Mar 06 Watch 6:51 Robbie Robertson on building The Band By Jeffrey Brown The documentary "Once Were Brothers" chronicles the highs and lows of a famous rock group. Lead guitarist and songwriter Robbie Robertson began touring as a teenager and played for Bob Dylan before joining forces with four other musicians to become… Continue watching
Mar 02 Why some of the best-known tunes, like ‘Happy Birthday,’ are the hardest to sing By Bryan Nichols, The Conversation Don’t judge your singing skills on familiar cultural songs; they’re just not good measures of our singing abilities. Continue reading
Mar 02 Public Enemy kicks out Flavor Flav after Sanders campaign dispute By Mark Kennedy, Associated Press The dispute kicked off when Flavor Flav and his attorney sent a cease-and-desist letter to Sanders' campaign on Friday, arguing that a Sunday campaign rally in Los Angeles by Public Enemy Radio had used Flavor Flav's “unauthorized likeness, image, and… Continue reading
Mar 01 Watch 6:37 Capturing 1960s music icons from jazz clubs to Woodstock By Christopher Booker, Mori Rothman You may not know the name Jim Marshall, but you probably know his photographs. His collection of work is a near-complete account of the cultural revolution that took place in the 1960's, from jazz clubs to Woodstock. Now, his long-time… Continue watching
Feb 28 Watch 8:11 How the Dallas Street Choir grants homeless residents a voice By Jeffrey Brown, Anne Azzi Davenport The mantra of the Dallas Street Choir is “homeless, not voiceless.” Some 2,000 singers have passed through the group in the last five years, seeking support, artistic expression and community as they contend with life on the streets. The organization… Continue watching
Feb 14 Watch 7:20 This 20-year-old British cellist has sparked a global music phenomenon By Jeffrey Brown, Anne Azzi Davenport It’s being called the “Sheku effect” -- the rise of young people in the United Kingdom signing up for classical music lessons to play the cello. Sheku Kannah-Mason is a 20-year-old acclaimed musician who performed at the royal wedding of… Continue watching
Feb 07 How music amplifies the drama in these two Oscar-nominated movies By Michael Slowik, The Conversation Whether warmly classical or bleakly meditative, film scores can be the unsung heroes behind the viewer’s experience. Continue reading
Jan 26 Watch 7:26 How a lost recording became a Philadelphia soul classic By Christopher Booker Philadelphia's Sigma Sound Studios recorded more than 200 gold and platinum records before closing its doors in 2003, eventually donating 7,000 tapes to Drexel University, including recordings by Stevie Wonder, David Bowie, Gladys Knight and hundreds of other unknown artists. Continue watching
Jan 26 Watch 9:06 Shemekia Copeland: a new-generation ‘Queen of the Blues’ By Tom Casciato, Connie Kargbo For some, 40-year-old vocalist Shemekia Copeland might seem out of step with a generation more in tune with hip-hop than the blues. But since her first Grammy nomination at the age of 21, Copeland has been working to push the… Continue watching
Jan 17 Watch 6:07 How a revitalized recording studio is bringing Georgia’s Macon into the spotlight By Jeffrey Brown, Rhana Natour Many a masterpiece has been recorded at Capricorn Sound Studios in Macon, Georgia. Otis Redding’s manager, Phil Walden, co-founded the label, and Capricorn went on to produce a decade of southern rock hits. But as the music industry changed, Capricorn… Continue watching