Brooklyn Composer Gabriel Kahane

I'VE been hearing about the rock songwriter and chamber music composer Gabriel Kahane for a few years now, and was glad to have the chance to speak to the hipster hero about his new piece, based on Hart Crane's The Bridge, which makes its West Coast debut this weekend.

I also spoke to the esteemed Jeffrey Kahane and got a sense of how Gabe's eclecticism grew out of family tradition. HERE's my piece.

Speaking of music, here at the Misread City we're quite broken up about the death of Levon Helm, even though we saw it coming. His work with the Band and as a solo artist has moved a lot of people.

And this Sunday I will be at the LA Times Festival of Books, interviewing novelist Anne Rice. Hope to see you there.