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

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: The Freewheeling, Foot-Stomping Dust Busters

The Brooklyn string band brings it all back home
September 2012 | By Leah Binkovitz

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

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

The Hidden History of a Rock ’n’ Roll Hitmaker

Bassist Carol Kaye blazed her own trail, as the only female studio musician to record some of the greatest songs of the ’60s and ’70s
February 28, 2012 | By Kent Hartman

Joe Temperley’s Ageless Sax

The Scottish baritone saxophone musician recalls his 60-year career and the famous singers he’s accompanied
October 13, 2011 | By Jeff Greenwald

New Orleans Beyond Bourbon Street

From out-of-the-way jazz joints to po' boy shacks, a native son shares his favorite haunts in the Big Easy
September 2011 | By Randy Fertel

A Musical Tour Along the Crooked Road

Grab a partner. Bluegrass and country tunes that tell America's story are all the rage in hilly southern Virginia
September 2011 | By Abigail Tucker

Levon Helm’s Rocking Rambles

The '60s rock great died today. Last July, our writer visited Helm for one of his famous Saturday night music throwdowns
July 19, 2011 | By Anne Miller

Q and A with Eddie Van Halen

The rock guitarist talks about his custom-made Frankenstein 2 that is now in the collections of the American History museum
June 2011 | By Beth Py-Lieberman

The Top 10 Moments of Bob Dylan’s Career

In honor of the folk singer’s 70th birthday, we have selected 10 of the many pivotal events that have shaped his tumultuous life
May 20, 2011 | By Jim Morrison

Maria Anna Mozart: The Family’s First Prodigy

She was considered to be one of the finest pianists in Europe, until her younger brother Wolfgang came along
March 28, 2011 | By Elizabeth Rusch

Gene Krupa: a Drummer with Star Power

Rising to fame with the Benny Goodman band, Gene Krupa was the first superstar drummer
March 2011 | By Owen Edwards

Forty Years of Philadelphia Sound

Songwriters Leon Huff and Kenneth Gamble composed tunes with political messages for chart-toppers like the O’Jays and Billy Paul
February 18, 2011 | By Jim Morrison

Alvino Rey’s Musical Legacy

As the father of the electric guitar and grandfather of two members of Arcade Fire, Rey was a major influence on rock for decades
December 03, 2010 | By Anne Miller

The Smithsonian's Ambassador of Jazz

Music curator John Edward Hasse travels the globe teaching the genre that revolutionized American music
September 2010 | By Erica R. Hendry

The Soul of Memphis

Despite setbacks, the Mississippi River city has held onto its rollicking blues joints, smokin' barbecue and welcoming, can-do spirit
May 2010 | By Jamie Katz

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