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A Big Sound from the Microscopic Septet

Joel Forrester and Phillip Johnston founded the NYC-based jazz combo. The group had trouble finding an audience early on, in part because of their unique blending of styles. Forrester and Johnston join Fresh Air to talk about their influences, and the logistics of keeping such a large group together.

09:12
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Other segments from the episode on May 31, 1989

Fresh Air with Terry Gross, May 31, 1989: Interview with Joe Frank; Review of a recording of Bedrich Smetana's music; Interview with Phillip Johnston and Joel Forrester; Review of the home video…
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27:36

Exploring Personal Obsessions Through Radio Drama

Joe Frank produces the long-running program Work in Progress, which features improvised monologues and dramatic conversations about his fears and insecurities. Recently, Frank has been drawing inspiration from in-depth interview with his friends.

Interview
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03:55

The Golden Age of Television Comes to Home Video

Critic Ken Tucker reviews a three-tape release of The Milton Berle Show, a classic variety program known for featuring prominent jazz musicians, among others. Tucker says that some of the humor doesn't hold up, but it's easy to see why Berle was successful.

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21:45

Jelly Roll Morton's Legacy in Music and Theater

Playwright and director George C. Wolfe. He wrote and directed the hit Broadway musical Jelly's Last Jam, starring Gregory Hines, about Jelly Roll Morton. Wolfe also wrote the play The Colored Museum, a satire about the black experience in America. Jazz pianist and composer Joel Forrester joins the interview to perform some of Morton's music.

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