Soundtracks

Lane died yesterday at the age of 84. His wife says he suffered a stroke. He's written the scores for several Broadway shows, including "Finian's Rainbow" and "On a Clear Day You Can See Forever." Lane collaborated with Michael Feinstein on the album, "Michael Feinstein Sings the Burton Lane Songbook", which features many of Lane's classic songs, such as "Old Devil Moon" and "How About You." This interview originally aired 11/5/90.

Johnston is best known for his work with the Microscopic Septet from 1980 to 1992. His latest band, Big Trouble, has just released the album, "Flood At The Ant Farm." He has a reputation as one of contemporary music's most versatile composers. In addition to playing the saxophone, Johnston has a growing interest in scoring music for film, T.V., and radio programs. He has written the theme music for "Fresh Air." He has also written music for other NPR programs, MTV, and Comedy Central.

Rock critic Ken Tucker reviews "She's the One," the soundtrack to the film of the same name and the first new album by Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers in over five years.

French Composer Michel Legrand. He composed the score for the 1964 classic French film, " The Umbrellas of Cherbourg." In the film every bit of dialogue is sung to Legrand's music. The film has recently been restored; for years it was unavailable because no decent print existed.

American Conductor John Mauceri. He is the host and narrator of a new PBS Great Performances documentary, "Music for the Movies: The Hollywood Sound." Mauceri also composes the BBC National Orchestra of Wales in music from Hollywood films from the 30's and 40s'. (The documentary airs tonight at 9:30). Mauceri is currently music director of the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra in L.A. He has two new CDs: "Between Two Worlds: Music of Korngold," and "The Sound of Hollywood: Music From the Movies" (both on London records).

Jazz critic Kevin Whitehead reviews a new box-set of film music by Italian composer Ennio Morricone, "A Fistful of Film Music" (Rhino).

Composer Philip Glass. His latest work is a new score for the 1946 Jean Cocteau film adaptation of "La Belle et la Bête" ("Beauty and the Beast"). Glass's score includes four voices who sing a libretto, based on the screenplay. Glass has toured the live music-film event in Europe and the United States. One reviewer called it "a beautiful, superbly integrated work." (Time, Dec. 19, 1994). (The score is available on Nonesuch Records.)

Classical music critic Lloyd Schwartz reviews a new reissue of the original soundtrack for The Wizard of Oz, a 2-CD set that includes some music never used in the film. (Rhino)

Classical music critic Lloyd Schwartz reviews the new Ethel Merman collection, "I Get a Kick Out of You."

Classical music critic Lloyd Schwartz reviews a five-cd set of all of the Oscar winning songs of the last 60 years.

Rock critic Ken Tucker reviews music from the recent films The Jerky Boys, Ready to Wear, and Boys on the Side.

Jeff Moss was one of the original creators and writers of "Sesame Street." He created Cookie Monster and Oscar the Grouch, and wrote such songs as "Rubber Ducky" and "People in Your Neighborhood." He has won 13 Emmy's, four Grammy's, and an Oscar nomination for his work on "Sesame Street" and with the Muppets. Moss is also the author of four books for children, the newest of which is "Hieronymus White: A Bird Who Believed That He Always Was Right."

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.

World Music critic Milo Miles reviews some music from India's Bollywood films. He says songs written for these movies tend to incorporate a wide array of influences, from lush strings to reggae. For a taste, Miles recommends "Dance, Raja, Dance," by Vijaya Anand

Classical music critic Lloyd Schwartz reviews a new box set of Cole Porter's music--which Schwartz says remains fresh all these years later.

Jazz critic Kevin Whitehead reviews the soundtrack of the new movie "Naked Lunch."

Bernstein has composed the scores for around 80 films, including "The Man With the Golden Arm," "The Magnificent Seven," and "The Ten Commandments. He's done the scores for 2 new films -- "The Field" and "The Grifters." He joins Fresh Air to talk about how he works with directors to write his music.

Jazz critic Kevin Whitehead reviews the soundtrack from the movie "Tune in Tomorrow" composed by Wynton Marsalis and recorded by Marsalis and his band. Whitehead says it makes good use of the trumpeter's conservative, backward-looking approach.

Lane wrote the scores for several Broadway shows, including Finian's Rainbow and On a Clear Day You Can See Forever. He accompanies Michael Feinstein on piano on the new album, Michael Feinstein Sings the Burton Lane Songbook.

Badalamenti composed the music for David Lynch's Twin Peaks, Blue Velvet, and Wild at Heart. Before writing film scores, he had a workaday musician's life, arranging and playing piano in bands.