Remembering Martin Luther King Jr. as an 'organizer of the people'
Scholars Tressie McMillan Cottom and Eddie Glaude reflect on the struggle for civil rights and what it means to celebrate King on the same day that President Donald Trump is sworn into office.
Joshua Abrams' Chameleonic Quartet Gets Exuberantly Ornery On 'Cloud Script'
Abrams' quartet can groove and play pretty, but they can also do free jazz. Their new album is about being part of something bigger, where each player is stronger for all the ways they interlock.
How Mistakes, Missed Opportunities Allowed COVID-19 To Ravage The U.S.
The U.S. has only four percent of the world's population — and yet it accounts for 20 percent of all COVID deaths. New Yorker writer Lawrence Wright discusses America's pandemic year.
Philippine Journalist Says Rodrigo Duterte's Presidency Is Based On 'Fear, Violence'
Maria Ressa has faced criminal charges, death threats and internet trolls because of her coverage of the Philippine president. She's the subject of a new PBS FRONTLINE documentary, A Thousand Cuts.
To Make 'The Godfather' His Way, Francis Ford Coppola Waged A Studio Battle
Coppola was 29 years old when he signed on to direct a film. "I was young and had no power," he said in 2016, "so [the studio] figured they could just boss me around." But Coppola fought back.
Loudon Wainwright III And Vince Giordano Play From The Great American Songbook
Wainwright and Giordano collaborated on the period music for the series Boardwalk Empire and the film The Aviator. Their new album is I'd Rather Lead a Band. Originally broadcast Dec. 2, 2020.
Remembering Broadway Star Rebecca Luker
Luker, who died of ALS Dec. 23, received Tony nominations for her performances in Showboat, The Music Man and Mary Poppins. She spoke to Fresh Air in 1999, 2000, 2013 and 2020.
Remembering The Jazz Legends Who Died In 2020
Dozens of notable jazz musicians died this year, many from COVID-19. Fresh Air critic Kevin Whitehead remembers some of the legends lost, including Bucky Pizzarelli, Ellis Marsalis and Jimmy Heath.