Nov 19 Conversation: Robert Kimball, Author of 'Complete Lyrics of Johnny Mercer' By Arts Desk On Wednesday, prolific songwriter and singer Johnny Mercer would have turned 100. In his lifetime, he worked with more than 200 collaborators and churned out lyrics for more than 1,500 songs for both Broadway and the silver screen, which were… Continue reading
Oct 15 Conversation: Joan Baez By Arts Desk 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… Continue reading
Oct 15 Andrew W.K. Rocks a Classical Sound 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,… Continue reading
Oct 14 Gustavo Santaolalla, Making Music For Both Stage and Screen 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… Continue reading
Sep 18 Conversation: Mark Knopfler By Arts Desk 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,… Continue reading
Sep 17 Mary Travers, Folk Star Who Sang in Protest, Dies at 72 By Arts Desk Mary Travers, member of the folk trio Peter, Paul and Mary, died of leukemia at the age of 72 on Wednesday. Continue reading
Aug 26 Island Hopping 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… Continue reading
Aug 21 Conversation: James Gavin, Author of New Lena Horne Biography For many decades, Lena Horne was one of the best known and loved entertainers in the world, known for her talent and beauty. Continue reading
Aug 11 Southern Exposure 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. Continue reading
Jul 31 Around the Nation, Friday Roundup Here are some of this week's arts and culture headlines from public broadcasters around the nation. Continue reading