Music

Fame Studios And The Road To Nashville Songwriting Glory

9:57am June 13, 2013

by Ed Ward

One of America's great songwriters, Dan Penn has written dozens of soul classics, often with keyboardist Spooner Oldham. For a while, the two were on the staff of Fame Studios in Muscle Shoals, Ala. Ace Records has just released an entire CD of Penn's demos.

Queue Listen Now

Boards of Canada's new album is titled Tomorrow's Harvest.

Music & Culture

Boards Of Canada Tap A Devout Following To Push New Album

5:53am June 13, 2013

by Sami Yenigun

By leaking details of its new release through codes and numbers, the Scottish electronic duo worked the press game backwards.

Queue Listen Now

Nathan Gunn and Sasha Cooke star in the new opera The Gospel of Mary Magdalene as Yeshua (the Hebrew name of Jesus) and the title character.

Music & Culture

A Loaded Bible Story, Tweaked For The Opera Stage

6:20pm June 12, 2013

by Cy Musiker

Composer Mark Adamo has made his mark turning classic books, including Little Women and the Greek drama Lysistrata, into operas. His latest, The Gospel of Mary Magdalene, covers more sensitive territory, examining the titular figure's relationship to Jesus — outside the canonical Bible.

Queue Listen Now

Bob Dylan performs at the Newport Folk Festival in 1963. His set included "Only a Pawn in Their Game," which he would also play at the 1963 March on Washington.

Music & Culture

Bob Dylan's Tribute To Medgar Evers Took On The Big Picture

6:20pm June 12, 2013

by NPR Staff

Fifty years ago, Dylan's career was just taking off when he heard the news that the civil rights activist had been killed. "Only a Pawn in Their Game," his response to Evers' assassination, highlights the victimization of poor whites and blacks alike.

Queue Listen Now

Singer Merry Clayton performs in Hollywood during a celebration of Carole King and her music.

'20 Feet From' The Spotlight, There's Singing Worthy Of One

2:31pm June 12, 2013

A new documentary directed by Morgan Neville profiles backup singers whose voices you know but whose names you probably don't: Lisa Fischer, Darlene Love, Judith Hill and Merry Clayton.

Queue Listen Now

Darlene Love, one of the background singers featured in Twenty Feet From Stardom, didn't receive credit for singing hits in the 1950s and '60s and says her career was derailed by legendary producer Phil Spector.

Music & Culture

Spotlighting Background Singers In 'Twenty Feet From Stardom'

10:22am June 11, 2013

by Mandalit del Barco

Filmmaker Morgan Neville's new documentary chronicles backup singers who have supported some of the biggest acts in music history, from Ike and Tina Turner to The Rolling Stones and sung some of pop music's catchiest hooks.

Queue Listen Now

The Creole Choir of Cuba's latest album, Santiman, has a satisfying flow from celebration to solemnity.

Music & Culture

The Creole Choir Of Cuba: Reviving Caribbean History In 'Santiman'

8:11am June 11, 2013

by Banning Eyre

The 10-person ensemble is one of the best-known choirs from the island nation. On its newest album, Santiman, the choir sings songs in tribute to its Haitian ancestors from West Africa, who were enslaved in the Caribbean region.

Queue Listen Now

Barbara Mason had had one minor hit on Arctic by the time "Yes I'm Ready" came out in March 1965, and hit the Top 10 on both the R&B and pop charts.

Music & Culture

Arctic Records: Drafting A Blueprint For The Philly Sound

2:24pm June 10, 2013

by Ed Ward

Ed Ward takes a look at Philadelphia's long and complex history of black pop music. Specifically, he looks at small labels like Arctic, where several famous artists got their start — and which has just released a set of CDs covering all 60 of its single releases.

Queue Listen Now

Cliburn medalists Beatrice Rana, second place winner; Vadym Kholodenko, first place winner; and Sean Chen, third place winner, receive applause from the audience at the final awards ceremony at the 14th Van Cliburn International Piano Competition on Sunda

Music & Culture

Ukrainian Wins Top Prize At Van Cliburn Piano Competition

11:39am June 10, 2013

by Bill Zeeble, KERA

Vadym Kholodenko, 26, of Ukraine, takes home the $50,000 purse, plus three years of professional management. But, he says, the rankings don't mean that much. It's interesting for the audience, Kholodenko says, but in life it's "not so important."

Queue Listen Now

T-Bone Burnett, John Mellencamp and Stephen King are the creative team behind Ghosts of Darkland County, a stage show based on a true story of small-town tragedy.

A Rock Star, A Novelist And A Super-Producer Write A Musical

8:04am June 10, 2013

by NPR Staff

No, it's not the setup to a joke. John Mellencamp, Stephen King and T-Bone Burnett are the creative team behind Ghosts of Darkland County, a stage show based on a true story of small-town tragedy.

Queue Listen Now