Nicole Zuraitis Adapts Edna St. Vincent Millay - All Of It with Alison Stewart

Summary

All Of It: Episode Overview - "Nicole Zuraitis Adapts Edna St. Vincent Millay"

Podcast Information:

Title: All Of It
Host: Alison Stewart
Producer: WNYC
Episode Title: Nicole Zuraitis Adapts Edna St. Vincent Millay
Release Date: February 6, 2025
Description: All Of It explores the multifaceted landscape of culture and its consumers, engaging with thinkers, creators, and artists to delve into the what and why of their work.

Introduction to the Episode

[00:37] Alison Stewart:
In this episode, Alison Stewart sets the stage by highlighting the recent Grammy Awards, emphasizing the presence of former All Of It guests in attendance. She previews the episode's content, which includes:

Revisiting Grammy Speeches: Alison promises a look back at notable speeches and the significant topics discussed during the awards.
Featured Conversations: She introduces an upcoming conversation with "Tank and the Bengas" about their Grammy-winning album, The Heart, the Mind, the Soul, which secured the Best Spoken Word Poetry Album category. This performance was notably recorded live in WNYC's Studio 5.
Celebrating Other Winners: The episode spotlights Dan Pugach and Nicole Zuraitis, who won the Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album for Bianca Reimagined: Music for Pause and Persistence by Dan Pujach's Big Band. This album is a tribute to and benefits foster dogs, showcasing a unique blend of music and social good. Alison shares a personal touch by mentioning Nicole brought her foster dog, Dolly, to the recording session.

Notable Achievements Highlighted:

Nicole Zuraitis: This Grammy marks her second win within two years, following last year's Best Jazz Vocal Album. Additionally, she has served as a judge for the Public Song Project, performed at WNYC's Lincoln Center concert, and contributed to an adaptation of Edna St. Vincent Millay's poem "The Philosopher" for their album.

Nicole Zuraitis’s Musical Adaptation

[02:20] Nicole Zuraitis: Nicole presents a captivating musical mashup of two Edna St. Vincent Millay poems: "The Philosopher" and "Travel It." Her rendition weaves poetic narrative with musical expression, creating an evocative piece that blends emotion and artistry.

Key Elements of the Performance:

Emotive Poetry: Nicole's adaptation delves deep into themes of longing, love, and introspection, mirroring Millay's original sentiments.
Musical Arrangement: The performance skillfully fuses lyrical depth with melodic composition, showcasing Nicole's prowess in both vocal delivery and musical interpretation.

Excerpt from the Performance (Timestamp [02:45]):

"I should be kept awake as many nights as there are days while weeping for your sake. And what are you that missing you as many days grow?"

This segment highlights Nicole's ability to convey profound emotion through her musical storytelling, staying true to Millay's literary essence while infusing it with her unique artistic voice.

Post-Performance Reflections

[09:03] Alison Stewart:
After Nicole's moving performance, Alison Stewart commends her for the powerful adaptation and invites listeners to engage with the Public Song Project, encouraging community involvement in cultural and artistic endeavors. She directs interested individuals to visit wnyc.org/publicsongproject to participate and support ongoing projects.

Conclusion

This episode of All Of It masterfully intertwines the celebration of contemporary artistic achievements with the rich tapestry of cultural heritage. By featuring Nicole Zuraitis's Grammy-winning work and her thoughtful adaptation of classic poetry, the show underscores the enduring relevance of literary art in modern music. Alison Stewart's insightful commentary and the inclusion of notable quotes enhance the listener's understanding and appreciation of the interconnectedness between culture, context, and creative expression.

Final Thought:
"We won’t always agree, but our varied perspectives and diversity of experience is what makes New York City great." – Alison Stewart

This sentiment encapsulates the essence of the episode, highlighting the value of diverse artistic voices in shaping and enriching the cultural landscape.

Transcript

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Alison Stewart (0:37)

This is all of it on wnyc. I'm Alison Stewart. The Grammy Awards were last weekend and plenty of former All of it guests were in attendance. Next hour we'll revisit some of the speeches from that night and the important subjects they touched on. And you'll hear my conversation with Tank and the Bengas about their album the Heart, the Mind, the Soul, which they won the Grammy for Best Spoken Word Poetry Album. They performed live in WNYC Studio 5. But first, we're celebrating some other Grammy winners, Dan Pugach and Nicole Zreitus, who took home the award for Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album. Dan and Nicole joined us in December to talk about Bianca Reimagined music for Pause and Persistence by the Dan Pujat's Big Band, an album celebrating and benefiting foster dogs. Of course, they brought their foster dog along. We love Dolly. That was Nicole's second Grammy in two years. She also took home an award last year for Best Jazz Vocal Album and in between, she served as a judge for the Public Song Project, performed at our concert at Lincoln center, and recorded a song for our album, an adaptation of the Edna St. Vincent Millay poem the Philosopher. Here's Nicole Zeraidis at WNYC playing a musical mash up of the Millais poems, the Philosopher and travel it.

Nicole Zoraidis (2:20)

And what are you that missing you? I should be kept awake as many nights as there are days while weeping for your sake. And what are you that missing you as many days grow? I should be listening to the wind and looking at the world. I know a man that's a braver man and 20 men is kind and what are you that you should be the one man on my mind. Yet women's ways are witless ways as any sage will tell. But what am I that I should love so wisely and so well so wisely and so savage? 20 men is kind and what are you that you should be the one man on mine mine. Yet women's ways are witless ways as any sage will tell. And what am I that I should love so wisely and so well so wisely and so sa when the railroad track is miles away the day is loud with voices speaking yet there isn't a train that goes by all day But I hear its whistle shrieking when all night there isn't a train goes by Though the night is still sleeping Dreaming but I see it's cinders red on the sky and I hear it Ste when my heart is full with the friends that I make and better friends I'll not be knowing yet there isn't a train that I wouldn't take no matter where it's going when all night there's in a train goes by Though the night is still for sleep and dream Dreaming but I see get cinders right on the sky and I hear it singing oh I hear it Ste and I hear its engines steaming.