Music

Music & Culture

Ben Johnston Hears The Notes Between The Notes

7:41am December 31, 2016

by Maureen McCollum

The composer's string quartets are known for their use of microtones — and their extreme technical difficulty. Just in time for his 90th birthday, The Kepler Quartet has finally recorded them all.

Music & Culture

'Shakespeare In Music & Words' Marks 400 Years Since The Bard's Death

1:27pm December 30, 2016

by Lloyd Schwartz

A new two-CD set features music inspired by Shakespeare as well as actors reading his work. Critic Lloyd Schwartz says any excuse to honor the master playwright is a good one.

Queue Listen Now

Music & Culture

Loston Harris On Piano Jazz

11:45am December 30, 2016

The singer and pianist performs "Do Nothing 'Til You Hear From Me" with host Marian McPartland.

Joshua Redman and Brad Mehldau perform at Blue Note Tokyo on Oct. 13, 2016.

Music & Culture

Toast Of The Nation 2017

11:25am December 30, 2016

by Suraya Mohamed

Celebrate the New Year from Blue Note venues around the world. The lineup includes The Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Joshua Redman and Brad Meldau, Fred Hersch, Ron Carter, Buika and Dee Dee Bridgewater.

Sarah Louise, VDSQ Solo Acoustic Vol. 12

Music & Culture

The Top 10 Solo Guitar Records Of 2016

9:00am December 30, 2016

by Lars Gotrich

Across ambient, jazz, psychedelic and American Primitive styles, this year proved that the possibilities of the guitar continue to flourish.

Music & Culture

Songs We Love: Silver Torches, 'Woman In Rust'

8:02am December 30, 2016

by Stephen Thompson

Erik Walters' song builds and builds, piling on pleasing ingredients (churning guitars here, a nice little piano melody there) en route to one grand chorus.

Willie Nelson performs with Kris Kristofferson.

Music & Culture

Watch Willie Nelson Perform 'Me And Bobby McGee'

3:28pm December 29, 2016

The legend helps honor Kris Kristofferson as part of the Austin City Limits New Year's Eve celebration.

Flowers are laid beneath a mural of David Bowie in London in January.

Music & Culture

Mourning Stars Through Streams, Screens And Communities

12:30pm December 29, 2016

by Ann Powers

In a year of stunning loss, music fans found new opportunities to create virtual communities, continuing conversations their departed icons started.

Music & Culture

Watch The Robert Glasper Experiment Perform 'Day To Day' Live For KCRW

11:54am December 29, 2016

by Jason Bentley

Glasper's quartet keeps building on its genre-hopping mix of jazz, R&B, hip-hop and more.

For Omar Kamal, music is "that little space where you can be creative and kind of dream and move away from everything that's happened to you."

Music & Culture

'Music Was Always The Escape': Omar Kamal On Shaping His Artistic Identity

10:25am December 29, 2016

by NPR Staff

The Palestinian jazz crooner, who was 8 years old at the start of the Second Intifada, says hearing Frank Sinatra changed his life. "[He] has got all credit for me going into singing," Kamal says.

Queue Listen Now