Leave Work Now! With Rick Koster

Michael Barker, co-president of Sony Pictures Classics, talks about this year's Oscar nominees and releasing "The Father" during the COVID-19 pandemic.

A project called Lost Tapes of the 27 Club used artificial intelligence to create new songs in the style of Nirvana, Jimi Hendrix, The Doors and Amy Winehouse. But are the headlines that state AI "wrote" these songs actually accurate? How do these songs stack up with the artists' actual work? Listen to the Lost Tapes of the 27 Club on Spotify Listen to the Lost Tapes of the 27 Club on YouTube Watch Rick and Pete eat the longest hot dog in New England Subscribe to Rick's newsletter Support local journalism with a subscription to The Day

Who makes the best crispy chicken sandwich in the New London area? What, you thought we were going to tell you? No, we want you to tell us. Rick and Peter have tried all the fast food options, but is there a local restaurant that makes a great crispy chicken sandwich? Send us your suggestions at p.huoppi@theday.com Subscribe to Rick's newsletter "The Fun Never Stops" at www.theday.com/newsletters Support our show, and the rest of The Day's independent journalism, by purchasing a digital or print subscription at www.theday.com/subscribe

New London native Scott Sherratt was producer and director of Rachel Maddow's audio book Blowout, which won the 2020 Grammy for Best Spoken Word Album. Sherratt talks about recording with Questlove, Will Patton, Scott Shepherd and the Beastie Boys, as well as an angry voicemail from Gene Simmons. Included audio: Creative Quest, read by Questlove. Clip courtesy of Harper Audio. The Son by Phillip Meyer, read by Will Patton. Clip courtesy of Harper Audio. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, read by Scott Shepherd.

For a variety of reasons, Don Cash's band Mars Slingshot never achieved the potential that Rick Koster saw in them when he wrote an article for The Day more than 20 years ago. Cash, a prolific songwriter, persevered through the death of his longtime bandmate and best friend Art Falconi. He recorded several new songs during the pandemic, and takes us through the creation of one of them. "Mask of Love" started out as a jazzy take on the politics of mask wearing, but became a more pop-oriented love song. Rick's original article on Mars Slingshot: https://www.theday.com/article/20000324/DAYARC/303249924/

From Dennis Miller to Bobby McFerrin, Steve and Jeanne Sigel share their best (and worst) memories from more than 30 years running the Garde Arts Center in New London.

Rich Martin has been and will be a committed and ubiquitous presence in New London’s arts scene. From TAZ and Secret Theater to Hygienic Art and The Telegraph, he reflects on three decades in the Whaling City.

Sue Menhart has been laying low during the COVID-19 pandemic, but looks forward to getting back in front of an audience with something completely different and crazy.

Drummer Ed Toth has toured the world with Vertical Horizon and The Doobie Brothers, getting the chance to share the stage with the performers that comprise his record collection. No matter how far he has traveled, though, he has always considered Southeastern Connecticut, specifically East Lyme and New London, to be his home. See Ed Toth on stage with The Doobie Brothers

Fred LeBlanc of New Orleans-based Cowboy Mouth is Rick's all-time favorite rock and roll frontman. We asked Fred which frontmen influenced him, what's different about being a band from New Orleans, and why he no longer jumps off the light towers on stage. See Cowboy Mouth perform "Jenny Says"

Long revered as the creative force behind a group regarded as one of America’s premiere prog acts, Crack the Sky's John Palumbo talks about life in fame’s cruel shadows.

Kenneth Fuchs, Grammy-winning composer and University of Connecticut professor, discusses "Point of Tranquility: Band Music of Kenneth Fuchs," a seven-piece set for symphonic winds released last year by the United States Coast Guard Band under the baton of band director Adam Williamson. The album was recorded at Leamy Hall on the New London campus of the United States Coast Guard Academy and features the band's alto saxophonist Greg Case.

Craig Edwards, ethnomusicologist and professional chanteyman, reacts to the popularity of sea chanteys on TikTok, taking us through the history of the music form and explaining how the songs aided work and life aboard sailing vessels. See Craig Edwards perform "Way Stormalong John" Craig's website

Lickerish Quartet keyboardist Roger Joseph Manning Jr. joins us from Los Angeles to talk about the group's new EP "Threesome, Vol. 2."

Tim Smith, bassist for The Lickerish Quartet, joins us from Atlanta to talk about the group's new EP "Threesome, Vol. 2."

Guitarist Andy Timmons talks about the legacy of Eddie Van Halen and shares a song we started writing after Van Halen's death. Timmons also shares some stories from his long and varied musical career - from playing in the metal band Danger Danger to being the musical director for Olivia Newton John. Watch Andy's weekly live streaming shows at https://www.stageit.com/AndyTimmonsOfficial Learn guitar from Andy at https://guitarxperience.net/

Bestselling author Ann Hood on the literature of grief, the joy of (essays on) cooking, and why flight attendants can write real good.

Marc Zimmer, a chemistry professor at Connecticut College and author of the new book ”The State of Science,” talks about the intersection of science and politics around issues like climate change and COVID-19, and what it was like to attend the Nobel Prize ceremony.

We talk with Ben and Nancy Parent of The Rivergods about releasing their new album "Passages" during the pandemic, and about the band's longevity. Stream/download "Passages" at https://therivergods.bandcamp.com/album/passages

We talk with Joshua Pendragon, an independent researcher for the Oxford English Dictionary, about how new words are added to the dictionary, the challenges of researching obscure words, and the evolving nature of language.