Jazz critic Kevin Whitehead reviews Song X: Twentieth Anniversary, a reissue and remix of a 1985 collaboration between guitarist Pat Metheny and saxophonist Ornette Coleman.
In 1965, Robert Moog invented the Moog synthesizer, an electronic keyboard that creates otherworldly sounding electronic music. His instrument went on to usher in a new era of rock and electronic music. The Beatles used a Moog synthesizer on their 1969 Abbey Road album.
Marc Phelan, automotive critic for the Detroit Free Press, tells us what's in store for future car models, including hybrids. Also, he tells us the best time to buy a new car and that the market for SUVs may be drying up.
Peter Maass, a New York Times Magazine contributing writer, traveled to Saudi Arabia, the world's largest oil exporter, to examine its oil reserves and Saudi government claims it can keep up with demand for 30 to 50 years. Maass discusses the political, financial and environmental implications.
Television critic David Bianculli reviews the HBO series Six Feet Under. The series finale will air Sunday. Bianculli will talk about the show, which premiered on the cable network in 2001.
Film critic David Edelstein reviews this weekend's new releases: thriller Red Eye and the comedy The 40-Year-Old Virgin, starring Steve Carell of The Office.
It might surprise you to learn that a Los Angeles rabbi, Yaacov Deyo, invented Speed Dating -- a rapid-fire courtship concept in which singles spend just a few minutes getting to know each other. It started as a way to help Jewish singles meet each other, but it's spread beyond the Jewish community.
Singer Scott Yoho's band the Auto Body Experience has a new album, Forgotten Lots. One particular song jumped out at us here at Fresh Air; it's called "Terry Gross."
For some, the summer is a time to indulge in frothy beach reading: the latest chick lit or globetrotting, highly unbelievable thriller. But book critic Maureen Corrigan has taken a different tack this year: She's catching up on more substantial reading that she hasn't had time for yet.
Neil Clark Warren is the founder of the online dating service eHarmony. The company performs extensive personality profiling and then introduces couples with matching values and interests. Warren is an Evangelical Christian with strong ties to the conservative Christian community.
Actor, writer and producer Jonathan Katz stars in Hopeless Pictures as psychiatrist Jonathan Katz. The Peabody Award winner also co-created and starred in Comedy Central's animated series Dr. Katz: Professional Therapist.
A new animated comedy series, Hopeless Pictures centers on a dysfunctional Hollywood indie film studio. Actor Bob Balaban writes, directs and produces the show, which will debut on the Independent Film Channel August 19.
Filmmaker Jim Jarmusch's new film Broken Flowers stars Bill Murray and won the Grand Prix at the 2005 Cannes International Film Festival. Other films by the idiosyncratic director/writer, known for his deadpan style, include Coffee and Cigarettes, Down by Law and Night on Earth.
More than 20 years ago, Jody Arlington was at home when her 18-year-old brother murdered their parents and younger sister. She thought she was next, but instead her brother told her they were now free. He went to prison, and Arlington changed her name and had to learn how to live without her family. A similar family slaying has prompted her to speak out about her experiences.
In Junebug, a story of characters and culture clashes, Embeth Davidtz plays a Chicago art dealer who meets her new in-laws on a business trip to North Carolina, including a very pregnant Amy Adams.
The Kite Runner, the debut novel by Afghani-born physician and author Khaled Hosseini, has been on best-seller and book club lists for nearly a year. Writer Isabel Allende says the book — about a young man who returns to Afghanistan after a long absence — is "one of those unforgettable stories that stays with you for years."
Rock historian Ed Ward looks at the career of producer and arranger Jack Nitzsche. He worked with a wide variety of artists: Phil Spector, Bobby Darin, Doris Day, Little Stevie Wonder, Neil Young and Marianne Faithful. The new CD Hearing Is Believing collects his work.
Book critic Maureen Corrigan reviews Icendiary, the debut novel by British writer Chris Cleave. The story is triggered by an al-Qaeda bomb attack on a London soccer match.
