Music

Journalist and rock historian Daniel Wolff has written a new biography, You Send Me: The Life and Times of Sam Cooke. Wolff was aided in his research by many people who were close to Cooke, including S.R. Crain, a co-founder of the Soul Stirrers and later Cooke's manager. Crain also joins the conversation.

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."

Bass has a new gospel album, "No Ways Tired." Her R&B hit "Rescue Me" came out in 1965. She was given no credits and no royalties for the song. Soon after, disenchanted with the industry, she retired to raise a family. In recent years, she has been on a comeback while getting back to her roots as a gospel singer.

Jazz critic Kevin Whitehead reviews the new CD by the jazz trio Medeski Martin & Wood. It's called "Friday Afternoon in the Universe."

Fresh Air rock critic Ken Tucker reviews the new album "To Bring You My Love," from the English singer and songwriter PJ Harvey, It is being touted as her artistic -- and possibly commercial -- breakthrough.

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.

Music critic Milo Miles reviews two CD anthologies of Bobby "Blue" Bland: "Turn on Your Love Light" and "I Pity the Fool." Bland, with his big band blues sound, had a number of hits on the "Black Charts" in his peak years from 1957 to 1964. He still makes records and performs today.

Rock critic Ken Tucker reviews music from the recent films The Jerky Boys, Ready to Wear, and Boys on the Side.

Classical music critic Lloyd Schwartz reviews the new recording of Kurt Weill's "The Seven Deadly Sins," featuring the New York Philharmonic and soprano Angelina Reaux.

Jazz critic Kevin Whitehead reviews "Blues Nexus," the new recording by James Spaulding, who plays flute in addition to alto saxophone.

Rock Historian Ed Ward looks back at Ike Turner's career before Tina, when he secured his place in American Pop music history.

Chicago police officer Eric Davis, known as "21" in the rap group the Slick Boys. Davis and two other officers founded the group in 1991 to provide positive role models for the inner-city kids they encountered on their jobs every day. The group has received national acclaim for their songs about the importance of getting an education and staying off of drugs and out of gangs. Davis grew up in the Cabrini-Green development of Chicago, where the three officers work.

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."

Jazz critic Kevin Whitehead reviews new releases by alto saxophonist Gary Bartz: Episode One, Children of Harlem (Challenge) and The Red and Orange Poems (Atlantic).

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

Rock historian Ed Ward reviews Rhino's new "Doo Wop Box." Listening to it, he says he's surprised by how much he didn't now about the genre.

Classical music critic Lloyd Schwartz recommends reissued recordings of conductor Sir Thomas Beecham on the Pearl label.

Taylor died Monday at age 65. He played with Sonny Rollins, Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, John Coltrane and Thelonious Monk. His recent book "Notes and Tones: Musician-to-Musician Interviews" features conversations with fellow musicians. It was one of the few books about black jazz musicians by a black man. We replay our 1994 interview with Taylor.

Rock critic Ken Tucker reviews the new recording by Dionne Farris, who used to sing with Arrested Development.

Graffin is the lead singer of the punk band Bad Religion. The group started 15 years ago and helped pioneer the hard rock/punk style of bands like Green Day and Offspring. Bad Religion's eighth recording is "Stranger Than Fiction," and it's their first on a major label. When Graffin isn't performing, he's spending time with his wife and child or working on his Ph.D. in Biology at Cornell.