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  • The Manchurian inaction that taught aggressors war paid

    The Manchurian inaction that taught aggressors war paid
    2026/10/30
    A seventy-two-year-old Lord wins a Nobel as the League fails to stop Manchuria - will diplomacy melt into costly inaction?

    The Manchurian inaction that taught aggressors war paid

    In this episode, we follow Robert Cecil’s final decades as the League of Nations he helped design confronts repeated crises and choices that test its promise. Which decisions in 1931 set the stage for later aggression, and how did Cecil record the path from law to impotence?

    Person: Robert Cecil
    Date: 1931
    Event: Japan’s invasion of Manchuria
    Book: A Great Experiment (1941)
    Issue: Failure to impose collective sanctions

    - Cecil receives the Nobel Peace Prize in 1937 while the League fails to stop aggression.
    - He built the League believing collective sanctions would make war irrational.
    - Member states weighed trade and delay, choosing diplomacy over immediate sanctions in 1931.
    - Cecil argued in 1941 that Manchuria’s unpunished aggression taught Mussolini and Hitler that force paid.
    - Subsequent crises-Abyssinia, the Rhineland-arrive as tests of the choices made after 1931.

    To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

    © 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
    This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.
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    23 分
  • The tape running out cut a performance and let Tatum's genius fade

    The tape running out cut a performance and let Tatum's genius fade
    2026/10/29
    A blind pianist at the Hollywood Bowl collapses mid-applause while a studio tape runs out - how do you fall from that high playing jazz?

    The tape running out cut a performance and let Tatum's genius fade

    In this episode, we present the arc of Art Tatum’s late career, from Toledo to packed houses and skeptical critics, and the studio marathon that tried to capture him. We trace the decisions, the changing jazz landscape, and the recording sessions that tested whether fame could keep pace with genius.

    Person: Art Tatum
    Location: Hollywood Bowl; Los Angeles recording studio; Toledo, Ohio
    Date: August 1956; 1953-1954 recording sessions
    Event: Tape ran out mid-performance; 124 solo tracks recorded
    Producer: Norman Granz

    - Born in Toledo and nearly blind, Tatum learned music as aural and physical memory, reshaping pianistic possibility.
    - By 1944-45 he headlined major venues, earned Esquire’s best pianist award, and commanded $1,150 weekly playing four solo sets nightly.
    - As bebop rose in the mid-1940s, critics questioned Tatum’s relevance even as his technique advanced beyond peers.
    - Norman Granz arranged marathon studio sessions in late 1953 with no setlist or time limits to capture Tatum’s unfiltered playing.
    - The sessions yielded 124 solo tracks released as "The Genius of Art Tatum," and during one recording a tape ran out halfway through a piece.

    To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

    © 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
    This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.
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    19 分
  • A single unrehearsed whistle froze the tape - and the plane took off

    A single unrehearsed whistle froze the tape - and the plane took off
    2026/10/28
    A single unrehearsed whistle froze on tape after Otis Redding left the studio; three weeks later he boarded a small plane and never returned.

    A single unrehearsed whistle froze the tape - and the plane took off

    In this episode, we follow Otis Redding from Macon’s church pews and juke joints to Stax Records and Monterey, tracking the decisions, tours, and events that set the stage for a single unplanned moment in the studio. Why did he board that Beechcraft H‑18 with three weeks left to live, and how did a single held note become his defining sound?

    Person: Otis Redding
    Location: Macon, Georgia; Stax Records, Memphis; Monterey Pop Festival, California; Cleveland, Ohio
    Date: December 1967; January 1968 (song hit No. 1)
    Event: One unplanned whistle held on tape; final flight on a Beechcraft H‑18
    Sales/Plays: ~4 million copies sold; over 8 million radio plays

    - He learned music in Macon’s churches, juke joints, and on radio, teaching himself drums and piano and winning local talent shows repeatedly.
    - He left Tift High School at fifteen to work a well‑drilling truck by day and play clubs by night to support his family.
    - Joe Galkin introduced him beyond Georgia, leading to recordings at Stax with Booker T. and the MGs as his backing band.
    - His breakthrough outside the soul circuit came at the Monterey Pop Festival in June 1967, which expanded his audience and booking opportunities.
    - In September 1967 he had polyps removed from his larynx, required weeks of vocal rest, then returned to touring in December, recording the whistle take shortly before boarding the plane.

    To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

    © 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
    This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.
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    21 分
  • The Man Behind the Melody: The Henry Mancini Story

    The Man Behind the Melody: The Henry Mancini Story
    2026/10/27
    A piccolo in a steel town sets a boy on a Hollywood-bound path; the Emmy- and Oscar-winning composer becomes everywhere and nearly invisible.

    The Man Behind the Melody: The Henry Mancini Story

    In this episode, we trace Henry Mancini’s journey from a Pennsylvania steel town to the heart of Hollywood, following the choices, training, and moments that shaped his career. What happens when a composer’s music is more famous than the man who wrote it?

    Person: Henry Mancini
    Date of birth: April 16, 1924
    Date of death: June 14, 1994
    Notable works: Moon River; Pink Panther theme; NBC Nightly News theme; Peter Gunn theme
    Awards: Twenty Grammy Awards; Four Academy Awards; seventy-two nominations

    - Born in West Aliquippa and raised amid the mills, Mancini received a piccolo from his father that set him on a musical path.
    - Studied with Max Adkins at the Stanley Theater in Pittsburgh, learning how music moves a live audience.
    - At eleven he first heard a film score and decided to compose specifically for movies and television.
    - His career passed through wartime service, university training, and playing in a swing band before reaching television.
    - The 1958 Peter Gunn theme used a driving walking bass that reframed television music as a standalone musical statement.

    To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

    © 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
    This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.
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    22 分
  • The Sixties Accounting Entry That Bankrupted Woody Herman

    The Sixties Accounting Entry That Bankrupted Woody Herman
    2026/10/26
    A legendary bandleader abandons jazz to care for his wife, then decades later the IRS claims his life’s work. How do you fall from that high?

    The Sixties Accounting Entry That Bankrupted Woody Herman

    In this episode, we follow Woody Herman’s rise from Milwaukee kid to the leader of a band that played Carnegie Hall and inspired Stravinsky, then his voluntary exit at the height of success and the long arc that followed. The episode traces the choices, tours, and financial decisions that led to an unexpected tax claim years later - who paid the bill?

    Person: Woody Herman
    Date: born May 16, 1913; peak success 1946; tax crisis surfaced decades after 1960s accounting
    Location: Carnegie Hall performance; Milwaukee birth
    Topic: career decisions, touring economics, 1960s accounting and IRS claim

    - He built a career from vaudeville and territory bands into a top big band that won every major jazz poll in 1946.
    - He disbanded the First Herd in 1946 to care for his wife Charlotte, citing both personal reasons and shifting economics.
    - He repeatedly rebuilt bands after 1946, touring through nightclubs, European tours, Super Bowl halftimes, and recording sessions.
    - Decisions made by others during the 1960s produced accounting entries that later triggered a multimillion-dollar IRS claim.
    - By 1987 he was still playing nightly out of necessity, having only recently learned of the tax liability that threatened his home.

    To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

    © 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
    This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.
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    21 分
  • One shoe toppled a pop star's empire: how Sam Cooke fell

    One shoe toppled a pop star's empire: how Sam Cooke fell
    2026/10/25
    How did Sam Cooke go from a church to a bullet in two minutes?

    One shoe toppled a pop star's empire: how Sam Cooke fell

    In this episode, we follow the evening that began with a hotel room on South Figueroa Street and ended with Sam Cooke arriving at a manager’s office wearing a sports jacket and one shoe. The episode traces the moments, decisions, and unresolved gaps between a woman fleeing, a manager firing a pistol, and the questions left by a swift official verdict.

    Person: Sam Cooke
    Date: December 11, 1964
    Location: Hacienda Motel, South Figueroa Street, Los Angeles
    Event: Cooke arrived at manager’s office wearing one shoe and a sports jacket and was shot
    Topic: ownership of masters, SAR Records, "A Change Is Gonna Come"

    - Cooke grew up in Chicago as the son of a Baptist minister and rose with the Soul Stirrers before crossing over with "You Send Me."
    - He built SAR Records, negotiated to own his masters, and sat on a politically charged song recorded in January 1964.
    - Lisa Boyer checked into the Hacienda with Cooke and later told police she fled a room where he became aggressive and hid in a phone booth to call police.
    - Bertha Franklin said Cooke burst into her office after eleven p.m. wearing one shoe and a sports jacket, grabbed her, and they struggled on the floor.
    - Franklin reported she fired a single shot into Cooke’s chest, heard him say, "Lady, you shot me," and then struck him with a broom before he collapsed.

    To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

    © 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
    This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.
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    18 分
  • A weekend in a French château wrote their soundtrack - and burned them

    A weekend in a French château wrote their soundtrack - and burned them
    2026/10/24
    A weekend in a French château: three brothers write an impossible disco soundtrack - and will American radio turn against them?

    A weekend in a French château wrote their soundtrack - and burned them

    In this episode we follow how the Bee Gees moved from Queensland speedways to global stardom, and the weekend at Château d'Hérouville where they were asked to write an entire film soundtrack on a near-impossible deadline. What happened in that château, and how did the same songs that broke records spark such fierce backlash?

    Person: Barry Gibb, Robin Gibb, Maurice Gibb
    Event: Songs for the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack written over one weekend
    Location: Château d'Hérouville, France
    Date: March 25, 1978 (context of chart dominance)
    Topic: rapid rise, creative breakthrough, and ensuing radio bans

    - Childhood performances in Redcliffe, Queensland began on the back of a truck at the local speedway.
    - The brothers built their career through relentless local gigs, radio spots and TV before being discovered by Robert Stigwood.
    - After a period of fading chart success, Stigwood commissioned new music to match already-edited film footage.
    - In a single weekend at a rural French château the brothers composed every song for the film’s soundtrack.
    - Within eighteen months American radio stations banned all five of their Hot 100 chart-topping songs.

    To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

    © 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
    This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.
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    18 分
  • He Wrote About Eternity, But Hid His Own Life: Thornton Wilder

    He Wrote About Eternity, But Hid His Own Life: Thornton Wilder
    2026/10/23
    Thornton Wilder in a Connecticut house with an unread, unfinished play-how did he keep his private life so sealed?

    He Wrote About Eternity, But Hid His Own Life: Thornton Wilder

    In this episode, we follow Thornton Wilder’s public achievements and the long private silence that surrounds his life. We trace the manuscripts, travels, relationships, and the unanswered questions that persist around the unfinished work and the man who wrote about eternity.

    Person: Thornton Niven Wilder
    Date: April 17, 1900; died December 7, 1975
    Location: Hamden, Connecticut; Yale archive; Madison, Wisconsin; Chefoo; Ojai; Zurich (mentioned)
    Award: Three Pulitzer Prize; Pulitzer Prize for Fiction 1928 for The Bridge of San Luis Rey
    Work: Unfinished play manuscript (over 300 pages) archived at Yale; play completed for production in 2024 in Houston

    - He published The Bridge of San Luis Rey in 1927 after years of teaching and won the 1928 Pulitzer at age 27.
    - He spent childhood and youth moving between Wisconsin, Hong Kong/Chefoo, California/Ojai, and studied at Yale and Oberlin.
    - He taught French at Lawrenceville School, then at the University of Chicago, using teaching posts to finish major work.
    - He was fluent in four languages, traveled through Europe, and formed friendships with figures like Gertrude Stein and Sibyl Colefax.
    - His private life was tightly folded: scholars note an unreturned love for an unnamed man, papers that resist simple explanation, and an unfinished play left unread for decades.

    To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

    © 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
    This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.
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    20 分