Music & Culture

Barry Manilow onstage during a tree lighting in Los Angeles in November.

Music & Culture

Why Barry Manilow Loves Christmas Music

10:39am December 17, 2012

by NPR Staff

With Christmas looming, the pop legend — who has recorded three albums of Christmas music and just released a compilation of them called The Classic Christmas Album — spoke with Morning Edition about the season.

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"He changed the whole approach to how an artist is perceived," sitarist Shubhendra Rao says of his teacher, Ravi Shankar (pictured).

Music & Culture

Indian Musicians Remember Their Teacher, Ravi Shankar

10:27am December 17, 2012

by Julie McCarthy

The world mourned the death this week of the Indian maestro whose name became synonymous with the sitar. Closer to Shankar's home, Indians mourned the man they affectionately call Pandit-ji, or Teacher. "He changed the whole approach to how an artist is perceived," says sitarist Shubhendra Rao.

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Alex Clare's debut album is called The Lateness of the Hour.

Music & Culture

Upended By Label Drama, Alex Clare Lands On His Feet

6:38pm December 16, 2012

by NPR Staff

An Orthodox Jew, the singer-songwriter ran into trouble trying to tour in support of a major-label release without performing on the sabbath or high holy days. That and slow sales nearly killed Clare's career, but it got a reboot from an unlikely benefactor: Microsoft.

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Myrlie Evers-Williams leads her three children — Reena (from left), Van and Darrell — at the family piano, circa 1965.

Music & Culture

A Civil Rights Figure's Long Road — To Carnegie Hall

1:43pm December 16, 2012

by NPR Staff

Myrlie Evers-Williams is the widow of assassinated civil rights activist Medgar Evers. After her husband's death, she became a noted activist herself. But music has always been one of her loves, and she's about to fulfill a longtime dream on the Carnegie stage.

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Music & Culture

Hall Of Famer: Randy Newman Makes The Cut

9:01am December 15, 2012

Known for such hits as "Real Emotional Girl", singer-songwriter, composer, arranger and pianist Randy Newman is on his way to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Newman, a 40-year veteran of the music business, talked to Fresh Air in 1998 and 2004 about his life and work.

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Music & Culture

Ravi Shankar: Remembering A Master Of The Sitar

9:01am December 15, 2012

In a 1999 interview, Ravi Shankar, who died Tuesday, talked to Fresh Air about hippies, psychedelic drugs, "Norwegian Wood," George Harrison, his fond memories of the Monterey Pop Festival of 1967 and his less-fond memories of Woodstock.

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The Beatles look out of the Magical Mystery Tour coach skylight, on location in England in September 1967.

Behind The Scenes Of The Beatles' 'Magical Mystery Tour'

3:01pm December 14, 2012

by David Bianculli

A new documentary on PBS about the making of the Beatles' 1967 film Magical Mystery Tour features outtakes from the original and new interviews with Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr. TV critic David Bianculli calls the film "wonderfully thorough."

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In a new memoir, jazz guitarist and son of jazz legend Bucky Pizzarelli tells stories from growing up in a musical household and making a name for himself as a musician.

'World On A String': John Pizzarelli Jazzes It Up

1:13pm December 14, 2012

In his new book, the guitarist, singer and songwriter shares stories from life growing up in a musical household and talks about collaborating and sharing the stage with the likes of Rosemary Clooney, Frank Sinatra and Paul McCartney.

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Left to right: Seth Jabour, Amy Carlson and Syd Butler of Office Romance. The group's new EP is called I Love the Holidays.

Music & Culture

Cooking Up Holiday Songs From Scratch

8:01pm December 13, 2012

by NPR Staff

The band Office Romance, which includes two members of the rock band Les Savy Fav, performs a few new seasonal tunes on its latest EP, I Love the Holidays.

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Somali-Canadian rapper K'Naan released his first album in 2005.

Music & Culture

K'Naan On Cheapening His Music For The Money

2:30pm December 13, 2012

by NPR Staff

Somali-born rap musician K'naan is known for telling gritty stories about his childhood in war-torn Mogadishu through hip-hop music. On Country, God, Or the Girl, the edginess of past songs has been replaced with a polished pop sound.

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