Pop

Musician and singer Peter Wolf. He's the former lead singer with the J. Geils Band which he was with for 17 years. He's been a solo artist for a while. On his latest CD "Fool's Parade" (Mercury) he's incorporated the Memphis sound.

The Fresh Air rock critic gives his picks for the best albums of the year. Tucker is critic-at-large for Entertainment Weekly.

Rhino Records has just released "Guilty: 30 Years of Randy Newman." a new four CD box set that includes an entire disc of Newman's previously unreleased tracks. Newman's most popular songs include "Short People" and "I Love L-A." He's also written music for the films, "Ragtime," "The Natural," and "Toy Story," among many others.

Critic Kevin Whitehead reviews Burt Bacharach's new collection, "The Look of Love."

Cooper helped popularize the Hammond B3 organ as part of rock music, performing on recordings of Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix, The Rolling Stones, and The Who. He was a member of the legendary Blues Project, and later founded the group Blood Sweat & Tears. Now he teaches at The Berklee College of Music in Boston, and writes a monthly column for EQ Magazine. His autobiography, "Backstage Passes & Backstabbing Bastards: Memoirs of a Rock 'n Roll Survivor" (Billboard Books) which was first published in 1977 has just been updated and reissued.

Fulks has one foot in the singer/songwriter scene and one in country music. He spent three years writing songs in Nashville, but no one opted to record his songs. So he's recently come out with a new CD of his own music, "Let's Kill Saturday Night" (Geffen Records). Fulks began his career as a regular at the same fabled Greenwich Village hole in the wall where Bob Dylan made a name for himself. He joins Fresh Air to talk about his career and sing some of his songs.

Rock historian Ed Ward looks back on the career of songwriter Bert Berns.

Bette Midler made a name for herself in the early 1970s at New York's Continental Baths, a club for gay men. Since then she's been nominated for two Academy Awards, and earned Emmy and Grammy awards. She has a new CD, "Bathhouse Betty" (Warner Bros. Records).

A special in-studio concert and interview with Kate and Anna McGarrigle; Loudon, Rufus, and Martha Wainwright, and other. They all sing and play on the new album, "The McGarrigle Hour" (Hannibal).

Classical music critic Lloyd Schwartz reviews a re-issue of Judy Garland's songs titled "Judy" on the label 32 Records. It is a four cd-set with a video and 100 page book of photos and interviews. Also Rhino records has re-issued "Judy Garland in Hollywood."

The singer and pianist has a new CD titled "Sing It" on Rounder Records. It features her with Tracey Nelson and Irma Thomas. She has been compared with Fats Domino, Professor Longhair, Dr. John, Leon Russell, and, Jerry Lee Lewis. She's been called the bayou queen of the piano. Her latest solo album came out last year on Rounder. "Let Me Play With Your Poodle." The concert was recorded in September in Austin, Texas as a benefit for the public radio station KUT.

Rock historian Ed Ward remembers Charlie Feathers, who tried everything from country music, rockabilly to protest folk. He had such hits as "Tongue-Tied Jill," and "One Hand Loose., which is considered one of the perfect rockabilly songs.

Patti Smith's guitarist Lenny Kaye talks about the new four-CD collection called Nuggets. (Rhino) It showcases some of the most influential garage rock bands in the late 60's following the British Invasion. Kaye compiled the first volume which was released in 1972. He has collaborated with Gary Stewart to expand the collection to a box-set.

Rock historian Ed Ward talks about the Philadelphia soul music scene which produced such superstars as Teddy Pendergrass. Many of those artists were signed to the Philadelphia International Records label.

Rock critic Ken Tucker reviews the new release by Joni Mitchell, "Taming the Tiger" (Reprise).

Music critic Milo Mile reviews an expanded edition of "Nuggets: Original Artyfacts from the First Psychedelic Era."

We remember Jeff Moss, one of the original creators and writers of "Sesame Street." He died Thursday, at the age of 56, from colon cancer. Moss created Cookie Monster and Oscar the Grouch, and wrote such songs as "Rubber Ducky" and "People in Your Neighborhood." He won 14 Emmy's, four Grammy's, and an Acacdemy Award nomination for his work on "Sesame Street" and with the Muppets. Moss was also the author of books for children, including "Hieronymus White: A Bird Who Believed That He Always Was Right" (REBROADCAST from 11/30/94)

In celebration of the centennial of George Gershwin's birth, (Saturday, September 26th) a talk with two Gershwin experts: Robert Kimball, artistic advisor to the Gershwin estate, and author of "The Gershwins" (out of print) and editor of "The Complete Lyrics of Ira Gershwin" (De Capo Press, paperback). Also Edward Jablonski, author of "Gershwin: With a New Critical Discography" (De Capo Press, paperback). Also we'll hear some rare Gershwin songs.