The Thistle & Shamrock: Gifts
Fiona Ritchie handpicks a stack of recordings as gift suggestions for music-loving friends and family.
Music & Culture
Our 2020 Nashville Music Recap
In this episode, World Cafe's Nashville correspondent and NPR pop critic Ann Powers brings you some of the artists from the Music City that you might have missed this year.
In Memoriam: Jazz Night Radio Remembers 10 Musicians Who Altered The Shape Of Jazz
We remember luminaries we lost this year in our In Memoriam program: Jimmy Heath; Lee Konitz; Càndido; Tony Allen; Annie Ross; Freddy Cole; Gary Peacock; Henry Grimes; Wallace Roney; and McCoy Tyner.
The Best Reissues And Box Sets Of 2020
There was an avalanche of reissues and vault rediscoveries, across all genres and all eras. Each promises edification, but also flat-out thrilling listening.
Ethereal Souls: Jazz Night In America Remembers Those We Lost In 2020
Grammy-winning trumpeter Keyon Harrold performs "Ethereal Souls" for Jazz Night In America's tribute to the jazz musicians we lost in 2020.
Beethoven's Life, Liberty And Pursuit Of Enlightenment
Growing up in a progressive city, Ludwig van Beethoven embraced the ideals of the Enlightenment, the philosophical movement that shook Europe and helped shape the composer's music.
Tiny Desk Playlist: The Holiday Concerts
From Sharon Jones to Amy Grant, 'tis the season to revisit our best seasonal Tiny Desk performances.
In New Orleans, Music Education Programs Cautiously Fall Back In Step
After months of silence, music programs are attempting to resume limited in-person rehearsals at NOLA public schools, where the stakes go far beyond what kids do with their after-school time.
Diary Of A Fugue Year
Is it possible to hear the music of 2020 without getting lost in the noise? NPR Music's critic Ann Powers studies a year during which nearly everything about loving music was turned upside down.
NPR Music's Best Live Sessions of 2020
The best Live Sessions of 2020 feature performances from Jamila Woods, Anjimile, Tyler Childers, Soccer Mommy, Arlo Parks and many more.