SUNDAY SUPPER
Sundays 4-6 pm on 90.7.FM/wfuv.org and archived at wfuv.org
The Sunday Supper - formerly the Sunday Breakfast - is our way to bring a little spice into your weekends, with the singers and songwriters you know and love plus a good dose of up-and-coming artist surprises, with John Platt, who's been the host of the show since 1997.
In its new one-hour format, it retains many of the features it’s had for years. There may be a set saluting an artist’s birthday, such as Bob Dylan, Norah Jones, Richard Thompson, or James Taylor, and there are usually mentions of concert appearances in the New York area for the coming week. John is known for putting together sets around a theme and makes a commitment to play a handful of songs of Compassion and Commitment to appeal to our better selves.
S0me shows also include an in-studio interview and live performance. Guests have ranged from icons like Pete Seeger, Joan Baez, Linda Ronstadt, Graham Nash, and Judy Collins, to WFUV mainstays like Dar Williams, Bruce Cockburn, and Eliza Gilkyson, to emerging artists like Kirsten Maxwell, the Brother Brothers, and Phoebe Hunt. With his gentle probing John helps us to know more about the music - and who the artists are as people.
"My goal," John says of his musical mission at WFUV, "is to strike a balance between old favorites and newcomers who need to be heard and to help listeners stay connected to the rich music scene in New York."
CURRENT SHOWS
It's always been a challenge to "Sunday Supper" that the birthdays of Pete Seeger and Judy Collins collide on the calendar. On this week's show we'll solve that by toasting them both — Judy's 85th on Wednesday and Pete's 105th on Friday — in a joint medley.
This week's "Sunday Supper" celebrates the 54th annual Earth Day with iconic songs by the likes of Tom Paxton, Steve Forbert, Pete Seeger, Bruce Cockburn, Talking Heads, and Joni Mitchell, plus lesser known but equally compelling artists.
The daffodils, forsythia, and magnolias are in bloom, so it must be spring - and time for WFUV's spring member drive! I'll have some music to celebrate the season and more on this week's "Sunday Supper."
SELECTED ARCHIVES
If anyone can be considered a true American treasure, it's Tony Bennett, whose 90th birthday is August 3. He's also a mensch who remains remarkably humble about his unique talent.
In the wake of the heartbreaking passing of John Prine from Covid-19, I came across an interview I had done with him in 1987 while I was producing "Mixed Bag." It's good to have this memento of John's humility and humor.
R.I.P. Dr. John. A Southern-fried mensch, a righteous musician for all seasons, a vital link in the New Orleans tradition.