There have been many changes in Philadelphia since the 1950s: the renovation of Society Hill, the Chestnut Street Transit Way, Penn Center, Galleries 1 and 2, and Penn's Landing. Barbara Kaplan is the current Executive Director of the Philadelphia Planning Commission. Prior to attaining the role, she served for eight-and-a-half years on the commission in various roles, and for planning agencies in Dallas/Fort Worth, San Diego, and Los Angeles.
Poet Nikki Giovanni joins the show to discuss her latest work "Those Who Ride the Night Winds," the life of a poet, African American poets, rap, and women poets.
Composer John Kander and lyricist Fred Ebb are one the most popular songwriting teams in the country. They wrote the music for Broadway shows such as "Cabaret," "Chicago," and "Woman of the Year." They've also composed the music for movies such as "Funny Lady" and "New York, New York." Their song of the same name from the latter film became a hit when sung by Frank Sinatra. Their new musical, "Zorba," stars Anthony Quinn.
Drummer Ronald Shannon Jackson has worked with jazz legends such as Cecil Taylor, Albert Ayler, and Ornette Coleman during his Harmolodics period. Jackson's new album is "Man Dance."
Singer and lyricist Peggy King was well known in the 1950s, especially for her appearances on television variety programs, such as the Mel Torme Show. She left the business to raise her children in Philadelphia, but has returned to performance. King will perform with the Philly Pops, singing a Johnny Mercer set.
Willy Perryman, better known as Piano Red, is a pianist who has been playing the blues and boogie woogie since the 1920s when he got his start playing rent parties in Georgia. Piano Red also hosted a live radio show on WAOK in Atlanta where he was known as "Dr. Feelgood." He began touring internationally in the 1970s and is in town to play several concerts.
Les Blank is one of the filmmakers who directed the documentary "Burden of Dreams," which will be playing at the International House in Philadelphia. The documentary is about the making of Werner Herzog's fictional film "Fitzcarraldo," which chronicles an Irishman trying to build an opera house in the Amazonian jungle. This interview originally aired on Michael Goodwin's radio program about film on Pacifica Radio Station KPFA in Berkeley. (INTERVIEW BY MICHAEL GOODWIN)
On this edition of "Interval," Francis Davis finishes his series on the best jazz recordings of 1982 with his top ten list of "mainstream" jazz albums:
Documentarian Bob Mugge's new film "Black Wax" is a performance documentary with poet and activist Gil Scott-Heron. The film documents performances by Scott-Heron, including some with wax figures. Mugge's previous film "Amateur Night at City Hall," was a documentary about Frank Rizzo. The film includes Scott-Heron performing a portion of his poem/song "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised."
Film and television critic joins Terry Gross to discuss and review the new film with James Caan, Sally Field, and Jeff Bridges, "Kiss Me Goodbye." (PARTIAL INTERVIEW)
Vukan Vuchic is one of the world's leading experts in urban transportation, and is a professor of Civil and Urban Engineering Transportation at the University of Pennsylvania. He is the author of the book "Public Transportation Systems and Technology," and, in 1982, won the first Dr. Friedrich Lehner Medal, which is awarded to those who have devoted their lives to public transportation.
Son of Duke Ellington, composer and musician Mercer Ellington is the conductor of the Duke Ellington Orchestra. The Orchestra will join Peter Nero and the Philly Pops for a pair of concerts of Duke Ellington's work, including a symphony, "The Three Black Kings / Les Trois Rois Noirs," finished by Mercer Ellington after his father's death.
Walter S. Kenton spent seventeen years working in the insurance industry as a salesperson, manager, and broker before deciding he could no longer work in the industry in 1980. Kenton has written a book about what he calls insurance companies' "deceitful" sales tactics, "How Life Insurance Companies Rob You and What You Can Do About It."
Divine is known for acting in drag in John Waters' films. Divine has developed a club act which will play in Philadelphia and is publishing a paper-doll book. Divine's drag persona was developed with director and writer John Waters. A retrospective of Waters' films is currently playing in Philadelphia. The two join the show to discuss their careers, lives, and the public's reaction to their boundary-pushing films.
Blues and bluegrass musician David Bromberg worked as a side member in many jazz and folk bands before striking out as a solo act. Bromberg is a multi-instrumentalist, who focuses on the guitar. He joins the show to discuss his career and play live. (Interview by Bob Carlin )
Marge Piercy is a novelist. Her new book is titled "Braided Lives." She joins the show to discuss looking back on one's past, feminism, and her involvement in leftist politics.
Novelist Edmund White's newest work, "A Boy's Own Story," follows a young gay man growing up in the midwest in the 1950s. The novel has some autobiographical elements. White joins the show to discuss his life, growing up as a homosexual person, and his novel.
Jazz singer Phyllis Hyman was in the original Broadway cast of "Sophisticated Ladies," a musical revue of Duke Ellington's work, along with Gregory Hines and Judith Jamison. Hyman is featured on McCoy Tyner's new album is "Looking Out" and is in town to perform. Hyman discusses the show, her career, and writing jingles for television commercials.
Stanley Crouch is a jazz critic and Village Voice columnist who regularly writes about jazz, theater, and black issues and politics. Crouch is also a drummer who has recorded with several jazz bands. He is in Philadelphia to speak at a jazz forum and concert.
