Music

Television and movie score composer Henry Mancini, who died of cancer on Tuesday. He is best known for composing "Moon River" for the film "Breakfast at Tiffany's" and the title theme to the movie "The Pink Panther." In 1954 he received his first Academy Award nomination for his score to "The Glenn Miller Story," and in 1961 his score for the movie "Breakfast at Tiffany's" won that year's Academy Award.

Jazz critic Kevin Whitehead reviews two new reissues which were both recorded in New York in the mid-1960's. Steve Lacy and Rosewell Rudd combine modern jazz, avant-garde, and old blues in their album "School Days" ( Hat Art). Duke Pearson combines piano with Caribbean music on "The Right Touch" on the (Blue Note).

Rock critic Ken Tucker reviews the new album by David Byrne, called "David Byrne," (Luakabop/Sire)

Rock critic Ken Tucker reviews Jon Secada's "Heart, Soul and A Voice".

World music commentator Milo Miles showcases guitarist Steve Tibbetts.

Classical Music critic Lloyd Schwartz reviews some historic recordings by composer Benjamin Britten. (EMI Classics).

TV critic David Bianculli reviews the latest of MTV's "Unplugged" concert series, featuring Tony Bennett.

Beck is a 23 year-old hip/hop folk rocker, who goes by first name only and whose single, "Loser" has become the anthem for the underachievers of Generation X. His music has been described as "triumphantly anti-professional, idiot-savant music in which a heartfelt solo can be provided by kazoo as easily as guitar." Beck was part of the Los Angeles underground, with songs like "MTV Makes Me Want to Smoke Crack." Beck's first album, "Mellow Gold," (released on DGC) was recorded at home on four and eight-track recording equipment.

Sonny Sharrock was a guitarist. His genre was the free-jazz movement of the late 1960's Jon Pareles said in the New York Times that Sharrock's "guitar solos streaked and clanged, using blistering speed and raw noise to create music that had both the openness of jazz and power of rock." (Rebroadcast of 10/23/1991)

Jazz musicians Red Rodney and Sonny Sharrock. They're both important jazz figures who recently died. We will rebroadcast previous interviews with both Rodney was a trumpeter and band leader. He rose through the big band ranks and played in Charlie Parker's quintet. He was known as one of jazz's best improvisers. And he was known for regaling journalists with his stories-- often of dubious veracity. (Rebroadcast of 6/15/1990)

Ken Tucker reviews the new Pretenders album, "Last of the Independents".

World music commentator Milo Miles looks at old and new releases by Baden Powell, a guitarist associated with Bossa Nova.

Jazz critic Kevin Whitehead reviews a new collection of Jelly Roll Morton recordings: "Jelly Roll Morton: Library of Congress Recordings" (Rounder records, 4 volumes).

Rock critic Ken Tucker reviews the new Boz Scaggs record, "Some Change" (Virgin).

Classical music critic Lloyd Schwartz reviews a new CD. It's a reissue from The Hollywood String Quartet, a chamber group made up of studio musicians who wanted to perform the classics. (on the Testament label).

Songwriter Stephen Sondheim. Last fall he gave a talk at the Museum of Television and Radio in New York City. We broadcast that talk. Sondheim's latest work, "Passion," opens tonight.

Texas-born musician and Nashville songwriter Billy Joe Shaver. At 54, he plays with his son in a band called "Shaver" -- their new album is "Tramp on Your Street" (Zoo/Praxis), his first recording in ten years. Shaver's songs, as recorded by Waylon Jennings on the 1973 "Honky Tonk Heroes" album, began the "outlaw" movement in country music. Since then, his songs have been recorded by Elvis Presley, Willie Nelson, and Johnny Cash.

Jazz critic Kevin Whitehead reviews "Revelation" the new album by 30-year old pianist Cyrus Chestnut (On the Atlantic Jazz label).

Rock critic Ken Tucker reviews Hole's album "Live Through This."

Ted Hawkins is a singer, a songwriter, and a guitarist who for almost 30 years was a street musician in L.A. His music isn't the blues though he's qualified to sing them: he grew up in poverty in Mississippi, his mother was a prostitute, he never knew his father. As a teenager, Hawkins spent time in jail. His first two marriages ended quickly: one was annulled, his second wife died two months into the marriage.