Arlo McKinley On Heartbreak And Hope In His New Album, 'Die Midwestern'
NPR's Scott Simon talks with Arlo McKinley, the last artist John Prine signed to his label Oh Boy Records, about his newest album, Die Midwestern.
Music & Culture
Prison Telecom Business Indicted By Rap Album Recorded In Jail
The rapper Drakeo the Ruler titled his latest album after the prison phone service provider GTL, whose lines he used to record it, leaving a trail to follow the money through a controversial industry.
3 Jazz Greats Reflect On Charlie Parker's Enduring Influence
Fresh Air listens back to archival interviews with Max Roach and trumpeter Red Rodney, two musicians who played with Parker; and alto saxophonist Jackie McLean, who considered Parker a mentor.
Charlie Parker, Born 100 Years Ago, Made Jazz Complexities Sound Deceptively Easy
More blues singer than Broadway, the Bird helped introduce bebop to jazz — and along the way redefined jazz velocity with his scrappy sound and pithy melodic figures.
Bird Lives! A Charlie Parker Centennial, With Strings Attached
Charlie Parker with Strings was the most commercially successful project of his all-too-brief career. We'll examine the backstory and hear rare selections from the collaboration.
'Star Trek' Actor William Shatner To Release Blues Album
Shatner will be collaborating with a bevy of guests on his new album, titled The Blues. Among guest artists are Canned Heat, Brad Paisley, Sonny Landreth, Pat Travers, Albert Lee, and more.
Ruston Kelly's Redemption, In A Constant State Of 'Shape & Destroy'
The Nashville singer-songwriter offers a path forward in which the process of recovery continues with resolve.
Charles 'Yardbird' Parker At 100: Remembering The Legendary Jazz Musician
Jazz legend Charles "Yardbird" Parker, would have turned 100 on August 29. His career spanned less than 20 years, but he created a legacy that continues to be a strong influence on musicians today.
Katy Perry On Expanding And Reframing Herself On 'Smile'
The pop music power house drops her new album, Smile, on Friday, and she's given birth to her first child. Perry talks about the loss of certainty and rebuilding her confidence while making Smile.
Black Grapefruit Seeks Balance 'Inside' Turmoil
In a pastoral track from the New York duo, Randa Leigh asks an essential question: "What you follow, fear or love?"