Pop

Rock historian Ed Ward continues this week's five part series on the influence of several key record companies on the music world. Today, Ward looks at Casablanca, a big producer of disco hits, and its founder Nick Bogart.

Classical music critic Lloyd Schwartz reviews a five-cd set of all of the Oscar winning songs of the last 60 years.

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."

Ramone has been called the "Pope of pop," producing and engineering artists from Bob Dylan to Gloria Estefan, Paul McCartney, Barbra Streisand, Paul Simon, Billy Joel and dozens of others. Last year he produced Frank Sinatra's "Duets 2." Ramone has just finished recording a classical album with the Curtis Institute Orchestra and produced the cast recording of Stephen Sondheim's "Passion."

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

Johnson was a member of The Johnson Family, which sang gospel and country music for two decades. President Franklin D. Roosevelt was a fan; the group was invited to sing at his memorial service. Johnson went solo in the late-1950s, and was a regular on Don McNeill's "Breakfast Club" and Jack Paar's TV show. After making a dozen records, she left show business to raise a family and earn a degree in drama at Dartmouth. She has since returned to her singing career, with a cabaret act at The Oak Room. Her new album is called "A Family Affair."

Lowe's newest recording is "The Impossible Bird." In the early 1970s, he played London's pub rock scene in the band Brinsley Schwarz. After they broke up in 1975, Lowe produced five albums for Elvis Costello and worked with Dave Edmunds in the group Rockpile. He begins a national concert tour this month in the United States.

World music critic Milo Miles reviews the new album by Sengalese musician Baaba Maal, called "Firin' in Fouta."

Editor-in-Chief of Billboard Magazine Timothy White has written a new book that traces the evolution of the "myth" of Southern California through the lens of the Beach Boys and the Wilson family. It's called "The Nearest Faraway Place: Brian Wilson, the Beach Boys, and the Southern California Experience."

Terry shares her favorite New Year's song, called "What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?" It was written by Frank Loesser.

Rock critic Ken Tucker picks his favorite pop music of 1994, running the gamut from country to rock to singer-songwriters.

Jeff Moss was one of the original creators and writers of "Sesame Street." He created Cookie Monster and Oscar the Grouch, and wrote such songs as "Rubber Ducky" and "People in Your Neighborhood." He has won 13 Emmy's, four Grammy's, and an Oscar nomination for his work on "Sesame Street" and with the Muppets. Moss is also the author of four books for children, the newest of which is "Hieronymus White: A Bird Who Believed That He Always Was Right."

Rock critic Ken Tucker reviews Madonna's new release, "Bedtime Stories." He says she's discovered that there's something to be said for unadorned beauty.

Rock critic Ken Tucker reviews Joni Mitchell's new album, "Turbulent Indigo," which incorporates some of the tone and styles that made her famous early in her career.

World music critic Milo Miles reviews the new collection of singles recorded for Sam Cooke's R&B label. Miles says the only problem with it is the high price.

Robertson was a guitarist and songwriter for The Band until their break-up in 1976. Since then, he has put out solo albums and written film soundtracks for director Martin Scorsese. His newest work is "The Native Americans," inspired by his Native American heritage.

In the 1980's, Mould pioneered alternative rock with the band Husker Du, making what was described as "angry, self-hating music." Mould went solo for a while after the band fell apart. Now he's with the band "Sugar" and they've released their third album, "File Under: Easy Listening." One reviewer writes of the new release that it "shows Mould near the peak of his power-pop form and harbors a few prominently catchy songs."

Writer Colin Escott talks about his new book, "Hank Williams, The Biography." He's also the author of "Good Rockin' Tonight: Sun Records & The Birth of Rock & Roll", and he produced and annotated the CD Collection "Hank Williams: The Original Singles Collection...Plus."

World music critic Milo Miles talks about Soukous music -- a popular style of guitar music from Zaire. He reviews four recently released albums.

World music critic Milo Miles reviews the new anthology album of Mexican folk violinist Juan Reynoso.