In-Studio Performances

A concert with jazz singer Rebecca Kilgore, accompanied by pianist David Frishberg. Kilgore is known as Portland's premier singer, and is just now emerging as a major talent. She and Frishberg comprise one of the longest running jazz duos in the country. Kilgore's latest CD is "I Saw Stars." "I Saw Stars" with Dan Barrett's Celestial Six, Arbors Records [ARCD 19136, 1994. Her first CD release was "Looking at You", with Dave Frishberg on piano, [PHD Music, 1994.] Includes a preview of tomorrow's concert with Dave Frishberg.

A concert and interview in the Fresh Air studio with John Doe, former bassist/vocalist with the punk rock group "X". He recently released a new solo album, "Kissingsohard," (Rhino's Forward label). There's also a new acoustic best-of live album featuring "X". It's called "Unclogged" (Infidelity Records, L.A., CA). Doe is joined by guitarist Smokey Hormel.

Musicians Ann Rabson, Gaye Adegbalola and Andra Faye McIntosh, who make up the blues group Saffire - The Uppity Blues Women. The "Chicago Tribune" says "these women have [attitude] in abundance," in their songs about "domestic violence, self-respect and being a woman." Their fourth album is "Old, New, Borrowed & Blue."

Walser has been called "the best pure cowboy singer in the state" ("Houston Chronicle"). At age 60, he retired from his job as a Texas state internal auditor to concentrate on his music. He just released an album called "Rolling Stone From Texas." He joins Fresh Air with his guitar to sing a few songs.

Jeff Moss was one of the original creators and writers of "Sesame Street." He created Cookie Monster and Oscar the Grouch, and wrote such songs as "Rubber Ducky" and "People in Your Neighborhood." He has won 13 Emmy's, four Grammy's, and an Oscar nomination for his work on "Sesame Street" and with the Muppets. Moss is also the author of four books for children, the newest of which is "Hieronymus White: A Bird Who Believed That He Always Was Right."

Actor and playwright Vernel Bagneris and pianist Morten Gunnar Larsen perform selections from their show, "Jelly Roll Morton: A Me-morial," with music written by Morton, and a script taken from Library of Congress tapes of Morton from 1938. The New Yorker calls it, "an experimental study, done within a traditional Broadway-musical framework, of the life and death of a black misanthrope. . . a psychomusical." This concert was first broadcast in 1992.

A concert and interview with singer/songwriter and musician Dave Alvin. He's best known for his guitar "firepower" with the Blasters (for which he was also primary composer and songwriter). He also had a short stint with the band X. Alvin went solo a few years ago, and began honing his voice. He's just released his third solo album -- his first acoustic one -- "King of California" (HighTone Records).

Rock musician Marshall Crenshaw. According to The New York Times, many critics have ranked Crenshaw"among the finest rock artists of the last dozen years." Now he has written a book. It's a reference guide to Rock 'n' Roll in the movies ("Hollywood Rock" HarperPerennial). According to his longtime bass player Graham Maby, Crenshaw has an encyclopedic knowledge of rock music. And he knows about the rock and roll movie genre from first-hand experience. He played Buddy Holly in the 1987 movie "La Bamba" about musician Ritchie Valens.

An in-studio concert and interview with singer/songwriter, guitarist Richard Thompson. He first became known for his work with "Fairport Convention." He's since gone solo and is known for his dark songs which blend elements of British folk ballads and the blues. His latest album is "Mirror Blue," (Capitol). There's also a retrospective collection of his work released last year, "Watching the Dark: The History of Richard Thompson," (on Rykodisc.)

Johnston has four albums to his credit. The latest is, "Unlucky." His previous album, "Can You Fly," brought him to attention of many critics and garnered him much acclaim. Despite his love of hard rock, Johnston's songs have been described as "post-punk honky-tonk. . . performed by a lonely, heartbroken wiseass."