Music

We remember record producer Milt Gabler, who died July 20 at the age of 90. Gabler founded America's first independent record label, Commodore Records. He was the first to record Billie Holiday's anti-lynching song, Strange Fruit, after major record companies refused. He was also the first to pair Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald. Later, he produced records for Bill Haley and the Comets, Peggy Lee, the Weavers, the Ink Spots and many others. His record store Commodore Music was legendary and a hangout for musicians and music lovers.

Critic Milo Miles remembers folk musician and guitarist John Fahey who died last week at the age of 61.

Guitarist and singer Howard Fishman of the Howard Fishman Quartet. The group's material draws on a wide variety of American music: jazz, blues, country, folk and Texas swing, but their experimental and improvisational style sets them apart. The Quartet includes trumpeter Erik Jekabson, bassist Jonathan Flaugher, and violinist Russell Farhang. The group debuted in the Oak Room of the Algonquin two years ago. They wrap up a engagement at Joe's Pub in New York City July 29th. The Quartet is currently working on a jazz opera We Are Destroyed in conjunction with The Public Theatre.

Singer and musician David Johansen was the lead singer for the 70s pre-punk punk rock band New York Dolls. Later he performed as Buster Poindexter, a pompadour tuxedo wearing lounge lizard swing bandleader of the band Banshees in Blue. Now he has a new roots-music band and a new album of straight blues, David Johansen and the Harry Smiths.

Critic Milo Miles reviews a new 3-CD set Demons and Angels (Shanachie) collecting the recordings of blues guitarist Rev. Gary Davis

Classical Music Critic Lloyd Schwartz reviews a series of concerts by Pierre Boulez and the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra.

Whitehead reviews The Complete Vee Jay Lee Morgan-Wayne Shorter Sessions on the Mosaic box label.

Rock critic Ken Tucker reviews Things We Lost in the Fire

Kathleen Hanna and Johanna Fateman of the band, Le Tigre . Hanna was the lead singer of the 90s band Bikini Kill. Bikini Kill was part of the music/cultural/feminist movement know as Riot Grrl, which focused on the concept of girl power and young womens empowerment. The movement was based primarily in Washington, DC and Olympia, WA, and its members formed bands, wrote fanzines, and held meetings, protests and festivals. Hanna was a leader and spokesperson for the movement. Her first solo project after Bikini Kill was called Julie Ruin. She then formed Le Tigre.

O'Farrill music combines American jazz with the rhythms of Cuban/Latin Music. The 79-year old's latest CD is called "Carambola"

Whitehead Reviews Ralph Gleasons Jazz Casual Series, a collection of Gleasons 1960s TV show on DVD and video.

Friedwald, the author of books like –Jazz Singing: Americas Greatest Voices from Bessie Smith to Bebop to Beyond—, –Sinatra! The Song is You: A Singers Art— and a contributor to Tony Bennetts autobiography –The Good Life.— Most recently, he wrote the liner notes for Mosaic Records release of –The Complete Columbia Mildred Bailey Sessions,— a comprehensive 10 disc set of the legendary singers recordings. He talks today about Baileys influence in American music.

J.J. Johnson, a pioneer of the modern jazz trombone died Sunday at his home in Indianapolis. He was 77. It was an apparent suicide. Johnson was considered the definitive trombonist of the bebop generation. He played with the Count Basie Orchestra, Benny Carter, Dizzy Gillespie, Wood Herman, and Miles Davis, often balancing that with leading his own band. Later in life, Johnson moved to Hollywood to work as a composer and arranger for television.

Rock critic Ken Tucker reviews the recordings Live at the Fillmore by the group Cypress Hill, and Restless by the rapper Xzibit.

Jazz critic Kevin Whitehead reviews the reissue The Eminent J.J. Johnson, Volume 2

Ward remembers rock and roller Eddie Cochran whose big hit in the US was Summertime Blues.

His new biography of Bing Crosby is called, Bing Crosby: A Pocketful of Dreams—the Early Years, 1903-1940 (Little Brown and Company). From 1930s to the 50s, Crosby was a pop culture icon, dominating American entertainment with his hit records and movies. In this first volume of the biography, Giddins chronicles the rise of Crosbys career. Giddins may be best known as a jazz columnist for the Village Voice. He won the 1998 National Book Critics Circle Award for his book Visions of Jazz. He was one of the experts featured in Ken Burns Jazz series on PBS.

Rock historian Ed Ward remembers the 60s band MC5.

Jazz critic Kevin Whitehead reviews a new series of recordings called Live at the Left Bank"