Music

Jazz critic Kevin Whitehead reviews The Element of Swing (Stunt) featuring drummer Ed Thigpen and saxophonist Joe Lovano.

Classical music critic Lloyd Schwartz reviews Vienna New Years Concert with Seiji Ozawa (Phillips), a new recording of the Vienna Philharmonic conducted by Seiji Ozawa, who is leaving the Boston Symphony Orchestra to conduct the Vienna Philharmonic.

Ed Ward reviews The Blasters' new 2-CD compilation The Blasters Testament: The Complete Slash Recordings (Rhino).

Rock critic Ken Tucker reviews Come Away With Me, the debut album from vocalist Norah Jones.

An in-studio concert and interview with jazz pianist Jessica Williams, recorded at WHYY. Well hear Williams' original compositions as well as some interpretations of standards. Williams has been recording albums, both solo and with ensembles, since 1978. Her music is often featured on Fresh Air between interview segments. Williams new album is This Side Up, on the Maxjazz piano series.

Singer, songwriter, and actor Chris Isaak. His new album is called Always Got Tonight. He's the star of the semi-autobiographical Showtime series The Chris Isaak Show, now in its second season. Isaak's 1991 hit Wicked Game still stands as his signature song.

Soprano Eileen Farrell has died at the age of 82. Well listen back to a 1992 interview. Her career began in radio, with her own show on CBS, in the 1940s. In the fifties she started singing opera, and performed with every major opera company and symphony orchestra in the US, including five seasons with the Metropolitan Opera in New York. Starting in the sixties, she began putting out albums of jazz standards. Her 1999 autobiography is entitled, Cant Help Singing. She was also a professor of music at Indiana University and the University of Maine.

Singer, songwriter, musician and arranger Barry Manilow made the pop charts over and over again during the 1970s and early 80s with love ballads such as "Mandy," "Looks Like We Made It," "I Write the Songs" and "Copacabana (At the Copa)." Before becoming a singer he was Bette Midler's accompanist and arranger. He's currently on tour and has a new album of material Here at the Mayflower, (his first pop album since the 1980s) and a new anthology of his hits.

Rock critic Ken Tucker reviews the new CD Wish You Were Here: Love Songs for New York, a new anthology of songs recorded in reaction to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

Book critic Maureen Corrigan reviews Atonement (Doubleday) the new novel by Ian McEwan.

He just won a Golden Globe for his score for the film, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King and the score has also been nominated for an Academy Award. Shore has over 60 film scores to his credit, including The Fly, Dead Ringers, Naked Lunch, The Silence of the Lambs, Ed Wood and Philadelphia. Shore was also one of the original creators of Saturday Night Live, serving as musical director from 1975 to 1980. His chamber music is featured on the CD Reel Life — The Private Music of Film Composers Vol. 1.

Jazz Critic Kevin Whitehead Reviews gypsy Project (Dreyfus) the new CD by guitarist Bireli Lagrene.

Percussionist Jonathan Haas is a solo timpani player who has garnered international praise. He plays all styles of music, from classical to jazz and rock. Haas is the principal timpanist for the New York Chamber Symphony, the Aspen Chamber Orchestra and the EOS Ensemble. He regularly performs with numerous other orchestras worldwide. Haas also teaches percussion at the Aspen Music School and has been the director of the Peabody Conservatory Percussion Studio for 17 years. He's also the head of Sunset Records, Kettles and Company, and Gemini Music Productions.

Porn film director Wash West. His newest is The Fluffer, set in the gay porn industry. As compared to the films of Iran, Wash West's movies are all about touching. His other films include Seven Deadly Sins: The Gluttony, Naked Highway, Animus and Toolbox. West is much-honored in the field, with several Adult Video News Awards and Gay Erotic Video Awards.

His Broadway musicals include Bye, Bye Birdie, Annie, Applause, It's a Bird, It's a Plane, It's Superman, and Golden Boy, which originally opened on Broadway in 1964 and starred Sammy Davis Jr. The show will be revived later this month by City Center Encores in New York. Strouse also composed music for film and TV, including "Those Were the Days," the theme song for TV's All in the Family.

Jazz critic Kevin Whitehead reviews Ornette Coleman Trio at the Golden Circle, Vols. 1 and 2 (Blue Note).

Robert Moog is the inventor of the Moog synthesizer, an electronic keyboard that makes unworldly sounding electronic music. He invented it in 1963. Also, Moog didn't invent the theremin, but he manufactures this early electronic instrument. A Russian invented it 70 years ago, and it's been used on many science-fiction films because of its eerie, wavering tones. The National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences has just honored Moog with the technical Grammy award for Lifetime Achievement. This interview originally aired on Feb. 28, 2000.

Rock critic Ken Tucker salutes country music legend Johnny Cash, who turns 70 today.

Music critic Milo Miles talks about the musical legacy of the late African musician Fela Kuti.

Rock critic Ken Tucker reviews Don't Worry About Me, the posthumously released CD from Joey Ramone. The lead singer of the punk band the Ramones died last April at the age of 49.