Music Features

The Instrument of Hope is lacquered in black except for the shiny brass parts, which are clear lacquered. They include the lead pipe, which is made from bullets set end to end and drilled out so that air can flow through to make it a playable instrument.

A Trumpet Made Of Bullets And The Kids Who Inspired It Take Hope Around The Country

1:24pm August 25, 2019

by Talia Schlanger

The Instrument of Hope, a trumpet made partly of bullets and inspired by the survivors of the 2018 Parkland, Fla., mass shooting, is touring the country to promote healing.

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Billie Holiday performs on stage at the Sugar Hill nightclub in Newark, N.J. Farah Jasmine Griffin's 2001 book posed a challenge to biographers and helped reimagine Holiday's legacy.

Music & Culture

Returning To Lady: A Reflection On Two Decades 'In Search Of Billie Holiday'

10:12am August 23, 2019

by Farah Jasmine Griffin

Farah Jasmine Griffin's 2001 book on Billie Holiday posed a challenge to biographers and our understanding of Holiday. Here, she reflects on her changing connection to Lady Day since its release.

Looking Back At Jazz Singer Billie Holiday's Influence On American Music

7:57pm August 22, 2019

NPR Music is paying tribute to eight women who stand as pillars of American music. Throughline, NPR's history podcast, takes a look at Billie Holiday's life and influence.

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Ivo Pogorelich's new recording of Beethoven and Rachmaninoff sonatas is the pianist's first album in 21 years.

Music & Culture

A Confrontation With Music: Ivo Pogorelich's First Album In 21 Years

10:16am August 22, 2019

by Tom Huizenga

A trio of critics discuss the mercurial pianist's personal take on Beethoven and Rachmaninoff and what it means to color outside the lines in classical music.

The Blair House Collective reads poems for Turning the Tables

Music & Culture

Poems For Billie Holiday And Bessie Smith From The Blair House Collective

8:00am August 21, 2019

Poets Ciona Rouse, Caroline Randall Williams and Adia Victoria are the Blair House Collective. These poems honor two of the "living, breathing, earthbound women" who inspire the Collective's work.

Post Malone performs onstage for Bud Light's Dive Bar Tour, which stopped at Exit/In in 2018.

Music & Culture

Music City's Finest: The 10 Best Clubs In Nashville

7:00am August 21, 2019

by Jessie Scott

Here's a brief, incomplete rundown of the city's best venues: the clubs that set the scene.

Billie Holiday sings at a Sunday afternoon jam session.

Music & Culture

Billie Full Of Grace

3:59pm August 20, 2019

by Tracy Fessenden

The only place Billie Holiday received vocal instruction also gave her bad-girl cred and an ambitious spiritual discipline. It was The House of the Good Shepherd for Colored Girls, a Catholic convent.

Music & Culture

Midland, Connoisseurs Of Country Craft, Evolves Its Vintage Sound

12:15pm August 20, 2019

by Jewly Hight

Now that the '90s country revival has gone mainstream, Midland's Let It Roll showcases the subtle arts that distinguish the band.

Billie Holiday performs at the Club Downbeat in Manhattan in 1947.

Music & Culture

The World Of Billie Holiday: A Turning The Tables Playlist

1:56pm August 19, 2019

by Dee Dee Bridgewater

Jazz singer Dee Dee Bridgewater offers a playlist of Billie Holiday's greatest songs paired with versions performed by other artists.

Music & Culture

Baby Rose Guides Us Through The Emotional Sludge Of Love

12:43pm August 19, 2019

by Sidney Madden

Baby Rose's smokey voice evokes a wisdom beyond her years. That's part of what sets the rising singer's debut album, To Myself, apart from the current R&B scene.