Fresh Air

By NPRTV & Film Society & Culture Arts Books

Ranking
1st
on Books
Favorites
47,961
Followers
Typical duration
46 min
per episode
If it hooks
56%
finish an episode

Based on Podcast App listening data

Fresh Air episodes

December 30, 2023 Taraji P. Henson / Pianist Brad Mehldau
Taraji P. Henson stars as jazz singer Shug Avery in the new musical adaptation of The Color Purple. She spoke with Tonya Mosley about what the play means to her. Also, we'll hear from Brad Mehldau, one of the most acclaimed and influential jazz pianists of his generation. He joins us at the piano, for music and conversation. And Justin Chang will share his list of the best movies of 2023.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy
49 min
December 29, 2023 Jazz With The EarRegulars
Our dark week continues with a performance by and conversation with two of the best traditional jazz musicians around, trumpeter Jon-Erik Kellso and guitarist Matt Munisteri. In 2007, they founded the band The EarRegulars which plays Sunday nights at a very old bar in Greenwich Village called the EAR inn. They spoke with Fresh Air producer Sam Briger.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy
48 min
December 28, 2023 Roots Co-Founder, Black Thought (Tariq Trotter)
We continue our series of some of our favorite interviews of the year with co-founder and lead MC of the Roots, Tariq Trotter, a.k.a. Black Thought. When Trotter was a teen, he experienced one of the biggest tragedies of his life, the murder of his mother, and it was his friend and creative partner Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson who took him in. Together they co-founded The Roots. We talk about growing up in Philly and landing the house band gig at The Tonight Show. His memoir is called The Upcycled Self.

Later, critic Nick Quah takes a look back at the year in podcasts.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy
47 min
December 27, 2023 Brooke Shields
When Shields was 11 months old, she was in soap commercials and print ads. At the age of 12, she starred as a child prostitute in the film Pretty Baby. In her teens, she modeled jeans for Calvin Klein and became a household name. A Hulu documentary examines how she was sexually objectified as a child and teen actress. She spoke with Tonya Mosley about her life and career.

Rock critic Ken Tucker shares two great albums that he feels were overlooked this year.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy
46 min
December 26, 2023 Allison Russell's Road To Self-Love
Canadian musician Allison Russell talks and sings about the abuse she endured from her racist adoptive father — and about how she learned she was worthy of being loved. Her 2023 album is The Returner.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy
48 min
December 25, 2023 Merry Questlove Christmas
Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson has put together a playlist of some of his favorite Christmas recordings. Questlove is co-founder of The Roots, which is among other things, is the house band for The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon.

Also, roots and rockabilly musician JD McPherson plays some of his own Christmas tunes.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy
48 min
December 23, 2023 Best Of: David Byrne's Xmas Playlist / Nicolas Cage
It's a David Byrne Christmas. The cofounder and frontman of Talking Heads has put together a playlist of his favorite Christmas songs for us.

Also, we'll hear from actor Nicolas Cage. In the new movie Dream Scenario, he plays a college professor who becomes a star on the internet after he mysteriously appears in the dreams of millions of people. He talks about how that relates to his own experience of becoming an internet meme.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy
49 min
December 22, 2023 Timothy Olyphant On 'Justified'
From now until the end of 2023, we're listening back to some stand-out interviews from this year. Timothy Olyphant is best known for portraying lawmen in cowboy hats. He reprises the role of U.S. marshal Raylan Givens in the eight-part sequel, Justified: City Primeval, based on Elmore Leonard's novel. He also played Sheriff Seth Bullock in Deadwood. He spoke with Dave Davies about the roles.

Film critic Justin Chang reviews The Zone of Interest.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy
46 min
December 21, 2023 Nicolas Cage
Cage has been acting for almost 45 years, and has appeared in more than 100 films. Dream Scenario is one of five scripts he's encountered in his career that he knew, immediately upon reading, he had to take on. He spoke with Dave Davies about becoming a meme, changing his name from Coppola to Cage, and maybe breaking into TV.

Also, jazz critic Kevin Whitehead remembers composer Carla Bley, who died this year.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy
47 min
December 20, 2023 A David Byrne Christmas Special
The singer-songwriter and Talking Heads frontman presents some of his favorite holiday music — including songs by The Pogues, James Brown, LCD Soundsystem and Paul Simon.

The playlist on Apple Music
The playlist on Spotify

Also, David Bianculli shares highlights from TV this year.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy
48 min

About Fresh Air

From the publisher's feed

Fresh Air from WHYY, the Peabody Award-winning weekday magazine of contemporary arts and issues, is one of public radio's most popular programs. Hosted by Terry Gross and Tonya Mosley, the show…

Best of Fresh Air

Ranked by our users in the last 21 days

Number 1: The Roy Cohn Playbook, from McCarthyism to Trump
Sep 1746 min
Number 2: Is Jared Kushner a 'walking conflict of interest'?
Sep 1647 min
Number 3: Investigating the system that protected Sean “Diddy” Combs
Sep 2446 min
Number 4: Inside the 'modern slavery' where cyber scammers are victims themselves
Sep 2246 min
Number 5: Colin Kaepernick is still fighting – for justice and for his football career
Sep 1446 min

FAQ about Fresh Air

What's this show about?
Fresh Air, hosted by Terry Gross and Tonya Mosley, features intimate conversations with luminaries in contemporary arts and issues.
What's it like to listen to?
The show delivers in-depth interviews in a conversational format. Expect a focus on the guest's work and life, with thoughtful questions and a relaxed atmosphere.
What are recent episodes about?
Recent episodes feature Jessie Buckley discussing her role in the film *Hamnet*, Delroy Lindo reflecting on his career, and discussions about Paul McCartney's post-Beatles life and plans to restrict voting in the U.S..
Who's behind the mic?
Terry Gross has hosted Fresh Air since 1975, winning a Peabody Award and countless other honors for her insightful interviews. Tonya Mosley is a Peabody Award-winning journalist and co-host of Fresh Air.
How long is each episode?
Each episode is typically around 45 minutes to an hour.
When do new episodes drop?
The show releases new episodes regularly.
What are the main topics?
Arts, books, film, society, culture, interviews, music, politics
Who should listen to this?
Listeners interested in the arts, film, music, and society, as well as those who enjoy in-depth interviews with a wide range of notable figures.