NPR Music's 26 Favorite Albums Of 2021 (So Far)
Here at the midpoint of 2021, these are the two dozen or so albums NPR Music's staff will be carrying as they step back out into the world.
Music & Culture
Sarah Vaughan's Magnificent Voice Reigns In 'Live At The Berlin Philharmonie'
Vaughan combined an operatic sense of drama and vocal control with an improviser's risk-taking. A newly released 1969 concert recording is an ambitious showcase of her pop and classical sensibilities.
Brandee Younger, 'Reclamation'
The first single from Somewhere Different, her gleaming Impulse debut, is a driving jazz-funk sunburst that calls back to a heyday of popular Black musical uplift.
Remembering When The Fillmore West Closed Down 5 Decades Ago
The Fillmore West in San Francisco hosted The Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane and other bands in the 1960s. As NPR celebrates its 50th anniversary, we look back on important events of that year.
From The Top: Tiny Desk (Home) Concert
If young folks are our future, then classical music looks blazingly bright with these extraordinary performances by teenage musicians from across the country.
'Willy Wonka' Composer Leslie Bricusse Is Still Busy At Age 90
Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory turns 50 in June, and Hook turns 30 in December. Both were shaped by the English lyricist and composer Leslie Bricusse, who remains vital and busy at age 90.
Caroline Shaw & Sō Percussion, 'To The Sky'
The joint effort between the composer and Sō Percussion showcases Shaw's flexible voice.
Steve Gunn, 'Other You'
The title track from Gunn's upcoming album is as pretty as it is potent.
Spacey Jane, 'Lots of Nothing'
Listening to "Lots of Nothing" feels like rediscovering the best summer of your youth.
Rewind, Be Kind: On 'Home Video,' Lucy Dacus Writes Her Own Rules For Friendship
Dacus's third album is an intimate collection of snapshots from her youth and teen years. Both searching and empathetic, it channels what it means to revisit the past with the wisdom of distance.