Jazz
'Fresh Air' Favorites: Bandleader Jon Batiste
This week, we're listening back to some favorite Fresh Air interviews from the past decade. The bandleader for The Late Show with Stephen Colbert let loose at the piano during this 2018 interview.
Erroll Garner's 'Night At The Movies' Reissue Radiates Joy
The late jazz pianist spins out new and old melodies and cracks little musical jokes on a new series of reissues representing albums he recorded for various labels between '59 and '73.
Taylor Ho Bynum's 'Ambiguity Manifesto' Is A Playground For Jazz Improvisers
Bynum's album features nine musicians, including guitarist Mary Halvorson, a newly minted MacArthur fellow. Each improviser sings the tune — or sings around it — in their own way, in their own time.
Singer/Composer Jazzmeia Horn Is A Double Threat On 'Love & Liberation'
Horn pulls together her sundry influences — including jazz, pop, gospel and vintage Broadway — on her second album. The resulting tunes are so good, other singers are sure to try them on.
Pianist Fred Hersch Scales Up The Intimacy On 'Begin Again'
Hersch often works in small settings, either as a piano soloist, or in a duo or trio. But he amplifies his message on his latest album by teaming up with Germany's WDR Big Band.
'The Balance': Abdullah Ibrahim Is Deeply Rooted Yet Sounds Like No One Else
The latest album from the 84-year-old South African composer and pianist showcases his work as a master composer of melodic mood pieces.
Remembering Musician, Singer, Songwriter And Producer Dr. John
New Orleans musician Mac Rebennack, A.K.A. Dr. John, died Thursday at 77. He was known for his raspy voice and hits such as "Right Place, Wrong Time" and "Such A Night." Originally broadcast in '86.
Branford Marsalis Revels In Jazz's Timeless Challenges On New Album
Saxophonist Marsalis has been leading a quartet for the last 20 years, with only one personnel change; their new album, The Secret Between the Shadow and the Soul, shows they're still going strong.
Herlin Riley's Swinging, Modern Style Shines On 'Perpetual Optimism'
The New Orleans drummer produces jazz with its own distinct character on his new album. Critic Kevin Whitehead says Perpetual Optimism is marked by Riley's upbeat nature and attention to detail.