All Possibilities: The 'Purple Rain' Story
Though revered now, Prince's iconic 1984 film and album succeeded against daunting odds. Music critic and journalist Alan Light provides the details in his new book, Let's Go Crazy.
Music & Culture
Before Dylan, Dave Ray's Blues Rocked Minneapolis
When Bob Dylan moved to Minneapolis in 1959, he was overshadowed by a singer and guitar player named Dave Ray of the blues trio Koerner, Ray and Glover. A new box set traces the singer's evolution.
In The Italian Alps, Stradivari's Trees Live On
The master luthier's violins and cellos include spruce from the Fiemme Valley. The forest still thrives, and its trees are still made into fine instruments.
Horace Tapscott's Giant Re-Awakened In A Reissue
Horace Tapscott led a big band in 1969, but his debut was for a quintet drawn from its ranks. Fresh Air jazz critic Kevin Whitehead reviews a reissue of The Giant is Awakened.
With Downloads In Decline, Can iTunes Adapt?
Digital downloads of iTunes fell sharply in 2014, as consumers abandoned Apple's music store in favor of cheap, easy-to-use subscription services.
Mystic Rhythms: Rush's Neil Peart On The First Rock Drummer
Peart is one of the world's greatest rock drummers, but his earliest influence comes from jazz.
The Original Funky Drummers On Life With James Brown
Clyde Stubblefield and Jabo Starks should have been rivals: James Brown hired both of them to do one job. Instead, they stuck together, and laid the foundation for modern funk drumming in the process.
A Tale Of Dueling Ebola Songs: One From Britain, One From Africa
African musicians have recorded a fund-raising song to help fight Ebola. They say it truly reflects what's happening in their homeland — unlike the Brit pop Ebola song "Do They Know It's Christmas?"
At The Peak Of Her Powers: Barbara Lynn's 'Complete Atlantic Recordings'
Fresh Air rock historian Ed Ward has a look in to a vital part of Lynn's career.
A Light Goes Out In Memphis: Remembering John Fry
Music producer Rick Clark remembers John Fry, co-founder of Ardent Studios, who died last month after 50 years of nurturing some of the best music to ever come out of Memphis.