Music
Listen to Doc Watson Picking Away at his Banjo
A new release from Smithsonian Folkways highlights the talent of a bluegrass master
February 2013 |
By Leah Binkovitz
Louis Armstrong’s New Orleans
Jazz is synonymous with the Big Easy, and there’s no bigger name in the history of the genre than Satchmo
January 31, 2013 |
By Nina Fedrizzi
LISTEN: Stephen Wade’s Banjo Diary
The roots music expert’s latest album is finger-picking good
January 2013 |
By Leah Binkovitz
What Do Alicia Keys, the Boss and Wagner Have in Common?
From the classical era to modern music, flames have lent a spark to some of the greatest tunes of all time
December 2012 |
By Zachary Woolfe
Esperanza Spalding Took on Bieber, Now Takes on Jazz
The innovative bassist and winner of the Smithsonian American Ingenuity Award for performing arts is taking jazz to a whole new place
December 2012 |
By dream hampton
Listen to the Elizabeth Mitchell Experience
The Elizabeth Mitchell experience
November 2012 |
By Leah Binkovitz
Recapping “The Jetsons”: Episode 02 – A Date With Jet Screamer
The Jetson family's descent into sex, drugs and rock & roll
October 01, 2012 |
By Matt Novak
How Do Our Brains Process Music?
In an excerpt from his new book, David Byrne explains why sometimes, he prefers hearing nothing
October 2012 |
By David Byrne
LISTEN: The Freewheeling, Foot-Stomping Dust Busters
The Brooklyn string band brings it all back home
September 2012 |
By Leah Binkovitz
David Byrne Offers Advice on How to Enjoy Music
What is it about place that makes music special? The rock star dissects what he enjoys about what he hears, from opera to jazz to radio hits
September 12, 2012 |
By Seth Colter Walls
Los Texmaniacs Release New Album
What does jalapeno-spiced polka music sound like?
September 2012 |
By Aviva Shen
Yesterday’s Tomorrows: How a Smithsonian Exhibit I Never Saw Changed My Life
Meet the historians who pioneered scholarship of retro-futurism
August 15, 2012 |
By Matt Novak
Happy 100th Birthday, Woody Guthrie!
New songs by the American folk legend keep turning up, a century after his birth
July 2012 |
By Abigail Tucker
Meet Ella Jenkins, the "First Lady of Children's Music"
The Grammy winner celebrates her 88th birthday with a new album that reflects her lifelong love of kids' music
July 2012 |
By Aviva Shen
An Opera for an English Olympic Hero
Lal White was forgotten by many, even residents of his small English factory town, but the whimsical Cycle Song hopes to change that
July 2012 |
By Franz Lidz
Rosanne Cash and the Many Meanings of Love
One of the most gifted singer-songwriters of our time talks love, science and the deep space between men and women
June 2012 |
By Ron Rosenbaum
LISTEN NOW: Wu Man Brings East and West Together in New Album
In Borderlands, the Chinese musician highlights the culture of the Uyghur people
June 2012 |
By Aviva Shen
You've Never Heard A Music Box Like This
In a funky New Orleans experiment, musicians turn a ramshackle house into a cacophony of sounds
June 2012 |
By Jamie Katz
Los Tres Reyes Remember The Age of the Tríos
The Latin American artists discuss how their career began over 50 years ago
May 2012 |
By Aviva Shen
Pete Seeger: Where Have All the Protest Songs Gone?
Listen to an exclusive live stream of Seeger's new album filled with early versions of the songs that would make him famous
April 2012 |
By Aviva Shen
