Musical Dialogues
@jaysonkerrdobney.bsky.social
A yearlong journey through 20th-century music. Daily song pairings, reflections, and stories that connect the sounds of America across genres and generations. **Launching January 1, 2026 on Substack.
Today is National Inventor’s Day. A perfect opportunity to highlight the musical contributions of innovators Les Paul, and the synthesizer queen Wendy Carlos.
open.substack.com/pub/jaysonke...
open.substack.com/pub/jaysonke...
February 12, 2026 at 3:56 AM
Today is National Inventor’s Day. A perfect opportunity to highlight the musical contributions of innovators Les Paul, and the synthesizer queen Wendy Carlos.
open.substack.com/pub/jaysonke...
open.substack.com/pub/jaysonke...
What are the greatest Super Bowl Halftime performances ever? Here are two that might compete for the most epic! open.substack.com/pub/jaysonke...
February 8, 2026 at 5:00 PM
What are the greatest Super Bowl Halftime performances ever? Here are two that might compete for the most epic! open.substack.com/pub/jaysonke...
Reposted by Musical Dialogues
Exactly this. They kept treating The Muppets like they were broke and needed to be fixed.
The Muppets were never broke.
The Muppets were never broke.
I wrote about the new Muppet Show, which is, thank God, exactly like the old Muppet Show.
Finally, a Muppet Show Reboot That Understands the Original Appeal of the Muppets
After countless failed gimmicks, this time it’s just like you remembered it.
slate.com
February 5, 2026 at 6:32 AM
Exactly this. They kept treating The Muppets like they were broke and needed to be fixed.
The Muppets were never broke.
The Muppets were never broke.
Reposted by Musical Dialogues
My favorite reply guys
February 4, 2026 at 5:52 AM
My favorite reply guys
A surprisingly personal conversation today. Talking about music gets real very quickly.
open.substack.com/pub/jaysonke...
open.substack.com/pub/jaysonke...
I Need to Be In Love / Being Alive
Seeking Connection
open.substack.com
February 4, 2026 at 1:55 PM
A surprisingly personal conversation today. Talking about music gets real very quickly.
open.substack.com/pub/jaysonke...
open.substack.com/pub/jaysonke...
February 2, 2026 at 2:28 PM
I’m feeling like a little punk music is in order. Live the connection between these songs.
open.substack.com/pub/jaysonke...
open.substack.com/pub/jaysonke...
January 27, 2026 at 3:53 PM
I’m feeling like a little punk music is in order. Live the connection between these songs.
open.substack.com/pub/jaysonke...
open.substack.com/pub/jaysonke...
Etta James was born on Jan. 25. Couldn’t wait to include her iconic At last on my project. Check it out.
open.substack.com/pub/jaysonke...
open.substack.com/pub/jaysonke...
January 25, 2026 at 3:00 PM
Etta James was born on Jan. 25. Couldn’t wait to include her iconic At last on my project. Check it out.
open.substack.com/pub/jaysonke...
open.substack.com/pub/jaysonke...
I stand with Minneapolis
January 24, 2026 at 11:19 PM
I stand with Minneapolis
Today is Neil Diamond’s birthday. Check out a couple of his songs spanning his tremendous career on today’s Musical Dialogues.
open.substack.com/pub/jaysonke...
open.substack.com/pub/jaysonke...
January 24, 2026 at 3:40 PM
Today is Neil Diamond’s birthday. Check out a couple of his songs spanning his tremendous career on today’s Musical Dialogues.
open.substack.com/pub/jaysonke...
open.substack.com/pub/jaysonke...
My latest post. Minimalism in both classical and pop music. Take a listen: open.substack.com/pub/jaysonke...
Glassworks / Once in a Lifetime
January 19: Repetition
open.substack.com
January 20, 2026 at 1:18 AM
My latest post. Minimalism in both classical and pop music. Take a listen: open.substack.com/pub/jaysonke...
Today is MLK’s birthday (we will celebrate it on Monday). Thinking of his legacy, I paired two songs. The first a gospel song important to the Civil Rights movement. The second a Broadway song about ending racism. Check it out:
open.substack.com/pub/jaysonke...
open.substack.com/pub/jaysonke...
January 15, 2026 at 1:21 PM
Today is MLK’s birthday (we will celebrate it on Monday). Thinking of his legacy, I paired two songs. The first a gospel song important to the Civil Rights movement. The second a Broadway song about ending racism. Check it out:
open.substack.com/pub/jaysonke...
open.substack.com/pub/jaysonke...
Mixing together musical genres successfully is rare. One of the most successful examples is Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue. Another example is the Aerosmith / Run DMC. Read about these two pieces in today’s Musical Dialogues: open.substack.com/pub/jaysonke...
January 15, 2026 at 12:17 AM
Mixing together musical genres successfully is rare. One of the most successful examples is Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue. Another example is the Aerosmith / Run DMC. Read about these two pieces in today’s Musical Dialogues: open.substack.com/pub/jaysonke...
Great musical anecdote. French composer Pierre Boulez sees Paul Simon and his wife at a party in the 1980s. The Frenchman repeaters calls the rock star Al. The result is one of today’s songs for my Musical
dialogues pairing.
Check it Out: open.substack.com/pub/jaysonke...
dialogues pairing.
Check it Out: open.substack.com/pub/jaysonke...
January 11, 2026 at 5:54 PM
Great musical anecdote. French composer Pierre Boulez sees Paul Simon and his wife at a party in the 1980s. The Frenchman repeaters calls the rock star Al. The result is one of today’s songs for my Musical
dialogues pairing.
Check it Out: open.substack.com/pub/jaysonke...
dialogues pairing.
Check it Out: open.substack.com/pub/jaysonke...
Check out today’s Musical Dialogue. The influence of country singer Jimmie Rodgers on blues man Howlin’ Wolf. An interesting link.
open.substack.com/pub/jaysonke...
open.substack.com/pub/jaysonke...
January 10, 2026 at 5:08 PM
Check out today’s Musical Dialogue. The influence of country singer Jimmie Rodgers on blues man Howlin’ Wolf. An interesting link.
open.substack.com/pub/jaysonke...
open.substack.com/pub/jaysonke...
Reposted by Musical Dialogues
Happy Birthday to Joan Baez, singer-songwriter born in Staten Island, New York 🇺🇸 85 years ago today.
What are your favourite songs by Joan Baez?
#JoanBaez
What are your favourite songs by Joan Baez?
#JoanBaez
January 9, 2026 at 10:01 AM
Happy Birthday to Joan Baez, singer-songwriter born in Staten Island, New York 🇺🇸 85 years ago today.
What are your favourite songs by Joan Baez?
#JoanBaez
What are your favourite songs by Joan Baez?
#JoanBaez
Today is Joan Baez’s birthday. Perhaps her best known album is Diamonds & Rust. Learn more:
open.substack.com/pub/jaysonke...
open.substack.com/pub/jaysonke...
January 9, 2026 at 1:14 PM
Today is Joan Baez’s birthday. Perhaps her best known album is Diamonds & Rust. Learn more:
open.substack.com/pub/jaysonke...
open.substack.com/pub/jaysonke...
Bluegrass guitarist Rick Snell pointed me towards this old fiddle tune “Eighth of January.” I remembered it as the song “Battle of New Orleans” check it out:
open.substack.com/pub/jaysonke...
open.substack.com/pub/jaysonke...
January 8, 2026 at 2:03 PM
Bluegrass guitarist Rick Snell pointed me towards this old fiddle tune “Eighth of January.” I remembered it as the song “Battle of New Orleans” check it out:
open.substack.com/pub/jaysonke...
open.substack.com/pub/jaysonke...
Charley Pride became the first Black solo singer to perform on the stage at the Grand Ole Opry on Jan. 7, 1967. Decades earlier, Black harmonica virtuoso DeFord Bailey was there when the Opry began. Learn more: open.substack.com/pub/jaysonke...
January 7, 2026 at 1:27 PM
Charley Pride became the first Black solo singer to perform on the stage at the Grand Ole Opry on Jan. 7, 1967. Decades earlier, Black harmonica virtuoso DeFord Bailey was there when the Opry began. Learn more: open.substack.com/pub/jaysonke...
Jan. 6 - Epiphany. Marks the 12th day of Christmas, the end of several regional traditions including “Old Christmas” in parts of Appalachia. It also marks the beginning of Carnival in New Orleans. One day. Two songs. A beginning and an ending.
open.substack.com/pub/jaysonke...
open.substack.com/pub/jaysonke...
Breaking Up Christmas / Carnival Time
Epiphany
open.substack.com
January 6, 2026 at 1:08 PM
Jan. 6 - Epiphany. Marks the 12th day of Christmas, the end of several regional traditions including “Old Christmas” in parts of Appalachia. It also marks the beginning of Carnival in New Orleans. One day. Two songs. A beginning and an ending.
open.substack.com/pub/jaysonke...
open.substack.com/pub/jaysonke...
Train songs is a category unto itself across genres. These songs are a reminder of how important trains were to daily life. One for the great is Freight Train, by Elizabeth Cotten. She was born on Jan. 5, 1893.
open.substack.com/pub/jaysonke...
open.substack.com/pub/jaysonke...
January 6, 2026 at 2:52 AM
Train songs is a category unto itself across genres. These songs are a reminder of how important trains were to daily life. One for the great is Freight Train, by Elizabeth Cotten. She was born on Jan. 5, 1893.
open.substack.com/pub/jaysonke...
open.substack.com/pub/jaysonke...
Today’s Musical Dialogue: My Favorite Things from The Sound of Music. A favorite childhood memory for many, John Coltrane completely reimagined it.
open.substack.com/pub/jaysonke...
open.substack.com/pub/jaysonke...
My Favorite Things
January 4:
open.substack.com
January 4, 2026 at 1:12 PM
Today’s Musical Dialogue: My Favorite Things from The Sound of Music. A favorite childhood memory for many, John Coltrane completely reimagined it.
open.substack.com/pub/jaysonke...
open.substack.com/pub/jaysonke...
Today’s Musical Dialogue features a pairing from two
black women of different generations and genres. Aretha Franklin’s Respect with Queen Latifah’s U.N.I.T.Y.
open.substack.com/pub/jaysonke...
black women of different generations and genres. Aretha Franklin’s Respect with Queen Latifah’s U.N.I.T.Y.
open.substack.com/pub/jaysonke...
January 3, 2026 at 7:42 PM
Today’s Musical Dialogue features a pairing from two
black women of different generations and genres. Aretha Franklin’s Respect with Queen Latifah’s U.N.I.T.Y.
open.substack.com/pub/jaysonke...
black women of different generations and genres. Aretha Franklin’s Respect with Queen Latifah’s U.N.I.T.Y.
open.substack.com/pub/jaysonke...
Today’s post thanks to collaborator Rogelio Plasencia. open.substack.com/pub/jaysonke...
January 2, 2026 at 3:40 PM
Today’s post thanks to collaborator Rogelio Plasencia. open.substack.com/pub/jaysonke...
Launching today. A yearlong exploration of American music. Each day will suggest 2 songs. I’ll provide a commentary about what I think they have in common. Here is the first post. Today, songs about community and featuring super groups of performers
open.substack.com/pub/jaysonke...
open.substack.com/pub/jaysonke...
A Brand New Day / Will The Circle Be Unbroken
Jan. 1: Community
open.substack.com
January 1, 2026 at 2:11 PM
Launching today. A yearlong exploration of American music. Each day will suggest 2 songs. I’ll provide a commentary about what I think they have in common. Here is the first post. Today, songs about community and featuring super groups of performers
open.substack.com/pub/jaysonke...
open.substack.com/pub/jaysonke...