Wade In The Water: An Introduction
Produced in 1994 by NPR and the Smithsonian Institution, Wade in the Water is a 26-part documentary series detailing the history of American gospel music and its impact on soul, jazz and R&B.
Music Features
Cassette Crews & Cosmic Cohorts: Seattle's Emerging Labels And Collectives
The city's labels and local collaboratives are catching the attention of the entire music community. Each has a unique sound and style that's captivated listeners.
All He Wanted Was To Be Free: Where Bruce Springsteen's 'Western Stars' Came From
Springsteen's new album connects to a stream of pop balladry that emerged in tandem with Hollywood's turn in the late 1960s toward hippie antiheroes and modern masculinity's fatalistic drift.
Beyond Grunge: 15 Artists Redefining Seattle Music
Seattle's music scene has produced a diverse and talented crop of up-and-coming musicians, each of whom makes bold contributions to this vibrant city.
To Capture Bob Dylan's Rolling Thunder Revue, Martin Scorsese Had To Get Weird
In trying to unpack one of the a stranger periods of Bob Dylan's strange life, Scorsese had to meet the bard on his home turf of half-truths and obfuscation.
Alone Together: Robyn's 'Dancing On My Own' Opens The Corners Of Community
The magic of Robyn's millennial anthem is its bait and switch: It's a fun, energetic dance song about being lonely and heartbroken. And yet, the minute you hear it, you instantly feel less alone.
Wu-Tang Clan Set To Make History As First Hip-Hop Act To Headline Ryman Auditorium
Nashville's Ryman Auditorium, nicknamed "The Mother Church of Country Music," has never hosted a hip-hop show. After 125 years, Wu-Tang Clan will be the first rap act to headline at the venue.
'Something To Hold': Why This Self-Produced Jazz Singer Made A Physical CD In 2019
Los Angeles-based jazz vocalist Judy Wexler recently released her fifth album, Crowded Heart. Why, in the age of streaming, did she choose to release it solely as a CD?
Pavarotti Documentary Misses All The Right Notes
Ron Howard's new Pavarotti film fails to make us feel much for its subject, and does little to bolster the magical, complicated art called opera.
One More Scoop Of Vanilla: A New Proposal Looks To Loosen Radio Ownership Rules
A proposed change could see more radio stations ending up in the hands of fewer executives, which would have a homogenizing effect on radio dials around the U.S. The thing is, that's already happened.