Music

Shortly after Ray Charles endured a family tragedy, he started to go blind. His mother feared for his future, but Charles was able to make a career in music. Rock historian Ed Ward describes how Charles, who was steeped in the tradition of Nat King Cole, developed his own unique voice.

Classical music critic Lloyd Schwartz reviews two new recordings of pianist Dubravka Tomsic on the Stradivari label. He says the CDs, released after a series of successful recitals by Tomsic, are filled with fireworks, even on the slower, delicate pieces.

Murray is one of the few cello players working in jazz. She says class and cultural differences between black and white communities can explain why fewer African American children learn classical instruments. She appears on Muhal Richard Abrams' new album, The Hearinga Suite.

Kevin Whitehead reviews albums by Muhal Richard Abrams and Walter Thompson. Both bandleaders came from the 1960s avant-garde scene, and incorporate all styles of jazz into their music, including traditional bop, free improvisation, and electronic sounds.

Rock musician Chrissie Hynde. She's the head of the rock band, "The Pretenders." The band's got a new album called "Packed!" It's on Sire/Warner Brothers.

Rock historian Ed Ward takes a look at censorship in rock and roll.

Rock critic Ken Tucker reviews new albums by the bands Sonic Youth and John Doe.

Classical music critic Lloyd Schwartz reviews a new recording of John Field's Nocturnes, performed by Irish composer and pianist John O'Conor. (on the Telarc label).

Biographer Laurence Bergreen. His new book is "As Thousands Cheer: The Life of Irving Berlin." (published by Viking Press). Bergreen is also the author of "James Agee: A Life."

World music critic Milo Miles examines the vocal music of South Africa, and he examines the career of the country's leading vocal group, "Ladysmith Black Mambazo."

Jazz critic Kevin Whitehead looks at another British invasion, this one the current invasion of British jazz musicians. Kevin reviews singer Cleveland Watkiss, saxophonists Evan Parker, Courtney Pine, and Steve Williamson.

Rock critic Ken Tucker profiles Maurice Starr, the man behind the hugely popular teen groups "New Kids on the Block" and "New Edition."

Classical music critic Lloyd Schwartz reviews a new album of two Schubert Masses conducted by Robert Shaw (on the Telarc label). It features the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra & Choruses.

Rock critic Greil Marcus. Dutton books has just issued a third revised edition of Marcus' 1975 classic analysis of rock and roll in America, "Mystery Train."

Rock historian Ed Ward profiles the Gee and End record labels. They were the first to produce vocal-group records for teenagers by groups like Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers, the Cleftones, and Arlene Smith and the Chantels.

Jazz critic Kevin Whitehead reviews "Charles Mingus Epitaph" (on the Columbia label) It's a live recording of the Mingus composition conducted by composer Gunther Schuller last year at New York's Lincoln Center.

World music critic Milo Miles on the significance of Billboard magazine starting a world music chart.

Jazz trumpeter Red Rodney. Rodney's played with the greats...Benny Goodman, Woody Herman, Charlie Parker, among many others. He has a new album, called "Code Red," on the Continuum label.

Rock and roll historian Ed Ward continues his look at the history of surf music. (We're talkin' Beach Boys, we're talkin' Jan and Dean, we're talkin' the MIGHTY CHANTAYS!!!!)

Photographer William P. Gottlieb. In the 40s, Gottlieb learned photography and took hundreds of shots of the jazz greats of the time. Many of those shots are now well known through album covers, books, and posters. 200 of those photos appear in Gottlieb's new book, "The Golden Age of Jazz." It's published by Da Capo Press