Music

The jazz musician has spent most of his life on the road. Long after the golden era of the big bands, Herman continues to lead a large ensemble, all the while keeping up with contemporary jazz and pop music.

The jazz musician and arranger grew up in Philadelphia and developed his chops early on during jam sessions with John Coltrane and Percy Keith, among others who would grow up to become jazz legends. After getting his big break in Art Blakey's band, Golson spent years writing and arranging music for several television shows.

An anthology of the self-published comic book series has just been released by Doubleday. Pekar's joins Fresh Air's Terry Gross to talk about writing, jazz criticism, and the changing landscape of comic books.

Bob Guccione, Jr.'s father ran Penthouse magazine. The younger Guccione worked for the family business for years before launching Spin, a rock and roll-themed magazine.

While working as a preacher at a mortuary, Solomon Burke was recruited by Atlantic Records to make a country and western album. The record was a hit, but many listeners didn't know Burke is black. He joins Fresh Air to share stories of how he later made a name in soul music.

Shearing was born blind and began learning piano at age 4. Both practical limitations and prejudice kept him from playing certain kinds of gigs. But during World War II, while many fellow musicians served in the military, Shearing was given more opportunities to work. He later moved to the United States to further his career.

Ellie Greenwich was one of the few working women songwriters in the 1960s. She wrote several hits for girl groups of that era. She talks about the high points of of her career, before the rise of rock bands that wrote their own songs.

Composer Richard Wernick works with the Philadelphia Orchestra to expand their repertoire and incorporate contemporary works by living composers.

Music critic Peter Guralnick explore the history of soul music by looking at both the impact of individual artists and the role record companies like Motown, Atlantic and Stax played in producing their albums.

Guitarist and singer Marty Grosz and saxophonist and clarinetist Dick Meldonian regale a live audience with their versions of 1920s jazz and pop tunes at the Fresh Air studio. Grosz is a one the few musicians who still play rhythm guitar, and is the son of German satiric artist George Grosz. Meldonian has played with many famous jazz musicians and singers, and has also released several of his own records. The concert was funded by the Philadelphia Foundation.

Singer Peggy King joins the studio to interpret the songs of Irving Berlin in honor of his recent 90th birthday. King is joined by pianist Corky Hale and bassist David Finck.

Musician John Phillips was a member of the group The Mamas & The Papas, a pop-folk band that was popular in the 1960s. Phillips has recently written his autobiography "Papa John."

Guitarist and signer Jane Voss and singer Hoyle Osborne play for a live audience at Fresh Air's music studio. Their style incorporates the blues, Tin Pan Alley, vaudeville, and originals. Voss and Osborne are also married and today is their tenth anniversary.

Terry Zwigoff is the director and producer of the documentary "Louie Bluie," about jazz violinist and mandolinist Howard Armstrong. Armstrong continues the tradition of black string bands in the nineteen-teens and the nineteen-twenties. Armstrong's career was revived in the nineteen-seventies on the college circuit. Zwigoff plays the cello and mandolin himself, including in cartoonist R. Crumb's band, and collects jazz records.

Leonard Cohen is a singer-songwriter, whose unpolished voice is described as "intimate." His folk music was popular in the 1960s and his songs have been recorded by many artists. Before becoming a musician, Cohen was already a novelist and poet best known for his novel "Beautiful Losers."

Nat Hentoff writes about jazz and civil liberties, but describes his profession as "being a troublemaker." Hentoff began collecting jazz records and hanging out in jazz clubs as a young adult, and later hosted a jazz radio show and edited a magazine before co-founding the Jazz Review, a journal of criticism. Hentoff currently writes a column for the Village Voice and his subjects are often the First Amendment or civil liberties, and he is a staunch defender of free speech. His latest book, "Boston Boy," is a memoir about growing up in Chicago and Boston.

Edward Wilkerson is a jazz musician and composer. He joins the show to discuss his work and career. His ensemble the Shadow Vignettes' most recent album is "Birth of a Notion."

Leon Bates was groomed for a career as a concert pianist from childhood. He joins the show to discuss his life and career.

Internationally acclaimed conductor Lorin Maazel is in town to conduct a performance at the Spectrum. Maazel joins the show to discuss his life and career.