I was looking for a "filler" for Sunday evening and discovered this. Sorry I hadn't seen it earlier so I could promote it a bit longer. we'll also be using the Obama Re-mix, either next week or the Sunday before the Inauguration.

Check it out. This is fun, groundbreaking radio.

This is a fun piece for listening, giving a behind-the-scenes peek into a long-gone world of jazz in Washington, D.C. It's a relaxed and comfortable conversation between two jazz legends who've known each other for many years. It's mixed with appropriate music including Jelly Roll Morton, Earl Hines, Lester Young and others.

This, and the other segments in Billy Taylor's "Where I Came From" series, could be a nice drop-in for local jazz shows. I enjoyed the fact that it comes across as un-narrated, allowing the subjects to tell their stories without obvious interruption or intervention. It's certainly edited but "feels" like we're eavesdropping on a one-on-one chat.

The piece is DC-centered but I think listeners who have an interest in jazz history will enjoy hearing Billy Taylor and Frank Wess tell their stories about literally growing up with jazz in our nation's capitol.

Producers Marc Casale and Elliot Ward obviously had fun collecting sound and asembling this documentary. It's an example of youthful enthusiasm and idealism at work. It's fun to listen to, despite some technical weaknesses.

The piece is assembled from audio collected while the guys made a cross-country roadtrip. The production is done as a two-parter but could easily air as a one-hour program, with plenty of time for a top-of-the-hour newscast.

The script and delivery are thoughtful and informative although I have a problem with the clearly revealed bias against the Bush Administration and "the government." Despite the producers' personal opinions, there is a way to do a piece like this while letting the interview subjects mouth the politically-charged comments. I also didn't hear any effort at including "the other side." This flaw is a result of youthful inexperience..something Marc and Elliot need to learn before their work goes "mainstream." Having said that, I believe these fellows clearly have the ability to go farther with their audio documentary work.

Technical issues in this production include: rough edits; uneven levels and use of a poor quality microphone for narration. I assume that all the narration was done on the same portable gear that was used in sound collection. I would strongly recommend taking the script to a studio to create consistent voiceover tracks. While I am a big fan of appropriate use of stereo audio, there are left-right shifts between "acts and tracks" that I suspect are unintenional. I liked the use of recorded music in transitions but again the mixing is inexperienced with late up-fades and the music running much louder than the preceding audio.

I would like to hear tighter editing of interview bites, especially at the beginning of segments and more "natual sound" from the many interesting sites the producers visited.

These guys have the right idea and a good start on possible careers as documentarians. I'll look forward to hearing more of their work as they continue to hone their skills.

It's hard for me to be objective here, since I love Paul Simon's music so much. Paul is one of the muses of my generation. His music has been a major part of the soundtrack of my life. Disclaimers aside, I thoroughly enjoyed Paul Ingles' two-hour production. Since I was already considering it for air on my station, it made sense to give it a thorough audition. (Just doing my job. And loving it!) I put the audition files into my MP3 player and listened to the whole thing in about two and a half hours total, with a few stops and starts for life to intervene.

I'm thinking that, as stations air this special, we'll have radio listeners spending the better part of this show glued to their radios. Talk about your driveway moment!

Regarding the content and production: This program is chocked full of all our favorites. From the earliest days of "Toma and Jerry" in the 1950's through their Simon & Garfunkel years, to Paul Simon's most recent recordings, there's plenty of music as well as commentary. The show includes "Simon experts" and interview clips from Paul himself plus an informational narrative by Paul Ingles. I am impressed by the sheer magnitude of this project that holds together very nicely from start to finish. My biggest complaint is that I feel it ended abruptly. Maybe Ingles can put together a third hour with more about Simon's post-911 efforts. I get the impression that the sexagenarian is not likely to start collecting Social Security anytime soon.

This show is well-timed to coincide with the bestowing of the Gershwin Award by the Library of Congress and the PBS special but it will be appropriate public radio programming for some months to come. Just make sure you promote it enough to give your listeners a chance to clear their schedules for a two-hour listening block!

A great idea with a lot of potential. This episode of a weekly feature included four useful stories about media issues and activities, although one of them was not, in my opinion, a "media story." The story about conference calling services is more of a "communications technology" or "telecom" story.

Co-hosts John Anderson and Kimberly Kranich are pleasant enough with good solid voices and overall delivery. I think Anderson is working too hard to sound like "public radio" with an over-articulated style that I would like to hear softened. (You'll sound a lot more natural, John, if you'll just talk to us and not worry about pronouncing every consonant crisply!)

Another bugaboo of mine is the pronunciation of the word "a" as if it were the letter "A." The word is pronounced "uh" but more and more broadcasters are choosing to go with the long A sound. I'm on a crusade to correct his omni-present mispronunciation so please don't take personal offense.

Maybe they say it different in Illinois but the closing credits say this feature was done at the "University of Ellenois." (Another bugaboo, mispronounced vowels)

On the editorial side, like any good newscast, this piece needs some "sound." A bite or two would help a lot to overcome the sense that we're hearing re-written stories from newspapers or trade publications.

While on the topic of editing, I heard a couple of grammatical errors with mis-matched subjects and verbs or modifiers. E.g. reference to "cutting jobs in a shrinking news room." My guess is that you meant "cutting jobs in shrinking news rooms" unless you were reporting about one newsroom. Another example in the "telecom" story said "in case they have to make a call." Will "they" all be making one call together? Perhaps you meant to say "in case they have to make calls."

Sorry for being picky but "everyone needs an edit."

Editing of the piece was rough with some "jump cuts" in the middle of stories read by Kranich. Edits need to be transparent and unnoticeable. Otherwise, please do a re-take. I could live without the in and out music beds. I'm sure you want this to sound like a newscast. Not many of our public radio stations are using beds in and out of 'casts these days. It'll blend better within NPR formats without the music.

This feature is a really good idea but it's not quite ready for prime time. It's not up to the standards I expect when I air something on my station but I'll keep listening to see how it's coming along.

This is a great segment for Father's Day. It's a piece that involves a dad and his young son together going through the grandfather's phonograph records.

It's cleverly produced using the cute and curious voice of the son as he queries his dad and comments about "Grandpa Arnold's" quite curious collection. Listeners are not likely to hear this music anywhere else.

As a dad with my own not-so-little-anymore son, this piece was inspiring to me. I think it will touch the hearts of the dads in the audience as well as anyone who's ever had one!

Use as "filler" during Father's Day weekend programming, as a feature during a magazine show or as a set-up for a discussion about fathers and sons.

This is a nicely done documentary about a system that treats troubled and mentally ill children and teenagers like criminals. Helen Borten's writing, narration and interviewing make this a revealing piece about a genuine problem in our society.

While very alarming and disturbing, this presentation offers some glimpses of hope in the form of parents who are trying to change the system and organizing support groups and professionals who are willing to at least acknowledge the problem.

The interviews with kids and experts are very revealing. The editing and packaging give us an easy-to-follow presentation of the issues and a glimpse into the lives of Hannah, Damian, Joel and other troubled young people.

Contributing to this excellent presentation are the use of appropriate music and natural sound.

This piece could easily be the starting-point for a local call-in or forum discussing issues of "broken" mental health care systems.

This is a very sincere piece about an observance of historical significance. Producer Ryan White delivers a pleasant yet serious narration. I am impressed that this is one of his first pieces and that he is a volunteer with a "day job."

This 10:38 segment would be more useful to stations if it were shorter and included an anchor "lead." Anchors and local hosts of magazine programs will need to supply their own since the piece gets right down to business and needs a set-up. The piece would also be more useful to others if it didn't include a couple of very specific Portland references. Again, users can get around this if they want to use it by making sure they identify the piece as "produced in Portland." Regarding the length, most stations will prefer a piece between 3:30 and 5:00 for local insertion into Morning Edition or All Things Considered. This segment could also be used as a set-up for a local talk show about Ghanaian independence or other African issues.

White has included some good clips including archival audio of the leader of the movement for independence and Ghana's first Prime Minister. Regrettably, this audio sounds better than the phone clip of the "local" representative of the Portland Ghanaian community. My advice would be to get out and speak to the gentleman in person rather than doing a "phoner" with him. That may not have been realistic given the time constraints of a volunteer producer but it would make the piece sound a lot better. My general principle is to save the phone audio for people we can't get to, not someone just across town.

The piece is very informative but it could benefit from some additional audio beyond the narration and interview clips. For example, some sound from a local celebration of the 50th anniversary of Ghana's independence or even some recorded Ghanaian music. Such would make the piece more creative and more celebratory of an event that deserves celebration.

Again, this is a good early piece for Ryan. I can tell that he has the talent to do excellent work in the future.

This is a different presentation of the words of Martin Luther King. Very appropriate for the MLK Day holiday or Black History Month. I hate to admit that I can't I don't have any brilliant ideas about how to get Dr. King's message into programming during the rest of the year. Maybe during a talk show on race relations or in the context of a documentary on local racial tensions. Lord knows we need to hear from Dr. King throughout the year....every day even.

I enjoyed the weaving of the comments with the drop-ins of the MLK speech clips. I am a bit confused about who the speakers are in this piece. I know that they are "Four members of Training for Change" but my journalistic sense tells me we need to hear their full names, not just first names, for journalistic credibility. Why not just have each of the speakers say their names at some point...either before their comments or at the very end.

I was confused by the placement of the silence in early part of the clip, until I read the not-very-clear instructions. From what I can tell, the piece is intended to air with a two-part lede, one before the first clip and the other before the "body." A bit unconventional but not a bad concept, with perhaps more clear guidance about how the producers want it to air.

The piece is edited and mixed nicely...although there are some level issues. The King clips are loud. The commenters are much softer. If this is intended for impact, most stations will "fix" that through processing.

I feel that the original idea of the "fixup issue" was merely dropped on the listeners and then left to hang. Kind of a clever comment that was never developed. As a result, we get some nice thoughts but not a lot of genuine substance.

This is an artfully done piece that may be just a bit too artful for it's own good. Add it to something else with more substance and it will work nicely.

This is a fun piece for use as a drop-in during a magazine show or as a discussion starter for a locally-produced talk show. The topic for such a show? How about "Alternative Ways of Getting or Staying in Shape"? Perhaps it could be used in the context of a local or state discussion of boxing rules. Also possibly useful in a show geared toward senior audiences.

Producer/host Charles Lane has a friendly and natural style. His delivery is a good example of how a host can relate to listeners comfortably rather than "announcing" at them.

I really like the "sound," in this piece. Given the topic, it's a natural bt it's fun to hear the slap of the punching bag, the ringing of the bells and the other gym sounds.

I am especially grateful for the journalistic "balance" of this piece including not only boxers and a gym owner but also a rep of the boxing association. I love the "realness" of the voices, especially of the USA Boxing guy and the trainer.

This piece is well enough done to cause a boxing skeptic like myself to consider "the other side" and recognize the potential value of boxing as a form of exercise or hobby.

This series, along with StoryCorps and This I Believe is an example of Public Radio's version of reality TV....only we were doing reality long before TV discovered it!

This is a half hour promo for a series that originally aired on WGBH, Boston. I'm sure these stories worked well as drop-in segments during Morning Edition and I don't doubt that the podcasts have been popular yet I have a hard time imaging this half-hour program on the air of a radio station other than WGBH. From what I could tell, there is no real theme linking the stories.

While some of the stories are quite charming, perhaps engaging, I found listening to a half hour of them to be quite tedious. I think they must work best in their original context. A good example of the bromide, "Less is more." This presentation would work very well as a demo to be played for prospective underwriters or as an awards competition entry.

Another issue for me is the fact that, despite the mention that this program has grown to a point where "our neighborhood is the world" all this material sounds like Boston or the East Coast to me. Even in the original form of individual short stories, these would sound out of place in Peoria, Omaha or Santa Fe.

Host Tony Kahn has a charming Kasey Kasem style and the narration accomplishes its mission well. The stories are artfully linked with music. The technical aspects of this piece are executed very well.

I recommend that programmers listen to as many of these stories as you can handle and use them as food for thought about how we could do something similar in our local communities.

Interesting information about a troubling time in our history. This piece is part 12 in a 13-part series, apparently focusing on the origins of various ethnic communities in the Alamosa, Colorado community. I would have appreciated more information about the series, either in a written description or in the "intro" of the show.

I assume that the producer/host Sarah Parker is a volunteer. That being the case, this is an impressive effort, especially in the context of a series of 13 shows.

Sarah is a soft-spoken yet earnest and expressive host, obviously interested and engaged in the subject matter. So much so that, at the end of the program she offers a statement of opinion and exhortation that in light of today's climate of terrorism, "we must be sure that this never happens again." Stations that use the piece should be aware of this variation of seeming journalistic objectivity

As with many programs posted to PRX, this piece has a very local or regional focus. It will be difficult for stations outside Alamosa or the Southwest region to find a use for it.

As can be expected in volunteer community radio, the program suffers from some technical problems such as issues with audio levels and the quality of telephone interview segments. I enjoyed the use of music under the voice tracks but it is sometimes very soft and nearly inaudible.

For those willing to overlook it's weaknesses, this is a program that has much valuable information and food for thought resulting from the personal stories of the people who were interviewed here.

Who would think there were so many ways to approach the subject of peace? From the grandson of Mahatma Gandhi and former Nobel Peace Prize winners, to those working with prisoners or promoting non-violent conflict resolution for children, this program addresses many areas of the core topic of peace.

Admittedly this is a compilation from an apparent year's worth of programs but it's obviously a good example of what can be done with a compelling central theme and access to competent and well-spoken sources.

In the midst of our current "War on Terror" many of us have forgotten that there are other ongoing "battles" that threaten peace on earth. Each of these situattions deserves the attention of "idealistic" people who care about the earth and its people. It's good to know that there is a series giving attention to these issues.

This program is professionally produced and well-paced. It's hosts are personable and engaging. The guests are informative. It's a good "public radio style" show with a lot of solid content. I like the "peaceful" music and the gentle "feel" as well.

I am grateful that this show is offered in a "newscast-friendly" version for those of use who like to insert hourly updates. In true peacemaking fashion, a full 59:00 version is also available. We've gotta keep peace within the "family" of our public radio colleagues before we step out to change the world!

On many of our stations, with our packed schedules of regular daily shows, this special (and the series from which it derives) will end up airing late at night or early in the morning. While it deserves better placement than that, those who tune it in will find a gem of information and inspiration.

This is a factual, apparently well-researched piece giving the listener a glimpse of an often-overlooked problem. Although it focuses on the streets of Cape Town, the story could be produced on the streets of many American cities.

Producer/narrator Mikko Kapanen has a dry matter-of-fact delivery that serves the piece well by avoiding the impression of a bias that could be communicated through a more emotional presentation. The speakers tell their own story without need for more elaborate narration.

Our public radio listeners consider themselves "world citizens" but this piece might be most effective when used with a locally-produced companion piece or as a setup for a talk show about the plight of youth in our cities.

From a technical point of view, I applaud the use of a stereo mic in the sound gathering. There is however a notable perceived difference in levels between the narrator and the interview subjects.

Some listeners may have difficulty understanding the content of the interview clips due to the heavy accent of the speakers. I got used to it after a couple of minutes and assume other listeners will have the same experience.

This is a sound-rich piece documenting the duties of twin brothers who operate this unique bridge in Maine. The piece is a good example of first-person narrative by the story's subjects. At no time do we hear the voice of producer Amanda Davis. Aside from being a clever way of producing the piece, I get the feeling Davis is demonstrating her respect for the subject matter. Talk about letting people tell their own story!

It's kind of quirky and fun. I hope that was the intention of the producer, althrough the brothers seem to be quite serious about the importance of the job they do and the need for the bridge to continue operating in its current and historic manner.

I'm having a hard time imaging why anyone would air this beyond the region in the Northeast where it was produced. It might be a good companion piece if your station is near a similar bridge operation and you've produced a more local segment. Another idea, why not use it on Labor Day in the context of a discussion of not-so-common or nearly-extinct jobs?