Fresh Air, Robbie Robertson and Eddi Palmieri

Guitarist Robbie Robertson and bandleader and pianist Eddi Palmieri on this edition of Fresh Air. The 1978 film The Last Waltz is playing in theaters again, and will be released on DVD May 7. Also, a 4-CD box set of the music from The Last Waltz is available. Martin Scorsese directed the documentary about The Band's last performance. Fresh Air listens back to interviews with two members of The Band. (Audible customers please note: Drummer Levon Helm did not grant rights to his interview. We apologize for the incovenience.) Robbie Robertson was a guitarist and songwriter for The Band until their breakup in 1976. Since then, he has put out solo albums and done film soundtracks for Scorsese. Through Eddi Palmieri's first band, La Perfecta, labeled "the band with the crazy roaring elephants," Palmieri was credited with originating Latin jazz's trombone sound in New York during the '60s. In 1994, Palmieri's lobbying culminated in the announcement of a new Grammy Award category for Afro-Carribean Jazz. "I proposed the category to give proper distinction to that segment of jazz music based on rhythmical elements and instrumentation of Africa, as opposed to jazz which developed from blues, gospel and other expressions of African-Americans." His new recording is La Perfecta II. (Original Broadcast Dates: October 18, 1994 and June 20, 1994)

Want more Fresh Air?

Get the latest issue.

Check out the complete archive.

(P) and ©2002 WHYY-FM