Composers

Arranger and baritone saxophonist Gerry Mulligan died Saturday, January 20th, from complications due to surgery. He was 68. We will rebroadcast a 1989 interview with him. Mulliagn was an innovator in modern jazz orchestration. Early in his career he was staff arranger for Gene Krupa's big band. In 1949 he collaborated with Gil Evans and Miles Davis in the Nonet. The nine-piece band shook up jazz arrangers and launched the era of so-called cool jazz. He achieved international acclaim when he started a "pianoless" quartet with trumpeter Chet Baker in the early 1950's.

Record producer, musician, and composer Ben Vaughn. The New. Jersey-based musician, and a favorite with Fresh Air, has relocated to L.A. to work in film and television. He composed the theme music for the new sitcom, "Third Rock from the Sun," starring John Lithgow, and Jane Curtin, which premieres tonight (TUES, JAN 9, at 8:30 PM ET/PT on NBC). Vaughn most recent release is "Instrumental Stylings" (Bar/None).

Composer and Lyricist Ralph Blane died Monday at the age of 81 at his home in Oklahoma. He is best known for his work with Hugh Martin. Together they wrote songs for Broadway and Hollywood. They are best known for songs in the MGM classic, "Meet Me in St. Louis." That starred Judy Garland and featured the songs "The Trolley Song," "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," and "The Boy Next Door." (Originally aired 10/31/89)

Payn's new memoir is about his life with the the legendary theater songwriter. Coward is the author of "Hay Fever," "Private Lives," and "Blithe Spirit." Payn met him as a child, when he acted in Coward's "Words and Music" in 1932. The two were friends for thirty years until Coward's death in 1973.

Alsop is the music director of the Colorado Symphony. One of the few woman conductors in the world, she has also served as music director of the Lond Island Philharmonic, and has been the guest conductor for many orchestras, including the St. Louis Symphony, the Philadelphia Orchestra, and the Boston Pops Orchestra. Her new CD "Victory Stride," features the work of the African American composer James P. Johnson.

Television and movie score composer Henry Mancini, who died of cancer on Tuesday. He is best known for composing "Moon River" for the film "Breakfast at Tiffany's" and the title theme to the movie "The Pink Panther." In 1954 he received his first Academy Award nomination for his score to "The Glenn Miller Story," and in 1961 his score for the movie "Breakfast at Tiffany's" won that year's Academy Award.

Classical Music critic Lloyd Schwartz reviews some historic recordings by composer Benjamin Britten. (EMI Classics).

Musician and television composer Mike Post.

Broadway Composer Charles Srouse. His hits include, "Bye Bye Birdie," "Applause," and "Annie." He's also written the film scores for "Bonnie and Clyde," and "The Night They Raided Minskys," and others. Strouse newest production is the sequel to "Annie," -- "Annie Warbucks." It's his second stab at an "Annie" sequel, and it comes after a string of flops. When asked if he'd ever just wanted to quit he said, "Never. . .

Astor Piazzolla died Sunday at the age of 71. He was an Argentinian composer whose updated tangos were a hybrid of classical music, jazz and rock. He was also a gifted player of the bandoneon, a kind of accordion that gives tango its distinctive sound. Piazzola had suffered a stroke nearly two years ago, from which he never recovered. We present a rebroadcast of our 1988 interview with him.

Drummer and composer Bobby Previte. He's ranks among the best known of Jazz's new generation of composers. In 1991 "Rolling Stone Magazine," named him their "Hot New Jazz Artist." His most recent project is the score for the Moscow Circus. He was in Russia late last summer working with the Circus's musicians when the coup attempt took place. He's collaborated on albums with such musicians as John Zorn, Wayne Horvitz, Butch Morris, and Elliot Sharp, and has released six albums for his own bands.

Composer John Corigliano, Composer-in residence with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. His composition "Symphony No. 1" is Corigliano's personal statement about the AIDS crisis. The first three movements of the Symphony are dedicated to three of his lifelong musician-friends who died of AIDS. Corigliano was inspired to write the composition after seeing the AIDS memorial quilt. (Corigliano: Symphony No. 1, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Daniel Barenboim -- on the Erato Label, #2292-45601-2).

Composer Alan Menken. With his partner, the late lyricist Howard Ashman, Menken wrote the music for the Disney movies "Beauty and the Beast" and "The Little Mermaid." The pair also collaborated on the Broadway musical "Little Shop of Horrors." (Interview by Marty Moss-Coane).

Co-founder of the 1970s rock group Steely Dan, Donald Fagen. Their hits included "Rikki, Don't Lose that Number," "Deacon Blues," and "Josie." Since then he's issued a solo album and some singles, and worked at film scoring. He's just come out with a new all-star album, "New York Rock & Soul Revue -- Live at the Beacon," featuring Fagen, Michael McDonald, Phoebe Snow and Boz Scaggs. (Giant Records).

Musician and conductor JoAnn Falletta. Falletta is conductor of the Bay Area Women's Philharmonic in San Francisco, which is dedicated to finding and playing music by women that was previously undiscovered or unrecorded. Falletta has a PhdD from Juilliard.

Classical music fans around the world are commemorating the bicentennial of Mozart's death. Classical music critic Lloyd Schwartz is observing a happier anniversary, the 100th anniversary of Prokofiev's birth. He reviews a new compact disc (on the Pearl label) of Prokofiev playing his own works.

Broadway composer John Kander of the songwriting team Kander & Ebb. They wrote the music for "Cabaret" and such songs as "New York, New York," and "And the World Goes 'Round."

The American conductor and composer died yesterday at the age of 72. Classical music critic Lloyd Schwartz talks with Terry about Bernstein's life and legacy.

Adler has a new memoir about his career in musical theater. He wrote songs with Jerry Ross for The Pajama Game and Damn Yankees. Ross died early in their partnership in 1955.

Classical music critic Lloyd Schwartz has a review of a new recording of composer Paul Hindemith conducting his own works with the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra. The composer died in 1963 and these recordings are live recordings from the archives of his Orchestra. (on the Orfeo label)