Music News

Joe Castro with Louis Armstrong and Teddy Wilson, backstage at Basin Street in 1956.

Music & Culture

'Nothing Less Than A Treasure Trove': Joe Castro Box Set Features Hidden Jazz Gems

5:09pm March 30, 2016

by Betto Arcos

The Mexican-American jazz pianist earned acclaim in New York and Los Angeles in the 1950s and '60s, but much of his music was never released — until now.

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Jazz pianist Erroll Garner was well-loved in the 1950s and '60s for his energetic playing. Thanks to the Erroll Garner Jazz Project, much of his music is being restored.

Music & Culture

The Erroll Garner Jazz Project Restores A 'Profound Cultural Gift'

8:38am March 27, 2016

by Tom Vitale

"We came together to invigorate Erroll's musical legacy," says Susan Greenberg, who inherited Garner's archive. The project will restore and release unheard material from the pianist and composer.

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When Apple used the song "1234" in a 2007 iPod commercial, it turned Canadian singer Feist into a star. A panel at this year's SXSW agreed that music licensing remains lucrative — and complicated.

'How Did This Song Get In That Commercial?' Some Answers From SXSW

6:08pm March 24, 2016

by NPR Staff

In an age when you're more likely to hear a cool new song in an ad before you hear it on the radio, a panel at SXSW addressed the question of how to match mayonnaise with banjos or sneakers with EDM.

Rapper Phife Dawg of A Tribe Called Quest performs at H2O Music Festival at Los Angeles Historical Park on August 17, 2013.

Music & Culture

Phife Dawg, A Founding Member of A Tribe Called Quest, Dies At 45

11:45pm March 23, 2016

by Merrit Kennedy

His family said in a statement that Malik I. Taylor's death was the result of complications from diabetes.

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Charli XCX performs at SXSW with pop music deviant SOPHIE.

Music & Culture

SXSW 2016 In 10 GIFs

7:02pm March 23, 2016

by NPR Music Staff

Photographer Adam Kissick captured amazing SXSW moments in GIF form: an epic jump from Diet Cig's Alex Luciano, pop alchemist D∆WN's killer moves and thrash metal band Black Fast's shredding.

Trevor Johanson of the St. Louis progressive thrash metal band Black Fast mugs for the camera.

Music & Culture

SXSW 2016: Photos Of The Week

1:13pm March 21, 2016

by NPR Music Staff

Amid the mess of heat, rain and tacos, there was a rich gallery of motion and color at the SXSW music festival in Austin, Texas.

Prince on stage in Detroit in 2015. The singer announced on Friday that he was writing his memoir, due in 2017 from Spiegel & Grau.

Music & Culture

This Thing Called Life: Prince Announces His Memoir In Style

2:09pm March 19, 2016

by Piotr Orlov

In the mood to reminisce, the music legend announced he was writing his memoir, to be published in 2017, at an event that also included a career-spanning performance.

The composers of the original Shuffle Along, Noble Sissle (left) and Eubie Blake.

Music & Culture

The Musical That Ushered In The Jazz Age Gets Its Own Musical

8:18am March 19, 2016

by Tom Vitale

Shuffle Along, Or, The Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed tells the story of an overlooked smash hit created and performed by African-Americans.

Audie Cornish and Stephen Thompson on the streets of Austin, TX during South by Southwest.

Music & Culture

SXSW At 30, With A View From Street Level

6:29pm March 18, 2016

by NPR Staff

During her first visit to SXSW, Audie Cornish talks with festival veteran Stephen Thompson of NPR Music the festival's history, what people expect to hear and how it has evolved over the decades.

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Actors onstage during a performance of Fallujah. The Long Beach Opera production is based on the combat experiences of a U.S. Marine in Iraq, and was co-written with an Iraqi-American.

Music & Culture

An Iraq War Opera Finds A Vein Of Empathy

6:29pm March 18, 2016

by Neda Ulaby

Fallujah is based on the experiences of a real Marine, who lost friends and more as a gunner in Iraq. The show's libretto was written by an Iraqi-American.

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