A spring medley from stride pianist Dave McKenna. The tunes are: "Spring Can Really Hang You Up the Most," "Spring is Here," and "It Might as Well Be Spring."
Book critic John Leonard reviews the new biography of French philosopher and mystic Simone Weil (pronounced "vile"). It's called "Utopian Pessimist," and it's by David McLellan.
Pulitzer prize winning biographer Robert A. Caro on Lyndon Baines Johnson. The book focused on Johnson's early years. The Boston Sunday Globe called it, "a powerful, absorbing, at times awe-inspiring, and often deeply alarming story." In the just-published second volume, "Means of Ascent," Caro examines seven years of Johnson's life, from 1941 to 1948.
Rock historian Ed Ward plays some of the lessor known, but more effecting, protest songs about the Vietnam War. Artists include: Charlie and Inez Foxx, Jimmy Cliff, Freda Payne, and Grand Funk Railroad.
Soviet-born artists Vitaly Komar and Aleksandr Melamid. The pair are the creators of two huge, multi-paneled works called "Yalta 1945" and "Winter in Moscow 1977." Both works are being shown in America for the first time at the Brooklyn Museum. "Yalta 1945" is made of 31 4x4 foot panels depicting Lenin and the four leaders from the Yalta Conference. "Winter in Moscow 1977" uses 26 panels to show Komar and Melamid's home town shortly before they fled to the West. (The exhibit runs until June 4th).
Fresh Air producer Amy Salit interviews producer Noel Pearson and director Jim Sheridan of the film "My Left Foot." The film tells the story of Christy Brown, who became a painter and writer in spite of having cerebral palsy. Pearson, who produced the film, knew Christy and his family and Sheridan co-wrote as well as directed it. "My Left Foot," a first film for both, has been nominated for Academy Awards for Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Supporting Actress, and Best Picture.
Jazz critic Kevin Whitehead reviews "Coltrane Live At Birdland," a reissued album by tenor and soprano saxophonist John Coltrane. Kevin says this is his favorite Coltrane album. (It's on Impulse).
Television critic David Bianculli reviews two new CBS sitcoms: "Normal Life," starring Frank Zappa's kids, Dweezil and Moon Unit Zappa, and "Sydney," starring Valerie Bertinelli of "One Day at a Time" fame. Bianculli says one is pretty good, and the other needs some polishing.
Critic Maureen Corrigan gives us her family's version of how to celebrate St. Patricks Day, and recommends the novel "Motherland" by Timothy O'Grady as perfect St. Patrick's Day reading.
Historian John Hope Franklin. Years before there were any black history departments, Franklin was researching the stories of free-blacks in the antebellum south. His interest in black history began while he was a graduate student in the 1930's. Since then he has written a number of books on the subject. His latest book "Race and History," is a collection of essays written between 1938 and 1988. Franklin is Professor of Legal History at Duke University.
World music commentator Milo Miles explores the continuing influence of punk rock on Japanese music in the second of his two-part examination of Japanese pop music. Milo looks at two Japanese groups -- The Plastics and The Frank Chickens.
Rock musician Ben Vaughn. Vaughn's been a cult staple for years in the Philadelphia/New Jersey area, where he's become known for his tongue-in-cheek lyrics and tunes that draw from rocks early influences. Vaughn's just put out his fourth album, titled "Dressed In Black." (It's on Enigma records).
Underground cartoonist Kim Deitch. In 1967 he began doing comic strips for the "East Village Other" where he introduced his more famous characters, Waldo the Cat, and Uncle Ed, the India Rubber Man. Since then he has contributed to dozens of underground comics.
Rock musician and producer Nick Lowe. Lowe was a main figure of the British pub-rock scene in the early 70s, then in the late 70s Lowe joined forces with Dave Edmunds to form "Rockpile." At the same time, Lowe was producing albums for artists such as Elvis Costello and Grahm Parker. Lowe went solo in 78, and had hits with "I Love the Sound of Breaking Glass," and "Cruel to be Kind." His production credits during that period included The Pretenders, the Fabulous Thunderbirds, and John Hiatt.
Rock critic Ken Tucker checks out singers Michael Bolton and Lisa Stansfield. Ken says Bolton's nothing to sing about, despite his recent Grammy for best pop male vocal. However, Ken says Stansfield's done a good job in mixing 70's disco-soul with 90's dance music.
Film critic Stephen Schiff reviews a couple of new movies: "House Party" by first time black director, Reginald Hudlin, and "Love at Large," directed by Alan Rudolph, who also directed "Trouble in Mind," and "Choose Me." Schiff says the movies are improbable, but likable.
Studio concert with guitarist Howard Alden, trombonist Dan Barrett and bassist Frank Tate. They are members of the ABQ (Alden Barrett Quintet) which records for Concord Records. They play music inspired by the small jazz groups of the 30's and 40's.
Classical music critic Lloyd Schwartz presents the second in his two-part review of conductor Otto Klemperer. This time, Lloyd plays some of Klemperer's opera recordings and recordings of Mozart. (Angel Records has begun to reissue some of Klemperer's recordings on remastered compact discs.)
Recently, the Managing Director of Pantheon Books, Andre Schiffrin, was forced to resign. Four senior editors at Pantheon then resigned in protest. We'll talk to publisher Roger Straus of Farrar, Straus, Giroux, and media critic and professor Todd Gitlin about the events at Pantheon and what they say about the state of the publishing industry in America today. Gitlin is a Pantheon author who drafted a petition to protest the forced resignation of Schiffrin and the events surrounding it. We will also speak with Alberto Vitale the head of Random House (the owner of Pantheon).
Actress Jamie Lee Curtis. She stars in the new thriller, "Blue Steel," as a rookie cop tracking down a serial killer, who turns out to be her lover. Her earlier film roles include "Halloween," "The Fog," "Trading Places," and "A Fish Called Wanda." She also co-stars on the ABC TV series, "Anything But Love."
