Folk & Bluegrass

In 1966, Young joined L.A. rock band Buffalo Springfield; they split up 3 albums later due to inter-band fighting and a lack of commercial success. He later joined Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young, and pursued a solo career. After embracing a loud, grungy sound for years, he's recorded a new folk album, called "Harvest Moon."

A concert and interview with producer/performer/songwriter T. Bone Burnett. Rolling Stone once called him "the best songwriter in America." He's produced records for Elvis Costello, John Hiatt, Marshall Crenshaw, and others. His new album is called "The Criminal Under My Own Hat."

World music commentator Milo Miles reviews the new album by the Terem ("Ter-yem") Quartet from St. Petersburg (formerly Leningrad). It's a group that couldn't have existed in the past. (Realworld Records)

World music commentator Milo Miles explores the eerie music of the master musicians of Jajouka, Morocco.

World music critic Milo Miles reviews some current books on African music. His big recommendation is "Sweet Mother: Modern African Music," by Wolfgang Bender (published by University of Chicago Press).

Rock and roll historian Ed Ward plays some of the many 1960s artists who tried to cash in on the Bob Dylan sound.

World music commentator Milo Miles tells us about the Brazilian music called forro, which is a ragtag, party style based around the accordion.

Rock critic Ken Tucker reviews the "Bob Dylan: The Bootleg Series," a three-CD set which covers three decades of Dylan's career. Tucker says it's interesting, but doesn't match Dylan's official albums.

Terry talks with ethnomusicologist Steven Feld. His new record, "Voices of the Rainforest," captures the songs of the Kaluli people of Paupa New Guinea. Feld also works for preservation of the world's rain forests, since if the forests are eliminated, so will much indigenous music.

Rock critic Ken Tucker reviews the singer-songwriter's "Night Ride Home," which he says is a return to the pop sound that marked her great, earlier albums.

Rock and roll historian Ed Ward surveys some of this year's best rock and roll CD re-issues, featuring higher-fidelity sound and more informative liner notes.

Rock critic Ken Tucker reviews the singer's album, "Enlightenment." Tucker says it's a partial return to Morrison's more accessible, folk-rock roots.

Rock critic Ken Tucker reviews Heartbeats Accelerating, the new album by Kate and Anna McGarrigle. He says it's an accessible, updated version of their austere, folk sound.

The singer performs for Fresh Air audiences with pianist Huw Warren. Tabor was a mainstay of the British folk scene, and has more recently branched out into other forms of music. Despite her accomplishments, she admits to not practicing and never learning to read music. Her latest album is called Freedom and Rain.

Near gained national attention when she joined Jane Fonda in antiwar protests. She joins Fresh Air to talk about developing her skills as a performer, her early acting career, and how she defines her sexuality. Her new memoir is called Fire in the Rain--Singer in the Storm.

After a government decree that Indonesian musicians reject Western music and focus on local traditions, a new style emerged, called Jaipongan. It combines gamelan rhythms, a charismatic woman singer, and melancholy lyrics about jilted lovers. World music critic Milo Miles reviews two CDs featuring vocalist Euis Komariah.

Rock historian Ed Ward recently returned from a trip to Hawaii, where he immersed himself in the local music traditions. He says that slide guitar became a staple in contemporary times, and became so distinctive that country musicians in the South imitated the style

Two of the band's members, Sterfane Mellino and Mathieu Canavese join Fresh Air to talk about the history of their group, and their new album, Mlah. The liner notes are entirely in French -- the band says the decision helps preserve their national identity abroad.

Lomax, along with his father, used portable recording equipment to capture regional American music -- including the songs of African Americans, prisoners, and the legendary Woody Guthrie. This effort eventually led to the founding of the American Folklife Center.

Along with bandmate Stephen Stills -- and occasionally Neil Young -- Crosby and Nash have been writing and recording folk rock songs with distinctive, tight harmonies. Their career began in the 1960s, and has weathered addiction and personal conflict. Crosby, Stills & Nash have a new album called Live It Up.