Music

Composer Nicholas Britell says cellos were central to the score he wrote for If Beale Street Could Talk (starring Stephan James and KiKi Layne, above): "The cellos really became for us this symbol of love, because the movie is about love and injustice."

'Beale Street' And 'Vice' Composer Isn't Afraid To Play The 'Wrong' Notes

3:40pm January 30, 2019

by Terry Gross

Oscar-nominated film composer Nicholas Britell seeks out sounds that capture a movie's essence. His process involves many discussions with directors — and a lot of experimenting.

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Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson has been tapped to direct a Beatles documentary based on unseen footage from the Let It Be sessions.

Music & Culture

Peter Jackson To Direct Documentary On The Beatles Recording 'Let It Be'

1:28pm January 30, 2019

by Joshua Bote

With cooperation from Sir Paul McCartney, Sir Ringo Starr, Yoko Ono Lennon and Olivia Harrison, Jackson will mine 55 hours of unreleased footage of the band in-studio.

Music & Culture

Award-Winning R&B Singer James Ingram Dies At 66

12:59pm January 30, 2019

by Matthew S. Schwartz

The Grammy-winning artist rose to prominence in the 1980s and enjoyed several successful collaborations with other artists. He had two No. 1 hits on the Billboard charts.

Corrina Hewat, Scottish singer, harpist and composer, is one of the artists featured in this week's episode of The Thistle & Shamrock.

Music & Culture

The Thistle & Shamrock: Songs Of The Bard

12:31pm January 30, 2019

Listen to the contemporary appeal of verses written by Robert Burns over 200 years ago.

Music & Culture

On 'Blankets,' Craig Finn Chronicles A Lost Lover's Search

10:24am January 30, 2019

by Lyndsey McKenna

The Hold Steady frontman says his new album, I Need A New War, completes a thematic trilogy. Its opening track unfolds like a short story full of grace and instability.

Music & Culture

Remembering The Beatles' Rooftop Gig, 50 Years Later, With Someone Who Was There

12:09am January 30, 2019

by Bob Boilen

Ken Mansfield was the U.S. Manager for Apple records when the Beatles played their final gig on a rooftop in London — and one of the few people who was actually with the band to witness it.

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Clockwise from top left: Logan Richardson, Khalid, Josée Caron and Lucy Niles of Partner, Naia Izumi (winner of 2018's Tiny Desk Contest).

Music & Culture

Instant Photos Capture Tiny Desk Artists Offstage, 'Flaws, Dust Specks and All'

4:56pm January 29, 2019

by Eslah Attar

See intimate moments with Thundercat, Jorja Smith, the late Mac Miller and other musicians from NPR's Tiny Desk concert series, captured just moments after they performed.

Music & Culture

Sharon Van Etten Presents A Richer, Fuller Sound On 'Remind Me Tomorrow'

2:30pm January 29, 2019

by Ken Tucker

Critic Ken Tucker says you don't have to know anything about Van Etten to find her new album striking and impressive: It's the sound of a woman redefining herself, on terms that are totally her own.

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American jazz vocalist Betty Carter performs in New York for The Music Never Stops in 1992.

Music & Culture

For Betty Carter, 'The Music Never Stops' — Even 27 Years Later

12:12pm January 29, 2019

by Nate Chinen

On March 29, 1992, Betty Carter performed The Music Never Stops at Alice Tully Hall in New York. This spring, that classic concert can be relived once again.

Clockwise from upper left: Better Oblivion Community Center, Heather Woods Broderick, Mdou Moctar, Bellows

Music & Culture

New Mix: Better Oblivion Community Center, Bellows, Duster & More

11:12am January 29, 2019

On this week's show: new music from Conor Oberst and Phoebe Bridgers who collaborate on a new project they're calling Better Oblivion Community Center, trance guitar from the Saharan region and more.

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