Music

German conductor Wilhelm Furtwaengler is regarded as one of the greatest musicians of the 20th century, but his legacy was affected by his decision to stay in Germany during WWII. Classical music critic Lloyd Schwartz looks at how Furtwangler is seen today.

Note: Wilhelm Furtwangler's last name is typically spelled with an umlaut over the 'a' character. The npr website does not support characters with umlauts over characters. A variation of Furtwangler's name without the umlaut is spelled Furtwaengler.

Douglas' three very different quintet albums sound very good together, says critic Kevin Whitehead.

The Black Keys just released a new album called El Camino. Rock critic Ken Tucker says that, while the album retains the band's roots in blues and R&B, it's also reaching out to a wider audience with its pop and rock touches.

A new DVD set catches a rare solo Monk gig, plus sets by John Coltrane, Johnny Griffin and others.

Owens may be best known as the smiling country singer who co-hossted Hee Haw, but he also sang original tunes. A new collection, Buck Owens: Bound for Bakersfield, goes back to the days before Owens made it big.

The psychedelic band has a complex legacy that goes beyond its big hit, "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida," critic Milo Miles says. A newly released concert recording from 1968 provides the best chance in decades for a fresh look at Iron Butterfly.

O'Neal's Whirling Mantis is named for a defensive move in karate. The martial-arts reference suggests one way to look at how O'Neal's music operates: The players react to each other's moves, deflecting one another in stylized interaction.

Colley's not from Kansas, but his music fits the wide-open flatlands, where you can see the weather coming on. Bill Frisell, Brian Blade and Ralph Alessi breathe life into the frameworks the bassist builds on Empire.

Kevin Whitehead says this Davis quintet was consistently amazing, not least on its last big tour.

Kevin Whitehead looks at genre-bending new albums by Pablo Aslan and Sao Paulo Underground.