Music

Mark Mothersbaugh and Gerry Casale were still in art school when they founded their band DEVO, which is equally inspired by high and low culture. They join Fresh Air to talk about their music's role in the current corporate-sponsored rock culture.

Rock historian Ed Ward looks at the history of Jamaican reggae music, which he says began as a reinterpretation of 1950s American rock and roll before becoming a style uniquely its own.

Jazz critic Kevin Whitehead says Betty Carter is one of the best vocalists working in the genre. Her new album, Look What I Got, showcases her interpretive and improvisatory gifts.

Critical darling Marti Jones's new album is a clear, straightforward declaration of her talents, says rock critic Ken Tucker. Yet it's her vagueness that makes her so interesting.

Classical music critic Lloyd Schwartz says that few recordings do justice to cellist Yo-Yo Ma's talents. Fortunately, a new recording of Schumann's cello concerto gives Ma a chance to shine.

Record producer Huey Meaux opened a barber shop before becoming a record producer. He worked hard to turn regional Texas and Louisiana music -- made by both black and white artists -- into national hits.

Rock historian Ed Ward remembers The Dominoes, an early rock group led by pianist Billy Ward. The band helped launch the careers of Clyde McPhatter and Jackie Wilson.

The husband-and-wife rock duo -- with a boombox for a rhythm section -- joins Fresh Air for an in-studio concert. They recently found commercial success with their hit, "The Future's So Bright, I Gotta Wear Shades."

Susannah McCorkle joins Fresh Air to discuss and perform some of Cole Porter's songs. She is accompanied by pianist Ben Aronov and bassist Chip Jackson.

Jazz critic Kevin Whitehead reviews a new album featuring live sets from the 1960s by late pianist Earl Hines. Whitehead says some may find Hines's older style corny, but the album is as enjoyable as any record made this year.

Milt Hinton isn't just an in-demand bass player -- he's also an accomplished photographer who has taken thousands of pictures of jazz musicians. He joins guest host Marty Moss-Coane to talk about growing up in the south and, later, in Chicago--where Al Capone had an unexpected impact on his youth. Hinton's collection of his photos, Bass Lines, has just been published.

Robert Mugge makes documentary films about unique and vital American music. His subjects include Al Green, Sonny Rollins, and native Hawaiian musicians. PBS will broadcast six of his movies this summer.

Jazz critic Kevin Whitehead reviews a new compilation of jazzed-up versions of Christmas classics.

Conductor Roger Norrington seeks to recreate the sound of classical pieces -- particularly by Beethoven -- as they were originally performed. His orchestras plays period instruments; Norrington emphasizes the dynamics and tempos that were written in the scores -- markings often ignored by other conductors.

The Hungarian pianist isn't well-known in the United States, but a number of reissued recordings on the Price-Les$ label, which classical music critic Lloyd Schwartz calls "glorious," will give listeners a chance to hear what they've been missing.

Rock historian Ed Ward remembers the 1960s British rock band, whose members later founded several other groups, most notably the Electric Light Orchestra.

Jazz critic Kevin Whitehead says Paul Motian's new album, Misterioso, keeps listeners off-balance with its quick shifts from the rhapsodic to the rambunctious.

Jazz Critic Kevin Whitehead reviews the Knitting Factory Festival in New York City.

Rock Critic Ken Tucker reviews "I'm Real," the new album by JAMES BROWN, the self-proclaimed "Godfather of Soul."

Classical Music Critic Lloyd Schwartz reviews a new reissue of the works of composer and conductor Alexander Zemlinsky.