Music

Ted Hawkins busked in Venice Beach for years before recording his first album; he was in his 40s. Now 51, he has a new album called Happy Hour, which blends blues, soul and pop. While the singer is popular in England, rock critic Ken Tucker says Hawkins deserves more recognition in his home country.

Novelist and professor John Barth tried to make his mark as a jazz drummer; instead, he became a maximalist writer known for his sprawling, metafictional books. He joins Fresh Air to discuss his early career, the nature of storytelling, and his experiences at John Hopkins University as both a student and instructor.

Critic-at-large Stephen Schiff says that La Bamba, the new biopic about Ritchie Valens, is a whitewashed portrait of the late musician, and mostly lacks a rock and roll spirit.

Director Peter Sellars helmed a modernized production of Mozart's iconic opera at this year's Pepsico Summerfare. Classical music critic Lloyd Schwarz saw the performance in Purchase, NY. He says not all of the updates worked, but the individual performances reached the audience "on a profoundly emotional level."

The jazz singer and songwriter is known for his distinctive voice and, most recently, his work on the children's show Schoolhouse Rock. He performs several songs in-studio for Fresh Air listeners.

Rock historian Ed Ward profiles the 1960s California band, fronted by African American singer and songwriter Arthur Lee.

While he was still a teenager the musician moved with his twin brother from Phoenix to Los Angeles to find work as a jazz musician. His career later took him to New York and, eventually, Vienna, where he has lived for several years. He has recently reunited his old group, the Jazztet, with tenor saxophonist Benny Golson.

New music composer John Harbison was drawn to classical music because the genre leant itself to longer pieces and a deeper exploration of musical ideas. He often writes for his wife, the violinist Rosemary Harbison.

The free jazz saxophonist's new album features both his original 1950s-era quartet and his more recent electric ensemble, Prime Time. Jazz critic Francis Davis is occasionally frustrated by the production, but nonetheless says the record is one of the most significant releases of the year.

Avant-garde composer and saxophonist John Zorn's most recent album reinterprets the music of film composer Ennio Morricone. His forthcoming recording pays homage to detective novelist Mickey Spillane.

Puerto Rican songwriter and performer Roy Brown discusses the Nueva Cancion movement, which sets politically-charged poetry to music. He performs several songs in studio.

Singer, writer, and translator Susannah McCorkle performs selections from the Great American Songbook with pianist Ben Aronov and bassist Chip Jackson. She discovered much of that music while living in Europe, watching American films.

Rock critic Ken Tucker says that Wire's first new album in seven years doesn't capture the intensity of their debut Pink Flag, but it's still a provocative listen.

Brothers Luis and Daniel Valens' collaborated on a biopic of the late singer's life, called La Bamba. They discuss how they tracked down Valens' family to learn more about his early life.

Pianist Shura Cherkassky claims he never plays the same piece twice. Classical music critic Lloyd Schwartz says the versions of Liszt and Stravinsky pieces Cherkassky recently committed to tape are worth the listen.

Sonny Burgess was known as much for his monochromatic look as he was his wild music. Ed Ward says the word to describe him is "weird" -- Burgess favored unconventional instrumentation and bizarre lyrics.

Taking advantage of new recording technologies, Ellington's son Mercer leads his father's big band on a new CD. Jazz critic Francis Davis says the performances are excellent in their own right, but the album doesn't offer anything new or surprising.

Musician and folklorist Mick Moloney talks about and performs two traditional Irish songs he learned early in his career.

The long-running band continues to gain new fans, even straight-laced yuppies. Rock critic Ken Tucker says In the Dark is their best album in over a decade, coming close to capturing the spirit of their live shows.

Classical music critic Lloyd Schwartz says that Christopher Hogwood's interpretation of the composer's symphonies fall flat compared to those of Roger Norrington.