Jazz Week: Jazz Legend Lester Bowie Interprets Rhythm and Blues.

Elvin Jones, considered one of the most influential drummers in jazz history. He’s been a bandleader for over 30 years. He’s played with all the great names in jazz. In the early sixties, he played with Charlie Parker. He also did a brief stint with Duke Ellington’s band before going out on his own. (originally broadcast 1/7/98)

Jazz vibraphonist Gary Burton. He invented a four-mallet grip for the instrument that is used by many contemporary players. Burton left Stan Getz's quartet in the mid 60's (at the age of 24) to form his own combo; a few years later he hired a young guitarist named Pat Metheny, giving Metheny his first taste of big time jazz. Burton has been teaching percussion and improvisation classes at the Berklee School of Music in Boston; in 1985 he was named Dean of Curriculum there. Burton has over fifty albums to his credit and three Grammy awards. (originally broadcast 1/5/94)

Film critic Henry Sheehan reviews “O Brother Where Art Thou,” starring George Clooney. Directed and written by the Coen brothers, it’s loosely based on Homer’s “The Odyssey.”