Music

Music & Culture

Vespers, Habaneras And Early Morning Walks: New Classical Albums

6:52pm April 07, 2013

by Tom Huizenga

From the radiant voices of a Latvian choir to a fresh young string quartet and a seasoned symphony, NPR's Tom Huizenga and host Jacki Lyden spin an eclectic mix of new classical releases.

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Willemjin Verkaik is the latest leading lady to play Elphaba, the misunderstood green girl who grows up to become the Wicked Witch of the West in Broadway's long-running Wicked. She has also played the role in Dutch and German in Europe.

On Broadway, Old Shows And New Tricks

11:08am April 07, 2013

by Jeff Lunden

These days, a hit show can run not just for years but for decades. So how do you keep it fresh for new audiences? Reporter Jeff Lunden talks to people who work on three of Broadway's biggest hits to find out.

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Bonobo's new album is titled The North Borders.

Music & Culture

Bonobo: Challenging Music's 'Borders,' Finding A New Frontier

6:04pm April 05, 2013

by NPR Staff

On his new album, The North Borders, the British composer and DJ uses samples from the outside world, like the sound of a truck's air brakes, to push the idea of what can create melody and rhythm.

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Music & Culture

Bombino: A Desert Rock 'Nomad' Rolls Into Nashville

9:56pm April 02, 2013

by Banning Eyre

The Black Keys' Dan Auerbach produced the Tuareg guitar virtuoso's latest album and adds sonic heft rarely heard on African guitar recordings.

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Kacey Musgraves' "Merry Go 'Round" was one of NPR Music's favorite songs of 2012.

Music & Culture

Kacey Musgraves: Country's Blunt And Poetic New Voice

2:46pm April 02, 2013

by Ken Tucker

The talented young singer-songwriter has as much in common with John Prine as she does with Kenny Chesney. With any luck, Same Trailer, Different Park is the start of a long career that will make both Musgraves' core audience and other open-minded listeners sit up and take notice.

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Listening Back To An Interview With Phil Ramone

10:15am April 02, 2013

Ramone started out as a sound engineer for Lesley Gore, and went on to work with Simon and Garfunkel, Barbra Streisand and Frank Sinatra. He died Saturday at the age of 79. Fresh Air remembers him by listening back to a 1995 interview. He talks about losing old demos and being mistaken for a member of The Ramones.

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The 20/20 Experience is Justin Timberlake's first album since 2006.

Justin Timberlake Returns To Music With Enthusiasm And 'Experience'

10:03am April 02, 2013

by Ken Tucker

On his first album since 2006, The 20/20 Experience, Justin Timberlake explores his range, from soul-man groove to falsetto croon, taking inspiration from neo-soul and the expansiveness of '60s and '70s rock song formats.

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A still from the video for E-40's 1993 song "Practice Looking Hard," in which rappers like The Coup's Boots Riley (second from right) and Tupac (not pictured) also appeared.

Music & Culture

The Many Sounds Of 1993 Bay Area Rap

8:27pm March 28, 2013

by Shereen Marisol Meraji

Overlooked by the industry, Bay Area rappers as different as E-40, Too Short and The Coup were free to make and sell music that didn't sound like anybody else's.

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Emmylou Harris and Rodney Crowell have been friends and collaborators since the 1970s. Their new album together is called Old Yellow Moon.

Music & Culture

Emmylou Harris And Rodney Crowell: Harmonizing To That 'Old Yellow Moon'

10:21am March 28, 2013

Emmylou Harris and Rodney Crowell have been friends and collaborators since they first met in 1974. While they always wanted to make an album together, they never got around to it until now. Old Yellow Moon includes songs by Crowell, Patti Scialfa, Johnny Cash, and Kris Kristofferson among others.

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Classical pianist Simone Dinnerstein (left) and singer-songwriter Tift Merrit collaborate on the new album Night.

Music & Culture

Merritt And Dinnerstein, A Musical Odd Couple, On Bridging Their Worlds

12:35pm March 26, 2013

by NPR Staff

Singer-songwriter Tift Merritt and classical pianist Simone Dinnerstein say the challenge of their new collaborative album, Night, was creating a language they could both speak. They discuss the project and perform live.

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