Joel Selvin's 'Smart Ass'
Since the early 1970s, Joel Selvin has been reviewing concerts and writing about rock 'n' roll musicians for the San Francisco Chronicle, among others. He's collected some highlights from those years in a new book called "Smart Ass."
Dick Dale: Still the King of Surf Guitar
Dick Dale is known as "The King of Surf Guitar," and he's back with a new collection of greatest hits. Despite recent health problems, the 73-year-old musician has just returned from a month long tour. We visited Dale at his home, far way from the wild surf that once inspired his music.
Van Dyke Parks 'Orange Crate Art'
His name may not be familiar, but for the last 40 years, Van Dyke Parks has been a music visionary. Besides his own solo work, he's produced a lot of artists -- including Randy Newman and Ry Cooder. In 1995, Van Dyke Parks collaborated with his old friend Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys for the album "Orange Crate Art" -- a collection of songs about California. He talked with us about that title track.
Critics Picks for 2010
We're down to the last segment of 2010, and what better way to ring out the year than with our pop music Steve Hochman, and jazz and world music guru, Andrew Gilbert. They run down their top picks for 2010 in jazz and pop music.