Search results for

Melissa Block talks with the Greek singer Savina Yannatou. On her latest CD, Sumiglia, which means "similar," Yannatou sings music from the Mediterranean in twelve different languages.

Since releasing his first album in 1968, Newman's career has taken him from pop chart success to Oscar nominations. His latest CD is 'The Randy Newman Songbook, Vol. 1.'

Organizations such as the Jazz Foundation of America and Billy Taylor's JazzMobile are striving to help older jazz musicians in need. Another group supposed to help musicians is the American Federation of Musicians union, but it has been criticized for failing to cater to jazz artists.

Tim Brookes, who occasionally contributes essays to NPR, is also a passionate and talented guitar player. He has just published Guitar: An American Life, which he describes as part history and part love song. He talks about what he learned in working on the book.

A jazz legend's influence on the genre is detailed in Donald Maggin's book Dizzy: The Life and Times of John Birks Gillespie. Dizzy Gillespie's contributions to jazz included the flavor of Afro-Cuban rhythms and be-bop.

Not all musicians support the current crackdown on Internet file sharing. Some give their music away for free, trading some record sales in the hopes that they'll get more exposure from offering the downloads. The band Nine Inch Nails is currently streaming their new album online, ahead of the CD's commercial release Tuesday.

The Kronos Quartet is known for its unique artistic vision and dedication to experimentation. Since its inception in 1973, Kronos has assembled a body of work unparalleled in its range and scope of expression.

There are countless established chamber quartets and trios, but in the world of classical music, touring sextets are uncommon. The string ensemble Concertante is one of the rare exceptions. The acclaimed group performs music by Strauss and Schoenberg in NPR's Studio 4A.

Senegal's Youssou N'Dour is one of the most successful and original African pop singers of all time. The set list for this high-energy concert includes some of N'Dour's best material, including "Shaking the Tree" and "Birima."

Singer-Songwriter Mike Doughty begins the first day of his self-proclaimed 'Small Rock World Tour' by taking caller questions and performing songs from his new album Haughty Melodic at NPR's Washington studios. Doughty is the former frontman for the group Soul Coughing.