Jazz singer and guitarist John Pizzarelli. He's put out seven albums in the past two years, playing guitar in his drumless trio, which features his brother Martin on bass. His latest CD, "Our Love is Here to Stay" (RCA) features re-workings of songs by Johnny Mercer to the Gershwins to the Beatles, and this time Pizzarelli interprets these standards along with a 17-piece orchestra. John is the son of jazz guitarist Bucky Pizzarelli.
Magician and trickster Teller of Penn and Teller. They've been performing for over twenty years, both on Broadway and around the world. The duo has just written "How to Play in Traffic" (Boulevard), an offbeat travel guide, and has also authored "Cruel Tricks for Dear Friends" and "How to Play with Your Food."
Lyricist Hal David. For years he's collaborated with music writer Burt Bacharach. Between them they've written such famous songs as "Raindrops Keep Falling on my Head," "Close to You," "What's New, Pussycat?," and "That's what Friends are For." David has received every major music industry award in addition to 20 gold records, awards such as an Academy Award, a Grammy, and induction into the Songwriters' Hall of Fame.
Film critic Leonard Maltin. His new book, "The Great American Broadcast: A Celebration of Radio's Golden Age" (Dutton) celebrates America's most popular form of entertainment in the years before television. Maltin also appears regularly on Entertainment Tonight and has written two movie guides.
Humorist and writer Garrison Keillor. In his new book, "Wobegon Boy," (Viking) Keillo transports one of his characters from Lake Wobegon to manage an upstate New York public radio station. Keillor hosts "A Prairie Home Companion" on National Public Radio on Saturday evenings, and authored "Lake Wobegon Days, Leaving Home," and "The Book of Guys."
Jazz critic Kevin White reviews two new CDS featuring Ornette Coleman: "Colors" (Verve/Harmolodic) with Coleman and Joachim Kuhn and Geri Allen's "Eyes in the Back of Your Head" which features Coleman (Blue Note)
In-studio interview and concert with composer Joel Forrester, the co-founder of the Microscopic Septet (now defunct), composer of the Fresh Air theme, and solo pianist with a new cd, "Stop the Music" (Koch Records).
Historian Doris Kearns Goodwin. The Pulitzer Prize winning author of "No Ordinary Time: Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt: The Home Front in World War 2" has written a memoir about her own life, "Wait 'Til Next Year" about growing up in the suburbs of New York in the 1950s.
Chuck D founder of the rap group Public Enemy. With the group's emergence in 1987, they ushered in politically conscious rap, portraying the world of many young urban black men, of limited opportunity, drugs, guns, and violent death. Their song "Fight the Power" was featured Spike Lee's film, "Do the Right Thing." In 1989 the group was the focus of controversy when one of its members, the "minister of information" made anti-semitic comments. Other band members spoke out against the remarks.
Film director Jim Jarmusch. His films include "Mystery Train," and "Stranger Than Paradise." His newest film is a documentary, "Year of the Horse" about rock and roll's Neil Young and Crazy Horse.
Writer John Updike. His new novel, "Toward the End of Time" (Knopf) is a chronicle of one man's life in America in the year 2020. Updike will read passages from the novel and answer questions posed by an audience in addition to the regular interview. Updike is the author of over forty volumes of work, and has received two Pulitzer prizes, the American Book Award, and two National Book Critic's Circle Awards. (Interview recorded at and for The Free Library of Philadelphia)
