Swagger On Display At 'Empire' Season Finale Parties
With its flashy swagger and quotable one-liners, Empire, the Fox series about a black music label, has become a cultural phenomenon. A watch party in D.C., had just as much.
Music
Bluegrass Musician Norman Blake Releases An Album Of Original Songs
Blake has performed for more than 60 years. He was in Johnny Cash's band and played on Bob Dylan's Nashville Skyline album. Now 77, his new album is called Wood, Wire and Words.
Sviatoslav Richter: The Pianist Who Made The Earth Move
For the centennial of the great Russian's birth, critic and piano maven Steve Wigler recalls a herculean talent who shook Carnegie Hall to its foundation.
NPR Music At SXSW 2015: Tuesday
The best things our team in Austin saw, heard and recorded on the first day of SXSW Music, including a late-night lullaby by one of our favorite musicians.
Saxophonist Tony Malaby's New Quartet Brings Out His Rowdy Side
Malaby has merged his two trios — with a cello and a tuba — into a quartet called Tubacello. Their new album is Scorpion Eater. Jazz critic Kevin Whitehead says he hopes to hear from them again.
In South Africa, Soulful Music Delivers Serious Messages
Johannesburg-based band The Muffinz tackles AIDS, politics and education while blending jazz, soul and R&B with their country's choral traditions.
Remastering 78s: A Company Brings Clarity To Pianist Artur Schnabel's Works
Many historic recordings have been transferred to CD, but not always as accurately as desirable. But a small record company in France has been remastering these recordings in a revolutionary way.
Winning In Country Music, With No Help From Nashville
Traditional country musicians, the kind who never get airplay on mainstream country radio stations, are thriving in regional scenes supported by devoted live audiences.
Doritos Stage Pulled From SXSW But Issues Remain
As the Austin, Texas, music festival enters its 28th year, concerns continue over corporate branding and security.
Brandi Carlile's Surging Voice Grounds 'The Firewatcher's Daughter'
Carlile has been releasing albums for the past 10 years, and Fresh Air rock critic Ken Tucker says her new one, called The Firewatcher's Daughter, is her best yet.