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Renee Klahr/Think of the best songs of 2021 as a playlist catering to the most basic human urges. Within it, booties were called, muffins were buttered and bloody revenge was contemplated. It was quite a year. -
Renee Klahr/Think of the best songs of 2021 as a playlist catering to the most basic human urges. Within it, booties were called, muffins were buttered and bloody revenge was contemplated. It was quite a year.
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John Cephas and Phil Wiggins are two musicians from different generations who have played Piedmont blues together for 25 years. The two perform their music and talk with NPR's Scott Simon about their distinctive brand of the blues.
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Blues legend B.B. King is still on the road. It's no surprise, really. The 77-year-old guitarist been toured nearly non-stop for more than half a century and he's still playing more than 200 events a year. NPR's Tom Cole offers a profile.
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They have collaborated on the CD box set, Frank Sinatra in Hollywood (1940-1964) which collects Sinatra's film recordings — many of them rare. Granata is a Sinatra historian and author of Sessions with Sinatra: Frank Sinatra and the Art of Recording.
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Tavis Smiley interviews entertainment critic Patty Jackson about songs for the Christmas season. The list includes everything from Johnny Mathis to En Vogue.
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In his special year-end installment of Director's Cuts, Ned Wharton, music director of Weekend Edition Sunday, offers musical gift suggestions, including albums by Tim Sparks, Joni Mitchell and Rachel Z.
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With his quartet, Sex Mob, he's just released a new CD called Diaspora Blues. Last year, the band released a CD paying homage to the music of James Bond films. It's called Sex Mob Does Bond and is the sextet's third album. Bernstein also heads two other groups: Diaspora Soul, which specializes in performing versions of ancient Jewish melodies, and Millennial Territory Orchestra, with which he explores jazz from the 1920s and 1930s. This interview first aired November 21, 2001.
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Music Critic Jim Fusilli has a review of the latest recording from Tin Hat Trio, a group that blends an eclectic array of styles. The CD is called The Rodeo Erodes. (3:45) The CD is on Rope-a-Dope Records.
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Charlie Christian introduced the electric guitar to a wide audience. And even though he died in 1942 at 25, guitar enthusiasts remember his name — and his sound. Now there's a new collection of Christian's work. Tom Vitale reports.
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The Susie Arioli Swing Band featuring Jordan Officer first gained notice at the 1998 Montreal International Jazz Festival. The band's albums include the recent Pennies from Heaven and the debut It's Wonderful.
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Kevin Whitehead continues his Avant Garde Made Easy series with a look at pianist Cecil Taylor.