Met Opera And Public Radio Host Margaret Juntwait Dies
The mellifluous voice of the Met, and a longtime presence on NPR member station WNYC, was 58 years old.
Music
Malian Bandleader Bassekou Kouyate Merges Rock And Soul In 'Ba Power'
The new album by the veteran musician and his band Ngoni Ba conveys the restless march of time and the transience of all human conditions. Milo Miles calls it "the most satisfying sort of catchy."
Lauryn Hill, Jazmine Sullivan Sing Nina Simone Songs At The Apollo Theater
The two sang at the New York premiere of Netflix's new documentary, What Happened, Miss Simone?
The Gary Peacock Trio Balances Introspection And Drive In 'Now This'
Bassist Gary Peacock, pianist Marc Copland and drummer Joey Baron bring an airy, elastic swing to their new album, Now This. Critic Kevin Whitehead says the players pull the melodies together well.
The Evolution Of Earworms: Researchers Track History Of Pop Music
For the last half century, pop music has evolved from blues to disco to hip-hop. By digitally analyzing more than 17,000 songs, a team at Queen Mary University of London has released a study showing how pop music has changed throughout history.
When Nora Jane Struthers' Identity Was Stolen, She Created A New One
The former English teacher may never have become a singer-songwriter if her identity hadn't been taken. "I was just ready for a brand new start," she says. And soon she was on the road to Nashville.
'Like An Avalanche': Otis Redding's Unstoppable Crossover
"He had an underground kind of appeal that built on itself," says author Mark Ribowsky, whose book Dreams to Remember traces Redding's unlikely pivot into national stardom.
A Band Of Their Own
As men went off to combat in World War II, a group of Southern college women took to the bandstand. Meet the Darlinettes — hear their music and stories from their leader and their drummer.
Before Berry Gordy's Motown, There Was John Dolphin's Recorded In Hollywood
The black entrepreneur who opened a record store called Dolphin's Of Hollywood — in South Central Los Angeles — is the subject of a new musical about his business success and untimely death.
Joanna Gruesome's 'Peanut Butter' Rises Above The Band's Gimmicky Name
The Welsh band's name is a play on that of singer-songwriter Joanna Newsom. Ken Tucker likens the group's second album to a high-wire act accompanied by "furiously strummed punk-rock guitar chords."