Click here to watch the teaser.
You’re in for a jazzy musical delight on the Freedom From Religion Foundation’s “Freethought Matters” TV show this Sunday.
Addison Frei and Tahira Clayton, both atheists, are well-known jazz musicians based in New York City. Albums by Frei, a pianist and composer, include “Future Speak,” “Transit” and “Intentions” and the AMP Trio albums “To Be Determined” and “m(y)our World.” He has been a favorite accompanist of many vocalists, including Leslie Odom Jr., Renée Elise Goldsberry, Janis Siegel and Carol Fredette. Clayton is an internationally known award-winning jazz vocalist who has performed at Sony Music Hall, Tribeca Performing Arts Center and many other venues. She is a founding board member of the Women in Jazz Organization and has traveled internationally to present her research on “The Dangers of Jazz: Sexism in Society.”
Frei and Clayton perform two of their own songs on the show, plus standards by three nonreligious composers: Cole Porter ( “I Concentrate on You”), Jerome Kern (“I’m Old Fashioned”) and Thelonious Monk (“Ugly Beauty,” with new lyrics by Clayton). FFRF Co-President Dan Barker hosts the show and interviews the performers at the Audio for the Arts recording studio in Madison, Wis.
Those in Frei’s immediate family have been longtime members of FFRF. His mother Brenda Frei became well known in the freethought community after appearing on the Morgan Spurlock “30 Days” TV show as an atheist living with a Christian family for a whole month. Clayton was raised in a devout household but now “gives thanks” to Harry Potter.
If you don’t live in the quarter-plus viewership of the nation where the show broadcasts on Sunday, you can already catch the interview on the “Freethought Matters” playlist on FFRF’s YouTube channel. New shows go up every Thursday. You can also receive notifications when we post new episodes of “Freethought Matters” by subscribing to FFRF’s YouTube channel.
“Freethought Matters” airs in:
- Chicago, WPWR-CW (Ch. 50), Sundays at 9 a.m.
- Denver, KWGN-CW (Ch. 2), Sundays at 7 a.m.
- Houston, KIAH-CW (Ch. 39), Sundays at 11 a.m.
- Los Angeles, KCOP-MY (Ch. 13), Sundays at 8:30 a.m.
- Madison, Wis., WISC-TV (Ch. 3), Sundays at 11 p.m.
- Minneapolis, KSTC-IND (Ch. 45, Digital Channel 5.5), Sundays at 9:30 a.m. (Digital channel 5.2 has been dropped.)
- New York City, WPIX-IND (Ch. 11), Sundays at 10 a.m. Note time change!
- Phoenix, KASW-CW (Ch. 61, or 6 or 1006 for HD), Sundays at 8:30 a.m.
- Portland, Ore., KRCW-CW (Ch. 32), Sundays at 9 a.m. Comcast channel 703 for High Def, or Channel 3.
- Sacramento, KQCA-MY (Ch. 58), Sundays at 8:30 a.m.
- San Francisco, KICU-IND (Ch. 36), Sundays at 10 a.m.
- Seattle, KONG-IND (Ch. 16 or Ch. 106 on Comcast). Sundays at 8 a.m.
- Washington, D.C., WDCW-CW (Ch. 50 or Ch. 23 or Ch. 3), Sundays at 8 a.m.
Upcoming shows will include an interview with returning guest U.S. Rep. Jared Huffman, the only “out” nonreligious member of Congress, and with student activist and plaintiff Max Nibert (joined by FFRF Senior Counsel Patrick Elliott) talking about FFRF’s new lawsuit against religion in the schools in West Virginia. “Freethought Matters” is now in its sixth season. To watch earlier shows, including an interview with freethinker and feminist icon Gloria Steinem, visit the “Freethought Matters” playlist on FFRF’s YouTube channel. Please tune in to “Freethought Matters” . . . because freethought matters.
P.S. Please tune in or record according to the times given above regardless of what is listed in your TV guide (it may be listed simply as “paid programming” or even be misidentified). To set up an automatic weekly recording, try taping manually by time or channel. And spread the word to freethinking friends, family or colleagues about a TV show, finally, that is dedicated to providing programming for freethinkers!
