Music & Culture

When hitting a high note, mezzo-soprano Dolora Zajick says, "You have to have support. You have to have resonance. People have to understand what you're saying."

Music & Culture

For Opera Powerhouse Dolora Zajick, 'Singing Is Connected To The Body'

3:29pm March 19, 2014

The mezzo-soprano discovered opera as a 22-year-old pre-med student. She took "a crack at a singing career" and has been at the Metropolitan Opera for 25 years. Now she's helping emerging singers.

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Music & Culture

Lake Street Dive: 'Portraits' Of Heartache

10:21am March 19, 2014

by Ken Tucker

The band prides itself on technique over originality, but is nonetheless passionate about its craft.

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Music & Culture

Heavy Rotation: 10 Songs Public Radio Can't Stop Playing

4:31pm March 18, 2014

Another month means another genre-spanning mix of new music chosen by public radio's top DJs. Download new songs by Neko Case, Jason Marsalis, Valerie June, Porter Ray and many other artists.

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Pentatonix's album, PTX Vol. 2, is out now.

Music & Culture

No Instruments? For Pentatonix, It's No Problem

3:40pm March 18, 2014

by NPR Staff

The latest group to win NBC's a cappella competition The Sing-Off is back with a new album. The group has racked up millions of views on YouTube, but its members say they're more than novelty singers.

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Bryan Cranston and Fred Armisen in character as The Bjelland Brothers, a sibling soft rock duo dreamed up by Armisen for a 2010 sketch on Saturday Night Live.

Music & Culture

Fred Armisen's Fake Bands (And Their Real Songs)

2:57pm March 18, 2014

by NPR Staff

The Saturday Night Live alum's sketches about fictional musicians strike a believable chord. Fitting, then, that the original songs he wrote for them are now getting a proper release.

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Music & Culture

Acclaimed Jazz Singer Diane Reeves Takes On A Soulful Sound

2:57pm March 18, 2014

Grammy-winning jazz vocalist Dianne Reeves has partnered with a younger generation of jazz musicians for a new album called Beautiful Life.

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Ambrose Akinmusire's latest album is the imagined savior is far easier to paint.

Music & Culture

Ambrose Akinmusire: 'Music Can Tell You What It Wants To Be'

11:02am March 18, 2014

by NPR Staff

One of the most talked-about names in jazz, the 32-year-old trumpeter is more auteur than star. In an extended interview, he explains why it's crucial to let his collaborators think for themselves.

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Music & Culture

A Fresh Vocalist From The Same School As Adele, Winehouse

11:32am March 15, 2014

Zara McFarlane is a young jazz singer from the U.K. who has been compared to Nina Simone. NPR's Jacki Lyden speaks with Zara about her unusual voice technique.

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Music & Culture

Rapper, Mother, Superstar: Ana Tijoux Finds Her Words

6:33pm March 14, 2014

In her latest album, French-Chilean rapper Ana Tijoux finds inspiration in the birth of her child and the complexities of womanhood. She shares her thoughts on making music that's universal.

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Music & Culture

Box Set Illustrates Clifford Jordan's Impeccable Taste In Musicians

2:05pm March 12, 2014

by Kevin Whitehead

Starting in the late 1960s, the jazz saxophonist produced a series of recordings that came out on the musicians-owned Strata-East label. Those seven albums are now collected in a box set.

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