Music

Used to be that big bands were the thing. Now, they're pretty much a thing of the past. But jazz critic Kevin Whitehead says he's found a couple of big bands from Boston where teachers and students are drawn to schools like the New England Conservatory and the Berklee College of Music. He reviews "Orange Then Blue," by Funkallero, and "After Blue," by the Ken Schaphorst Big Band.

Jazz critic Kevin Whitehead reviews the soundtrack of the new movie "Naked Lunch."

Rock critic Ken Tucker checks out Scotland's current contributions to rock. He looks at the bands Primal Scream and Teenage Fanclub.

Classical music critic Lloyd Schwartz reviews the new release by conductor Craig Smith. Smith is best known as the conductor of Peter Sellars' controversial stagings of Mozart operas. His new recording is of a series of motets by German composer Heinrich Schutz (rhymes with "putz"). It's performed by the Chorus of Boston's Emanuel Church, and it's on the Koch International Label.

Satirist Harry Shearer. Shearer has an eclectic career: he does many of the voices on the TV series "The Simpsons," he has a weekly program on many public radio stations called "Le Show," he often has character roles in movies, and he's one of the members of the parody heavy metal rock group "Spinal Tap." This year, Spinal Tap's releasing a new album and going out on tour.

Jazz critic Kevin Whitehead reviews the latest album by the Mal Waldron Trio, "Our Colline's A
Treasure."

Rock critic Ken Tucker reviews Lou Reed's new album, "Magic and Loss" and Robbie Robertson's album "Storyville."

Classical music critic Lloyd Schwartz reviews a reissue of an album of Mozart and Beethoven Duos and Sonatas.

Jazz critic Kevin Whitehead reviews two great solo saxophone pieces by Coleman Hawkins. The first is called "Picasso," and is based on the music of cellist Pablo Casals. The second is called "Dali."

Rock historian Ed Ward concludes his look at the last four decades of rock with a profile of 1982.

Rock historian Ed Ward goes back 20 years, to 1972.

Rock historian Ed Ward continues his look at the last four decades in rock. Today he turns the clock back to 1962.

Classical music critic Lloyd Schwartz tells us about a new release of some early performances by New York Philharmonic Conductor Sir John Barbirolli.

Rock critic Ed Ward, in honor of Elvis' birthday, looks into the rhythm and blues roots of his music.

The late songwriter Doc Pomus co-wrote such hits as "This Magic Moment," "Save The Last Dance for Me," "Teenager in Love," and "His Latest Flame." We remember Pomus with three interviews:

1) Music critic Peter Guralnick (Gurr-AL-nick), a friend and admirer of Pomus. Guralnick wrote "Searching For Robert Johnson," a book that examined the life of blues musician Robert Johnson. And he's currently working on a biography of Elvis Presley.

A concert and interview with singer/songwriter/guitarist Jules Shear. He was with the "Funky Kings," and later, "Jules & The Polar Bears." The songs he has written have been recorded by The Bangles, Cyndi Lauper, and many others. He has a new album out this month, "The Great Puzzle." (on Polydor).

Rock historian Ed Ward begins a series of pieces on rock 10, 20, 30, and 40 years ago. Today, he goes back to 1952, and the early days of rock and roll.

Playwright, lyricist, and novelist Joe Keenan. His new book, "Putting On the Ritz," follows the further misadventures of the Broadway characters he first created in the book "Blue Heaven." (It's published by Viking).

Classical music critic Lloyd Schwartz reviews the new opera, "The Ghosts of Versailles ("vahr-SIGH") by composer John Corigliano ("core ee ahn no"). It premiered two weeks ago at the Metropolitan Opera in New York, the first new opera to premiere at the Met in 25 years.