Top Picks: Historian Niall Ferguson on PBS, Carole King's demos, and more
National Geographic's digital edition shines on the iPad, an old newsreel shows window washers in 1938, and more top picks.
The May issue of National Geographic
Tim Laman/National Geographic
The printed page comes to life
The May issue of National Geographic has a fascinating look at a tiny South American bird that sings with its wings. Now iPad owners can watch and hear the manakin's wing-chirping. The magazine's digital edition has outshined the print offering for months now, and this latest issue demonstrates why. A video and an interactive graphic show how the feathers rub together like a wee violin. The iPad edition is free for current print subscribers or $20 a year for newcomers.
Soul mates in sound
After a good – but disappointingly stiff – studio debut, The Tedeschi Trucks Band can now be heard in all their funky, passionate glory on a new live set, "Everybody's Talkin'. " Gifted soul-belter Susan Tedeschi, her virtuoso guitar-slinger husband Derek Trucks, and their copacetic nonet tear it up from start to finish on 11 well-chosen tracks. Gems in this embarrassment of riches are the heavenly "Midnight in Harlem" and the gospel classic "Wade in the Water."
A night to remember
PBS will feature its 23rd annual National Memorial Day Concert on May 27. This year's "night of remembrance" will be hosted by actors Joe Mantegna and Gary Sinise and include an all-star lineup of dignitaries, actors, and musical artists with the National Symphony Orchestra. It airs live from the West Lawn of the US Capitol in Washington, D.C., at 8 p.m.
