Young has long been a nature writer, composing pastorals about the environment. Barn finds him composing lyrical hymns to the earth and sky, or raging against destruction on the horizon.
Flute player Nicole Mitchell, cellist Tomeka Reid and drummer Mike Reed all came up on Chicago's new jazz scene about 20 years ago. Now they revisit their roots on ... and then there's this.
Ward, who died May 3, 2021, spoke in 1992 about a series of Christmas singles the Beatles made in the '60s. If you were a member of their fan club, you got one each year.
From 18-year-old Olivia Rodrigo to 83-year-old Peter Stampfel, critic Ken Tucker says the music he most enjoyed in 2021 was recorded by artists who were either very young or quite old.
The pair took a close look at the subtexts of Euripides' sad, epic tale of Iphigenia — agency, testosterone, violence, faith — and, through a suite of new music, hold them up to the light.
Adele is a rare thing right now: an artist whose appeal cuts across genres and generations.Her new album about divorce features thrilling, exhilarating songs about being absolutely miserable.
Taborn is one the most inventive and resourceful pianists in improvised music today. He has a new solo album — his first in a decade — and, like the previous one, it's a stunner.
The star who commands a planetary position in the galaxy of pop chronicles divorce and soul-searching recovery on an album that thrillingly redefines her artistry by bringing her gently down to earth.
Jade Jackson and Aubrie Sellers are singer-songwriters who each had a solo career before getting together. Their debut album showcases a new sound that neither of them had ever achieved individually.
Critic Nick Quah says the streaming giant's foray into the music podcast field has been pleasantly experimental, with casual, compelling shows that sound lo-fi and intimate.
Lindsey Jordan's debut, which earned her the title "the future of indie rock," documented the bliss of first loves. Her sophomore album finds her just as devoted to honesty, even when the truth hurts.
The Cuban piano whiz teams up with American jazz greats Jack DeJohnette and Ron Carter on a new album. Skyline is three masters enjoying each other's company, with us listeners as lucky eavesdroppers.
The member of K-pop girl group 2NE1 was poised to be a breakout star, until plans for her solo debut fell apart. Now, on the long-awaited album, her confidence and ambition feel more earned than ever.
A new 5-disc reissue of the 1970 and 1971 albums Sunflower and Surf's Up reveals the Beach Boys at a crossroads, having moved beyond surf-music pop hits, and shooting for more mainstream success.
NPR's Steve Inskeep talks to film critic Kenneth Turan about The Last Duel, directed by Ridley Scott. The story takes place in 14th century France, based on true events about a trial by combat.
In 1970, Morgan recorded three shows at the Lighthouse jazz club in Hermosa Beach, Calif. A new box set captures Morgan and his band putting their own spin on Coltrane's trance-like repetitions.
Carlile wrote her latest album during COVID-19 lockdown, fresh off having written a memoir. The record plumbs her past with humility, but even more so, celebrates the hard-won wisdom she's gained.
Pere Ubu leader David Thomas remixed two of his favorite Ubu albums, 1998's Pennsylvania and 2002's St. Arkansas, saying that the remixes are so substantial, they amount to being two new albums.
