Music

Gospel singer Cissy Houston has released her biography titled "Cissy Houston, How Sweet The Sound: My Life with God and Gospel." (Doubleday) Cissy Houston won the 1997 Grammy Award for Best Traditional Soul Gospel album for "Face to Face." She is the minister of music at New Hope Baptist Church in Newark, New Jersey and lives in Fort Lee, NJ. Her daughter is the singer Whitney Houston.

A concert with songwriter and pianist Dave Frishberg. His music draws its inspiration from jazz classics, but his lyrics are quirky modern originals about neurosis, and the oddities of contemporary life. A Grammy nominee, Frishberg's latest CD is "Dave Frishberg: by Himself." (Arbors Records) His other recordings include "The Dave Frishberg Songbooks," "Live at Vine Street," "Can't Take You Nowhere," and "Quality Time" (Originally aired 12/27/95)

Rock Historian Ed Ward has pt 2 of 2 in our look at Ray Charles career. This year marks his 50th year in the music business. Much of the music comes from "Ray Charles: Genius & Soul: The 50th Anniversary Collection" (Rhino)

Memphis-born saxophonist Hank Crawford. Before going out on his own, he backed B.B. King and played with Ray Charles. He eventually became musical director for Charles' band and he credits what he learned about playing soulful music from Charles. His newest CD "Hank Crawford: Memphis Ray and a Touch of Moody" (32 Jazz) collects music from his previous recordings: "More Soul," "From the Heart," "Soul of the Ballad," and "Dig These Blues."

Rock historian Ed Ward begins a 2-part retrospective on the work of Ray Charles, who celebrates 50 years in show business this year. Much of the music comes from "Ray Charles: Genius & Soul: The 50th Anniversary Collection" (Rhino)

Saxophonist, guitarist, and musicologist Allen Lowe. He's the author of the book "American Pop: from Minstrel to Mojo: On Record 1893-1956" (Cadence Jazz Books) which is an examination of the roots of pop by way of recorded music.

Saxophonist Ravi Coltrane. He's the son of the legendary jazz musician John Coltrane, and was two years old when his father passed away. He's just completed his first album as band leader, "Moving Pictures" (RCA Victor)

Critic Milo Miles reviews Volume One of "Kurtis Blow Presents the History of Rap" (Rhino)

Rock critic Ken Tucker reviews "Dig My Mood" (Upstart/Rounder) the new CD by Nick Lowe.

Journalist Bruce Feiler. His new book is a history of country music: "Dreaming out Loud: Garth Brooks, Wynonna Judd, Wade Hayes, and the Changing Face of Nashville (Avon Books). Feiler writes regularly about American music for The New York Times, The New Yorker, and other publications. He's also a frequent contributor to "All Things Considered."

Novelist Scott Spencer. His new book "The Rich Man's Table" (Knopf) is the story of a boy who discovers he is the illegitimate son of a legendary folk singer, a character said to be based on Bob Dylan. Spencer's previous novels include "Men in Black," and "Endless Love."

Singer Michael Stipe with the band R.E.M. He has a new book of photographs "Two Times Intro: On the Road with Patti Smith" (Little, Brown & Company)

Rock Critic Ken Tucker reviews Bonnie Raitt's latest album "Fundamental." Raitt has new record producers working with her. Instead of Don Was, Raitt is using Mitchell Froom and Chad Blake on "Fundamental." They are best known for their work with Suzanne Vega, Los Lobos and Richard Thompson.

Classical music critic Lloyd Schwartz reviews "Kurt Weill: from Berlin to Broadway, Vol. 2" (Pearl label) and other recordings of "Lady in the Dark" and "Berlin to Broadway" (on the Sony Masterworks Heritage label) as well as Lotte Lenya's "Berlin Theatre Songs" (also on Sony).

Rock historian Ed Ward on Moran Lee Boggs, otherwise known as Dock Boggs, who played banjo like a blues guitar in the 1920s. Boggs died in 1971. His recordings have been collected on a new CD "Dock Boggs: Country Blues" (Reventant label)

Rock critic Ken Tucker reviews "The Northeast Kingdome" (E-Squared/Warner) by Cheri Knight.

Music Critic Milo Miles talks about the renewed interest in Cuban music in the U.S.

Rock critic Ken Tucker reviews "Decksanddrumsandrockandroll" (Dreamworks) the new release by Propellerheads, a pair of musicians from England, making the latest electronic noise known as Big Beat.

We remember Linda McCartney, with an excerpt of her September 23, 1992 interview with Amy Salit. McCartney died Friday of cancer.

Rock critic Ken Tucker reviews the new release by the artist formerly known as Prince. It's a 4-CD set, "Crystal Ball." (on his own label)