Lyrics & Lyricists

Rock Critic Ken Tucker reviews "I'm Your Man," the new Leonard Cohen album.

A live concert with New Orleans songwriter, pianist and singer Allen Toussaint. Tousaint has performed extensively as a session pianist and producer and has written dozens of hits for New Orleans groups like The Nevilles, Irma Thomas, for Paul McCartney, The Wild Tchoupitoulas and The Meters.

Landesman's name isn't well known, but her songs are, like "Ballad of the Sad Young Men" and "Spring Can Really Hang You Up the Most." She was part of the 1950s Beat scene, and now lives in London.

Newman made his mark in popular music with ironic lyrics about good old boys, petty criminals, saints and lovers. He also wrote the soundtracks for the films "The Natural" and "Ragtime." Newman's latest album, his first in five years, is titled "Land of Dreams."

Sondheim briefly wrote for the television show Topper before becoming the lyricist for the Broadway hits West Side Story and Gypsy. A trained composer, he later began writing his own musicals which, Sondheim says, continued in the Rogers and Hammerstein tradition. They include Sweeney Todd, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, and Into the Woods.

Harnick collaborated with composer Jerry Bock on hit musicals like Fiorello! and Fiddler on the Roof. One of their earlier works, She Loves Me, has found newfound success; the original cast album has just been reissued on CD.

Songwriters Hugh Martin and Ralph Blane. They wrote the songs for the 1944 Judy Garland film classic, "Meet Me in St. Louis," including "The Trolley Song" and "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas." A musical based on the film is opening on Broadway this week.

Songwriter/musicians Chris Difford and Glenn Tilbrook. They started the rock group Squeeze in the late 70s, broke up in 1982 as the band was about to make it big, and reformed 1985. Nevertheless, the band had a series of hits in their native England and have drawn critical praise in this country. The band's new album is called "Frank."

Jazz critic Kevin Whitehead reviews "Let's Eat Home," the new album by singer/songwriter Dave Frishberg. It's on the Concord Jazz label.

Playwright, lyricist, and novelist Joe Keenan. His new book, "Putting On the Ritz," follows the further misadventures of the Broadway characters he first created in the book "Blue Heaven." (It's published by Viking).

Cahn died last Friday at the age of 79. We rebroadcast an interview Terry Gross recorded with him in 1985. Cahn wrote many of the songs that Frank Sinatra recorded, including Come Fly With Me, Teach Me Tonight and High Hopes. He also wrote the scores for many Broadway shows including Walking Happy and Skyscraper, and for the movies Come Blow Your Horn, Robin and the Seven Hoods, and A Pocketful of Miracles.

Musical theater historian Robert Kimball. Kimball compiled and edited The Complete Lyrics of Ira Gershwin (Knopf) and is artistic advisor to the estate of Ira Gershwin. Kimball knew Ira Gershwin and his wife Leonore. He also edited The Complete Lyrics of Cole Porter.

Hammerstein is also past president of the Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers. He has recently helped in the making of a new PBS tribute show about his father, Oscar Hammerstein.

Composer and Lyricist Ralph Blane died Monday at the age of 81 at his home in Oklahoma. He is best known for his work with Hugh Martin. Together they wrote songs for Broadway and Hollywood. They are best known for songs in the MGM classic, "Meet Me in St. Louis." That starred Judy Garland and featured the songs "The Trolley Song," "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," and "The Boy Next Door." (Originally aired 10/31/89)

For 26 years, Maurice Levine has been director of the 92nd Y's "Lyrics & Lyricist" series. It spotlights American lyricists and composers like Alan Jay Lerner, Stephen Sondheim, and Dorothy Fields. The series has consistently been a sell-out. Levine has also served as musical director/conductor/vocal arranger for Broadway shows and produced for television.

Rock critic Ken Tucker reviews Bob Dylan's new release "Time Out of Mind."

Lyricist Hal David. For years he's collaborated with music writer Burt Bacharach. Between them they've written such famous songs as "Raindrops Keep Falling on my Head," "Close to You," "What's New, Pussycat?," and "That's what Friends are For." David has received every major music industry award in addition to 20 gold records, awards such as an Academy Award, a Grammy, and induction into the Songwriters' Hall of Fame.

We remember Jamie Hammerstein, Broadway producer, director and son of composer Oscar Hammerstein. He died last week at the age of 67 from a heart attack. (REBROADCAST from 3/14/95)

Philip Furia talks specifically about the lyrics Dorothy Fields wrote. Furia is Chairman of the English Department at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington. He is also author of "Poets of Tin Pan Alley."

Composer and Broadway director Cy Coleman talks about working with Dorothy Fields in the 1960s and 70's with Dorothy Fields. They collaborated on the Broadway shows "Sweet Charity," and "Seesaw." Coleman is the composer and director of the current Broadway show, The Life.