Search results for

Jessye Norman's voice is built for Strauss' final songs, which sound at once intimate and grand. With impeccable control over phrasing, she sings long-breathed lines at the softest volume, yet with full tone.

Country singer George Strait is surpassed only by Elvis Presley and The Beatles in the number of platinum-selling albums he's had. Rock critic Ken Tucker reviews his new album, Twang.

Kurtis Blow, one of the first superstars of rap, celebrates his 50th birthday Sunday. His 1980 megahit "The Breaks" introduced to the world a new sound that would come to be called "rap." NPR's Guy Raz called him up in Burlington, Vt., where he is currently on tour, to find out what he has been doing lately.

Los Amigos Invisibles' members are true originals. For nearly 20 years, the Venezuelan sextet has been combining elements of funk, disco and jazz with Latin sounds to create a unique and groovy sound. In a session from WXPN, the band performs material from its new album, Commercial.

The English singer's turbulent career spans four decades and encompasses just about every musical genre and then some. Her latest album, Easy Come, Easy Go, is a covers collection that infuses a wide variety of songs (from jazz legends like Duke Ellington, as well as Brit-melancholia icon Morrissey) with her husky, world-weary vocals.

The Canadian pianist's latest release is a collection of "easy" sonatas by Joseph Haydn. With lyrical proclamations and high-minded fun, Hamelin reveals Haydn's mastery of melody, harmony and form.

Perhaps no other living jazz pianist has as impressive a resume as Tyner. He began his professional career with Benny Golson and quickly found himself in the legendary John Coltrane Quartet. In a session from Jazz24, Tyner performs a solo version of Coltrane's "Naima."

In the U.S., the British folk scene has never been as well-known as its counterparts in rock and pop, but David Gray is changing that. For more than a decade, this wordsmith out of Manchester has been laying down album after album of bright folk music. Hear him in a session from WXPN.

The members of The Bronx have always felt a deep love for the music of their Los Angeles home, from the vibrant punk scene to the ever-present Latin rhythms that make up the background of Southern California life. So this hardcore punk outfit decided to record a mariachi record.

The Australian singer-composer and his band The Bad Seeds are best known for his angry, twisted ballad-like lyrics. Their most recent albums were last year's Dig!!! Lazarus Dig!!! and Live at the Royal Albert Hall.