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Neal Francis loves a throwback

Jack Karnatz
/
courtesy of the artist

Neal Francis has always appreciated a throwback.

Back in 2022, the long-haired piano-playing songwriter appeared on World Cafe to talk about recording the album he released that year, In Plain Sight.

It was recorded entirely to tape in an old church and took cues from '70s rock and R&B. Now, Francis is back with a new album called Return To Zero, where he keeps exploring the rock music of that decade, this time through the lens of disco and funk.

Like all of his past work, Francis recorded it without any digital programming. In this session, Neal Francis performs songs from Return To Zero, and some older cuts, in front of a live audience at WXPN's Free At Noon concert in Philadelphia.

Set List

  • "How Have I Lived"
  • "What's Left of Me"
  • "Need You Again"
  • "Broken Glass"

Raina Douris, an award-winning radio personality from Toronto, Ontario, comes to World Cafe from the CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation), where she was host and writer for the daily live, national morning program Mornings on CBC Music. She is also involved with Canada's highest music honors: Since 2017, she has hosted the Polaris Music Prize Gala, for which she is also a jury member, and she has also been a jury member for the Juno Awards. Douris has also served as guest host and interviewer for various CBC Music and CBC Radio programs, and red carpet host and interviewer for the Juno Awards and Canadian Country Music Association Awards, as well as a panelist for such renowned CBC programs as Metro Morning, q and CBC News.