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Category Archive
Preview: 'Ancient Paths, Modern Voices' November 9, 2009 |
Coming soon on the NewsHour, Jeffrey Brown reports on "Ancient Paths, Modern Voices: A Festival Celebrating Chinese Culture," a festival currently taking place at Carnegie Hall in New York.
Ben Folds Turns Orchestras Into Rock Bands October 28, 2009 |
While it might not appear to be the case, Ben Folds concedes he wasn't entirely comfortable playing the piano in front of an orchestra at first. That's because growing up in North Carolina, playing percussion in orchestras, he never dreamed he'd be the headliner.
35 Years of Austin City Limits October 20, 2009 |
Extended interviews and performances from Jeffrey Brown's report on Austin City Limits as the PBS music program celebrates its 35th anniversary year.
Conversation: Joan Baez October 15, 2009 |
Last night on PBS's American Masters, viewers got an intimate portrait of one of America's most famous singers. Joan Baez began performing with her guitar in coffee shops at just 17, but went on to help define the sound and social momentum of the 1960s with her politically-charged folk songs.
Andrew W.K. Rocks a Classical Sound October 15, 2009 |
Andrew W.K., a solo rock act known best for his bombastic 2001 debut album, "I Get Wet," has earned a reputation as a party-friendly, long-haired headbanger who combines earnest optimism with exuberant piano playing plus some distorted guitar and frequent, frenetic dancing.
Gustavo Santaolalla, Making Music For Both Stage and Screen October 14, 2009 |
The first thing Argentine musician Gustavo Santaolalla wants people to know about him is that he is an artist: one who works with a guitar rather than an easel. The 57-year-old has spent the last four decades recording, producing and composing music for his various labels, bands and movies.
The Wood Brothers Make Austin Home October 6, 2009 |
Critics have been praising the Wood Brothers since their first studio project together, a 2006 modern blues and folk album called "Ways Not to Lose." NPR named the album one of the best of the year.
Conversation: Mark Knopfler September 18, 2009 |
On his new solo album "Get Lucky," the Grammy-award winning singer/songwriter and guitar great Mark Knopfler takes an almost nostalgic look at the people and places he encountered growing up in Britain, painting their portraits through a blend of rock, blues, and folk.
Mary Travers, Folk Star Who Sang in Protest, Dies at 72 September 17, 2009 |
Mary Travers, member of the folk trio Peter, Paul and Mary, died of leukemia at the age of 72 on Wednesday.
Jamming With the Philharmonic at Carnegie September 15, 2009 |
For Trey Anastasio, a member of Phish, it's taken more than 25 years to get to play with the New York Philharmonic at the legendary venue.
Conversation: Patti Smith Reflects on the Life of Her Friend, Jim Carroll September 14, 2009 |
It was Patti Smith who first encouraged Jim Carroll to blend his poetry with rock 'n' roll, bringing him on stage to perform his work with her band. He went on to form the Jim Carroll Band. Jeffrey Brown talks to Smith about her friend, who passed away Friday.
Wednesday on the NewsHour: Beatlemania September 9, 2009 |
Wednesday on the NewsHour, Jeffrey Brown talks to Tim Riley, a contributing music critic for NPR, about the release of the Beatles Remastered. Earlier Wednesday, Michelle Steele of Bloomberg News gave the business angle on the Beatles' releases.
The Beatles Remastered September 8, 2009 |
On Wednesday, EMI Music and the Beatles will release the band's entire catalog -- every album and single -- digitally remastered in mono and stereo versions, with superior digital quality to the current CD recordings out since 1987.
Jessye Norman, the Roots Team Up for Langston Hughes' 'Ask Your Mama' August 27, 2009 |
Five years ago, Emmy Award-winning composer Laura Karpman stumbled across a copy of Hughes"Ask Your Mama." She was instantly struck by the power and potential of the piece, believing it cried out to be realized as a 21st century multimedia performance.
Island Hopping August 26, 2009 |
As hip-hop has evolved into an established international culture and multi-billion-dollar industry far removed from its underground urban origins, some artists are bringing the genre back to its conscientious and groundbreaking roots. The Blue Scholars, a Seattle-based, Hawaiian-influenced duo, is the harbinger of a new tropical hip-hop interpretation.
Conversation: James Gavin, Author of New Lena Horne Biography August 21, 2009 |
For many decades, Lena Horne was one of the best known and loved entertainers in the world, known for her talent and beauty.
Guitar Legend Les Paul Dies at 94 August 13, 2009 |
Legendary guitar innovator and guitarist Les Paul died Thursday of complications of severe pneumonia in White Plains, N.Y. He was 94.
Southern Exposure August 11, 2009 |
The Big Surprise Tour -- a musical ode to string band fiddling, working man's music and American folk troubadours -- began earlier this month in New Hampshire and is headed down to Nashville.
Pete Seeger's 90th Birthday Blowout on PBS July 30, 2009 |
Time for a summer sing-along, but forget the bonfire! Instead, gather around the cool light of your TV to watch the man who wrote or made famous most of the songs they taught you sing at camp. Tonight on PBS, Great Performances presents Pete Seeger's 90th Birthday concert at Madison Square Garden.
Elvis Costello: His Aim Is Still True July 29, 2009 |
Wednesday on the NewsHour, Jeffrey Brown profiles singer, songwriter and TV show host Elvis Costello, whose latest album, "Secret, Profane & Sugarcane," looks to country and bluegrass music for inspiration.
NSO to Live Twitter Performance of Beethoven July 29, 2009 |
Have you ever sat in the audience for a classical music concert and wished you understood the music better -- even for a piece you were familiar with? National Symphony Orchestra Associate Conductor Emil de Cou feels your pain.
Conversation Preview: Elvis Costello July 24, 2009 |
Coming soon on the NewsHour, Jeffrey Brown has a profile of singer Elvis Costello. Here's a preview of their conversation.
Alison Krauss, Brad Paisley at the White House July 22, 2009 |
On Tuesday, the current first family welcomed a mix of some of country's biggest stars into their home.
Sci-Fi Funk: Robot Rhythms of Janelle Monae July 22, 2009 |
Cindi Mayweather is a cyborg who is wanted for falling in love with a human, and the alter ego of Janelle Monae, a rhythm and blues singer whose 2007 album "Metropolis Suite I of IV: The Chase" boasts clever orchestrations, dynamic vocal stylings, and a political message that transcends the world of a made-up "Metropolis" by finding parallels in ours.
In Chicago, 'Rush Hour' Is Time for Music July 15, 2009 |
Classical music audiences around the country are declining in size and growing older, according to the National Endowment for the Arts. For the last 10 years the Rush Hour Concert Series in Chicago has been trying to buck that trend.
Acclaimed Conductor and Wife End Lives Together in Assisted Suicide July 15, 2009 |
British conductor Sir Edward Downes ended his life last week at the age of 85, alongside his wife Joan, 74, in Switzerland. He had not been ill (though his daughter reported he was nearly blind and deaf), but Lady Downes had been suffering from terminal cancer. After 54 years of marriage, the couple had decided to die together, in front of their two children, at a Zurich assisted-suicide clinic.
Jackson Fans Around the World Say Farewell July 7, 2009 |
The eyes of the world will focus on a sports arena in Los Angeles, as hundreds of thousands of fans and a throng of celebrities congregate for the final salute to the man known as the "King of Pop."
Kernis Takes On Ibn Gabirol in 'Meditations' July 1, 2009 |
What do you get when you pair an 11th century Spanish poet with a modern American composer? Last week, the audience at the Seattle Symphony found out at the world premiere of Aaron Jay Kernis' "Symphony of Meditations."
Conversation: Quincy Jones, Michael Jackson's Longtime Friend and Producer June 26, 2009 |
Quincy Jones, who was Michael Jackson's longtime friend and record producer, talks about Jackson's life and legacy.
Michael Joseph Jackson, 1958-2009 June 26, 2009 |
Michael Jackson is everywhere today. It's like it's 1983 again: His songs are all over the radio, his music videos are on television, his life story in newspapers and in conversations. It took the King of Pop's death to bring him back into the mainstream.
Michael Jackson, King of Pop, Dies at 50 June 25, 2009 |
Pop star Michael Jackson died Thursday afternoon of an apparent cardiac arrest, the Los Angeles Times reported. Jackson was rushed to the UCLA Medical Center by the paramedics after they found him at his home not breathing and tried to administer CPR.
National Symphony Orchestra Tours China June 24, 2009 |
China is home to stars like the pianist Lang Lang, it has vast numbers of music students, it's the world's largest exporter of musical instruments, and it's building new venues to hear music all the time.
Jazzy Start for the White House Music Series June 17, 2009 |
The East Room of the White House sounded more like a high school music room Monday when more than 140 student musicians attended the first installment of a new educational music series.
In Science and Jazz, Father and Son Find Common Bonds June 9, 2009 |
It's just after closing on a Friday night at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History in Washington. In the darkened auditorium, a jazz quintet is building a rhythmic floor on a soft, steady percussion line and lilting piano chords.
Conversation: Michael John LaChiusa June 5, 2009 |
Michael John LaChiusa is one of today's leading musical theater composers whose shows have appeared on and off Broadway. His musical, "Giant," based on the 1952 Edna Ferber novel, made its world premiere at the Signature Theatre.
Koko Taylor, 'Queen of the Blues', Dies at 80 June 4, 2009 |
Koko Taylor, the soulful blues songstress, died Wednesday in Chicago at the age of 80, due to complications from a stomach surgery.
Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings May 22, 2009 |
Soul music began in the late-1950s and never really died, but in recent years there seems to be something of a revival underway. One center of that movement is Daptone Records and its most prominent voice, Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings.
Curtain Call for the Amato Opera May 18, 2009 |
For 61 seasons, singers have taken to the tiny stage at the Amato Opera Company in Lower Manhattan, delighting audiences with a surprisingly big sound and an even bigger passion for music. But all of that is about to come to an end.
Conversation: Arthur Phillips, Author of 'The Song Is You' May 1, 2009 |
Arthur Phillips, author of "The Song Is You," made a name for himself with his very first novel, "Prague," which became a national bestseller. That was followed by "The Egyptologist" and "Angelica."
Chuck Berry Still Thrills at Blueberry Hill April 29, 2009 |
Chuck Berry is the type of man to pioneer rock n' roll, give it some of its most iconic anthems, travel the world, and at age 82, still mow his own lawn and drive himself to gigs. He is St. Louis music incarnate: hillbilly sound mixed with the rush of rhythm and blues. And once a month at Blueberry Hill, a nightclub, bar and restaurant in The Loop neighborhood, he can still bring down a full house and make the ladies howl.
Come Together: The YouTube Orchestra April 17, 2009 |
From home computer to Carnegie Hall, a Wednesday night performance capped off YouTube's first experiment with its online collaborative orchestra.
Out for a Spin: National Record Store Day Is April 18 April 16, 2009 |
Thanks to hundreds of enterprising, enthusiastic stores around the world, we now have April 18th, National Record Store Day, to celebrate music on vinyl.
In D.C., All Eyes on Neko Case April 14, 2009 |
On a recent evening in Washington, D.C., a petite woman stepped onto a stage before a sold-out crowd. Her look was casual, but this was no soft-spoken, indie folk singer. It was Neko Case, who some critics say is in possession of one of the greatest voices of her generation.
Conversation: NPR's Bob Boilen on SXSW March 17, 2009 |
In March, basketball fans have their "madness"...music fans have South by Southwest. The annual festival brings more than 1,800 musicians from around the globe to Austin, Texas, which even in normal times bills itself as the "live music capitol of the world."
SXSW Shifts Gears to Music Festival March 17, 2009 |
The gears are shifting in Austin, Texas, as the South by Southwest Interactive Festival wraps up and the live music capital of the world prepares for the start of the music festival on Wednesday.
Conversation: Pianist Simone Dinnerstein March 13, 2009 |
Two years ago, pianist Simone Dinnerstein seized the attention of the classical music world with a debut concert at Carnegie Hall and a self-produced recording that became a bestseller and made many critics' top lists that year.
From Moscow With Jazz March 10, 2009 |
The forecast called for a mix of rain and snow in Moscow, and that's exactly what greeted Jackie Ryan last month when she arrived for her first visit to the Lionel Hampton International Jazz Festival.
Blurring the Boundaries of Jazz, Arabic Music March 9, 2009 |
In another in our series about the Kennedy Center's Arabesque art festival, Jeffrey Brown profiles Egyptian musician Fathy Salama, who began playing the piano at age 6 and performing at Cairo clubs at 13.
Tonight on the NewsHour: Fathy Salama March 6, 2009 |
Jeffrey Brown profiles Fathy Salama in our series about the Kennedy Center's Arabesque art festival. Salama began playing the piano at age 6 and performing at Cairo clubs at 13.
Conversation With Author Daniel Handler, aka Lemony Snicket March 6, 2009 |
Through a series of unfortunate events, apparently, Daniel Handler did not grow up to be a musician. Instead, he -- or rather, one Lemony Snicket -- grew up to write the wildly popular series, "A Series of Unfortunate Events."
From Lebanon, Songs of Love and Strife March 2, 2009 |
In another in our series about the Kennedy Center's Arabesque art festival, Jeffrey Brown profiles Lebanese folk singer Marcel Khalife, who for nearly 40 years has been rousing audiences with songs about love and strife, politics and injustice.
Tonight on the NewsHour: Marcel Khalife February 27, 2009 |
Friday on the NewsHour, Jeffrey Brown profiles Marcel Khalife, who for nearly 40 years has been rousing audiences with songs about love and strife.
From YouTube to Carnegie Hall February 17, 2009 |
Say you're an awesome cymbal player and you have a Web cam. Or maybe marimba is your thing. You catch wind of the YouTube Symphony Orchestra project, read the rules and upload a video of yourself playing.
Look Out! 'Soul' Is Back February 13, 2009 |
In September 1968, WNET began airing an hour-long, all-black variety show Thursday nights. It showcased funk, jazz and soul musicians, and had interviews with leading politicians, writers and thinkers.
Jeffrey Brown Recaps the Grammy Awards With the New Yorker's Sasha Frere-Jones February 9, 2009 |
The 51st Grammy Awards were held last night in Los Angeles, and there were some clear winners: New Orleans rapper Lil Wayne took home best rap album and rap song, British rockers Coldplay won best rock album and song of the year.
Singer Blossom Dearie Dies at Age 82 February 9, 2009 |
Blossom Dearie, the whimsical singer-songwriter with a pixie's voice who entertained generations of nightclub goers, died Saturday morning after her health deteriorated in recent years.
Richter's Scale: Scoring 'Waltz With Bashir' February 5, 2009 |
It was not accidental that Ari Folman asked composer Max Richter to create a score for his film, "Waltz with Bashir." "I wrote the script...in six days, listening only to Max Richter's albums," explained Folman.
Levon Helm: Rambling on the Roots February 2, 2009 |
Nestled in the woods at the foot of the Catskill Mountains in upstate New York, the majestic wooden structure that is home to Levon Helm's Midnight Ramble concert series is quite the site.
Highlights from the Manifest Hope:DC Party January 22, 2009 |
The Manifest Hope:DC gallery space in Washington neighborhood Georgetown closed Monday night, the day before the inauguration of President Barack Obama.
For Howard's Band, Showtime Is Here January 19, 2009 |
Just about every night at a football field in Northwest, Howard University's marching band has been spending hours rehearsing around the track, preparing for its biggest event ever: Tuesday's inauguration parade.
Something for Everyone Inauguration Week January 14, 2009 |
In the lead-up to the passing of the keys to the White House, Washington, D.C., is giving entirely new meaning to the "party system." Most hotels have been sold out for months; Craigslist is overstocked with temporary rentals.
Marcel Khalife...Don't Call Him Bob Dylan January 13, 2009 |
Marcel Khalife is often described in articles as the "Bob Dylan of the Middle East." (In my preparation for this trip, by the way, I discovered two different women described as the "Oprah of the Middle East").
For Arts Funding, 2008 Was a Rough Year December 31, 2008 |
As the clock ticks down on 2008's roller coaster of economic turmoil and time runs out for charitable giving this year, non-profits are under pressures they weren't feeling a year ago and communities are struggling to support art programs during the downturn.
Harlem Quartet, Strads 'Take the A Train' December 31, 2008 |
The Harlem Quartet continues to break new ground in the world of classical music, and at the group's recent performance at the Library of Congress, a bit of music history was made, too.
Trumpeter Freddie Hubbard Dies at Age 70 December 31, 2008 |
Freddie Hubbard, the influential and prolific jazz trumpeter, died Monday in Sherman Oaks, Calif., of complications from a heart attack suffered Nov. 28. He was 70.
Singer, Performer Eartha Kitt Dies at 81 December 26, 2008 |
Eartha Kitt's first album, "RCA Victor Presents Eartha Kitt," was released in 1954, featuring "Santa Baby." The song has since remained a radio staple every holiday season, and there's no doubt countless heard it on Christmas Day, the day she died.
Soweto Gospel Choir: Songs of Hope December 18, 2008 |
The Soweto Gospel Choir blends the rich sounds of traditional African music with dance and a variety of musical genres -- rock and hip-hop, and American gospel and R&B -- and the combination has earned the choir legions of fans and awards.
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Burtynsky's 'Oil': Refining Art from the Crude
In Theaters Is 'Where The Wild Things Are'
Conversation: Jonathan Lethem
Ben Folds Turns Orchestras Into Rock Bands
A Mission to Save a Cultural Legacy, One Deli Sandwich at a Time
Andrew W.K. Rocks a Classical Sound
Weekly Poem: 'Ode to Mix Tapes'
Weekly Poem: 'Domestique'
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