Music & Culture

A linchpin of "cool" jazz in the 1950s and '60s, he assembled bands that came to be described as chamber jazz, full of unusual textures and future star talent. Hamilton, who continued performing into his ninth decade, was 92.

Live at Carnegie Hall captures a riveting experience with the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and a beloved conductor, James Levine, who has been plagued with a variety of medical troubles.

The new documentary Narco Cultura looks at violence by Mexico's drug cartels and the popular culture it has inspired.

NPR's Melissa Block talks with producer Randall Poster and historian Sean Wilentz about a new collection of music. Poster brought together stars and legends spanning many genres and generations to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Civil War.

Dave Van Ronk's autobiography inspired Joel and Ethan Coen's new movie about a '60s folksinger. Though he died in 2002, a new anthology ought to help give Van Ronk a long-needed boost.

"We can't not look at each other; it doesn't work," Jones says of singing with the Green Day frontman. In an interview with NPR's Steve Inskeep, the two discuss tackling the signature close harmonies of The Everly Brothers.

Born Nov. 22, 1913, Benjamin Britten went on to become one of the greatest composers of the 20th century, one whose work managed to push boundaries while still remaining tonal. The centennial of his birth is being marked by concerts around the world and a massive reissue of his recorded works.

Iconic Disney moments aren't just about the characters, but the songs they sing. Husband-and-wife team Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez composed music for the new Disney film Frozen, capturing the friendship of sisters Elsa and Anna.

On the 80th birthday of Polish composer Krzysztof Penderecki — whose music helped make The Shining so terrifying — NPR's Arun Rath considers how the classical music of Penderecki's generation has been shaped by real-life horror.

For conductor Marin Alsop, Bernstein's idiosyncratic Second Symphony — inspired by W.H. Auden's poem The Age of Anxiety — is a musical quest to answer life's big questions with time out to throw a hip-swinging party.