Music

Rock historian Ed Ward reacquaints us with music from Seattle over the past 30 years.

Rock critic Ken Tucker reviews the new release by the Beastie Boys, "Check Your Head. (Capitol Records)

Film critic Stephen Schiff reviews the new Whoopi Goldberg movie, "Sister Act." (Buena Vista Pictures)

Singer Angelina Réaux. She's gained international recognition for her interpretation of Kurt Weill music. She performed in a one-woman show, "Stranger Here Myself," a collection of Weill music, dramatically linked. (A recording of the show is on the Koch Classics International label). Réaux also performs in Opera and Concert engagements and collaborated with Leonard Bernstein in a some of his final projects: recordings of "West Side Story" and "A Quiet Place." She began her career in Broadway musicals.

Jazz critic Kevin Whitehead reviews a new reissue of Thelonious Monk, "Solo Monk." (on the Columbia label.)

Guitarist Ry Cooder. In the 60s he collaborated with Taj Mahal, Captain Beefheart, the Rolling Stones and became known for his fingerpicking and slide playing. In the 70s he went solo -- putting together ten albums that explored American roots music including blues, vintage jazz, and gospel.

Tonight show band saxophonist Tommy Newsom talks with Terry about the end of his longest running gig (30 years with The Tonight Show).

Avant-garde guitarist and producer Henry Kaiser. He's known as an innovative and versatile musician. He's recorded and/or performed with a number of artists including, Herbie Hancock, Richard Thompson, Bob Weir, The ROVA Sax Quartet, Sergei Kuriokhin, and Sonny Sharrock. He's just completed a recording of music of Madagascar, "A World Out of Time: Henry Kaiser & David Lindley in Madagascar," (on Shanachie records). (This interview was done by Fresh Air Producer Amy Salit)

Jazz critic Kevin Whitehead reviews the new CD by avant-garde multi-instrumentalist Hal Russell, "Hal Russell and NRG Ensemble, The Finnish/Swiss Tour" (on ECM)

Rock critic Ken Tucker reviews the hip-hop hits of TLC (their current hit is "Ain't 2 Proud 2 Beg" on LaFace Records' "Ooooooohhh...On The TLC Tip") and Kriss Kross ("Jump" on Columbia's "Totally Krossed Out").

Jazz singer Sylvia Syms passed away yesterday at the age of 74. She had a heart attack just as she finished a performance at the Algonquin Hotel. Syms was known as the quintessential saloon singer, and foremost among her admirers was Frank Sinatra, who produced and conducted a 1982 album of standards called "Syms By Sinatra." Her one hit was "I could Have Danced All Night," from the 1956 musical "My Fair Lady." Her nightclub career spanned 51 years.

World music commentator Milo Miles reviews the new album by the Terem ("Ter-yem") Quartet from St. Petersburg (formerly Leningrad). It's a group that couldn't have existed in the past. (Realworld Records)

Jazz critic Kevin Whitehead surveys a recent boxed set of vintage recordings by blues singer Howlin' Wolf ("Howlin' Wolf: The Chess Box" is on MCA records).

Ice-T, the Los Angeles based rap musician.

Rock historian Ed Ward tells us how not to do a reissue.

Rock and roll historian Ed Ward remembers The Memphis Jug Band.

Conductor and arranger John McGlinn. He re-orchestrated the Irving Berlin musical "Annie Get Your Gun" according to the original 1946 performance. In preparing the remake, McGlinn discovered that the 1966 revival of the show left out several musical numbers, which he incorporated into the current performance. McGlinn also included a song that had been written for the 1946 version, but never before recorded.

Rock critic Ken Tucker reviews the new release by Sophie B. Hawkins, "Tongues & Tails," (on the Columbia label).

Rock critic Ken Tucker reviews David Byrne's album "Uh-Oh."

Classical music critic Lloyd Schwartz reviews a new recording of Opera Finales performed by soprano Josephine Barstow. (on the Decca label).