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Don Byron's Swinging "Looney Toons"

A live concert in the WHYY Forum with jazz clarinetist Don Byron and his "Bug Orchestra." On their new recording "Bug Music," they play the music of The Raymond Scott Quintette, John Kirby & His Orchestra, the Duke Ellington Orchestra -- and a lot of cartoon music. Byron has become best known for playing klezmer, but musically he's all over the map: he plays jazz with his Don Byron Quintet, modern classical music with the Semaphore quintet, and he toured Europe with Music for Six Musicians, an Afro-Cuban ensemble.

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Composer and jazz pianist Uri Caine (ER-ee CANE). He's fronted and/or played with a number of groups. On his first two CDS as he a leader, "Sphere Music" and "Toys" he played homage to jazz pianists Thelonious Monk and Herbie Hancock. He's worked in groups led by Don Byron, Dave Douglas, Buddy DeFranco, Clark Terry and others. His latest release is "The Sidewalks of New York" which plays homage to turn of the century New York city and the songwriters of tin pan alley. (Winter & Winter label).

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