We remember Tex-Mex rocker Doug Sahm. For many, he was best known for his stint with the Sir Douglas Quintet, a group of Texans and Mexicans who were packaged to look like a British Invasion band. Sahm had played a variety of styles since, including Tex-Mex, blues, rhythm and blues, rock. Sahm died last week. (Rebroadcast from 9/7/89)
1999 also marks the centennial of Duke Ellington's birth. Jazz Critic Kevin Whitehead reviews four notable reissued recordings of Ellington's featured sidemen; all on the RCA label: "Cootie Williams in Hi-Fi," "Wild Bill Davis and Johnny Hodges in Atlantic City," "Paul Gonsalves: Ellingtonia Moods and Blues," and "C-Jam All-Stars: Diminuendo, Crescendo and Blues".
Classical music critic Lloyd Schwartz reviews two blockbuster exhibits of Egyptian art: The Age of the Pyramids, at the Metropolitan Museum in New York which runs thru Jan 9, and Pharaohs of the Sun at Boston's Museum of Fine Arts thru Feb 6.
Rhythm and blues singer Bobby Womack. His R&B and pop hits include "It'a All Over Now," "Lookin' For A Love," and "That's The Way I Feel About Cha." Recently his recording "Across 110th Street" was used in the Quentin Tarantino film, "Jackie Brown." Womack began his career singing gospel with his brothers. They were discovered by Sam Cooke. On his new release he returns to his gospel origins, "Back To My Roots" (The Right Stuff label/EMI).
Actor Liev Schreiber. The 32-year old's film credits include "The Daytrippers," "A Walk on the Moon," and the "Scream" movies. He's currently starring in New York in the Public Theatre's new production of "Hamlet." And he plays Orson Welles in the HBO drama "RKO 281" about the clash between Welles and William Randolph Hearst over the making of Welles's masterpiece, "Citizen Kane." It premiered last night.
Critic Maureen Corrigan reviews "Waiting" (Pantheon) by Ha Jin the winner of this year's National Book Award for fiction, a novel which is set in China during the Cultural Revolution.
To celebrate the centennial of the birth of composer Hoagy Carmichael we feature a tribute to him, as part of our American Popular Song series. Carmichael wrote, "Star Dust," "Heart and Soul," "The Nearness of You," "Skylark" and many more. We feature performances by singer Rebecca Kilgore and pianist Dave Frishberg. We'll also talk with Richard Sudhalter, who has written a forthcoming biography of Carmichael. And we talk with Carmichael's son, Hoagy Bix Carmichael who now manages his father's music catalogue.
A preview of Monday's show, the next installment of our American Popular Song series. This show pays tribute to Hoagy Carmichael and features performers, pianist Dave Frishberg, and singer Rebecca Killgore.
The writer Paul Bowles died today in Tangiers, Morocco, his home for 50 years. He was 88 and died of cardiac arrest. His most famous novel "The Sheltering Sky" was selected by the Modern Library as one of the 100 best English-language novels of the century. We remember him with an excerpt of his 1993 interview. (REBROADCAST from 6/15/93).
International security expert George Robert Perkovich (Per-KO-vich) is author of the new book, "India's Nuclear Bomb: The Impact on Global Proliferation" (University of California Press) is about India's 50 year secret nuclear program, which began in 1947, and the forces internal and external that led to their detonation last year of 5 nuclear test bombs. Perkovich is deputy director for programs, and director of the Secure World Program for the W. Alton Jones Foundation, a philanthropic institution.
Critic Milo Miles reviews some Cuban records that aren't by the Buena Vista Club: "Casa de la Trova" (Detour Records), "Bossa Cubana" by Los Zafiros (World Circuit/Nonesuch label), and "Estrellas de Areito" (World Circuit/Nonesuch label).
Ravi Shankar is the world's leading sitar player. Now at the age of 79, he's published his autobiography, "Ravi Shankar: Raga Mala" (Welcome Rain Publishers). The book was edited and introduced by his friend George Harrison. Shankar is now performing on tour with his 18 year old daughter, Anoushka. We'll hear from Ravi Shankar and later we'll be joined by his daughter.
Composer and conductor John Adams. There's a new 10-CD box retrospective of his work, that spans the last two decades. It includes his orchestral pieces like Harmonium, and his operas "Nixon in China," and "The Death of Klinghoffer." The boxset is titled "The John Adams Earbox" (Nonesuch).
Actor Gene Hackman. The star of the films "Bonnie and Clyde," "The French Connection," "The Conversation," and "Unforgiven" is now an author. He's collaborated with Daniel Lenihan (LEN-ah-han) who we'll also from hear from (one of the world's leading underwater archaeologists) on the new novel, "Wake of the Perdido Star: A novel of shipwrecks, pirates, and the sea" (Newmarket Press). (THIS INTERVIEW CONTINUES INTO THE SECOND HALF OF THE SHOW).
Donald Mills, the last surviving member of the singing group, The Mills Brothers, died on Saturday. He was 84 years old. The group was knwon for their harmonies, and their hits included "Up the Lazy River," and "Glow Worm." (REBROADCAST from July 1985).
A discussion about the exhibition "Norman Rockwell: Pictures for the American People" with art critic Dave Hickey. He wrote an essay for the exhibition catalogue. Hickey is Associate Professor of Art Criticism and Theory at the University of Nevada. He's also author of the book "The Invisible Dragon: Four Essays on Beauty." (THIS INTERVIEW CONTINUES AFTER THE :60 FLOATER)
Singer/songwriters Buddy & Julie Miller. Their songs have been recorded by everyone from the Dixie Chicks to Little Jimmy Scott. Each have new albums: "Broken Things" (Hightone Records) by Julie Miller, and "Cruel Moon" (Hightone) by Buddy Miller. (THIS INTERVIEW CONTINUES INTO THE SECOND HALF OF THE SHOW).
