Blues

Rock critic Ken Tucker reviews Tom Wait's new album, "Bone Machine," which Tucker says brings a new freshness and humor to the singer and songwriter.

Our rock historian Ed Ward has a profile of Sleepy John Estes. He was one of the trailblazers whose songs become American classics. After years of subsistence farming following his initial success, Estes was rediscovered, and made a good living playing in and around Chicago.

Jazz critic Kevin Whitehead reviews the new, premium box-set of Billy Holiday recordings, "The Complete Billie Holiday on Verve, 1945-1959."

Rock historian Ed Ward profiles the blues man and master guitarist, who would have celebrated his 100th or 101st birthday this month.

Musician and record producer, Ron Levy. He was asked to played in B.B. King's band, when he was just out of high school. He went on to form "Ron Levy's Wild Kingdom, and recorded with the "luminaries" of the late seventies blue wave revival: Kim Wilson and Jimmie Vaughan and others. He started producing for Rounder Records and ended up working with old blues legends on Rounder's Blues label. Levy has long championed the Hammond B-3 organ which has come back into vogue. And he has a new Wild Kingdom release, "B-3, Blues and Grooves." (Rounder).

Chicago-based blues guitarist Buddy Guy. Eric Clapton has called his "by far and without a doubt the best guitar player alive." Guy was born in Louisiana, son of a sharecropper. He moved to Chicago in the late fifties and played with all the greats...including Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf and Junior Wells. Guy's now having a comeback. Guy has a new album, "Feels Like Rain." (Silvertone), which follows his Grammy-winning release, "Damn Right I've Got the Blues."

Music Critic Milo Miles thinks Bahamian guitarist Joseph Spence is a gospel-blues great, one who hasn't gotten the recognition he deserves.

Ed Ward discusses a blues revival.

Kevin Whitehead reviews jazz fiddler Claude Williams two volume set: "Live at J's" (Arhoolie)

Ted Hawkins is a singer, a songwriter, and a guitarist who for almost 30 years was a street musician in L.A. His music isn't the blues though he's qualified to sing them: he grew up in poverty in Mississippi, his mother was a prostitute, he never knew his father. As a teenager, Hawkins spent time in jail. His first two marriages ended quickly: one was annulled, his second wife died two months into the marriage.

Jazz critic Kevin Whitehead reviews a new collection of Jelly Roll Morton recordings: "Jelly Roll Morton: Library of Congress Recordings" (Rounder records, 4 volumes).

Beck is a 23 year-old hip/hop folk rocker, who goes by first name only and whose single, "Loser" has become the anthem for the underachievers of Generation X. His music has been described as "triumphantly anti-professional, idiot-savant music in which a heartfelt solo can be provided by kazoo as easily as guitar." Beck was part of the Los Angeles underground, with songs like "MTV Makes Me Want to Smoke Crack." Beck's first album, "Mellow Gold," (released on DGC) was recorded at home on four and eight-track recording equipment.

Music by blues singer and guitarist Robert Pete Williams has just been reissued. Williams, like Leadbelly, was a convicted murderer who sang his way out of prison. Commentator Milo Miles has this review.

Rock critic Ken Tucker reviews Eric Clapton's new release, "From the Cradle." It's Clapton's first since his best-selling "Unplugged."

An interview from our archives with singer, songwriter and guitarist Ted Hawkins, who died Sunday in Los Angeles. He was 58. For almost 30 years, Hawkins was a street musician in L.A famous for his trademark milk crate. He became a star in England where he lived for four years, though he was still virtually unknown in the U.S. Last year, Hawkins released a new recording titled "The Next Hundred Years." (Rebroadcast)

Rock critic Ken Tucker reviews the new solo album by slide guitarist Sonny Landreth, "South of I-10."

Rock Historian Ed Ward looks back at Ike Turner's career before Tina, when he secured his place in American Pop music history.

Jazz critic Kevin Whitehead reviews "Blues Nexus," the new recording by James Spaulding, who plays flute in addition to alto saxophone.

Music critic Milo Miles reviews two CD anthologies of Bobby "Blue" Bland: "Turn on Your Love Light" and "I Pity the Fool." Bland, with his big band blues sound, had a number of hits on the "Black Charts" in his peak years from 1957 to 1964. He still makes records and performs today.

Fresh Air rock critic Ken Tucker looks back at the music of Doc Pomus, who died in 1991. There's a new tribute album to him out, called "Till the Night Is Gone."