Search results for

Bob Dylan says that being labeled the voice of his generation actually got in the way of what he really wanted to do: write songs and play them. Hear his interview with NPR's Steve Inskeep.

Singer Mari Anne Jayme and trumpeters Marlon Winder and Matt White are among a group of promising young musicians invited to Betty Carter's Jazz Ahead program at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. Started by the late jazz singer in 1993, the annual event offers workshops and coaching for emerging artists. NPR's Cheryl Corley reports.

Adrienne Young is a Nashville musician who makes old-fashioned songs sound new. From sparse banjo to traditional country-band backing, her brand of folk music is winning fans across generations. NPR's Melissa Block talks with Young about her debut album, Plow to the End of the Row.

NPR's Linda Wertheimer speaks with New York Times critic Elvis Mitchell about the Coen brothers' remake of the comic 1955 film The Ladykillers. The original version starred Alec Guiness and Peter Sellers. The new film stars Tom Hanks.

The 1939 recording by Glenn Miller and his orchestra remains a classic, and one of the most influential songs of the 20th century.

In the 1980s, Vusi Mahlasela was a voice of the revolution in South Africa. His music gave expression to the political ideals of the anti-apartheid movement. Now he's beginning to tell South Africa's story on a global stage. NPR's Gemma Hooley profiles Mahlasela.

The New York Times names Bill Keller as executive editor, more than a month after the newspaper's top editors resigned following a plagiarism scandal. A former Times managing editor and Pulitzer Prize-winning foreign correspondent, Keller replaces Howell Raines, who resigned after former reporter Jayson Blair was found to have plagiarized and fabricated stories. Hear NPR's Rick Karr.

Lead singer for the band the Jayhawks, Gary Louris. The Minneapolis band has seven albums to its credit — the latest is Rainy Day Music. The band is considered pioneers of the alternative-country movement, but have incorporated everything from pop to folk to rock and country. One reviewer in Rolling Stone writes of their new album, (it's) "all lilting vocals and gentle accoustic fireworks: The slow waltzing guitars and sweet, wrenching vocals of the mortality-obsessed 'Will I See You in Heaven' might seem melodramatic on any other record, but not here, because time rolling slowly away from us is the Jayhawks' main subject matter."

New York Times Executive Editor Howell Raines and Managing Editor Gerald Boyd step down in the wake of an ethics scandal involving former reporter Jayson Blair. Raines faces intense criticism for his handling of the Blair case. NPR's Juan Williams reports.

New York Times Executive Editor Howell Raines and Managing Editor Gerald Boyd step down in the wake of a scandal involving former reporter Jayson Blair. Raines and Boyd faced intense criticism after Blair was accused of various ethical transgressions during his four years at The Times. Hear Jack Schaffer of Slate magazine.

The Jayhawks were at the forefront of the modern "alt-country" sound. There first album, 1991's Hollywood Town Hall, is a favorite of music critics and a devoted fan base. Now the Jayhawks have a new album and a new passion for spreading the word. Hear full-length cuts from their live performance in NPR's Studio 4A.

Ladysmith Black Mambazo founder Joseph Shabala describes his music. The group achieved fame in the United States on Paul Simon's Grammy-winning album Graceland.