Pianist Curtis Clark, who moved to Amsterdam from the United States, assembled a quintet of diverse musicians of to record his new album, Letter to South Africa. Clark, jazz critic Kevin Whitehead says, is unique in how he treats radical ideas as normal.
The PBS series' latest episode is a documentary of the legendary soul singer. TV critic David Bianculli say the film gives viewers a chance to see rare interviews and concert footage, but glosses over much of Franklin's personal life.
Kirk Douglas says that growing up in abject poverty was an advantage: he had nowhere to go but up. Often known for his tough guy roles, he also enjoys playing men who are weak, lost and vulnerable. He started his own production company to make movies he believed had depth and substance. His new autobiography looks back on his career so far.
Critic-at-large Laurie Stone examines the style and content of Lewis Black's stand-up comedy. She says Black may not always be fall-down funny, but his political humor is trenchant.
Folk singer Michael Cooney says that several classic songs from the early 20th century have verses that never made it onto recordings or sheet music. He joins Fresh Air to sing some of those forgotten words.
Cuban-born pianist Jorge Bolet was a mainstay of the concert circuit; only recently have his recording garnered much attention. Classical music critic Lloyd Schwartz says that some of his performances of classic Chopin pieces have interpretive nuance, while others -- white pretty -- lack depth.
Errol Morris thinks of himself as much a detective as a documentary filmmaker. Known for his off-beat subjects, he's adopted a more serious tone with his new movie, The Thin Blue Line, about a murder investigation in Dallas. Errol believes the man sentenced to death for the crime, Randall Dale Adams, is innocent.
Linguist Geoff Nunberg looks back at the tradition of American political oratory. Debates and speeches drew crowds by the thousands in the 19th century., but television has reduced much of that discourse to soundbites. The rare moments in which we can hear a speech in full remind us of how much fun politics must have been in the past, says Nunberg.
Jack Towers worked for the Department of Agriculture before pursuing his new career as an audio engineer. He finds and restores classic and little-know jazz albums and concerts, including an upcoming collection of Dean Benedetti's recordings of Charlie Parker. Towers hopes advances in digital technology will make his sometimes tedious methods obsolete.
Investigative reporter Ralph Blumenthal's new book takes a look at what the FBI called "the pizza connection": a heroin smuggling operation spearheaded by the Italian mafia in the United States. Pizza restaurants were used as drug fronts.
In addition to his career as a science fiction writer, Bradbury helped design Disney's Epcot Center and the Pavilion of the Future for the 1964 World's Fair. His new collection of short stories is called the Toynbee Convector.
Smith has showcased her deadpan humor on stage and television, including spots on the Late Show with David Letterman. Lately, she's been more interested in acting, hoping to distance herself from what she sees as sexist and racist trends in the world of stand-up.
Rock critic Ken Tucker says that the talented musician often subverts his often good music to make dumb, dirty jokes. Whether you think Zappa is a genius or a jerk will determine whether you'll invest in Rykodisc's new collections of his live performances.
Director Jonathan Demme's newest movie is called Married to the Mob. Film critic Stephen Schiff says the characters become more likable as the film goes on; the slapstick elements not withstanding, the movie is jumpy, romantic, and very funny.
Book critic John Leonard says that Don DeLillo's new novel is the culmination of the author's career writing great books. The heavily-researched, well-orchestrated story posits that the JFK assassination was an elaborate plot to regain Cuba, and was intended to have been near miss rather than a successful murder.
Japanese American actor Mako appears in two new films out now: Tucker and The Wash. He moved to the United States shortly after World War II, and later served in Korea. He considered dodging the draft, but worried ihs actions might affect his parents' immigration status in America.
The record label, led by producer Sam Phillips, launched the careers of legends like Elvis Presley and Johnny Cash. Rock historian Ed Ward remembers several of the other, lesser-known acts Phillips signed during Sun's heyday.
Historian Joan Jacobs Brumberg links the eating disorder to Victorian standards of femininity and contemporary ideas of health and beauty. Her findings suggest that increased social mobility put women and girls at greater risk for the disease.
Andrew Holleran has writes about the lives of gay men. Now that several years have passed since the height of the AIDS epidemic, he's observed a kind of resignation to mortality and changing sexuality within his community.. Holleran's new collection of essays is called Ground Zero.
Critic David Bianculli says the cable network's new made-for-TV movie is great, thanks to its excellent performances, photography, and ghastly concept. But the lackluster script keeps Gotham from being a classic.
