Music

Jazz critic Kevin Whitehead reviews a new collection of the albums and unreleased recordings of Miles Davis' work with arranger Gil Evans.

Critic David Bianculli reviews several new CD's that feature some of the all-time favorite TV themes.

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 the new, sprawling album by the artist formerly known as Prince, called "Emancipation."

Laura Joplin is the younger sister of the rock legend Janis Joplin. Her new book, "Love XX Janis," was inspired by a bundle of letters Laura found of her sister's. This is the first time the letters are published. Laura is six years younger than Janis, and was 21 when Janis died. There's a new episode of the VH1 documentary series "Legends" about Janis Joplin, in which Laura reads some of the letters of her sister.

Rock historian Ed Ward tells us about bass player Carol Kaye, who he says, in the early 1960s, "virtually invented electric bass playing."

Rock critic Ken Tucker reviews "Recovering the Satellites" (Geffen), the new album by the San Francisco band Counting Crows.

Tenor saxophonist and composer, Ellery Eskelin. He's been called the most inventive American tenor player in creative music. His father, Rodd Keith, (also known as Rod Rodgers) was killed when he was struck by cars on the Hollywood Freeway after leaping or falling from the Santa Monica Boulevard overpass. Eskelin only knew his father for the first eighteen months of his life. As he grew up, Eskelin was inspired and intrigued by the continuous stories he heard about his father and his musical talent.

Classical music critic Lloyd Schwartz reviews "Chant d'amour," the new CD by mezzo-soprano Cecilia Bartoli. She's accompained by pianist Myung-Whun Chung.

In the 1950's, Louvin and his brother Ira were were regulars at the Grand Olde Opry. Ira was later killed in a car accident. Charlie has recently re-recorded many of their hits, which are featured on his new CD "The Longest Train."

Milo Miles reviews the new CD by Jaguars. Their album is called "El Equilibrio De Los Jaguares."

Jazz Critic Kevin Whitehead reviews a CD by the Patrick Zimmerli Ensemble titled "Explosion." It's released by the Canadian music company Songlines. Patrick Zimmerli is a saxophonist living in New York.

Rock critic Ken Tucker reviews "Black Eye," the debut album by the new English punk band Fluffy.

Opera soprano Dawn Upshaw performs a concert with jazz pianist Fred Hersch at WHYY. The program includes highlights from her just-released album "Dawn Upshaw sings Rodgers and Hart," as well selections by Leonard Bernstein, Mark Blitstein and George Gershwin. Upshaw joined the Metropolitan Opera in 1984. Later in the show, Upshaw will be accompanied by a 15-piece orchestra, led by Broadway music director Eric Stern, and singer David Garrison.

Jazz critic Kevin Whitehead reviews the reissue of "Earl Hines Plays Cole Porter" (New World).

Classical music critic Lloyd Schwartz reviews a series of live recordings by the Budapest Quartet made at the Library of Congress in the early 1950s

Critic Milo reviews "The Best of the Barely Works," featuring songs by the unconventional British folk group.

Rock critic Ken Tucker reviews "First Band on the Moon" by the Cardigans, an alternative rock band with dark undertones beneath their airy pop.

Rock critic Ken Tucker reviews the new solo album by Amy Rigby. In the early eighties, Rigby was part of the all-woman punk band the Shams, and following that, a country-rock outfit called Last Roundup. After a long silence, she's back with a new solo album called "Diary of a Mod Housewife."

He's the man who wrote "Blue Suede Shoes," the hit song sung by Elvis Presley which became the first Sun label record to sell over a million copies. Carl Perkins has also written the songs, "Matchbox," "Honey Don't," and "Everybody's Trying to Be My Baby" which have been recorded by the Beatles. Born in Tennessee, he's a pioneer of rockabilly music. His new memoir and CD are both called "Go Cat Go!"