From one engagement to the next, saxophonist Lee Konitz rarely uses the same combination twice. But a few years ago, he began collaborating with a young trio known as Minsarah, which he invited to join him at the Village Vanguard last year. Three new knot recordings radiate the joy of making music in every note.
The Academy Award-winning actor details some of his most memorable roles, including his portrayal of Tom Hagen in The Godfather and Lieutenant Colonel Bill Kilgore in Apocalypse Now. He also describes his latest role, a hermit planning a "living funeral," in the upcoming film Get Low.
TV critic David Bianculli says watching television between June and August used to be a real chore. But these days, he says, it's anything but a bore -- if you know where and when t look. Bianculli details the highs and lows of summer 2010 -- and previews the new season of AMC's Mad Men.
Jones has been a pop star since 1965, when he released his first single, "It's Not Unusual." Since that time, he's remained a star overseas, while resurfacing periodically on the American pop charts. Rock critic Ken Tucker review his latest album, a collection of gospel, blues and soul covers called Praise and Blame.
President Obama calls the bill "the most far-reaching reform since the Great Depression." But the measure leaves the financial industry "substantially intact," while putting more federal "lifeguards ... around the pool," Binyamin Applebaum of The New York Times says.
Contemporary authors have a habit of lazily shoplifting plots and characters from 19th-century fiction -- especially the works of Jane Austen. But even though Allegra Goodman's latest novel, The Cookbook Collector, is a modern riff on Sense and Sensibility, her homage quickly comes to have a glorious life of its own.
If public health officials know how to prevent malaria, the mosquito-borne pathogen that kills more than a million people each year, why isn't more being done to eradicate the infectious disease? That's the question journalist Sonia Shah decided to answer in her book, The Fever, which examines why malaria continues to spread around the globe.
Authors Philip Furia and Laurie Patterson share the stories behind Hollwood's most beloved songs -- from Casablanca's "As Time Goes By" to the melodies from Mary poopins -- in their book The Songs of Hollywood.
In 1993, a Vancouver band called The Blue Shadows released its debut album, On the Floor of Heaven. The country-rock album was widely praised and sold well in Canada, but never reached the U.S. Ken Tucker Reviews the album, which has just been issued here for the first time.
Critic John Powers compares the heroines featured in this summer's two cultural juggernauts -- Twilight and the Millennium Trilogy. And despite being almost diametrically opposed, the characters Lisbeth Salander and Bella Swan have more in common than you may think.
Almost half of the fish we eat has been raised on farms -- and the genetic modification of fish is increasing. Paul Greenberg writes about changes in the fishing industry -- and what the future holds for our dinner tables -- in his new book, Four Fish: The Future of the Last Wild Food.
Christopher Nolan's new sci-fi flick stars Leonardo DiCaprio as a man trying to extract and plant information in people's heads while they dream. Critic David Edelstein says the movie is "lumbering and humorous and pretentious, with a drag of a hero."
Fresh Air remembers the comic book writer with highlights from 2003 and 2005 interviews. Pekar, who died Monday, was the author of the series American Splendor, which captured the angst of a man struggling with the daily ups and downs of life.
If you've watched cartoons in the past few decades, you probably know Billy West's voice: He's played Philip J. Fry and Zapp Brannigan on Futurama, plus Bugs Bunny and Elmer Fudd in Space Jam (and more). West explains how he comes up with his voices -- and demonstrates a few of his favorites.
Sometimes, a dog or cat just won't do. In Forbidden Creatures, writer Peter Lauger enters the world of animal smuggling and exotic pets. He explains who's breeding pets for home consumers -- and how raising certain species can go horribly wrong.
Wikileaks is a secretive website with no official headquarters and thousands of leaked, untraceable documents. Investigative reporter Philip Shenon explains the history of the site -- and recent developments since the April release of a classified U.S. military video showing a civilian massacre.
Of the three great blues guitarists named King -- B.B., Albert and Freddie, -- arguably the most influential was also the least well-known: Freddie. But his most important work has been unavailable until recently. Critic Ed Ward review a recent release, Taking Care of Business, which spans much of King's career.
Randolph emerged from a gospel music tradition, playing steel guitar in the so-called "sacred steel" style of some African-American Pentecostal churches. Rock critic Ken Tucker reviews his new album, We Walk This Road, which features original tunes and covers of songs by Bob Dylan, Prince and John Lennon.
What's wrong with the field of psychiatry? Psychiatrist Daniel Carlat says some American psychiatrists are too busy prescribing drugs to actually talk to people. Carla talks about the forgotten art of therapy and the influence of drug companies on the profession in his new book, Unhinged.
Marilyn Mmiller was one of the most adored and charismatic Broadway musical stars of the 1920s and '30s. She also had a brief movie career -- before her death in 1936, at the age of 37. Critic Lloyd Schwartz review two of her movies, Sally and Sunny, just released on DVD.
