Apr 09 Conversation: Musician Brad Mehldau By Jason Breslow On his latest album, pianist Brad Mehldau takes listeners on a journey where each track become like stops on a road trip. A mix of jazz, classical and pop, the double-disc release, "Highway Rider," was a collaboration with producer Jon… Continue reading
Feb 10 Wednesday on the NewsHour: Ruben Blades By Tom LeGro, Mary Jo Brooks On Wednesday’s PBS NewsHour, we profile international salsa star Ruben Blades, who after spending five years as a cabinet minister in Panama, has made a return to music. At 61, Blades is now back… Continue reading
Jan 08 Conversation: Terry Teachout, Author of 'Pops: A Life of Louis Armstrong' By Tom LeGro Louis Armstrong is the subject of the biography, "Pops," by Terry Teachout, Wall Street Journal drama critic and Commentary Magazine cultural critic. Continue reading
Oct 06 The Wood Brothers Make Austin Home 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. Continue reading
Jun 17 Jazzy Start for the White House Music Series By Arts Desk 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. Continue reading
Jun 09 In Science and Jazz, Father and Son Find Common Bonds By Arts Desk 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. Continue reading
Mar 10 From Moscow With Jazz 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. Continue reading
Mar 09 Blurring the Boundaries of Jazz, Arabic Music By Arts Desk 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. Continue reading