Search results for

Pour yourself some eggnog, throw on the shawl, and cozy up to the computer for our annual mix of holiday music, featuring fresh takes on old classics and a few new surprises.

The brooding dub-rock of South Africa's BLK JKS (pronounced Black Jacks) is a formidable addition to the musical landscape of indie-rock, with potential to appeal to the audiences enchanted by the likes of Vampire Weekend and TV on the Radio. PRI's Marco Werman interviews the band about their "post-apartheid" music.

Millions have discovered the now-familiar landmarks of California's Yosemite Valley through the extraordinary black-and-white photographs of Ansel Adams. Now, jazz legend Dave Brubeck aims to bring musical emotion to the experience of viewing Adams' work with a new piece.

The Mexican electronic rock band Kinky performs songs from its latest album Barracuda. Lead singer Gil Cerezos talks with host Michel Martin about the band's collaborative spirit, and how it's managed to win over a devoted international following despite little commercial radio airplay.

The jazz pianist and longtime collaborator Childo Tomas pay a visit to NPR's Studio 4A to play music steeped in the Afro-Cuban tradition, but fueled by Sosa's teeming imagination and eclectic inspirations.

On the new album Trombone Tribe, trombonist Roswell Rudd plays with a number of groups including his own sextet. Music critic Kevin Whitehead has a review.

Wilson is one of the finest saxophonists in the business: He's what musicians label a "first call" player. If you have a session coming up and you want great alto and soprano sax work, Wilson is your man. Hear Wilson's musicianship on display as he visits the KC Jazz Club at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., with his new band called Wilsonian's Grain.

Recent developments in understanding the interaction between music and the brain might help us avoid the stress inherent in sending one's hard-earned tax dollars to Manhattan and Detroit and Baghdad. With the right music in the background, preparing taxes might feel about the same as drinking cucumber water in a swank spa, or doing tai chi as the sun rises over the seashore.

Before launching into Cedar Walton's "Mosaic" at the Kennedy Center, drummer Lewis Nash said that no tribute to the legendary Blue Note label would be complete without honoring Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers. Hear the thundering highlight recorded live on Sunday night.

I'm Not Jim is a collaboration between Walter Salas-Humara of The Silos and award-winning novelist Jonathan Lethem. The duo Elegant Too rounds out this unlikely quartet, whose first record is a mix of giddy pop and mournful blues called You Are All My People.