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Getting Attached to Polka's Melodies

Artist-turned-musician Carl Finch discovered polka while working on an installation. He later started the new wave polka band Brave Combo.

09:41
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Other segments from the episode on June 30, 1987

Fresh Air with Terry Gross, June 30, 1987: Interview with Nien Cheng; Commentary on the rock band The Remains; Interview with Carl Finch; Review of the books "Sartre: A Life" by Annie Cohen-Solal and…
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27:25

On "Life and Death in Shanghai"

Nien Cheng and her husband were educated abroad and lived a comfortable, bourgeois life before China's Cultural Revolution. Though Cheng faced persecution, interrogation, and imprisonment, she was mostly able to maintain her lifestyle--and her loyalty to her country. She now lives in Washington, D.C.

Interview
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06:46

Exhuming the Remains

Rock historian remembers the 1960s Boston band The Remains, whose music reflected the genre's growing depth and sophistication. Despite opening for the Rolling Stones and the Beatles, the group never caught on.

Commentary
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03:53

Two New Biographies on Jean-Paul Sartre

Book critic John Leonard says that Annie Cohen-Solal's examination of the philosopher's life is both thoughtful and exhaustive. Ronald Hayman, on the other hand, seeks to tear down the French writer, to unclear ends.

Review

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22:12

Carl Finch Discusses Working With Tiny Tim.

Guitarist Carl Finch. His band, Brave Combo, just released "Girl" (Rounder) in conjunction with the legendary Tiny Tim. Brave Combo is a Texas world beat polka band and the members weren't sure what to expect when they began working on this project with the eccentric Tiny Tim eight years ago. The CD features many familiar tunes (including "Bye Bye Blackbird," "Hey Jude" and even "Stairway to Heaven") like they've never been performed before.

Interview
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06:32

Surprising New Directions in Polka

Accordionist and composer Guy Klucevsek joins Fresh Air to perform a solo arrangement of a new work, and to play a recording of a recent musical collaboration. He's slated to perform at the Brooklyn Academy of Music's Next Wave Festival.

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