Music

Rock Historian Ed Ward highlights the music of singer Mable John. She hit the black radio top ten chart in the 1960s with her song "Your Good Thing." Her music never caught on and not surprisingly most of her material never was released by Stax Records. But in 1993, Fantasy Records, assembled her music and released what turns out to be her first album.

Senior curator of the motion picture collection at the George Eastman House, Paolo Cherchi UsaiI. He is also Associate Professor of Film Studies at the University of Rochester. He is an expert on silent films, and is co-director and co-founder of the Pordenone Silent Film Festival. He has worked with Alloy Orchestra on several film projects. And he restored the print of "Lonesome." He's the author of numerous articles and studies of silent film.

From The Alloy Orchestra, composer and keyboardist Caleb Sampson. The band has gained a reputation for composing and performing exciting, percussive silent film scores. Their repertoire includes scores for "Metropolis," "Nosferatu," "Lonesome," and their newest, for the Russian classic "Man with a Movie Camera." The film has a "sneak preview" at the Telluride Film Festival in early September, and it premieres at the Pordenone Silent Film Festival in Italy in October. They have two CD's.

Rock Historian Ed Ward looks at why "Pop" music has hit the charts around the world but remains buried in the subculture in America. "Pop" music, as it is known internationally, is not to be mistaken with Top 40. Ward says American radio stations in the late 1970s and early 80s didn't pick up the sound and a lot of the "Pop" music went unheard.

Rock Critic Ken Tucker reviews the debut album of English rapper Tricky. His album "Maxinquaye" is on the Island label.

World Music Critic Milo Miles offers a tribute to the persistence and range of soul singer Solomon Burke. Miles reviews Burke's new CD "Live at the House of Blues."

World music critic Milo Miles reviews Bukka White's new record "1963 Isn't 1962. ."

World music critic Milo Miiles reviews the Arab pop album "Sif Safaa: New Music From The Middle East."

World music critic Milo Miles reviews the previously unreleased concert recording by Delta bluesman Skip James. It's called "She Lying."

Classical music critic Lloyd Schwartz reviews the new Ethel Merman collection, "I Get a Kick Out of You."