Music

Trumpeter Clark Terry in 1991. Terry's wife announced Saturday that he had died at age 94.

Clark Terry, Acclaimed Jazz Trumpeter And Composer, Dies At 94

2:27pm February 22, 2015

by Scott Neuman

The famed musician was one of the most prolific recording artists in jazz and performed with such greats as Ella Fitzgerald and Quincy Jones in a career that spanned decades.

Timothy Spall as the British painter J.M.W. Turner in Mike Leigh's Mr. Turner, whose score is nominated for an Oscar.

Music & Culture

To Set The Mood In Period Drama, A Composer Paints Around The Emotions

12:36pm February 22, 2015

by Tim Greiving

Gary Yershon is up for an Oscar for the score of Mr. Turner, his fourth collaboration with director Mike Leigh. The two men share a philosophy: Never tell the audience exactly how to feel.

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Music & Culture

Taylor Swift, Savvy Trademark Titan

12:36pm February 22, 2015

Thinking of putting "speak now" on a T-shirt or bed linens? You'll have to ask Taylor Swift first. NPR's Rachel Martin speaks to intellectual property lawyer Mark Lemley about Swift's branding empire.

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Music & Culture

The Mavericks Release An Album, Minus Robert Reynolds

9:20am February 21, 2015

The country rock band The Mavericks are back with a new album, but this time without a founding member, Robert Reynolds. NPR's Scott Simon talks with bandmates Raul Malo and Eddie Perez about Mono.

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Pussy Riot Releases Its First Song In English

9:20am February 21, 2015

The Russian band Pussy Riot is well known for protesting the Russian government. Now the group has released its first song in English. NPR's Scott Simon talks to band member Nadya Tolokonnikova.

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Music & Culture

Ornette Coleman Returns With His Unmistakable Sound

4:58pm February 20, 2015

by Kevin Whitehead

Jazz saxophonist Coleman, who is almost 85, rarely makes records any more. In New Vocabulary, he joins up trumpet and drums — and peppers his solos with his signature catchy and earthy pet phrases.

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David Oyelowo (left) as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Carmen Ejogo as Coretta Scott King in Selma.

Music & Culture

How One Of Gospel's Essential Songs Gave 'Selma' Its Soul

8:10am February 20, 2015

by Ann Powers

A hymn favored by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. helps the Oscar-nominated film make a well-known historical story powerfully intimate. But the song has a tragic story of its own.

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Music & Culture

First Listen: Public Service Broadcasting's 'Race For Space'

8:10am February 20, 2015

by Bob Boilen and Rob Hilton

Public Service Broadcasting's new album, The Race For Space, combines news footage and music to tell the story of the first 15 years of the Space Age.

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Ralph Fiennes and Tony Revolori as hotel concierge M. Gustave and his lobby-boy confidante, Zero, in The Grand Budapest Hotel.

Music & Culture

Composing The Folk Music Of A Made-Up Country

8:13pm February 19, 2015

by Elizabeth Blair

The Grand Budapest Hotel might take place in a fictional world, but Oscar-nominated composer Alexandre Desplat was there to make it feel authentic.

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Rapping The News In West Africa

4:02pm February 19, 2015

by Jake Warga

In Dakar, Senegal, two rappers going by the names Keyti and Xuman offer a summary of the week's news in hip-hop format.

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