A New Album from a Reluctant Virtuoso

Journalist Taylor Branch says most histories of the African American civil rights movement written by white people are missing heart and context. He seeks to avoid this pitfall in his new book, Parting the Waters. Branch joins Fresh Air to discuss the work of Martin Luther King, Jr. in black churches, and how John F. Kennedy and J. Edgar Hoover attempted to control him for their own ends.

Anderson's music showcases both his technical prowess and sense of humor. As a teenage musician, he never thought he would make a career on trombone; it wasn't until he stopped playing that he realized how central music was to his life. His new album is called Blue Bred in the Bone.

TV critic David Bianculli reviews the network's latest pilots, including a ghastly sitcom, a thirtysomething ripoff, and a magical hour from the Muppet's creator.