Search results for

Weekend Edition film music commentator Andy Trudeau speaks with NPR's Liane Hansen about the life's work of composer Jerry Goldsmith, who died this past Wednesday at the age of 75. Though he created hundreds of film scores and won an Oscar, Goldsmith never achieved the fame of some of his peers.

Singer-songwriter Joseph "Amp" Fiddler's debut CD, Waltz of a Ghetto Fly, is a fusion of classic Detroit soul and modern electronic funk. Day to Day producer Christopher Johnson talks with Fiddler.

One of the wonders of recorded sound is indeed that it is recorded, and one can access it whenever one wants. In part two of the story of Thomas Alva Edison, we explore the first ever recorded sounds to diamond discs cut in 1927.

This summer, Verity Records celebrates its 10th anniversary. The gospel label features popular artists likes of Vanessa Armstrong and Donnie McClurkin, among others. NPR's Tavis Smiley talks with the label's president Max Siegel and Verity gospel star and pastor John P. Kee.

Singer-songwriter Nina Nastasia talks about her cult-classic album, Dogs. The CD is being re-issued Tuesday on Touch & Go Records. Dogs sold well when it was first released five years ago, but quickly went out of print. Hear two full-length cuts from the CD.

Howlin' Wolf electrified the blues of the Mississippi Delta and laid a foundation for rock 'n' roll in the early 1950s. His lyrics, delivered in a gruff, haunting voice, evoked his hard-life experiences.

Helen Hartness Flanders spent 35 years preserving Vermont's vanishing folk songs. She eventually collected more than 4,000 songs by carrying sound equipment to remote corners of the state -- and by charming residents into singing for her.

Radio producer and commentator Paul Ingles offers an appreciation of rhythm & blues legend Ray Charles, who died this past Thursday. For Ingles, there's one song that towers above all others.

Grammy-winning gospel singer-songwriter Andrae Crouch talks with NPR's Tavis Smiley about his latest accomplishment: a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. He is just the third gospel singer to have that honor.

Thirty years ago, Guy Tyler, an amateur ethnographer, began recording Emmett Van Fleet, the last of the Mojave creation song singers. Over the course of several years, Tyler spent his weekends and holidays meticulously recording the 525 song cycle that recounts the legend of the creation and origin of the Mojave people. These recently rediscoverd recordings have been unheard for decades.