Music

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.

Singer, songwriter, guitar player, Dan Penn. Penn has written soul music classics--"Do Right Woman," "Cry Like a Baby," "Sweet Inspiration," "I'm Your Puppet," for example. His compositions have been made famous by the likes of Aretha Franklin, James Carr, Percy Sledge, Solomon Burke and Otis Redding. Penn left his tiny hometown of Vernon, Alabama when he was sixteen. . . a white kid, singing like Ray Charles and in love with black music.

Milo Miles, world music commentator, reviews "Boto," a debut album by Lokua Kanza on the French label Night and Day.

Rock musician Marshall Crenshaw. According to The New York Times, many critics have ranked Crenshaw"among the finest rock artists of the last dozen years." Now he has written a book. It's a reference guide to Rock 'n' Roll in the movies ("Hollywood Rock" HarperPerennial). According to his longtime bass player Graham Maby, Crenshaw has an encyclopedic knowledge of rock music. And he knows about the rock and roll movie genre from first-hand experience. He played Buddy Holly in the 1987 movie "La Bamba" about musician Ritchie Valens.

Rock critic Ken Tucker reviews the new album by the Seattle band Soundgarden, voted by "Sassy" magazine "America's ugliest band". It's their fourth, "Superunknown," on A & M Records.

At the recent Public Radio Conference in San Antonio, Texas, three Fresh Air arts reviewers swapped stories at a critics forum. Rock critic, Ken Tucker; commentator and book critic, Maureen Corrigan; and TV critic, David Bianculli, offered their thoughts on issues such as media hype and how to deal with it. They shared anecdotes about angry subjects of negative reviews who seek revenge against the reviewer. That panel discussion will be aired today.

Film Critic Stephen Schiff reviews the new film "Backbeat" directed by Iain Softley. It is a reenactment of the early days of the Beatles . . . before they were stars.

Musician and television composer Mike Post.

Classical music critic Lloyd Schwartz reviews a recording of George Gershwin piano rolls.

Jazz pianist Fred Hersch. His new solo album is "Fred Hersch at Maybeck." Hersch recently revealed he is HIV positive and appears on several recordings to fund raise for the disease.

Jazz critic Kevin Whitehead reviews Bill Frisell's album "This Land."

Iain Softley is the writer and director of the film "Backbeat." The film focuses on the early days of The Beatles when Stu Sutcliffe was the bass player.

Rock critic Ken Tucker reviews "Mellow Gold," by Beck.

Lloyd Schwartz reviews a world premier of composer John Harbison's "Cello Concerto," performed by Yo-Yo Ma and The Boston Symphony Orhcestra.

Jazz critic Kevin Whitehead reviews the work of soprano saxophonist Lol Coxhill. ("Lohl") (The Dunois Solos, Nato records)