In the mid-20th century there were unprecedented modernist influences on the fields of architecture, and furniture, graphic, and industrial design. Designers such as Eero Saarinen, Alvin Lustig, and Charles and Ray Eames created chairs, films, and homes that combined innovation, practicality, and beauty. What is the musical equivalent of mid-century modern design? David Garland finds it in the jazz compositions of George Russell, a “Third Stream” piece for electric guitar and strings by Jim Hall, John Cage’s serene “In a Landscape,” Miles Davis’ collaborations with arranger Gil Evans, Elmer Bernstein’s music for the films of Charles and Ray Eames, and more.

I forgot how truly good this was, from WNYC’s “Spinning On Air,” April 2011.