Ornette Coleman died Thursday, at the age of 85. Listen to a pair of conversations with the saxophonist and composer, as well as interviews with members of his quartet — Don Cherry and Charlie Haden — and his son, Denardo Coleman.
Jazz clarinetist Andy Biskin. His latest CD is “Dogmental,” (GM Recordings) by the Andy Biskin Quintet. Biskin is also a composer. He grew up in San Antonio, Texas and is now based in Manhattan.
Moran's new album, Ten, is like a stack of progress reports -- on his personal growth as pianist and as a composer, on the development of a trio with stable personnel for a decade, and on how jazz itself has progressed over the last 10 years.
Classical music critic Lloyd Schwartz reviews "George Gershwin Memorial Concert," a CD of a radio performance broadcast shortly after the composer's death.
Two new CDs from the CBS Masterworks series showcase conductor Pierre Boulez's interpretations of classic works by the 20th century composers. Critic Lloyd Schwartz recommends them both.
Classical music critic Lloyd Schwartz reviews "Leon Kirchner: Historical Recordings" (Music and Arts)featuring the music of Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Leon Kirchner who turns 81 this year.
For 26 years, Maurice Levine has been director of the 92nd Y's "Lyrics & Lyricist" series. It spotlights American lyricists and composers like Alan Jay Lerner, Stephen Sondheim, and Dorothy Fields. The series has consistently been a sell-out. Levine has also served as musical director/conductor/vocal arranger for Broadway shows and produced for television.
Music archivist Joseph Weiss recently wrote the liner notes on "An Evening With Frank Loesser," a CD featuring the late Broadway composer performing his own songs.
Music historian Craig Monson talks about 17th century nun Lucrezia Vizzana who was part of a little known group of women composers. Monson is author of the new book "Disembodied Voices: Music and Culture in an Early Modern Italian Convent." (University of California Press) He is a Professor of Music at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri.
Classical Music Critic Lloyd Schwartz reviews a new issue of a live recording of the opera "Adriana Lecouvreur" by the Italian composer Francesco Cilea. In this performance, Cilea's favorite soprano, Magda Olivero, sings the title role. This recording was made by a fan who snuck in a tape recorder to what turned out to be Olivero's farewell performance in the role.
The Broadway star has a new album, I Got Love: Songs of Jerome Kern, which features songs by the great Broadway composer. The collection came out of a live show Luker performed at the Manhattan club 54 Below.
Iyer studied physics and mathematics before becoming a professional musician in the 1990s. He composes music for an ensemble of interdisciplinary composers and jazz academics on his new album.
Classical music critic Lloyd Schwartz reviews the cast recording of "Into the Woods," the latest Stephen Sondheim musical. Sondheim is the composer of "Sweeney Todd," "Pacific Overtures" and "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum.
A new "best of" collection, The Soul Years, showcases the soulful vocals and composing skills of soul and R&B singer and composer Bobby Womack — and has become a favorite of many critics.
Jazz critic Kevin Whitehead reviews "Charles Mingus Epitaph" (on the Columbia label) It's a live recording of the Mingus composition conducted by composer Gunther Schuller last year at New York's Lincoln Center.
Classical music critic Lloyd Schwartz reviews the cast recording of the contemporary opera "Nixon in China." The score was written by minimalist composer John Adams.
Classical music critic says that no music is more fun than a good operetta. A new collection of lesser known works by composer Jacques Offenbach is more fun than almost any other album this year.
New Fresh Air performer-in-residence Dick Hyman plays some of the music of Jelly Roll Morton. Hyman says the pianist and composer bridged the gap between ragtime and jazz, incorporating the phrasing and style of wind and reed players.
Not much of Cornysh's work survives, but the vocal ensemble the Tallis Scholars has unearthed enough to record a new album of the composer's sacred and secular music. Classical music critic Lloyd Schwartz says it's as excellent as all of the ensemble's previous recordings.
