Music

Joe Klein has written a biography of folk musician Woody Guthrie. He joins the show to discuss Guthrie's life, career, and family. His book is titled "Woody Guthrie: A Life."

Angela Lansbury is an actress who is currently starring in the tour of "Sweeney Todd," playing now in Philadelphia. "Sweeney Todd" is a musical with music by Stephen Sondheim based on the legend of "The Demon Barber of Fleet Street," a barber whose quest for revenge leads to murder. Lansbury stars as his accomplice, and won a Tony for the role. She joins the show to discuss the musical and working with Sondheim, singing, and acting.

Minnie Pearl is a country comedian and star of the Grand Ole Opry. She joins the show to discuss her life, career, and new memoir, "Minnie Pearl, an Autobiography."

Writer Josef Skvorecky joins the show to describe his fiction, jazz, and growing up in Czechoslovakia.

Gary Bridges (WYSP), David Dye (WIOQ), and Michael Picozzi (WMMR) are disc jockeys. They join the show to discuss rock, rock radio, and to answer listener calls.

Composer and pianist Ray Bryant is currently performing in Philadelphia. A native of the city, he got his start at the Blue Note club. He joins the show to discuss his career in jazz.

Morning Edition's Heather Dembert interviews flutist Jean-Pierre Rampal. Originally broadcast on "Morning Edition."

Peter Nero is a composer, conductor, and pianist. He is currently conducting the Philly Pops Orchestra, in a show called "Uptown, Downtown."

Leslie Uggams is an actress and singer known for her roles in the television miniseries "Roots" and "Backstairs at the White House" and the t.v. show "Sing Along with Mitch." She is also well-known for work in musicals and on Broadway. Uggams discusses her career and life including being a child actor, a member of a youth gang, and singing versus acting. Uggams is currently performing in Philadelphia.

Gary Bridges (WYSP), David Dye (WIOQ), and Michael Picozzi (WMMR) are disc jockeys. They join the show to discuss rock radio, the music business, and the life of a d.j.

Bill Evans, jazz pianist, died yesterday at the age of 51. Contributor and jazz critic Francis Davis, host of Fresh Air's "interval," a segment on out-of-print jazz, joins the show to pay tribute to Evans.

Ruth, June, and Anita Pointer, who sing together as the The Pointer Sisters, used to sing mostly big band tunes with complicated harmonies. They join the show to discuss their influences and new musical direction. Their new album is "Special Things."

Dave Brubeck's quartet released the groundbreaking record Time Out, which introduced odd-time signature jazz music to a mainstream audience. He was recently commissioned to compose a Catholic mass.

Holly Near is a folk musician, actress, and activist. He joins the show to discuss her life career, and politics.

Vernel Bagneris is a playwright, actor, and dancer. He wrote, directed, and acts in the musical "One Mo' Time," now playing in Philadelphia. The musical is set in 1920s' New Orleans and draws heavily on the jazz from that time and place. It centers around a touring group of vaudevillians performing at the segregated Lyric Theater. Bagneris describes it as a "piece on Black theater history." Bagneris and pianist Morten Larsen give an in-studio concert sharing music from the show's time period.

Philadelphia pianist and "friend of Fresh Air" Bruce Mills joins the show to discuss his career as a blind jazz pianist and to perform an in-studio concert at Fresh Air's new studio.

Ruth Kobart is an actress. She joins the show to discuss her current roles as Miss Hannigan in the musical "Annie," now playing in Philadelphia at the Forrest Theater. (INTERVIEW BY DANNY MILLER)

Philadelphian pianists, Peter Scheiner, Uri Caine, and Dave Posmontier have been playing in the area for years. They discuss the Philadelphia jazz scene and the life of working musicians. (INTERVIEW BY DANNY MILLER)

John Fahey, blues guitarist, discusses his career, his record label Tacoma Records, and brings in his guitar to play a few songs in the studio.

Guitarist and composer Dave Van Ronk discusses folk music, his jazz and blues influences, and the folk scene of the 1960s.