May 2003

'Torch' Blends Pathos, Rhythm
Torch is a new collection of "torch ballads" from contemporary artists such as Elvis Costello and Cassandra Wilson. The CD combines the sultry pathos of a torch song with electronic rhythms and sympathetic arrangements. Jim Fusilli offers a review.

The Man Behind the Music of the Movies
NPR's Michele Norris profiles Hollywood music supervisor Chris Douridas. Douridas has picked music for American Beauty, Shrek and Sex and the City, and is responsible for the "shagadelic" sound of the first Austin Powers movie.

'The Bathhouse'
Alan Cheuse reviews The Bathhouse, by Farnoosh Moshiri, an Iranian expatriate who now lives in Houston.

'The Boss Lady'
The Boss Lady, a new book about Mexico's first lady Marta Sahagun, paints portraits of sex, abuse of power and even witchcraft. Sahagun, who married President Vicente Fox almost two years ago, is portrayed as an ambitious power behind the throne. The book has not yet been published, but excerpts are appearing this week in daily newspapers. NPR's Gerry Hadden has the story from Mexico City.

Brazilian Music
Music critic Michele Mercer reviews new recordings from two Brazilian artists: Celso Fonseca and Tribalistas. She says both will put you in the mood for summer.

'Electro Bamako'
A new album called Electro Bamako brings together a little-known African singer named Mamani Keita with a little-known computer music composer in Paris named Marc Minelli. Our reviewer Banning Eyre says Keita and Minelli have come up with an original sound sure to earn them a place on the ever-expanding map of global pop music.

'America 24/7'
America 24/7, a photographic collaboration profiling a week in the United States, is the latest project from Rick Smolan and David Elliot Cohen. The pair also shephered the photography project A Day in the Life of America.

'The Kalahari Typing School for Men'
Alan Cheuse reviews The Kalahari Typing School for Men by Alexander McCall Smith. This is the fourth in the series of mystery novels about a Botswanan female detective that Cheuse says are charming and deliciously entertaining.

Mariza, the New Diva of Fado
Mariza is a 29-year-old singer of fado -- the rich, emotionally textured music tradition from Portugal. She recently spoke with NPR's Melissa Block about her childhood in Lisbon, and about how fado has been her anchor. Hear samples from Mariza's latest CD, Fado Curvo.
Expanded Coverage

Sandra Day O'Connor's Supreme Legacy
Sandra Day O'Connor, the first woman to sit on the Supreme Court of the United States, talks with NPR's Nina Totenberg about her new memoir and her long road to the nation's highest court. Listen to an extended version of the interview, and read an excerpt from O'Connor's book.
Expanded Coverage

'Good Morning Midnight': Life and Death in New England
Good Morning Midnight tells the story of renowned mountain climber Guy Waterman, who committed suicide atop New Hampshire's Mt. Lafayette. Waterman became passionate about the outdoors after leaving an unhappy marriage and abandoning his career as a Republican speechwriter. Host Melissa Block talks with author Chip Brown.

Music Review: Tim Easton
Meredith Ochs reviews singer/songwriter Tim Easton's latest album, Break Your Mother's Heart. (Label: New West Records ASIN: B000087JC5)

'Handmaid's Tale' Opera Premieres
The opera based on a Margaret Atwood novel has made its North American premiere at the Minnesota Opera in Saint Paul. Handmaid's Tale tells the story of a world where religion justifies political agendas and women lose their rights. Marianne Combs of Minnesota Public Radio reports.

'The Innocents': Someone Else's Crime
A new book of photography features people imprisoned for crimes they didn't commit -- and later freed. Many of Taryn Simon's images show the accused with victims and their families, and at the crime scenes. Hear extended interviews and see photos from The Innocents.
Expanded Coverage

The Bad Plus
Host Michele Norris talks with members of the jazz trio The Bad Plus. The group's core consists of the traditional jazz trio of piano, bass and drums, but band members approach their music with a rock 'n' roll heart. Their CD, These are the Vistas, is produced by Tchad Blake, who is known for producing rock 'n' roll records. In fact, the band loves to tear apart rock classics such as Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit," or Blondie's "Heart of Glass." But band members say their focus is on their original tunes, which they describe as cinematic adventures.

Carl Reiner's Memoirs
Host Robert Siegel talks to Carl Reiner about his new autobiography, My Anecdotal Life: A Memoir. In the book, Reiner chronicles his experiences as a comic, producer, director, novelist and playwright. One story he tells involves the head of Paramount pictures and a movie deal with the biggest star on earth.

'The Original Music of the Hebrew Alphabet'
Alan Cheuse reviews Ladies and Gentlemen, The Original Music of the Hebrew Alphabet, two novellas by translator and scholar Curt Leviant, published by the University of Wisconsin press.

Jonatha Brooke, Live in Studio 4A
Singer-songwriter Jonatha Brooke is something of an underground sensation, with an adoring fan base built largely on word of mouth and extensive touring with her band. Hear five full-length cuts from her recent performance in NPR's Studio 4A, and view a video of Brooke and her band performing the title track to her latest CD, Steady Pull.

Review: Wayne Shorter's 'Alegria'
Jazz saxophonist Wayne Shorter's new record, Alegria, spans the myriad styles he's embraced during his 50-year career. Music critic Michelle Mercer says it's a masterpiece -- and it's being released just in time for his 70th birthday.

'The Main Enemy'
Host Robert Siegel talks with Milton Bearden, co-author of The Main Enemy: The Inside Story of the CIA's Final Showdown With the KGB. A former CIA station chief, Bearden talks about espionage operations and how American KGB spies like Aldridge Ames put American spies at risk.

William Bennett's Gambling Problem
Former cabinet secretary and moral crusader William Bennett reportedly has quite a gambling problem. Newsweek magazine reports he's dropped $8 million at various casinos over the years. NPR's Robert Siegel talks with Jackson Leers, author of Something for Nothing: Luck in America, which examines the relationship between gambling and America's moralistic tendencies.

30th Anniversary: Dark Side of the Moon
Thirty years ago, Pink Floyd's recording The Dark Side of the Moon became the number one album on Billboard magazine's pop music chart. So began the longest streak in music chart history: 741 weeks on the Top 200. No other recording comes close. The album has touched one generation after the next, which is odd because it's such a quirky album of electronic music, sound effects, saxophones, and a famous but unidentified female singer performing scat. Reporter Jad Abumrad of member station WNYC went around New York City to ask likely listeners why Dark Side has lasted.

'Stiff' Examines 'Lives' of Cadavers
Human corpses are used in transportation safety research and medical study. They can provide organs for transplants or serve as a training ground for surgeons and morticians. Mary Roach examined all the possibilities for her book Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers. She talks with NPR's Robert Siegel.

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