Music

Rock musician Marshall Crenshaw. According to The New York Times, many critics have ranked Crenshaw"among the finest rock artists of the last dozen years." Now he has written a book. It's a reference guide to Rock 'n' Roll in the movies ("Hollywood Rock" HarperPerennial). According to his longtime bass player Graham Maby, Crenshaw has an encyclopedic knowledge of rock music. And he knows about the rock and roll movie genre from first-hand experience. He played Buddy Holly in the 1987 movie "La Bamba" about musician Ritchie Valens.

Rock critic Ken Tucker reviews the new album by the Seattle band Soundgarden, voted by "Sassy" magazine "America's ugliest band". It's their fourth, "Superunknown," on A & M Records.

At the recent Public Radio Conference in San Antonio, Texas, three Fresh Air arts reviewers swapped stories at a critics forum. Rock critic, Ken Tucker; commentator and book critic, Maureen Corrigan; and TV critic, David Bianculli, offered their thoughts on issues such as media hype and how to deal with it. They shared anecdotes about angry subjects of negative reviews who seek revenge against the reviewer. That panel discussion will be aired today.

Film Critic Stephen Schiff reviews the new film "Backbeat" directed by Iain Softley. It is a reenactment of the early days of the Beatles . . . before they were stars.

Musician and television composer Mike Post.

Classical music critic Lloyd Schwartz reviews a recording of George Gershwin piano rolls.

Jazz pianist Fred Hersch. His new solo album is "Fred Hersch at Maybeck." Hersch recently revealed he is HIV positive and appears on several recordings to fund raise for the disease.

Jazz critic Kevin Whitehead reviews Bill Frisell's album "This Land."

Iain Softley is the writer and director of the film "Backbeat." The film focuses on the early days of The Beatles when Stu Sutcliffe was the bass player.

Rock critic Ken Tucker reviews "Mellow Gold," by Beck.

Lloyd Schwartz reviews a world premier of composer John Harbison's "Cello Concerto," performed by Yo-Yo Ma and The Boston Symphony Orhcestra.

Jazz critic Kevin Whitehead reviews the work of soprano saxophonist Lol Coxhill. ("Lohl") (The Dunois Solos, Nato records)

Classical Music critic Lloyd Schwartz has a review of the Metropolitan Opera's televised version of Verdi's fourth opera, "I Lombardi", starring Luciano Pavarotti and bass Samuel Ramey. It airs tonight on most PBS stations.

World Music critic Milo Miles reviews two new releases by Oumou Sangare, the woman singer from Mali: "Moussolou" and "Ko Sira" both on Rounder's World Circuit Label.

Rock Critic Ken Tucker has a review of the latest compilation album, this one pairing country and soul singers, called "Rhythm Country & Blues".

Singer/songwriter Alejandro Escovedo. Escovedo has just released his second solo album. It is called "Thirteen Years" (Watermelon Records). He was a founding member of San Francisco's '70's punk band the Nuns, the cowpunk band Rank & File and rock band True Believers. The title of the new album refers to a point during his marriage when all he had to offer his wife was song. After Escovedo and his former wife separated, she committed suicide.

Classical Music critic Lloyd Schwartz reviews a new album of opera overtures played on wind instruments, "Overture" by the Harmonie Ensemble of New York, conducted by Steve Richman (on the Music & Arts Programs of America label: 510-525-4583).

Singer/songwriter Sam Phillips is a former Christian singer who became disillusioned with the form, left it, changed her name (from Leslie), and started writing songs which explored her own singular spirituality. Since 1989 she's been making pop music that's been admired by the critics. One critic wrote of her 1991 album; "On the surface, Phillips seems just another wispy-voiced, ethereal singer-songwriter, writing moody songs chronicling the dangers of corruption and obsessive love.

World music commentator Milo Miles reviews the newly released boxed CD set "Tougher Than Tough: The Story of Jamaican Music" (available on the Mango label).

Rock critic Ken Tucker reviews the new release by singer/songwriter Sam Phillips, "Martinis & Bikinis." (Virgin Records).