Music

Rock critic Ken Tucker has a review of "Whip-Smart," the new album by Liz Phair.

Collins got his start with James Brown, where he "defined the finger-popping funk bass style" (Rolling Stone). He went on to work with George Clinton as part of the Parliment-Funkadelic tribe, before forming Bootsy's Rubber Band. On stage, he created alter egos, including Bootzilla, Boot-Tron, and King of the Geepies. He's put out more than 30 albums, and has just released "Blasters of the Universe," with a new band.

Rock critic Ken Tucker reviews "Monster," the new release by R.E.M.

Classical music critic Lloyd Schwartz reviews the new recording of works by composer Elliot Carter.

Author Peter Guralnick has written the first of a two part biography of Elvis Presley, retelling the story of the King's childhood "soberly, thoroughly and unsensationally" (says the ALA Booklist). "Last Train to Memphis: The Rise of Elvis Presley" tells much of the story through quotes both from Elvis and people who knew him then. It attempts to portray Elvis' human side, rather than the mythical figure he has become.

Classical music critic Lloyd Schwartz reviews "Vivaldi: 6 Cello Sonatas," by Pieter Wispelwey and Florilegium.

Rock critic Ken Tucker reviews the L.A. hardcore band's latest album. Tucker says they're everything he looks for in loud rock music.

Faithfull got her start in the English music scene of 1964, when she dated Mick Jagger and had the hit song, "As Tears Go By." In the following years she had a drug addiction that almost killed her, before recovering in 1985 and releasing new albums. Her memoir, "Faithfull: An Autobiography," tells her story of highs and lows with music and drugs.

Rock critic Ken Tucker reviews Eric Clapton's new release, "From the Cradle." It's Clapton's first since his best-selling "Unplugged."

Feather, one of the world's most prominent jazz critics died of pneumonia, yesterday at the age of 80. He grew up in England and moved to America in 1940. His most important writing was his encylopedia of jazz, an essential reference work of musician bios. Feather spent his final months editing a new edition, which is scheduled for publication next year. Feather also produced about 200 recording sessions, composed for many of the musicians he worked with, and even played piano on some of their sessions.

Rock critic Ken Tucker reviews "Natural Ingredients," the first full-length collection by Lucious Jackson, a four-woman band from lower Manhattan, whose drummer was once a member of the Beastie Boys.

Classical music critic Lloyd Schwartz reviews "Brain/Kell/Gossens Play Schumann & Beethoven."

Jazz critic Kevin Whitehead reviews a new recording of Charles Mingus's infamous New York Town Hall concert from October 12, 1962. It's the first time a complete recording has been available.

Rock critic Ken Tucker reviews "Webb Pierce: King of the Honky Tonk." Pierce's rough edge laid the groundwork for contemporary country music -- though Tucker says newer artists could use some of Pierce's passion.

In the 1980's, Mould pioneered alternative rock with the band Husker Du, making what was described as "angry, self-hating music." Mould went solo for a while after the band fell apart. Now he's with the band "Sugar" and they've released their third album, "File Under: Easy Listening." One reviewer writes of the new release that it "shows Mould near the peak of his power-pop form and harbors a few prominently catchy songs."

Juan Garcia Esquivel produced innovative recordings of pop music in the fifties and sixties. His work has been re-issued on a CD called "Esquivel!: Space Age Bachelor Pad Music." Terry speaks with him, his former wife Yvonne de Bourbon, and producer and critic Irwin Chusid.

Jazz critic Kevin Whithead reviews the new re-issue by the little-known jazz organist Baby Face Willette, called "Stop and Listen."

Writer Colin Escott talks about his new book, "Hank Williams, The Biography." He's also the author of "Good Rockin' Tonight: Sun Records & The Birth of Rock & Roll", and he produced and annotated the CD Collection "Hank Williams: The Original Singles Collection...Plus."

Jazz critic Kevin Whitehead reviews the new CD set, "The Fletcher Henderson Story: A Study in Frustration," a reissue of a 4-LP set that's been out print since the 1960s.

Actor and playwright Vernel Bagneris and pianist Morten Gunnar Larsen perform selections from their show, "Jelly Roll Morton: A Me-morial," with music written by Morton, and a script taken from Library of Congress tapes of Morton from 1938. The New Yorker calls it, "an experimental study, done within a traditional Broadway-musical framework, of the life and death of a black misanthrope. . . a psychomusical." This concert was first broadcast in 1992.