, Public Theater, New YorkSep 18, 2014"Can We Be Strange Enough to Change Enough?"Reverend Billy and theStop Shopping ChoirHollywood Bowl, Los Angeles, CANov 22, 2025"Paradise Now"The Living TheaterBerlin Sports PalastJanuary 10, 1970from "Signals Through The Flames"Mystic Fire VideoAugusto Boal clipCentro de Teatro do Oprimido"Money Makes The World Go Around"Bread & Puppet TheaterGlover, VTSeptember, 2019(Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/)"Reverend Billy Exorcises BP At Tate Museum"London, UKJul 19, 2011"Love Earth"Reverend Billy and theStop Shopping ChoirHollywood Bowl, Los Angeles, CANov 22, 2025"The Fabulous Unknown"Reverend Billy andthe Stop Shopping Choirfrom "The Sun Is A Star That Keeps Me Warm""Monsanto's Deadly Secret in Central Park"Reverend Billy and theStop Shopping ChoirNew York City, Apr 1, 2016"Fabulous Bad Weather"Reverend Billy and theStop Shopping ChoirLyrics by William Talen & Savitri DurkeeFrom "The Earth Wants You"Brooklyn, Apr 7, 2016Interview withWilliam Talen & Savitri DNovember 17, 2025Every attempt has been made to secure permission from copyright holders of audio and video content used in this program. The use of copyrighted material is for non-commercial, educational purposes, and is intended to provide benefit to the public. Copyrighted material used is supplementary and illustrative, and does not detract from the commercial value of the original content. "Cool Tunes For A Hot Planet" uses only the minimum amount of copyrighted material to fulfill its educational purpose. We believe our use constitutes "Fair Use" of this material as provided for in the US Copyright Act of 1976, Sections 106A-117.If you feel any content in this episode violates your copyright, please contact us immediately and we will address your concern appropriately.

Episode 29 of Cool Tunes for a Hot Planet enters the holiday season with songs and talk about coming together to make things better. Whether it’s finding peace in sharing voices musically, even in the midst of war; of joining hands to combat social injustice; of convening world leaders to confront climate change; or just helping each other through the dark times of recent decades. We enjoin you to dispense with the consumerism of the season, and spend quality time with those you love. Share more – buy less. And have a happy holiday.

Episode 26 profiles the Climate Music Project, a San Francisco-based team that brings together scientists, musicians, and graphic artists to create new ways to communicate climate science.  The CMP's innovative multi-media presentations offer hard data with an emotional score and compelling visuals to transform audience members' personal engagement with climate change.  We feature interviews with co-founders Stephen Crawford and Fran Schulberg, climatologist Garrett Boudinot, and composer Erik Ian Walker, along with excerpts from five of the CMP's groundbreaking pieces.Music:"What If We...?"composed and performedby Wendy Loomiswith Royal Kent"Why Does The Sun Shine?"Performed by Tom GlazerFrom "Space Songs"Motivation RecordsMR 0312"Why Does The Sun Shine?""Why Does The Sun(Really) Shine?"Performed byThey Might Be GiantsLate Late ShowDecember 11, 2009"Der Rufer"Composed by Michael EdgertonPerformed byBremer SchlagzeugensembleOctober 10, 2021"Particle Partita"Composed by Edward CowiePerformed byPeter Sheppard Skærved &Mihailo TrandafilovskSt. Michaels Church,March 1, 2019"Icarus In Flight"Composed by Richard FestingerPerformed byThe Telegraph QuartetSan Francisco, 2018"Climate"Composed and performedby Erik Ian Walker"Audyssey"Composed and performedby Eduardo Del Signore"Voices of the Animals"Composed and performedby Scarlet RiveraExplorers Club, New York CityOctober, 2024"I Wanna Be Cool"Words and music byWill Kimbrough & Brant MillerPerformed by over 2600young people from 4 continentsMusic Declares Emergency& The Climate Music Project"What If We...?"composed and performedby Wendy Loomiswith Royal KentEvery attempt has been made to secure permission from copyright holders of audio and video content used in this program.  The use of copyrighted material is for non-commercial, educational purposes, and is intended to provide benefit to the public.  Copyrighted material used is supplementary and illustrative, and does not detract from the commercial value of the original content.  "Cool Tunes For A Hot Planet" uses only the minimum amount of copyrighted material to fulfill its educational purpose.  We believe our use constitutes "Fair Use" of this material as provided for in the US Copyright Act of 1976, Sections 106A-117.If you feel any content in this episode violates your copyright, please contact us immediately and we will address your concern appropriately.

Episode 25 is a mixed bag of tunes, starting out with Pay Attention by Joyce Johnson Rouse, singing with her group, Earth Mama. It’s a simple – even childlike – doo-wop kind of song that asks us to pay attention to the earth, and all the wonderful things it gives us.  But it also makes clear our responsibility to keep it clean and whole.Building on Earth Mama’s insistence to take responsibility for our planet, next is Crys Matthews, singing her Waking Up the Dead, a song about our generational responsibility to the slaves, some dead hundreds of years, now buried in the cemetery Crys finds herself walking through. She feels their suffering and celebrates their struggle to achieve the freedom they got only in death. But she also offers her gratitude for all they went through toget her to her own freedom – and wonders: Who were they?  It is a moving ode to freedom and responsibility.  And speaking of freedom, our next song, No Kings, comes with a montage of all the demonstrations that arose on No KingsDay last June 14 – one of the largest protests in US history. The song says “No Kings in the USA,” and we all know it’s talking about that corrupt Man Who Would Be King, sitting in the White House. It’s a boisterous, rousing piece of soul music, rejoicing in the knowledge that “No man owns the USA.” It’s a good reminder that the second No Kings Day is coming up soon, on October 18. And courage is contagious, so tell all your friends.Finally, we round out today’s episode. with something of the spoken word – Come Write a Song With Us, by Lu Aya, co-founder of The Peace Poets – a hip-hop and spoken word crew from the Bronx. Lu is an educator, musician, and champion of social justice. His poem tells us we are all interwoven, and songs have the power to embody that idea.

Episode 24 — "Old and New Sunlight"When we remember that fossil fuels are simply the sunlight that fell on Earth hundreds of millions of years ago, it changes our perspective on energy use.  It's ALL solar power; the only difference is whether it's old or new.  All these forms of energy have their own music, and this episode of "Cool Tunes For A Hot Planet" brings together songs of coal miners and anti-mining activists, the songs of oil drillers and of those fighting to preserve their lands, the songs of anti-fracking campaigns...and songs from all over the world in acknowledgement and gratitude to the Sun — along with film clips and interviews for a fascinating musical journey through Earth's energy economy, hosted by Warren Senders.Music:"The Sun's Gonna Shine In My Door Someday"Big Bill Broonzy"Our Mr. Sun"Directed by Frank Capra, 1956Bell Systems Science SeriesPublic Domain, courtesy A/V Geeks LLC"Black Lung"Hazel Dickens, 1990Film by Mimi PickeringCourtesy of Appalshop Films"42 Years"Nimrod Workman, 1983From the Alan Lomax Collection,American Folklife Center,Library of CongressCourtesy of the Association for Cultural Equity"Coal Miners' Song"Traditional Folk Songs of Japan,Collected by Ryutaro Hattori,Folkways Records FE 4534"Ham Hai Coal India"Promotional VideoMinistry of Coal, Government of IndiaInterview with film-maker and activist Surya Shankar Dash, India"Niyamraja's Lament"Dombu Praska,Niyamgiri Hills, November 2013Film by Surya Shankar Dash"Dharini — Earth Festival"Domgria Kondh TribespeopleNiyamgiri Hills, April 2016Film by Surya Shankar Dash"Niyamgiri Suraksha Samiti Victory March"Domgria Kondh TribespeopleNiyamgiri Hills, April 2016Film by Surya Shankar Dash"I'm A Tool-Pusher From Snyder"Slim WilletStar Talent 770-B"This Old Rig"Freddie FrankPermian RecordsPR 1001-A"Energy Crisis"Public Service AnnouncementUS Department of Energy"There is Only So Much Oil In The Ground"Tower Of PowerFrom "Urban Renewal", 1974Warner Brothers BS 2834Interview with Eco-Musicologist Olusegan Titus, Nigeria."Black Tide"Ubrei-Joe JeruFilm courtesy Olusegan Titus"Niger Delta"Nneka EgbunaFrom "No Longer At Ease", 2008Yo Mama's Recording – YPS 88697111381"Frackin' The Hole"Wes St. JohnKECO Radio, April 22, 2011"Before The Drilling Rigs Got Here"Thom Chaconfrom "Buy This Fracking Album"www.thomchacon.com/"Frack Attack"Quintin "Jitsvinger" Goliath — lyrics, vocalsLoris Raimondi — musicPete O'Donoghue, Travys Owen — sound & animationProduced by Pippa Ehrlich andTreasure Karoo Action Group"Tum Jaago Mohan Pyaare"Khyal in Raga BhairavPt. Narayanrao VyasHMV 78 N-7525"Lile"(Hymn to the Sun"Anchiskhati Choir, Tbilisi, GeorgiaMarch 14, 2010"An die untergehende Sonne, D 457"(To the setting sun)Robert Elibay-Hartog — BaritoneDante Lorenzo DiIanni — PianoLondon, April 15, 2012"Solar Energy"Ambition Boyz, January 21, 2022O-Rymz, Ox-MilezTrainees at Solar Installation ProgramDon Bosco Academy,Kamuli, UgandaEvery attempt has been made to secure permission from copyright holders of audio and video content used in this program.  The use of copyrighted material is for non-commercial, educational purposes, and is intended to provide benefit to the public.  Copyrighted material used is supplementary and illustrative, and does not detract from the commercial value of the original content.  "Cool Tunes For A Hot Planet" uses only the minimum amount of copyrighted material to fulfill its educational purpose.  We believe our use constitutes "Fair Use" of this material as provided for in the US Copyright Act of 1976, Sections 106A-117.If you feel any content in this episode violates your copyright, please contact us immediately and we will address your concern appropriately.

Airing September 1 is a special edition of Cool Tunes for a Hot Planet - it's our one year anniversary. We're offering an expanded show this time, with each of our producers looking back on what we've accomplished, and presenting a variety of music videos that stand out as representative of the year gone by. Some of the songs are reprises from earlier episodes, others are new. And for the centerpiece of the episode, we are proud to present an interview with the renowned environmentalist Bill McKibben, founder of 350.org, Third Act, and author of numerous globally recognized publications about climate change and its ramifications - all while remaining optimistic about the future. So welcome to our birthday party, and enjoy the show.

Episode 22: Music Beyond Humanity — A Profile of Inter-species Musician David RothenbergClarinetist, author, and philosopher David Rothenberg has spent his life making music far removed from the usual contexts of performance stages or recording studios.  Rothenberg's collaborators have included cicada swarms, katydids, nightingales, lyrebirds, warblers, whales, and dolphins.  His experiences have given him a unique and valuable perspective on our human musicality and how it relates to the totality of Earth's ecosystems.  In this episode we hear David interacting musically with his non-human collaborators, and thinking aloud about what they have to teach us in a time of climate transformation.  Featuring videos by Lewis Rapkin along with underwater footage and interviews from 2021 and 2025.Music & Video "Summer Symphony — Bug Music"Video produced by Lewis Rapkin, Oscillator Media"Helsinki Nightingale Clarinet Dawn"Video produced by Lewis Rapkin, Oscillator MediaPaul Winter Consort "Wolf Eyes", Living Music CD LD0018R. Murray Schafer"Music For Wilderness Lake", Kalvfestivalen 2014, Sweden"Bug Music: David Rothenberg's Insect Choir"Video documentary by Jennifer Berglund & Ian MacLellan"Sago Beetle & Mouth Resonator"Mahisu, Wam Tribesman, Warengema Village, East-Sepik, New GuineaRecording by Robert MacLennan, 1961"Cicadas and Clarinet" — Princeton, NJ, June 2, 2021Video produced by Reuters"Dawn Chorus Plus One"Video produced by Lewis Rapkin"Live with Humpback Whales in Hawaii"Directed by François Noulens, Produced by Christophe Cosse."Whale Muse Seek" — Film by Maria Batlle, 2017All other video and audio material by David Rothenberg.

The August episode of Cool Tunes for a Hot Planet is a somber one, commemorating the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki on August 6th and 9th, 1945, ending World War II and unleashing the atomic age. Our feelings about that momentous event have evolved over time, from triumph to uncertainty to horror - and our music has reflected those changes: country songs with pride and religious fervor, pop songs with dark humor and irony, folksongs of protest, jazz and classical both elevated and discordant, reflecting the anxieties of a world facing potential nuclear extinction. This month's show presents a powerful selection of musical expression, addressing the stark memory that still hangs over our heads 80 years later.

"Thinking About Woody" offers a cornucopia of perspectives on the life and legacy of the great American balladeer Woody Guthrie.  Interviews with Guthrie scholars Will Kaufman and Gus Stadler are interwoven with spoken and musical excerpts from Woody himself as well as Pete Seeger, Alan Lomax, Ramblin' Jack Elliott, Mile Krajina, Adama Kammisoko, John McCutcheon, Joshuah Brian Campbell, Watermelon Slim, Tantrum Zentrum, David Amram, Sihasin, The Missin' Cousins, Tim Grimm, Keith Secola, Benya Stewart, and the Resistance Revival Chorus with Rhiannon Giddens.At the Cool Tunes for a Hot Planet website, you can find full information about the sources of the music and interviews used in this podcast, along with the master video recordings of host Warren Senders' interviews with Will Kaufman and Gus Stadler.THIS LAND IS YOUR LANDWords and Music by Woody GuthrieTRO –©– Copyright 1956 (Renewed) 1958 (Renewed) 1970 (Renewed) LudlowMusic, Inc., New York, New YorkUsed by PermissionTHE RANGER’S COMMANDWords and Music by Woody GuthrieTRO-© Copyright 1963 (Renewed) Ludlow Music, Inc., New York, NYHOWDIDOWords and Music by Woody GuthrieWGP/TRO-©Copyright 1961 (Renewed) 1963 (Renewed) Woody Guthrie Publications, Inc. &Ludlow Music, Inc., New York, NYadministered by Ludlow Music, Inc.PASTURES OF PLENTYWords and Music by Woody GuthrieTRO –©– Copyright 1960 (Renewed) 1963 (Renewed) Ludlow Music, Inc.,New York, New YorkUsed by PermissionVIGILANTE MANWords and Music by Woody GuthrieTRO – © Copyright 1961 (Renewed) and 1963 (Renewed) Ludlow Music, Inc.,New York, NYUsed by PermissionJESSE JAMESWords and Music by Huddie Ledbetter and Woody GuthrieTRO-© 1991 Folkways Music Publishers, Inc., New York, NYUsed by PermissionSWIMMY SWIMWords and Music by Woody GuthrieTRO – © Copyright 1961 (Renewed), 1963 (Renewed) Folkways MusicPublishers, Inc., New York, NYUsed by PermissionRIDING IN MY CAR (The Car Song)Words and Music by Woody GuthrieTRO - (c) Copyright 1954 (Renewed) and 1969 (Renewed) Folkways Music Publishers, Inc.,New York, NYUsed by PermissionMISS PAVILICHENKOWords and Music by Woody GuthrieTRO – © Copyright 1963 (Renewed) Ludlow Music, Inc., New York, NYUsed by PermissionPLANE WRECK AT LOS GATOS(Deportee)Words by Woody Guthrie; Music by Martin HoffmanWGP/TRO-© Copyright 1961 (Renewed), 1963 (Renewed) Woody Guthrie Publications, Inc., &Ludlow Music, Inc., New York, NYadministered by Ludlow Music, Inc.

This episode of Cool Tunes for a Hot planet is all about the power of music to help bend the arc of the moral universe. Today we highlight songs about social injustice, asking questions like who are we, and where are we going? Song is the most sacred form of peaceful resistance, and we need to sing it over and over, as was done during the Civil Rights movement with the anthem We Shall Overcome - a song we'll take a deeper dive into, looking at its cross-cultural importance as far away as India - and ending the episode with a newer, country gospel song that celebrates lifting up our voices to raise the truth on high.

Changing the climate conversation in India! Episode 18 features passionate performances of Indian classical music in wild settings: rainforests, riverbanks, beaches — and the musicians' fascinating conversations with Indian environmentalists and scientists — all documented in beautifully producedvideo. We profile the "Blue Planet" project, from the Mumbai-based video production group First Edition Arts, under the direction of Devina Dutt.Musicians include:Ramakrishnan MurthyPantula RamaNAVA featuring Christopher Gurusamy and Vignesh IshwarBudhaditya MukherjeeWaseem Ahmed KhanVishnudev KSTM KrishnaUday BhawalkarDebashish Bhattacherya

The theme of episode 17 is "Planting Hope," which is much needed now. There are four songs in this episode. The first is Mark Lagerwey's "Plant a Tree," which reminds us, if we want to leave a viable planet for our children and our children's children, we need to think on the time scale of the trees, some of which can live for hundreds of years -- if we don't cut them down or create unsustainable conditions. We can find a better balance and a purpose through thoughtful stewardship. Mark suggests, "Plant a Tree."The second song is Harriet Jerusha's "Life is not a Race," which continues the tree theme, pointing out that trees stay in one place, keep on growing, provide habitat and new seedlings. The next segment in this episode is an interview with Sophia Mirto, an activist and lead wrangler and board president with "Hands Off Central Texas," who has had amazing sucess with large rallies and events, demonstrating that there are huge numbers who want to protect democracy and our constitution. If you're looking contribute to something positive, this might be a good way to start.Next is a short interlude with Afro-pop band Atlas Soul. Good vibes!Rees Shad closes out episode 17 with an animated music video, "Ain't That the Way," about activism and art, -- Delta blues with a social message. Enjoy!

Cool Tunes For A Hot Planet Episode 16 is all about bees. This fascinating 40-minute video/podcast shares songs and instrumental music from all over the world, along with interviews, history, facts and faces. Meet Rev. Charles Butler, who transcribed honeybee music and turned it into a choral fantasy...in 1609! Meet Bramhari Devi, the bee goddess of India. Listen to "Burt's Bees," an original piece by world-famous composer Terry Riley.Three special guests: bumblebee scientist Jessica Braun, honey expert Brian Woerner, and apiculture historian Jennifer Richards. Hear music from:Henry Barnes (old-timey fiddle)The Polka RascalsE. Clinton KeithleyGhulam NabiSunidi Chauhan, Shankar Mahadevan, and Jaspinder NarulaShashank MaktedarTulu Bhajan singers (Kateel, Andhra Pradesh, India)Tampa RedBaAka Pygmy womenKoffi AnanMuddy WatersLaya Bazaar (featuring Shyam Nepali)Die IrrlichterMax FletcherThe Choir of Little Saint Mary's singing music by Rev. Charles ButlerLayne RedmondTerry Riley & Sara MiyamotoTem Blessed

Episode 15 of Cool Tunes for a Hot Planet kicks off May 1st. May Day has been celebrated for centuries as a celebration of rebirth, fertility, and the mystery of life - and then a further declaration of workers' rights since the late 19th century. But in addition to name-checking May Day, today's episode presents songs by singer-songwriters from MusicToLife.org - a nonprofit organization that mentors young musicians with a mission to work in their communities for social and environmental justice. Songs include Walkin' the Hi-Line, by Jocelyn Wilkinson and Don Barrozo, a story-song about Don's immigrant father working on the railroad; Fjorden Er Ikke Var, by Hilja, a paean to the fjords of Norway, and the protests against their destruction by industrial development; and Lara Herscovitch's Letters From a Ghost, invoking the spirit of Martin Luther King to urge us on in the work we all must do to celebrate love, not hate, on May Day and every day.

This is Cool Tunes for a Hot Planet’s EARTH DAY episode, offering three very different strains of eco-music. Solartopia, by David Bernz, Harvey Wasserman, and Pete Seeger– the renowned elder statesman of folksong and righteous causes – envisions a day when our energy needs will all be met by the sun. I Wanna Be Cool, by Will Kimbrough and Brant Miller, is a rousing international collaboration about all the ways we ferventlywish for a cooler planet. And Que Corra el Rio is Karla Lara’s beautiful, moving tribute to the defense of the Gualcarque River, in Honduras, when it was threatened by a hydroelectric project nobody in the region wanted. Happy Earth Day!

Global Notes: Meet flautist & composer Linda J. Chase, whose oratorio "For Our Common Home — Resounding Ecojustice" will receive its world premiere in May! Ms. Chase talks about her work with host Warren Senders, and shares excerpts from a preview performance of the music, which blends classical, jazz, gospel, and other world traditions in a heartfelt setting of Pope Francis' 2015 climate-change encyclical "Laudato Si."

This week's installment of Cool Tunes for a Hot Planet is an eclectic mix of thematically related songs. Ukrainian Now, by Tom Paxton and John McCutcheon is an ensemble production lamenting the Russian invasion and exhorting us all to come together in support of the embattled Ukrainian people. Larry Lobert's Isn't This a Time is a call-to-arms folksong raising the alarm about the current-day rise in fascism. O the Ocean Rolls, by James Kahn, is a sea shanty looking at the personal struggles of a boat full of refugees. And The Right to Live in Peace, a group song inspired by a Victor Jara composition, and sung by the masses during the Chilean uprising of 2019, asserts the rights of all people to live lives of freedom and dignity.

An interview with Lola Perrin. Lola Perrin's work integrates her original music with the process of bringing audiences into the climate discussion. It's a fascinating and necessary approach to a thorny problem at the boundaries of performance art.

This episode focuses on one of the immediate human costs of climate upheaval -- immigration. The refugee population is growing worldwide, accelerated by drought, famine, floods -- all environmental pressures that result from global warming, and will only get worse. The first step in combatting this ongoing disaster is developing empathy for all displaced persons. Music is one way to jumpstart that process.

This special edition of Cool Tunes for a Hot Planet celebrates Indigenous Peoples and their contributions to the environmental movement. muhu'wit, begins by chanting "Toki Toki," a song first recorded over 100 years ago by Lone Woman of San Nicolas Island.Next up is "No More Pipeline Blues (On This Land Where We Belong)," composed & produced by Larry Long.This song celebrates the courage of “water protectors” and the inspirational leadership of indigenous women against Big Oil. Featuring Waubanewquay, Mumu Fresh, Pura Fe, Indigo Girls, Bonnie Raitt, Joy Harjo, and many other allies. "Book of Life," by David Huckfelt and Keith Secola, ponders how the beauty of the natural world asks the deeper spiritual questions we must all ask ourselves. Why do we suffer? What is the meaning? Their answer to finding what we seek in order to embrace this beauty... is love.And finally, "Denali Rising," by Mark Lagerwey, believes the majestic mountain, Denali, the pinnacle of wilderness and spiritual guidepost of the Alaskan Native peoples, has seen enough of the incursions of modern industrialized civilization -- and is on the verge of rising up in outrage.

In this episode, Lisa Rogers and the Therapy Sisters sing Do Something, an energetic Western Swing song about all the things we can do to reach a sustainable future, politically and ecologically.In Precious Right, Patty Carpenter sings about the sacred right to vote, a right people have fought and died for not only a right, but a prayer for the disenfranchised, a precious obligation for each of us personally that becomes universal in its scope.Smash, by Zoe Lewis, is a boisterous, all-hands-on-deck pre-election anthem about smashing the glass ceiling, and reclaiming joy in that action.Kamala is the Sanskrit word for Lotus, and in the rap song Lotus for Potus, Baba Brinkman and friends celebrate the vision of a sustainable future, with healthcare and justice for all on our one green planet.

Seth Bernard's The Time Has Come asks us to come together now, there's no more time to wait in the fight against the men whose greed is accelerating the climate change that is destroying our planet. The heartfelt lyrics implore us to find meaningful pathways to action, in our shared humanity.Our House is on Fire, by Emma's Revolution, is a bluesier rock song with a similar message: our house - the earth - is going up in flames, literally and metaphorically, and we have to join hands to put those fires out. The fires of polluted air and oceans, dying trees, melting glaciers, rising seas, bleaching coral, growing drylands, racism, homophobia, hunger, poverty - it's up to us.Changemakers, by Crys Matthews, feels like a soulful, moving prayer, asking us all to battle hate and racism, and stand up for all the starving children, dreamers, homeless, and vulnerable members of our society - appealing to the soul of America, with the poetry that symbolizes us to the world: "Give us your tired, your poor, your huddled masses."Seth Handelman's Imagine as You Dream addresses the horrors of school shootings by asking why this keeps happening, why we keep leaving our children to face these nightmares alone. He wonders if we may be dreaming the fears and turning them into our own reality - and if that's the case maybe we can start to turn things around by dreaming the possibilities of how to fix this intractable problem. We must visualize the solutions first, and only then can we effect them.

In Last Winter, Mark Lagerwey expresses his longtime love of winter weather, and his sadness at its diminishment as global warming eats away at it all over the world. In floods, fires, and heatwaves, the warmth is overwhelming the cold - but we can solve the problem if we just muster up the will power, and the good will, to honestly address it.James Kahn's Workin' That ER is a poignant, tender look at the life struggles of those around us, as seen through the lens of the emergency room. A reflection of the wounded and damaged souls wandering the world, it asks us to see the humanity in them - to help heal them, and ourselves, by coming together, supporting each other, and understanding the power of community to bind us in the mystery of life.Starting Now, written by Glen Phillips and performed by Toad the Wet Sprocket, is an introspective musing about what a person needs to do after being lost and directionless, looking at wasted years looking for life to change - and realizing change doesn't just happen, we have to make it happen, we have to "dig a little deeper." Maybe the "best time to change was years ago," but the next best is here and now.In Melanie DeMore's One Foot in Front of the Other/Lead With Love, she leads a rousing, a cappella group singalong about overcoming life's struggles by confronting them together, by sharing our feelings of fear and sometimes despair, and facing them in common. "Don't give up hope/Keep movin' on," is a joyous battle cry of protest and empowerment. And it just makes you feel good.

Episode 7, entitled New Moon, New Year, celebrates the December 30th “black moon,” and the impending new year, commencing with Michigander Carrie Newcomer’s video for the song “Sanctuary.” This beautiful song was inspired by a letter she received from her good friend, Quaker writer Parker Palmer, who was responding to her wanting to know what can we do now, when things seem so bleak. Parker’s response is both hard and easy — we do what we can, and when we falter, we need to find sanctuary and refuge where we can, in the beauty nature still retains, in friends and family, and in the wisdom of artists, writers, and thinkers. This song and video is a beautiful summary of Parker Palmer’s trenchant advice, which is certainly apropo as we approach the new year ahead.Next up is “Prayer For Peace,” written by Seth Handelman, and performed by Mark and Deb Bonds, who hail from New Hampshire. “Prayer For Peace” laments a world rife with unnecessary wars, and calls for a new era of peace, to be ushered in by the collective power of millions of fervent voices.The next song and video is from activist songwriter Purly Ray Gates, who urges us to “Wake Up Now” — because we have a lot of urgent work to do to make the change that we seek. It IS up to us, and we need to start right now.The final song is an anthem, “Peace, Salaam, Shalom,” from Emma’s Revolution, the folk duo partnership of Pat Humphrey and Sandy Apatow, whose name is inspired by the anarchist and revolutionary Emma Goldman. Their song was written in response to the 9/11 attacks, but is equally relevant in today’s context, where global warming, toxic pollution, and geopolitical strife threaten us all.

The release of Episode 8 falls on January 20, 2025: Inauguration Day and Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Opposite polls of the spectrum, considering who won the presidential election. Our songs for this show cover that gamut, from anger about the man in the White House, to an alternate National Anthem; from a call to resist lies about oppressions in our country's past, to turning all our fears and anger into love, as MLK would have wanted.

Songs to inspire action for justice and a cooler planet.Featuring Roy Zimmerman's rallying song for social justice, Harriet Jerusha Korim and Purly Gates singing Harriet's ode to Mother Earth, a song from the new Broadway musical premiering September 25, Distant Thunder, sung by Sean Taylor-Corbett and an all Native American cast, and bringing it home with Seth Handelman's very personal, homemade anthem celebrating the voting rights movements of yesterday and today.

Songs to inspire action for justice and a cooler planet. Spotlighting Grammy-nominated songwriter Eliza Gilkyson, with award-winning Third Actors James Kahn and Kerrville Folk Festival finalist Purly Rae Gates. Broadway veteran Joanna Rush and youth activist Veronica Vevang host and offer inspiring stories about recent climate actions.

Episode 9 of Cool Tunes for a Hot Planet is all about the water. Oceans, rivers, floods, droughts, and all the ways our waters are affected by climate change: the cost to habitats, to species, to communities – the price we all pay for the effects of global warming. Today’s explorations of this existential threat are presented by Kenyan jazz singer Gabrielle Agachiko, rhythm and blues artist Rick Arnoldi, sea shantyist JamesKahn, and New Orleans blues rocker Watermelon Slim.

The release of Episode 8 falls on January 20, 2025: Inauguration Day and Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Opposite polls of the spectrum, considering who won the presidential election. Our songs for this show cover that gamut, from anger about the man in the White House, to an alternate National Anthem; from a call to resist lies about oppressions in our country's past, to turning all our fears and anger into love, as MLK would have wanted.