Jazz guitar player Marty Grosz talks about the songwriter's lyrics, which he says are at once remorseful and exuberant. Grosz performs two of Waller's songs for Fresh Air listeners.
The performer, composer, and professor is one of bop's progenitors. He continues to innovate with his Double Quartet, which incorporates strings into a more conventional jazz combo. He became an activist during the civil rights movement, and often incorporated his politics into his music.
Film critic Stephen Schiff reviews Roxanne, Steve Martin's new romantic comedy. Schiff says the movie is evidence that Martin in the finest comic actor working in film today.
Character actor Robert Loggia is best known for his roles as cops in major motion pictures, including his Academy Award-nominated performance of Sam Ransom in Jagged Edge. He also played a Cuban drug dealer in Scarface.
Von Brandenstein began her career painting theater sets before moving on to motion pictures. She is known for her focus on authenticity, particularly in historical films like The Untouchables and Amadeus.
Linguist Geoff Nunberg reviews the current Broadway production of George Bernard Shaw's Pygmalion, which stars Peter O'Toole, who, says Nunberg, turns the play from a fairy tale into a farce.
Writer P.J. O'Rourke doesn't think comedy and conservatism are incompatible. He edited the National Lampoon and serves as the "investigative humorist" for Rolling Stone. His new book, Republican Party Reptile, collects his recent writing.
Two new CDs from the CBS Masterworks series showcase conductor Pierre Boulez's interpretations of classic works by the 20th century composers. Critic Lloyd Schwartz recommends them both.
Sportswriter Frank Deford has a new collection of his work for Sport Illustrated called The World's Tallest Midget. He says writing long form pieces has helped sustain his career; he'd falter under the pressure of a daily deadline.
Rock historian Ed Ward remembers the brash and powerful blues "shouter" Wynonie Harris, whose raucous songs had a strong influence on early rock and roll.
Book critic John Leonard says the memoir section of Eileen Simpson's new hybrid book, about her own experiences as an orphan, is compelling and insightful; her later meditations on the idea of orphanhood are less successful.
Writer Roger Bruns discusses hobo culture with Fresh Air's Terry Gross, including migratory patterns, temporary encampments, and social stratification within various communities.
The new show CBS Summer Playhouse, which features failed television pilots, aims to draw in viewers by letting them vote for which programs they'd like to see more of. Critic David Bianculli doesn't see why people should bother. The show, he says, isn't very good.
Sun Ra's recent releases reveal the pianists' enduring interest in free improvisation and spectacle. Jazz critic Francis Davis says one is a prime example of the musician's ensemble work; the other is unlistenable.
Poet Jim Carroll is best known for his book The Basketball Diaries. He joins Fresh Air's Terry Gross to talk about his history of heroin addiction, writing, and sobriety.
Larry Adler grew up in Baltimore and started playing the Vaudeville circuit as a teenager. He later pursued classical music, even though no repertoire existed for his instrument. Blacklisted during the McCarthy era, Adler moved to England, but still returns to the States to perform.
