Motown's Jimmy Ruffin Dies; Sang 'What Becomes Of The Brokenhearted'
Singer Jimmy Ruffin, who was born in Mississippi but lent his soulful voice to hits for Detroit's Motown Records, died Monday at age 78, according to reports.
Music News
Joyful Opera Performed In Nazi Concentration Camp Revived In Chicago
While the Nazis may have used the children's opera Brundibár as a propaganda tool, it also was a symbol of hope for the children who performed it. It is now a way to remember profound loss.
A Jazz Institution Moves Back Home To Los Angeles
Jazz's highest-profile competition recently crowned a new victor in a star-studded gala. But for the Thelonious Monk Institute, competition is only a small part of its desire to be back out West.
A Rational Conversation: Can The Delayed Album Curse Be Lifted?
If we now know about albums languishing in the clutches of major labels, are they more likely to see the light of day? Will they be any good when they get here?
What Is It About Kendrick Lamar?
In two years since releasing his major label debut, good kid, m.A.A.d. city, Lamar has moved into hip-hop's spotlight full time. Microphone Check's Frannie Kelley and Ali Shaheed Muhammad explain why.
A Musician Writes A Soundtrack For His Grandparents' Love Story
"I wanted a chance to have other conversations with him," Peter Miller says of his late grandfather, whose letters to his wife inspired Miller's new album with We Are the Willows.
'Twinkle' Sparks Fireworks As Fiddler Guts Violin Method
Fiddler Mark O'Connor claims Shinichi Suzuki, creator of the popular Suzuki Method of violin instruction, was a fraud. O'Connor has created his own teaching system.
Uncovering The Heart Of Chopin — Literally
It sounds like something out of a Dan Brown novel. But a secret group of 13 gathered earlier this year to exhume the preserved heart of one of the world's most beloved composers, Frederic Chopin.
Brilliance In Bumps And Bruises, On Air And On Screen
New Jersey radio station WFMU prides itself on radically open programming — like three hours of "Eleanor Rigby" covers. But as a new film shows, it can be tough to pay bills and maintain a mission.
Why The Caged Bird Raps
Caged Bird Songs pairs some of the late Maya Angelou's poems and lyrics to hip-hop beats — but producer Shawn Rivera says the rhythms were already there.