Music

Comedian, television host and musician Steve Allen performs his original songs and compositions for Fresh Air. He also talks about his career as the host of his own late-night television program and his new book, Funny People, which pays homage to some of his favorite comedians.

Jazz pianist Sam Dockery performs before a live studio audience. In between songs, he tells Fresh Air associate producer Danny Miller about the mechanics of improvisation and the role of the pianist in different contexts.

The songwriter, singer and jazz pianist performs his songs for Fresh Air. He talks about his approach to writing, his distinctive vocal style, and how he keeps his arrangements fresh.

Lys Symonette served as the late composer's accompanist until his death in 1950. She shares her memories of Weill, as well as her work with fellow Weill collaborator, vocalist Lotte Lenya.

Pianist Lys Symonette performs selected works of the late composer. This concert was made possible by The Curtis Institute.

The tenor player has been working in jazz for nearly 40 years. He also works as an arranger for television. He talks about his development as a musician and his work performing in clubs.

The former Lovin' Spoonful frontman talks about his career in rock and folk music, his experiences during the landmark Woodstock Festival, and his musical-in-progress, an adaptation of the novel Charlotte's Web.

Concert promoter George Wein credits his enduring festival for the successful career of several prominent jazz musicians, as well as the continued vitality of the genre.

Connie Francis took a seven-year hiatus from singing after surviving a rape, dealing with the murder of her brother, and battling several health problems. After so many tragedies, she feels like her old self again, and has begun performing once more.

Critic Francis Davis joins us for the weekly program "Interval," in which he looks at new jazz releases. Today Davis reviews "We Want Miles" by jazz legend Miles Davis, and "The Great Pretender" by trumpeter Lester Bowie.

Musician and composer David Eyges is one of the few jazz cello players. In recent years, he has worked with Philadelphia saxophonist Byard Lancaster, with whom he recorded the album "The Arrow." The duo has now become a trio with the addition of Philadelphia drummer Sunny Murray. The group recently released the album "Crossroads." Eyges' music is part of a trend of blurring the lines between jazz and classical music.

The pianist rejected the life of a traveling jazz musician, instead choosing to perform and record live performances in clubs near his home in the Delaware Water Gap area. He also makes a living as a transcriber and arranger. He plays selections from each of his albums for a live audience.

The musician taught himself the instrument before taking lessons at the Philadelphia Conservatory. After a brief stint as a rock and roll bassist, he joined drummer Art Blakey's ensemble.

Philadelphia-based artist Raphael Ferrer gave up a career in jazz to become a visual artist. He has just completed a sculpture in Fairhill Square Park. He tell Terry Gross about his unique aesthetic and his particular investment in vibrant Latino neighborhoods thriving in blighted areas of the Bronx and Philadelphia.

The folk singer joins Fresh Air to talk about how she made a career as a musician after the breakup of her marriage. She performs some of her songs a cappella in studio.

In between a series of odd jobs, the two folk musicians made a living performing across the country before settling down in Philadelphia. They join Fresh Air to showcase the kind of energetic music they can make with their traditional instruments.

Freeman's time studying with Chicago's Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM) was crucial to his musical development. A student of both the avant-garde and traditional bop traditions, his compositions draw inspiration from different facets of the African American experience.

In addition to being an in-demand bass player, Milt Hinton is an accomplished photographer. His portraits offer a candid look into the lives of famous jazz musicians. He and Fresh Air host Terry Gross talk about the experience of black musicians touring the segregated South and listen to highlights from Hinton's recording career.

In his regular feature Interval, jazz critic Francis Davis considers the impact of two groups which arose from the Chicago collective, the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM).

Singer Wilhelmenia Fernandez is best known for playing the role of Bess in the Gershwin opera Porgy and Bess. She makes her film debut in the new movie Diva.