Jazz critic Kevin Whitehead says the blues singer's reissued album of Bessie Smith songs is a winner. Recent attempts of contemporary pop singers to cover the work of classic artists can't compare to recordings of Baker's era.
Peter Falk reprises his role of the disheveled detective Columbo, twelve years after the series ended. TV critic David Bianculli says the show meets the high standards of the original, and that Falk is as charming as ever.
Under the guidance of editor Bob Woodward, Washington Post reporter Leon Dash lived in a housing project in Washington, D.C. to learn more about the rise of teenage parenthood among poor African American teenagers. He says that both adolescent boys and girls see parenthood as an achievement. Dash expanded his reporting into a book called When Children Want Children.
Book critic Stuart Klawan reviews Frank Chin's new collection of short stories, The Chinaman Pacific & Frisco R.R. Co, features what the author deems "badass" working class Chinese Americans on the West Coast. Klawans says the book is written with wild intensity and a sense of sociocultural outrage.
Thomas Maeder's mother and father were both psychologists. Inspired by his own experience, Maeder interviewed dozens of other children of mental health workers to gain insights into their family life. His new book, Children of Psychiatrists and Other Psychotherapists, presents his findings.
Lawrence of Arabia has recently been remastered, and a new 70mm print has just been released theatrically. Film critic Stephen Schiff says watching the movie as a child inspired him to become a film critic; watching it again as an adult, he's impressed by its enduring, powerful themes.
Scholar and writer Thomas Schatz has a new book about the studio era of Hollywood. While efficient, the film industry during the first half of the century limited the roles available to actors and actresses, and tightly controlled the content and style of the movies it produced.
Roger Black is a graphic designer who recently revamped the look of Newsweek magazine -- he even changed the logo. Black joins Fresh Air to explain how good layout can highlight text and enhance the reading experience.
Rock critic Ken Tucker once more looks at the best and worst songs currently hitting the airwaves. Represented artists include Matthew Sweet, Bunny Wailer, Violent Femmes, Tone Loc, and Emmylou Harris.
The group Marimolin comprises marimba player Nancy Zeltsman and violinist Sharan Leventhal. Their self-titled album features new compositions written especially for them. Classical music critic Lloyd Schwartz says it's delightful, and hopes the duo finds success.
Whoopi Goldberg's one-woman show leans heavily on celebrity impersonations and a character named Fontaine -- a black man who expounds on various social issues affecting the African American community. But these monologues are often divorced from narrative context, and lose their power. Critic Laurie Stone says she's more impressed by Goldberg's action movie roles, and what her presence in movie does for black actors.
Michael Barson's new book, Lost, Lonely and Vicious, collects promotional postcards of B movies from the late 1940s through the early '60s. He says these films were all sizzle, and were tame compared to their lurid, sensationalistic descriptions.
Martin Duberman's new book delves deep into the complicated political and artistic life of the African American actor and activist. Book critic John Leonard admires how exhaustive the biography is, and how it never shies away from difficult topics like Robeson's womanizing and depression.
Tobias Wolff's acclaimed new memoir tells the story of the author's early life with his poor, single mother. The book serves as a unique counterpoint to Wolff's brother Geoffrey's own memoir about life with their father. Tobias Wolff joins Fresh Air to discuss his memories of growing up and how he transformed himself into the person he is today.
Johnny Otis, who was born to Greek parents, claimed he became black by immersing himself in African American communities and culture. He later opened a blues club in Los Angeles, and helped promote new talent in the scene. Rock historian Ed Ward tells his story.
New York-based John Flansburgh and John Linnell write quirky rock songs on guitar and accordion. For the past four years, they've maintained their dial-a-song service, wherein fans can call a number to hear new music from the band. Their new album is called Lincoln.
Kevin Whitehead says that some listeners place too much emphasis on Tom Harrell's schizophrenia, which often makes him appear withdrawn while performing. Whitehead thinks they should pay more attention to how the jazz trumpeter and flugelhorn player can make fresh music out of familiar ideas.
Television critic David Bianculli says that viewers have lost their taste for westerns and miniseries. But he recommends the star-studded show Lonesome Dove, which is both. The story follows the lives of three sheriffs in the untamed west.
Martin Short established himself as a comedic actor on SCTV and Saturday Night Live. He's famous for his physical humor, celebrity impressions, and the memorable characters he invented, like Ed Grimley. Short has since graduated to the silver screen, starring in movies like Innerspace and Three Amigos. His new movie is called Three Fugitives.
