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In 2000, saxophonist Joe Lovano was voted Down Beat Readers and Critics Poll Winner Tenor Player of the Year. Early in his career, Lovano played with Woody Herman and the Mel Lewis Orchestra. He's also worked with Elvin Jones, Carla Bley, Lee Konitz and Charlie Haden. And he played with the Paul Motian Trio which featured his Berklee School of music classmate, Bill Frisell. In 1991 he began work as a leader, and has recorded a number of albums. His latest is Flights of Fancy: Trio Fascination, Edition Two.

Liane Hansen speaks with guitarist/composer Ralph Towner, from the jazz/classical/world music group Oregon. After playing together for 30 years, the quartet has had collaborations with orchestras in the past, but only now has put their orchestral repertoire on disc:Oregon in Moscow (Intuition Records #3303) features the group performing with the Moscow Tchaikovsky Symphony Orchestra. We'll also hear from producer Steve Rodby, who organized the Moscow project.

Blues musician John Hammond has spent his entire career covering the works of great American songwriters like Chuck Berry, Willie Dixon and Mose Allison. For his latest project, Wicked Grin, Hammond selected twelve songs by Tom Waits. In an unconventional twist, he asked Waits himself to produce the record. Liane speaks with John Hammond about his friendship with Tom Waits and the recording sessions that yielded this CD.

"Take the 'A' Train" started the lasting collaboration between Billy Strayhorn and Duke Ellington.

Robert Johnson's famous blues tune inspired musicians like John Lennon and Jim Morrison.

Jazz Historian WILL FREIDWALD. Hes the author of books like –Jazz Singing: Americas Greatest Voices from Bessie Smith to Bebop to Beyond—, –Sinatra! The Song is You: A Singers Art— and a contributor to Tony Bennetts autobiography –The Good Life.— Most recently, he wrote the liner notes for Mosaic Records release of –The Complete Columbia Mildred Bailey Sessions,— a comprehensive 10 disc set of the legendary singers recordings. He talks today about Baileys influence in American music.

Host Lisa Simeone talks with Rob Bamberger about the life and music of Mildred Bailey (1903-1951). Bailey was a popular singer of the 1930s, 40s, and 50s. She sang with the Paul Whiteman Orchestra, and was married to bandleader and xylophone player, Red Norvo. Rob Bamberger is the host of the radio program, Hot Jazz Saturday Night, on member station WAMU,Washington DC (www.wamu.org) and on NPR Worldwide, NPR's international service. Listeners can reach Rob by e-mail at "hotjazz@wamu.org". A new re-mastered collection of Mildred Bailey's Columbia 78s is on Mosaic Records (www.mosaicrecords.com).

Liane speaks with Weekend Edition Sunday music director Ned Wharton about the latest crop of new releases on CD.

Jazz critic Kevin Whitehead continues with part three of his Avant-Garde Made Easy series. This time he considers composer, improviser and saxophonist Anthony Braxton.

Kevin Whitehead continues his Avant Garde Made Easy series with a look at pianist Cecil Taylor.