Search the Fresh Air Archive

Close Search

Duke Ellington in Hi-Fi

Taking advantage of new recording technologies, Ellington's son Mercer leads his father's big band on a new CD. Jazz critic Francis Davis says the performances are excellent in their own right, but the album doesn't offer anything new or surprising.

06:34
Queue

Guest

Host

Related Topics

Other segments from the episode on July 13, 1987

Fresh Air with Terry Gross, July 13, 1987: Interview with James Miller; Review of the Duke Ellington Orchestra's album "Digital Duke"; Interview with Alice Kahn; Commentary on television coverage of…
Queue
27:32

Student Movements in the 1960s

Writer James Miller talks about the history of the New Left and the work of the Students for a Democratic Society, who believed that college students and intellectuals were best equipped to lead democratic movements. In his new book, Democracy in the Streets, Miller outlines how their ideologies led to street protests.

Interview
Queue
09:41

Alice Kahn's "Life as a Gal"

The San Francisco Chronicle columnist's new book explores womanhood and gentrification, among other things. The humorist is credited with coining the term "yuppy."

Interview
Queue
03:24

Oliver North Takes the Stand

TV critic David Bianculli has been following the networks' coverage of Oliver North's congressional testimony on the Iran-Contra affair. While each station uses the same camera feeds, they deploy commentary and supplementary information in different ways, in alternately successful and distracting ways.

Commentary

Transcript

Transcript currently not available.

Transcripts are created on a rush deadline, and accuracy and availability may vary. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Please be aware that the authoritative record of Fresh Air interviews and reviews are the audio recordings of each segment.

You May Also like

Queue
24:12

The Leading Clarinetist in Jazz

Jazz critic Francis Davis says John Carter's new album, Dance of the Love Ghosts, is both experimental and structurally sound; each "electrifying" track needs to be heard in its entirety.

Review
Queue
06:52

Coming Out from Under Monk's Shadow

The members of Sphere are heavily influenced by Thelonious Monk; some of them even performed with him. Jazz critic Francis Davis says their original compositions fall short of Monk's tunes, but the musicians' individual solos are outstanding.

Review

Did you know you can create a shareable playlist?

Learn How
Advertisement

Recently on Fresh Air Available to Play on NPR

52:30

Riz Ahmed is his own worst critic. His show 'Bait' explores that

(1.) Actor, writer, and producer RIZ AHMED. He’s nominated for an Emmy for his starring role in the Prime Video series “Bait” in which he plays a British Pakistani actor auditioning to be the next James Bond. AHMED is also a writer and creator of the series.

Related segments from the Fresh Air Archive:

44:35

Dolly Parton lived her motto: 'More is more'

We remember DOLLY PARTON, singer, songwriter, actress, entrepreneur and philanthropist. PARTON died yesterday in Nashville, Tennessee. She was 80 years old. Dolly Parton made her debut at the Grand Ole Opry in 1959 when she was just 13. Since then, she wrote thousands of songs, including "Coat of Many Colors," "Jolene" and "I Will Always Love You," which was later a hit for Whitney Houston. PARTON was one of the few performers who was successful enough to start her own theme park.

Related segments from the Fresh Air Archive:

See All Recent Segments

There are more than 22,000 Fresh Air segments.

Let us help you find exactly what you want to hear.
Just play me something
Your Queue

Would you like to make a playlist based on your queue?

Generate & Share View/Edit Your Queue