Music

A statue of George M. Cohan, prolific Broadway composer and performer, stands in New York's Times Square.

Music & Culture

George M. Cohan, 'The Man Who Created Broadway,' Was An Anthem Machine

4:45pm December 20, 2018

by Bob Mondello

Cohan was a myth builder: Songs like "Yankee Doodle Dandy, "Over There" and "Give My Regards to Broadway" celebrated both life in early 20th-century America and the glowing allure of the stage.

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Pussy Riot's performance at SXSW — one of Ann Powers' favorite concert experiences of 2018 — felt like an occupation of the senses.

Music & Culture

'I Like It Best When It's A Little Loud': Ann Powers' Favorite Live Shows Of 2018

2:50pm December 20, 2018

by Ann Powers

Live music awakens mind, body and soul — and that's what we need more than ever this year. Ann Powers' favorite concerts of 2018 helped create a shelter from everyday life's disorganized noise.

Grammy-winning trumpeter Roy Hargrove passed away at age 49.

Music & Culture

'Jazz Night In America' Remembers Artists We Lost In 2018

11:17am December 20, 2018

Friends of the show offer memories and music of pianist Cecil Taylor, Village Vanguard owner Lorraine Gordon, South African trumpeter Hugh Masekela and trumpeter Roy Hargrove.

Lucy Dacus' sophomore album, Historian, tops the list of Bob Boilen's favorite albums in 2018.

Music & Culture

Bob Boilen's Top Albums And Songs Of 2018

9:39am December 20, 2018

by Bob Boilen

All Songs Considered host Bob Boilen shares the albums and songs that stood out even if some were more peaceful than explosive.

Mary Halvorson's volatile and cagey album Code Girl is her first set full of songs with lyrics, both a departure from and extension of her earlier work and one of Nate Chinen's favorite albums of 2018.

Music & Culture

Nate Chinen's Favorite Albums Of 2018

9:30am December 20, 2018

by Nate Chinen

For NPR Music's jazz critic and the editorial director of WBGO, 2018 was a year that saw music — not just jazz — in the throes of a creative boom, rocketing in many directions.

Petal performing live inside the World Cafe Performance Studio

Music & Culture

Petal On World Cafe

9:00am December 20, 2018

Being honest with herself and with the people around her was a lifesaver for Kiley Lotz.

Courtney Barnett at Newport Folk Festival 2018.

Music & Culture

Courtney Barnett, Live In Concert: Newport Folk 2018

7:00am December 20, 2018

by Lyndsey McKenna

There's electricity in the atmosphere at Newport Folk Festival as evening begins. As the penultimate performer on the main stage, Courtney Barnett's return to Newport felt like cause for celebration.

Some of the albums featured on World Cafe's Best of 2018 Playlist.

Music & Culture

World Cafe's Best Music Of 2018 Playlist

6:01am December 20, 2018

by Stephen Kallao

Enjoy listening to this mix of World Cafe's favorite sounds of the year, picked by the show's entire staff.

Charles Bradley performs during FYF Fest 2016 in Los Angeles. The soul singer's posthumous album, Black Velvet, is out now.

Music & Culture

On Charles Bradley: Sweaty Hugs And Screams 'From The Center Of The Earth'

6:42pm December 19, 2018

by Noah Caldwell

After soul singer Charles Bradley died last year, Tom Brenneck, Bradley's close friend and guitar player, put together a posthumous album of Bradley's rare, unreleased music.

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Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra perform new arrangements of holiday classics in New York City.

Music & Culture

The Jazz At Lincoln Center Orchestra Performs Big Band Holiday Classics

3:34pm December 19, 2018

New arrangements, old Yuletide classics. Watch the annual Jazz at Lincoln Center Big Band Holidays concert live on Wed., December 19th at 7:30 p.m. ET.