In-Studio Performances

Vernel Bagneris is a playwright, actor, and dancer. He wrote, directed, and acts in the musical "One Mo' Time," now playing in Philadelphia. The musical is set in 1920s' New Orleans and draws heavily on the jazz from that time and place. It centers around a touring group of vaudevillians performing at the segregated Lyric Theater. Bagneris describes it as a "piece on Black theater history." Bagneris and pianist Morten Larsen give an in-studio concert sharing music from the show's time period.

Philadelphia pianist and "friend of Fresh Air" Bruce Mills joins the show to discuss his career as a blind jazz pianist and to perform an in-studio concert at Fresh Air's new studio.

John Fahey, blues guitarist, discusses his career, his record label Tacoma Records, and brings in his guitar to play a few songs in the studio.

Gambian folk musician Bai Konte discusses how he both learned and now teaches the kora, a West African 21-string lute. He performs along with his son Dembo Konte and anthropologists and musicians Marc and Susan Pevar. Filmmaker Oliver Franklin, who made a movie Bai Konte, also joins the conversation.

South African folk singer Tony Bird performs his songs for Fresh Air and answers questions about the political dimensions of his art.

Jazz and bop pianist Barry Harris joins the show for an in-studio performance and discussion of his life and career.

Philadelphia musician Ken Ulansey joins Fresh Air to discuss his life as a musician and his travels in Europe, the Near and Middle East, and Asia. He's played and studied music in places such as Paris, Istanbul, Afghanistan, Nepal, Tehran, and India. He also brings his alto and soprano saxophones to perform in-studio.

Blues singer and guitarist John Hammond, Jr. brings his instrument to the studio.

Penn Jillette, Teller, and Wier Chrisemer form the troop Asparagus Valley Cultural Society. Today, they, sound engineer Marc Garland, and guitarist Gary Anderson, join the show for an interview and perform their music, comedy, and magic. The group also shares their favorite classical records.

Billy Taylor performs improvisations and jazz standards in front of a live studio audience, then tells Fresh Air's Terry Gross about his career.