Jazz

Jazz critic Kevin Whitehead reviews a new album by the avant-garde New York quintet, New and Used, called "Souvenir." It's on the Knitting Factory Label.

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

World music critic Milo Miles reviews a new collection of vintage African rumbas on the French label "African." It's part of their "Merveilles du Passe" series.

Jazz critic Kevin Whitehead reviews a new album of Christmas music by Mel Torme. Torme wrote the classic, The Christmas Song, and he tries to repeat his success with this album.

We broadcast a song from Vernel Bagneris and Morten Gunnar Larsen's November 12th performance of selections from their biographical musical. Because of time constraints, this tune never made it on air -- until now.

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."

Music critic Kevin Whitehead reviews Tony Bennett's new release, "Perfectly Frank," which features fresh interpretations of classic Sinatra songs.

Jazz critic Kevin Whitehead reviews "The Art of Ike Quebec," a new reissue by the late tenor saxophonist Ike Quebec.

Jazz critic Kevin Whitehead reviewed "Now & Now," the new, varied, and rambunctious album by the Myra Melford Trio.

Jazz critic Kevin Whitehead reviews a new album and a reissue by singer Betty Carter.

Haden was part of saxophonist Ornette Coleman's legendary free jazz ensemble. Haden has also worked with John Coltrane and Keith Jarrett. Later, he formed the Liberation Music Orchestra with composer Carla Bley, and then the group Old And New Dreams. His latest ensemble is Quartet West. They have a new album "Haunted Heart," which is inspired by movies and music from the 1940s.

Jazz critic Kevin Whitehead tells us about the unethical practice by record producers of scavenging their vaults for unreleased music by deceased musicians. Two recent examples are "Doo-Bop," featuring Miles Davis, and "Youkali," a Jim Hall album featuring Chet Baker.

Jazz critic Kevin Whithead reviews the new reissue of the live recording "Jimmy Guiffre 3, 1961," which, contrary to the neo-traditionalism of artists like Wynton Marsalis, incorporates many classical and avant garde influences.

Adams plays keyboards in the cult band. They have a new album out called "Honest Dollar," which features some of the band's live recordings.

Pizzareli has played with musicians as diverse as Benny Goodman, Zoot Sims, Bud Freeman, Dionne and the Belmonts, as well as his son, John Pizzarelli. He peforms a few tunes for a live Fresh Air audience.

Playwright and director George C. Wolfe. He wrote and directed the hit Broadway musical Jelly's Last Jam, starring Gregory Hines, about Jelly Roll Morton. Wolfe also wrote the play The Colored Museum, a satire about the black experience in America. Jazz pianist and composer Joel Forrester joins the interview to perform some of Morton's music.

Scott sang with Lionel Hampton's band in the late 1940s early 50s, and influenced such singers as Nancy Wilson, Marvin Gaye, and Stevie Wonder. Despite his talent, Scott has had a sporadic career marked by long periods of obscurity. His distinctive voice reaches into high registers, which many listeners early on mistook for a woman's. His new album is called "All the Way."

Jazz critic Kevin Whitehead reviews the new CD by Edward Wilkerson's group, "8 Bold Souls." It's called "Sideshow," on the Arabesque Jazz label. Wilkerson came from Chicago's Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians, which spawned several cutting edge icons of jazz.

Jazz critic Kevin Whithead reviews "Nightingale," the new release by Scottish saxophonist Joe Temperley, who carries on the musical legacy of Duke Ellington sax player Harry Carney.

Jazz critic Kevin Whitehead reviews the new live album from the Clifford Jordan Big Band. They perform weekly in New York City.