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06:04

Jazz critic Kevin Whitehead

Jazz critic Kevin Whitehead reviews Footprints Live! (Verve) the new recording by saxophonist and composer Wayne Shorter.

Review
06:45

Songwriter Matt Dennis

Songwriter Matt Dennis died Sunday at the age of 88. He wrote the songs "Angel Eyes," "Everything Happens to Me" and "Let's Get Away from It All." In the 1940s he worked with Tommy Dorsey as an arranger and vocal coach when he wrote his biggest hits. This interview first aired December 12, 1995.

Obituary
10:38

Folklorist Alan Lomax

Folklorist Alan Lomax died Friday, July 19 at the age of 87. He spent more than a half century recording the folk music and customs of the world. His efforts spurred folk revivals in the United States and across Europe. In the United States, he was responsible for priceless recordings of Leadbelly (who Lomax first recorded in prison), Woody Guthrie, Jelly Roll Morton and many others. A 1959 recording he made of Mississippi prisoner James Carter singing the work song "Po'Lazarus" was the opening song for the soundtrack of the film O Brother, Where Art Thou?

Obituary
42:58

Pioneering Bluegrass Musician Ralph Stanley

Bluegrass musician Ralph Stanley. He came to fame late in life when his music was featured on the triple-platinum soundtrack of the movie O Brother, Where Art Thou? Stanley sings and plays banjo. He won two Grammys this year for his performance of "O Death" on the O Brother record. At age 75, Stanley has just released a self-titled CD and continues to tour. He's recorded over 170 albums in total, and has been performing continuously since 1946.

Interview
05:48

Rock historian Ed Ward

Rock historian Ed Ward reviews Preflyte (Sundazed Records, 2-CD set) recordings of early rehearsals of The Byrds.

Review
26:15

DJ and Hip Hop forefather Grandmaster Flash

DJ and hip hop forefather Grandmaster Flash. At the dawn of hip hop, he recorded with the Furious Five. Their hits included "The Message" and "White Lines (Don't Do it)". Nearly 3 decades ago, Flash created the 'Quick Mix Theory,' the process of blending one music break with another. His chose the songs for the new CD, Essential Mix: Classic Edition. It includes a collection of 70s and 80s dance songs.

Grandmaster Flash speaking at a Hip Hop history event at the Smithsonian
41:40

Record Producers Charles Granata and Didier Deutsch

Record producers Charles Granata and Didier Deutsch have collaborated on the new CD box set, Frank Sinatra In Hollywood (1940-1964) (Reprise records/Turner Classic movies) which collects Sinatra's film recordings - many of them rare. In fact only ten percent of the 160 tracks included on the collection have been released before. Granata is a Sinatra historian and author of Sessions with Sinatra: Frank Sinatra And the Art of Recording (A Capella Books, 1999). He was Project Director for the box set: Frank Sinatra: The Best of the Columbia Years 1943-1952.

06:31

We remember Timothy White

We remember Timothy White, the editor in chief of Billboard Magazine. He died Thursday at the age of 50. He was in his office at the time. This interview first aired January 12, 1995.

Obituary
37:01

Musician and actor Steve Van Zandt

Musician and actor Steve Van Zandt is a guitarist for Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band. He's also recorded solo and has produced a number of records and written songs for other musicians. He plays hitman Silvio Dante in the hit HBO series The Sopranos. He's also now a radio DJ. His syndicated show, Hard Rock Cafe Presents Little Steven's Underground Garage plays Sunday nights on a number of classic rock stations across the United States.

Interview
25:34

Writer James Gavin

Writer James Gavin has produced Deep in a Dream: The Long Night of Chet Baker. It's a biography of the jazz trumpeter and vocalist. Baker came from Oklahoma in the 1950s to become the "prince of cool jazz" on the West Coast. His death in Amsterdam in 1988 seems to have been drug-related. Gavin provides some answers to the riddle of his death. Gavin is a frequent contributor to The New York Times and other publications.

Interview
07:54

Rock historian Ed Ward

Rock historian ED WARD tells the story of Spark Records, run by the legendary team of Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller.

Commentary
06:12

Rock Critic Ken Tucker

Rock critic Ken Tucker reviews Cornershop's new Handcream for a Generation. Cornershop is a British group led by Indian singer-songwriter and producer Tjinder Singh.

Review
05:42

Rock historian Ed Ward

Rock historian Ed Ward tells the story of Frisco Records, a New Orleans soul label run by a female fry-cook.

Commentary
06:57

Music critic Milo Miles

Music critic Milo Miles reviews Songs in the Key of Z, Vol. 1: The Curious Universe of Outsider Music.

Review

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