Music

Ed Ward reviews When The Sun Goes Down: The Secret History of Rock & Roll a four volume set on RCA of mostly African-American music from the late 1920s to the mid-50s.

He is a national icon in Brazil. Along with Gilberto Gil, Veloso created the provocative "Tropicalismo" movement which combined the richness of Brazil's musical past with 1960s rock 'n' roll, surrealism, and dada -– in reaction to the military junta in 1964. Veloso and Gil were jailed and exiled for their efforts. Veloso's memoir Tropical Truth a Story of Music & Revolution in Brazil (first published in 1997) is now translated and published in the United States (Knopf).

Ken Tucker reviews Original Pirate Material the debut collection by white British rapper Mike Skinner otherwise known as The Streets.

Rock historian Ed Ward remembers the band The Lovin' Spoonful.

Music critic Milo Miles reviews the new box set: Sam Cooke and the Soul Stirrers: The Complete Specialty Recordings (Specialty label).

Film critic and historian David Thomson's latest book is The New Biographical Dictionary of Film. It is an updated version of his Biographical Dictionary of Film, which was first published in 1975. Some of the entries have been revised and new entries have been added. Thomson has taught film studies at Dartmouth College and has served on the selection committee for the New York Film Festival. He is a regular contributor to The New York Times, Film Comment, Movieline, The New Republic and The Independent.

Rock critic Ken Tucker reviews rapper Paul Barman's new CD, Paullalujah.

He talks about 1960’s folk-rock group, The Youngbloods.

Rock critic Ken Tucker reviews Under Construction (Warner) the fourth album by Missy Elliott.

Critic Milo Miles reviews the reissue of The Explorer Series featuring music from around the world that was originally released from 1967 to 1984. The Explorer Series is now being re-released by region. The first is 13 CDs from Africa (on the Nonesuch label).

Jazz critic Kevin Whitehead reviews Joe & Zoot & More (Chiaroscuro), the reissue of the 1973 recording of violinist Joe Venuti and saxophonist Zoot Sims.

Rock historian Ed Ward presents part two of his look at the 40-year career of the Rolling Stones.

The Susie Arioli Swing Band featuring Jordan Officer first gained notice at the 1998 Montreal International Jazz Festival. The band's albums include the recent Pennies from Heaven and the debut It's Wonderful.

World music critic Milo Miles on modern psychedelic music. He talks about such bands as Sonic Youth, Motorpsycho, and Acid Mother Temple.

Kevin Whitehead reviews a recently released CD box set of Charlie Christian's music.

Rock critic Ken Tucker reviews the new CD from Peter Wolf.

Ken Tucker reviews Genius: The Best of Warren Zevon

Singer/songwriter, guitarist Richard Thompson. He first became known for his work with "Fairport Convention." He's since gone solo and is known for his dark songs, which blend elements of British folk ballads and the blues. He's released a number of solo albums, including Mirror Blue and Rumor and Sigh. Rykodisc also compiled a retrospective of his work Watching the Dark: The History of Richard Thompson. Currently, Thompson is performing a show he calls "A Thousand Years of Pop Music," which includes British and American folk songs, jazz and pop.

Saxophonist Branford Marsalis. He's just released "Footsteps of Our Fathers," the debut release on the artist's own Marsalis Music label. In the nearly two decades that he has released solo albums, he's won two Grammy Awards and was nominated for a third in 1995. He was the first band leader for Jay Leno's "The Tonight Show" and appeared on the show from 1992-1995. In addition to the solo and ensemble records he's released, Marsalis has participated in various film scores as both composer and featured soloist.

Musicians Joe Hunter and Jack Ashford were part of the group of musicians known as the Funk Brothers whose sound defined Motown in the 1960s and 70s. They worked with such legendary performers as Diana Ross and the Supremes, the Temptations, Marvin Gaye, The Four Tops, Stevie Wonder, Smokey Robinson, The Miracles and many more. The Funk Brothers are the subject of the new documentary Standing in the Shadows of Motown.