Former CNN anchor Judy Woodruff will join The NEWSHOUR with Jim Lehrer as a senior correspondent starting February 5.
“Politics is in my blood,” says Woodruff in an article in the Philadelphia Inquirer. Woodruff most recenty hosted the PBS special GENERATION NEXT: Speak Up, Be Heard. NEWSHOUR can be seen Monday through Friday at 6 p.m. on NPT-Channel 8.
OPRAH’S ROOTS: AN AFRICAN AMERICAN LIVES special airs tonight at 7 p.m. on NPT-Channel 8. The Baltimore Sun has a preview, and notes that “Beyond the tears of pride that her ancestors bring to Winfrey’s eyes, we are all enriched by such stories as those of Winters and Elmore Winfrey.” … Ron Wynn at the Nashville City Paper writes that the documentary “…may inspire everyone who views it to begin a similar investigation into their own heritage and history.”
There’s a companion soundtrack for the INDEPENDENT LENS episode BILLY STRAYHORN: LUSH LIFE, which airs on NPT-Channel 8 on February 8 at 8 p.m. Strayhorn was Duke Ellington’s co-composer and right-hand man. He wrote “Take the A Train” and some of the greatest music of the 20th century. But as a gay man in the 40s and 50s, Strayhorn had to lead a discreet existence, while Ellington played to thunderous applause on center stage. This film tells the story of the unheralded man who changed jazz and popular music forever, maintaining artistic and personal integrity while challenging prejudice along the way.
Audiophile Audition gives a listen to the soundtrack, which includes new performances of Strayhorn works by Bill Charlap, Elvis Costello, Hank Jones, Joe Lovano & Dianne Reeves.