Places & Travel

Writer Josef Skvorecky joins the show to describe his fiction, jazz, and growing up in Czechoslovakia.

Tepilit Ole Saitoti is a Maasai warrior and conservationist who was the subject of the film "Man of Serengetti." After the film, the Kenyan earned a degree in creative writing in the U. S. He joins the show to discuss his new book of photography with Carol Beckwith, "Maasai."

Jane and Michael Steern are the authors of "Roadfood," a guidebook which reviews inexpensive restaurants within ten miles of highways. They join the show to discuss car travel and road trips.

Patricia Stewart is on the faculty of the Philadelphia College of Art and Moore College of Art. She will be providing commentary on an upcoming "sculpture jog," which is part of the efforts of local art colleges to highlight the outdoor art in the city. Stewart discusses Philadelphia's public art and the "sculpture jog."

Composer and pianist Ray Bryant is currently performing in Philadelphia. A native of the city, he got his start at the Blue Note club. He joins the show to discuss his career in jazz.

Film critic Bill Van Wert joins the show with a review of the film "Rockers."

Vernel Bagneris is a playwright, actor, and dancer. He wrote, directed, and acts in the musical "One Mo' Time," now playing in Philadelphia. The musical is set in 1920s' New Orleans and draws heavily on the jazz from that time and place. It centers around a touring group of vaudevillians performing at the segregated Lyric Theater. Bagneris describes it as a "piece on Black theater history." Bagneris and pianist Morten Larsen give an in-studio concert sharing music from the show's time period.

Philadelphian pianists, Peter Scheiner, Uri Caine, and Dave Posmontier have been playing in the area for years. They discuss the Philadelphia jazz scene and the life of working musicians. (INTERVIEW BY DANNY MILLER)

Guitarist and composer Dave Van Ronk discusses folk music, his jazz and blues influences, and the folk scene of the 1960s.

Vernel Bagneris is a playwright, actor, and dancer. He wrote, directed, and acts in the musical "One Mo' Time," now playing in Philadelphia. The musical is set in 1920s' New Orleans and draws heavily on the jazz from that time and place. It centers around a touring group of vaudevillians performing at the segregated Lyric Theater. Bagneris describes it as a "piece on Black theater history." He joins the show to discuss the musical, the black vaudeville circuit, black face, and the benefits of live performance.

Randy Weston is a jazz pianist and composer. He travels and performs extensively in Africa, and African influences infuse his music. He is playing a rare American concert in Philadelphia.

A panel of experts join Terry Gross to talk about the opium trade, the treatment of opiate addicts in Britain, and the often racist origins of drug laws in the United States.

Red Rodney honed his skills as a trumpet player in Philadelphia. Later, he joined Charlie Parker's band. He tells Fresh Air host Terry Gross about kicking his heroin habit and the kinds of jobs he takes to make a career in music.

The elite class shaped Philadelphia and Boston in important ways. Scholar E. Digby Baltzell examines how and why.

Philadelphia-based food critic Elaine Tait talks about her trade and recent service and food trends in area restaurants. Fresh Air listeners call in with their questions.

Nigerian drummer Olatunji discusses African immigration to the United States, American attitudes toward Africa, and his unexpected popularity in the West.

Writer William Hinton wrote the acclaimed book Fanshen, about life in a Chinese village. He talks about life in China after the Cultural Revolution.

Jazz and blues guitar player and singer Joe Williams talks about his experiences touring and his interactions with his audience.

Pianist Jimmy Golden, pianist Sam Dockery, and trumpeter and club owner Jack Fields discuss jazz in Philadelphia. Jimmy Golden and Sam Dockery have served as house pianists at many Philadelphia jazz clubs, and Jack Fields owned the club the Blue Note in the 1950s.

Richard Ben Cramer, foreign affairs journalist and Pulitzer Prize winner, has spent extensive time traveling to and reporting on the Middle East. He has reported on Israel, Egypt, and Lebanon, and his stories often focus on individuals. He joins the show to discuss his work and the situation in the Middle East.