Search results for

Delayed for a U.S. release because of its Cuban connections, Briyumba Palo Congo transforms the sounds of Havana into classic jazz. Recorded by Chucho Valdes, the album frequently pays homage to Gershwin and Ellington. Don't miss the swinging Latin version of "Rhapsody in Blue."

Many may not recognize The Dana Owens album as the latest work of Queen Latifah. Music critic Oliver Wang reviews her new album and says its ballads are far from the hip-hop sound that brought her fame.

One of Fat Possum Records' most successful new acts is a duo called the Black Keys from Akron, Ohio. NPR's Liane Hansen speaks with guitarist Dan Auerbach and drummer Patrick Carney. Their new CD is Rubber Factory. It was recorded in an old General Tire plant.

Jazz critic Kevin Whitehead reviews Careless Love, the CD from singer Madeleine Peyroux.

The Norwegian acoustic pop duo Kings of Convenience once titled one of their albums Quiet Is the New Loud. They get even quieter on a new CD, Riot on Empty Street. Meredith Ochs has a review.

The staff of NPR's Performance Toady offers its top ten CD picks for the music of Aaron Copland.

When people think of Latin jazz, they often think of just one name: Tito Puente. Nicknamed "The King of Mambo," the Puerto Rican recorded more than 100 albums and won multiple Grammy Awards. In 1984, Puente performed his Latin magic in front of a San Francisco audience, resulting in El Rey: Live 1984.

Timbales virtuoso. Vibraphonist. Bongo player. Saxophonist. These are just a few of Tito Puente's titles. Perhaps best known for his appearance in the 1992 film The Mambo Kings, he also helped fuel the cha-cha craze in the 1950s. This five-disc set gives a broad overview of Puente's innovative, danceable style.

Get Lifted is the first solo album by R&B singer and piano player John Legend, who made his name playing with star producer Kanye West. Rock critic Ken Tucker has a review.

Django Reinhardt was burned in a fire when he was 18 and lost the use of two fingers. Yet he managed to rise to the top of the jazz world. The Classic Early Recordings allows us to hear Reinhardt in his early years, when his unique gypsy flamenco guitaring was just becoming popular in the United States.