Her Voice Is In The Air
The Brazilian singer Flora Purim helped create the sound of jazz fusion. Now, as she releases what she says will be her final album, it's time to give her artistic legacy its due.
Music & Culture
Ravyn Lenae, 'M.I.A.'
R&B singer Ravyn Lenae strikes a balance between carefree and commanding.
Under Greg Tate's direction, musical possibilities were limitless
Greg Tate's death left an immeasurable hole in the universe of cultural criticism. Vernon Reid, Matana Roberts, Jared Michael Nickerson and Christina Wheeler pay tribute to his music as Burnt Sugar.
Rosalía is unafraid to pull from every corner of the world
The genre-bending star talks her new album Motomami, expressing sexuality in music and her global approach to pop.
Aaron Nigel Smith and Andy Furgeson on their new album for children 'Smith & Yarn'
NPR's Ayesha Rascoe speaks with musicians Aaron Nigel Smith and Andy Furgeson, who performs under the name Red Yarn, about their new children's album, Smith & Yarn.
A Ukrainian jazz club provides joy in Odesa despite the invasion
In Odesa, a port city in southern Ukraine, one jazz club has continued to host performances despite the Russian invasion, providing a haven for joy and creativity.
Electropop star BANKS got into music after feeling "unheard"
NPR's Scott Simon speaks with electropop star BANKS about how she got into music and about her just-released fourth album, "Serpentina."
'Fresh Air' marks the centennial of jazz great Charles Mingus
Critic Kevin Whitehead reflects on the legacy of the musician who would have been 100 on April 22, 2022. Mingus died in 1979, leaving behind a catalog of music that reflected his outsized personality.
For classical pianist Jeremy Denk, life is like a series of music lessons
Denk talks about what he learned from his teachers, and his failures, frustrations and pivotal moments as an artist. His new memoir is Every Good Boy Does Fine. Originally broadcast March 21, 2022.
Charles Mingus contained multitudes, but his native language was protest
The jazz icon's 100th birthday is a chance to appreciate an enduring throughline of his career, which often teetered between exquisite composure and raging chaos.