Blues

Music by blues singer and guitarist Robert Pete Williams has just been reissued. Williams, like Leadbelly, was a convicted murderer who sang his way out of prison. Commentator Milo Miles has this review.

Beck is a 23 year-old hip/hop folk rocker, who goes by first name only and whose single, "Loser" has become the anthem for the underachievers of Generation X. His music has been described as "triumphantly anti-professional, idiot-savant music in which a heartfelt solo can be provided by kazoo as easily as guitar." Beck was part of the Los Angeles underground, with songs like "MTV Makes Me Want to Smoke Crack." Beck's first album, "Mellow Gold," (released on DGC) was recorded at home on four and eight-track recording equipment.

Jazz critic Kevin Whitehead reviews a new collection of Jelly Roll Morton recordings: "Jelly Roll Morton: Library of Congress Recordings" (Rounder records, 4 volumes).

Ted Hawkins is a singer, a songwriter, and a guitarist who for almost 30 years was a street musician in L.A. His music isn't the blues though he's qualified to sing them: he grew up in poverty in Mississippi, his mother was a prostitute, he never knew his father. As a teenager, Hawkins spent time in jail. His first two marriages ended quickly: one was annulled, his second wife died two months into the marriage.

Kevin Whitehead reviews jazz fiddler Claude Williams two volume set: "Live at J's" (Arhoolie)

Ed Ward discusses a blues revival.

Music Critic Milo Miles thinks Bahamian guitarist Joseph Spence is a gospel-blues great, one who hasn't gotten the recognition he deserves.

Chicago-based blues guitarist Buddy Guy. Eric Clapton has called his "by far and without a doubt the best guitar player alive." Guy was born in Louisiana, son of a sharecropper. He moved to Chicago in the late fifties and played with all the greats...including Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf and Junior Wells. Guy's now having a comeback. Guy has a new album, "Feels Like Rain." (Silvertone), which follows his Grammy-winning release, "Damn Right I've Got the Blues."

Musician and record producer, Ron Levy. He was asked to played in B.B. King's band, when he was just out of high school. He went on to form "Ron Levy's Wild Kingdom, and recorded with the "luminaries" of the late seventies blue wave revival: Kim Wilson and Jimmie Vaughan and others. He started producing for Rounder Records and ended up working with old blues legends on Rounder's Blues label. Levy has long championed the Hammond B-3 organ which has come back into vogue. And he has a new Wild Kingdom release, "B-3, Blues and Grooves." (Rounder).

Rock historian Ed Ward profiles the blues man and master guitarist, who would have celebrated his 100th or 101st birthday this month.

Jazz critic Kevin Whitehead reviews the new, premium box-set of Billy Holiday recordings, "The Complete Billie Holiday on Verve, 1945-1959."

Our rock historian Ed Ward has a profile of Sleepy John Estes. He was one of the trailblazers whose songs become American classics. After years of subsistence farming following his initial success, Estes was rediscovered, and made a good living playing in and around Chicago.

Rock critic Ken Tucker reviews Tom Wait's new album, "Bone Machine," which Tucker says brings a new freshness and humor to the singer and songwriter.

Jazz critic Kevin Whitehead surveys a recent boxed set of vintage recordings by blues singer Howlin' Wolf ("Howlin' Wolf: The Chess Box" is on MCA records).

Rock and roll historian Ed Ward remembers The Memphis Jug Band.

Jazz critic Kevin Whitehead reviews two great solo saxophone pieces by Coleman Hawkins. The first is called "Picasso," and is based on the music of cellist Pablo Casals. The second is called "Dali."

The late songwriter Doc Pomus co-wrote such hits as "This Magic Moment," "Save The Last Dance for Me," "Teenager in Love," and "His Latest Flame." We remember Pomus with three interviews:

1) Music critic Peter Guralnick (Gurr-AL-nick), a friend and admirer of Pomus. Guralnick wrote "Searching For Robert Johnson," a book that examined the life of blues musician Robert Johnson. And he's currently working on a biography of Elvis Presley.

Jazz critic Kevin Whitehead profiles trombonist Charlie Green who worked with Bessie Smith.

Rock historian Ed Ward profiles Skip James, a great bluesman of the 30s who vanished from the scene, then reappeared 30 years later.

Jazz critic Kevin Whitehead has just returned from the Chicago Jazz Festival, where Swiss composer George Gruntz premiered his "Chicago Cantata."