Terry Gross

We feature a June 17, 1986 interview with Jazz pianist George Shearing.He turned 80 earlier this year. He is celebrating with an 80th birthday concert at Carnegie Hall next Tuesday. Shearing was born in London, and was blind from birth. In the 1940s he was one of England's most popular Jazz musicians. He then moved to New York, became an American citizen, and enjoyed commercial success on these shores. He now records for the Telarc label.

Rhythm and blues singer Bobby Womack. His R&B and pop hits include "It'a All Over Now," "Lookin' For A Love," and "That's The Way I Feel About Cha." Recently his recording "Across 110th Street" was used in the Quentin Tarantino film, "Jackie Brown." Womack began his career singing gospel with his brothers. They were discovered by Sam Cooke. On his new release he returns to his gospel origins, "Back To My Roots" (The Right Stuff label/EMI).

Actor Liev Schreiber. The 32-year old's film credits include "The Daytrippers," "A Walk on the Moon," and the "Scream" movies. He's currently starring in New York in the Public Theatre's new production of "Hamlet." And he plays Orson Welles in the HBO drama "RKO 281" about the clash between Welles and William Randolph Hearst over the making of Welles's masterpiece, "Citizen Kane." It premiered last night.

To celebrate the centennial of the birth of composer Hoagy Carmichael we feature a tribute to him, as part of our American Popular Song series. Carmichael wrote, "Star Dust," "Heart and Soul," "The Nearness of You," "Skylark" and many more. We feature performances by singer Rebecca Kilgore and pianist Dave Frishberg. We'll also talk with Richard Sudhalter, who has written a forthcoming biography of Carmichael. And we talk with Carmichael's son, Hoagy Bix Carmichael who now manages his father's music catalogue.

A preview of Monday's show, the next installment of our American Popular Song series. This show pays tribute to Hoagy Carmichael and features performers, pianist Dave Frishberg, and singer Rebecca Killgore.

Actor Alan Alda. The star of the TV show M*A*S*H (for which he won Emmys for acting, writing, and directing), as well as the movies "Same Time, Next Year," "The Four Seasons," and in Woody Allen's "Crimes and Misdemeanors," "Manhattan Murder Mystery," and "Everyone Says I Love You." He recently had a short stint on "E.R." as Dr. Gabe Lawrence (REBROADCAST from 2/18/97)

International security expert George Robert Perkovich (Per-KO-vich) is author of the new book, "India's Nuclear Bomb: The Impact on Global Proliferation" (University of California Press) is about India's 50 year secret nuclear program, which began in 1947, and the forces internal and external that led to their detonation last year of 5 nuclear test bombs. Perkovich is deputy director for programs, and director of the Secure World Program for the W. Alton Jones Foundation, a philanthropic institution.

Ravi Shankar is the world's leading sitar player. Now at the age of 79, he's published his autobiography, "Ravi Shankar: Raga Mala" (Welcome Rain Publishers). The book was edited and introduced by his friend George Harrison. Shankar is now performing on tour with his 18 year old daughter, Anoushka. We'll hear from Ravi Shankar and later we'll be joined by his daughter.

Composer and conductor John Adams. There's a new 10-CD box retrospective of his work, that spans the last two decades. It includes his orchestral pieces like Harmonium, and his operas "Nixon in China," and "The Death of Klinghoffer." The boxset is titled "The John Adams Earbox" (Nonesuch).

Actor Gene Hackman. The star of the films "Bonnie and Clyde," "The French Connection," "The Conversation," and "Unforgiven" is now an author. He's collaborated with Daniel Lenihan (LEN-ah-han) who we'll also from hear from (one of the world's leading underwater archaeologists) on the new novel, "Wake of the Perdido Star: A novel of shipwrecks, pirates, and the sea" (Newmarket Press). (THIS INTERVIEW CONTINUES INTO THE SECOND HALF OF THE SHOW).