Edward Wilkerson

Chicago-based composer, arranger and tenor saxophonist Edward Wilkerson. He leads the big band Shadow Vignettes, whose 1986 album, "Birth of a Notion," was on most jazz critic's lists as one of the top ten albums of that year. In Wilkerson's newest album, titled "Eight Bold Souls," he leads a smaller group, an octet.

Edward Wilkerson is a jazz musician and composer. He joins the show to discuss his work and career. His ensemble the Shadow Vignettes' most recent album is "Birth of a Notion."

Jazz critic Kevin Whitehead reviews the annual New Music America festival just completed in New York and sponsored by the Brooklyn Academy of Music and corporate donations. Whitehead questions the value of the 10 year-old festival.