Terry Gross

A concert and interview with singer/songwriter and musician Dave Alvin. He's best known for his guitar "firepower" with the Blasters (for which he was also primary composer and songwriter). He also had a short stint with the band X. Alvin went solo a few years ago, and began honing his voice. He's just released his third solo album -- his first acoustic one -- "King of California" (HighTone Records).

Merchant Seaman Captain Rudolph Patzert. In 1947 he captained a ship that was part of a clandestine effort by the Jewish underground to smuggle Holocaust survivors into Palestine. Palestine at that time was under British rule, and a British air and sea blockade prevented immigration to the country. Patzert's ship, the Paducah, was a 45 year-old rundown converted gunboat, his crew inexperienced; and they were thwarted every step of the way: British intelligence hounded them, preventing them from refueling and re-watering.

Authority on complementary cancer treatments Michael Lerner. His book is called "Choices in Healing: Integrating the Best of Conventional and Complementary Approaches to Cancer" (The MIT Press).

Actor Sir Ian McKellan. Tomorrow Ian McKellen takes his one-man show, "Ian McKellen: A Knight Out" to Broadway's Lyceum Theatre. Since coming out in 1988, Britain's highly acclaimed Shakespearean actor has become an international voice for the gay and lesbian community. His role in Peter Schafer's "Amadeus" earned him a Tony Award in 1981. He has appeared in the recent popular films, "Last Action Hero" and "Six Degrees of Separation," and has plans for a film version of "Richard III."

Bandleader and pianist Eddie Palmieri. Through his first band, La Perfecta, labeled "the band with the crazy roaring elephants," Palmieri was credited with originating Latin jazz's trombone sound in New York during the sixties. With the release of "Palmas," (Elektra), many critics feel that this respected 58-year old innovator will finally get the exposure and respect that his sound has long merited. Palmieri's lobbying over the past year culminated in the announcement of a new Grammy Award category for Afro-Carribbean Jazz.

Television and movie score composer Henry Mancini, who died of cancer on Tuesday. He is best known for composing "Moon River" for the film "Breakfast at Tiffany's" and the title theme to the movie "The Pink Panther." In 1954 he received his first Academy Award nomination for his score to "The Glenn Miller Story," and in 1961 his score for the movie "Breakfast at Tiffany's" won that year's Academy Award.

Film critic Stephen Schiff reviews the new film "Wolf."

Actor Dennis Hopper. He made his film debut in "Rebel Without a Cause," and has appeared in "Blue Velvet," "Rivers Edge," and "Hoosiers." Hopper directed, co-wrote, and starred in the 60's classic, "Easy Rider," for which he was nominated for an Academy Award.

Journalist Martha Honey. She worked as a freelance journalist in Costa Rica from 1983 to 1991. Her clients included Times (London), The Nation, ABC television, and National Public Radio. In 1984, she and her husband, Tony Avirgan were covering a press conference called by contra leader Eden Pastora Gomez, when a bomb exploded killing three journalists, and injuring dozens of other people, including Pastora, who was the intended target. (Tony Avirgan was also one of the people injured.) Honey and Avirgan and other journalists set out to find the person(s) responsible.

Gerald Early is Director of African American Studies at Washington University, and author of several books. His newest book is a memoir about raising his two daughters, "Daughters: On Family and Fatherhood," (Addison-Wesley). One reviewer wrote, "a powerful reminder of the complexity and mystery, and abiding love that exists in families. . . this narrative. . is also suffused with the glory and pain and generational patience of black culture in America."