Jonas Kaufmann On Wagner: 'It's Like A Drug Sometimes'
Described as the greatest living Wagnerian tenor, Kaufmann is using the Richard Wagner's bicentennial to reacquaint listeners with the controversial composer's work.
Music Interviews
Bryan Ferry: A Forward-Looking Musician Turns To The Past
The Roxy Music singer gives his classic songs a jazz makeover on his new album, The Jazz Age.
Hollywood's 'Hooray': Hardly A Happy Hymn
It's Oscar season, meaning that classic toe-tapper "Hooray for Hollywood" will soon be booming out of TV speakers everywhere. But the cheery cinema hymn has a more complicated compositional past, as NPR's special correspondent Susan Stamberg explains.
Anat Cohen: Bringing The Clarinet To The World
On her latest album, Claroscuro, the jazz clarinetist explores influences that range from Louis Armstrong to Brazilian music to that of her native Israel. It's this desire to adapt the instrument to so many musical traditions that has earned Cohen such acclaim.
Wayne Shorter On Jazz: 'How Do You Rehearse The Unknown?'
Shorter says that in combos led by John Coltrane, Miles Davis and Art Blakey, he learned a crucial rule of being an effective bandleader: Leave the musicians alone.
Ron Sexsmith: At Midlife, A Songwriter Ponders Mortality
The Canadian musician discusses dealing with setbacks — including a health scare and an unpopular album — and how he channeled his energy into his new album, Forever Endeavour.
Ben Harper And Charlie Musselwhite Get Muddy
The multifaceted singer-songwriter and the harmonica legend team up on a new album of original blues songs, Get Up!
Big Freedia Lays Out The Basics Of Bounce
Born Freddie Ross, Freedia is one of the biggest stars of New Orleans' hard-dancing, bass-pounding and sometimes gender-bending bounce music scene.
Petra Haden Covers Classic Film Scores With A Single Voice
Haden's new album, Petra Goes to the Movies, recasts movie scores in an a cappella setting. From Psycho to The Social Network, her layered vocals offer a captivating interpretation of classic — and not-so-classic — theme music.
The 'True Story' Inside Aaron Neville's Doo-Wop World
Neville's latest album, My True Story, is a collection of the songs he grew up singing in the New Orleans projects. The sound of those early influences would guide him throughout a career spanning more than 50 years.