Music & Culture

Bob Dylan performs at the Newport Folk Festival in 1963. His set included "Only a Pawn in Their Game," which he would also play at the 1963 March on Washington.

Music & Culture

Bob Dylan's Tribute To Medgar Evers Took On The Big Picture

6:20pm June 12, 2013

by NPR Staff

Fifty years ago, Dylan's career was just taking off when he heard the news that the civil rights activist had been killed. "Only a Pawn in Their Game," his response to Evers' assassination, highlights the victimization of poor whites and blacks alike.

Queue Listen Now

Singer Merry Clayton performs in Hollywood during a celebration of Carole King and her music.

'20 Feet From' The Spotlight, There's Singing Worthy Of One

2:31pm June 12, 2013

A new documentary directed by Morgan Neville profiles backup singers whose voices you know but whose names you probably don't: Lisa Fischer, Darlene Love, Judith Hill and Merry Clayton.

Queue Listen Now

Darlene Love, one of the background singers featured in Twenty Feet From Stardom, didn't receive credit for singing hits in the 1950s and '60s and says her career was derailed by legendary producer Phil Spector.

Music & Culture

Spotlighting Background Singers In 'Twenty Feet From Stardom'

10:22am June 11, 2013

by Mandalit del Barco

Filmmaker Morgan Neville's new documentary chronicles backup singers who have supported some of the biggest acts in music history, from Ike and Tina Turner to The Rolling Stones and sung some of pop music's catchiest hooks.

Queue Listen Now

The Creole Choir of Cuba's latest album, Santiman, has a satisfying flow from celebration to solemnity.

Music & Culture

The Creole Choir Of Cuba: Reviving Caribbean History In 'Santiman'

8:11am June 11, 2013

by Banning Eyre

The 10-person ensemble is one of the best-known choirs from the island nation. On its newest album, Santiman, the choir sings songs in tribute to its Haitian ancestors from West Africa, who were enslaved in the Caribbean region.

Queue Listen Now

Barbara Mason had had one minor hit on Arctic by the time "Yes I'm Ready" came out in March 1965, and hit the Top 10 on both the R&B and pop charts.

Music & Culture

Arctic Records: Drafting A Blueprint For The Philly Sound

2:24pm June 10, 2013

by Ed Ward

Ed Ward takes a look at Philadelphia's long and complex history of black pop music. Specifically, he looks at small labels like Arctic, where several famous artists got their start — and which has just released a set of CDs covering all 60 of its single releases.

Queue Listen Now

Cliburn medalists Beatrice Rana, second place winner; Vadym Kholodenko, first place winner; and Sean Chen, third place winner, receive applause from the audience at the final awards ceremony at the 14th Van Cliburn International Piano Competition on Sunda

Music & Culture

Ukrainian Wins Top Prize At Van Cliburn Piano Competition

11:39am June 10, 2013

by Bill Zeeble, KERA

Vadym Kholodenko, 26, of Ukraine, takes home the $50,000 purse, plus three years of professional management. But, he says, the rankings don't mean that much. It's interesting for the audience, Kholodenko says, but in life it's "not so important."

Queue Listen Now

T-Bone Burnett, John Mellencamp and Stephen King are the creative team behind Ghosts of Darkland County, a stage show based on a true story of small-town tragedy.

A Rock Star, A Novelist And A Super-Producer Write A Musical

8:04am June 10, 2013

by NPR Staff

No, it's not the setup to a joke. John Mellencamp, Stephen King and T-Bone Burnett are the creative team behind Ghosts of Darkland County, a stage show based on a true story of small-town tragedy.

Queue Listen Now

Aoife O'Donovan's first solo album is called Fossils.

Music & Culture

Aoife O'Donovan: Digging Up Musical 'Fossils'

10:12am June 09, 2013

by NPR Staff

The singer, best known as the voice of the alt-bluegrass band Crooked Still, is releasing her solo debut. It's full of songs from and inspired by the Irish folk tradition she grew up with.

Queue Listen Now

Music & Culture

Heavy Rotation: 5 Songs Public Radio Can't Stop Playing

5:16pm June 06, 2013

In this installment of Heavy Rotation, we partner with KCRW to bring you an exclusive download from Laura Mvula's Morning Becomes Eclectic session, as well as music from the post-punk band Savages, Portland songwriter Nick Jaina, Baltimore rapper Ellis and funk guitarist Shuggie Otis.

Queue Listen Now

Jason Isbell's latest album, Southeastern, is personal and intimate.

Jason Isbell: Literary, But Keeping An Edge On 'Southeastern'

3:18pm June 06, 2013

by Ken Tucker

Isbell is a singer-songwriter who came to prominence as a member of the Southern rock group Drive-By Truckers. He left that band in 2007, in part because of the substance-abuse problems he describes on his new solo album, Southeastern.

Queue Listen Now