Chris Matthews on Playing "Hardball."

Jazz Critic Kevin Whitehead reviews "Brothers For Life, the new album by saxophonist Earl Turbinton. Like many New Orleans jazz musicians, Turbinton moves between work in jazz and rhythm and blues. He's worked with musicians as diverse as blues guitarist B.B.King and Joe Sawinul, the founder of the fusion band Weather Report.

Writer Bharati Mukherjee. Her new book of short stories, The Middleman and Other Stories, portrays immigrants from Third World countries who strive to maintain their indigenous identity while embracing much of Western culture and lifestyle.

Television critic David Bianculli profiles "Wiseguy," the CBS crime series. The series' stars are Ken Wahl as Vinnie Terranova, an undercover organized-crime agent, and Ray Sharkey as Sonny Steelgrave, the impulsive and explosive head of a crime syndicate. The program is about to start its summer repeat run, a time when many shows that face stiff competition in the regular season find a new audience.