Skip to main content

Subscribe to Smithsonian magazine and get a FREE tote.

Music

Thanksgiving Turkey.

Gobble, Gobble

Here’s a little theme music for your turkey dinner

None

Rhythm and Identity

A Q&A with Bobby Sanabria, musician, composer and professor of Latin jazz

The view from the back of the grotto looking toward the Colorado River during a Moab Music Festival concert

At Moab, Music Among the Red Rocks

The Moab Music Festival features world-class music in an unparalleled natural setting

U. Utah Phillips was known for his blend of song and storytelling.

Jukebox: Dogged Underdog

None

Blue Ridge Bluegrass

The town of Floyd, Virginia draws jam-ready musicians and some toe-tapping fans

None

Folkways Producer Tony Schwartz, Creator of the Daisy Ad, Dies

Bring Back Vinyl

Jones is currently on the council of the National Museum of African American History and Culture

Q at the Castle

Why the Smithsonian Institution can’t get enough of American music’s top artist-entrepreneur, Quincy Jones

Jones (sporting Frank Sinatra's ring) has a hand in the Beijing Olympics as well as ongoing music and movies

The Arranger

From bebop to hip-hop, nobody alive has done more for American music than Quincy Jones

Old Gramophone.

Forgotten Music

A long-lost musical treasure in Paris is rediscovered

None

Jukebox

Hitting the Right Notes

None

Jukebox

The Robeson Spirit

With his own record label, Sufjan Stevens is “one of the indie world’s most eccentric and personal songwriters,” says Rolling Stone.

One Man Band

The next Bob Dylan? Maybe. Sufjan Stevens’ honest sound and stark lyrics speak volumes to a new generation. And he plays all the instruments

Mariza is gaining a reputation as the new queen of fado.

Portugal’s Soulful Sound

Often compared to American blues, fado is gaining global appeal

Although loosely based on The Supremes (above), the movie Dreamgirls is a work of fiction. The real story of the 1960s girl groups, however, changed American music forever.

The Real Dreamgirls

How girl groups changed American music

Ray Charles' Ray-Bans, his celebrity trademark, are held in the collections of the National Museum of American History.

Ray Charles’ Fusion of Gospel and Blues Changed the Face of American Popular Music

A visionary virtuoso, Charles made brilliance look easy

35 Who Made a Difference: Renée Fleming

The soprano is renowned for her beguiling voice and presence

35 Who Made a Difference: Wynton Marsalis

In Katrina’s aftermath, the trumpeter has rallied support for his native New Orleans

None

Going for the Gold

A pop-music confection known as The Village People belted out disco hits in the 1970s that morphed into American standards

None

What is This Thing Called Love?

A new movie explores composer Cole Porter’s consummate musical gifts and his remarkable, unorthodox marriage

Page 46 of 47