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For pianist Dan Tepfer, improvisation is the mother of Bach's Inventions

Den Tepfer. Josh Goleman/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Josh Goleman/Courtesy of the artist

Music Interviews

For pianist Dan Tepfer, improvisation is the mother of Bach's Inventions

Two musical worlds collide as jazz pianist Dan Tepfer finds inspiration, and room for improvisation, in J.S. Bach's Two-Part Inventions.

For pianist Dan Tepfer, improvisation is the mother of Bach's Inventions

Listen · 7:09
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Tianna Esperanza's uphill climb to conquering 'Terror'

Tianna Esperanza, whose debut album Terror was released Feb. 17. Shervin Lainez/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Shervin Lainez/Courtesy of the artist

Music Interviews

Tianna Esperanza's uphill climb to conquering 'Terror'

Raised in lily-white Cape Cod, Mass. while one of the few persons of color around, Esperanza found their voice the old-fashioned way: by searching for it.

Tianna Esperanza's uphill climb to conquering 'Terror'

Listen · 7:19
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Exploring the many orbits of jazz legend Wayne Shorter

Wayne Shorter, photographed during a live performance at the Town & Country Club in London in April 1987. Fin Costello/Redferns hide caption

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Fin Costello/Redferns

Jazz Night In America: The Radio Program

Exploring the many orbits of jazz legend Wayne Shorter

Jazz at Lincoln Center

Jazz Night takes a moment to commemorate Wayne Shorter and his eternal body of work – with concert performances, unaired interviews and music picks from our host Christian McBride.

Exploring the many orbits of jazz legend Wayne Shorter

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Antonio Sánchez & Bad Hombre: Tiny Desk Concert

Antonio Sánchez (right) performs a Tiny Desk concert with Bad Hombre band members BIGYUKI (from left), Lex Sadler and Thana Alexa Tuesday, Jan. 31, 2023, at NPR’s headquarters in Washington, D.C. Michael Zamora/NPR/Michael Zamora/NPR hide caption

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Michael Zamora/NPR/Michael Zamora/NPR

Tiny Desk

Antonio Sánchez & Bad Hombre: Tiny Desk Concert

Sánchez observes the world with a drummer's sensibilities. Here, he and his pals in Bad Hombre explore the rhythm of language in a set of tracks from Sánchez's latest album.

Musicians in New Orleans and Cuba explore their shared heritage and similar sounds

Trombone Shorty leads a binational jam session with music students from New Orleans and Havana. Debbie Elliott/NPR hide caption

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Debbie Elliott/NPR

Music Features

Musicians in New Orleans and Cuba explore their shared heritage and similar sounds

Artists in New Orleans and Cuba are exploring their shared heritage and similar sounds, and bringing high school musicians from both places together in a funky cultural exchange.

Musicians in New Orleans and Cuba explore their shared heritage and similar sounds

Listen · 8:00
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Violinist's album honors the underground effort to keep jazz alive after Stalin's ban

Russian-born violinist Nataly Merezhuk's new album 'Jazz on Bones' explores the history of jazz in the former Soviet Union. 'Courtesy of Nataly Merezhuk hide caption

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'Courtesy of Nataly Merezhuk

Music News

Violinist's album honors the underground effort to keep jazz alive after Stalin's ban

Russian-born violinist Nataly Merezhuk explores the history of jazz in the former Soviet Union in her new album: Jazz on Bones.

Violinist's album honors the underground effort to keep jazz alive after Stalin's ban

Listen · 6:41
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An artist's 'Healing Project,' focused on incarceration and violence, wins $1 million

The multidisciplinary artist Samora Pinderhughes, whose Healing Project has won a $1 million grant from the Mellon Foundation. Ray Neutron/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Ray Neutron/Courtesy of the artist

Culture

An artist's 'Healing Project,' focused on incarceration and violence, wins $1 million

Multidisciplinary artist Samora Pinderhughes has explored mass incarceration for the last eight years. With this sizeable grant, he hopes to sustain "The Healing Project" for decades to come.

An artist's 'Healing Project,' focused on incarceration and violence, wins $1 million

Listen · 5:25
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Samara Joy's polyphonic stardom

A few years after winning a prestigious jazz vocal competition while still a college student, 23-year-old Samara Joy is now a multiple Grammy nominee for her album Linger Awhile. Meredith Truax/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Meredith Truax/Courtesy of the artist

Editors' Picks

Samara Joy's polyphonic stardom

Don't be shocked by the 23-year-old jazz singer's breakneck rise from precocious college student to best new artist Grammy nominee. In those few years, she's been building three careers at once.

Lara Downes' season 3 of 'Amplify' launches with a theme of renaissance

Host Lara Downes (left) talks with the young, Grammy-nominated jazz sensation Samara Joy. Nicholai Hammar/NPR hide caption

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Nicholai Hammar/NPR

Amplify With Lara Downes

Lara Downes' season 3 of 'Amplify' launches with a theme of renaissance

NPR's Leila Fadel talks to pianist Lara Downes about her interview series Amplify, which examines how Black artists today might find themselves in a new cultural renaissance.

Lara Downes' season 3 of 'Amplify' launches with a theme of renaissance

Listen · 7:19
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Chicago's jazz scene was the perfect place for Makaya McCraven to break the rules

Makaya McCraven Sulyiman/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Sulyiman/Courtesy of the artist

World Cafe Words and Music Podcast

Chicago's jazz scene was the perfect place for Makaya McCraven to break the rules

XPN

The "beat scientist" and composer chats about his musical upbringing and his approach to remixing live music.

Makaya McCraven on World Cafe

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Patrick Shiroishi's music moves a Japanese American saga forward

Patrick Shiroishi — pictured here in Los Angeles — released 19 albums in 2022; at least three were standouts in their respective fields, in part because of the questions of identity they examine. Sean Hazen for NPR hide caption

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Sean Hazen for NPR

Editors' Picks

Patrick Shiroishi's music moves a Japanese American saga forward

The saxophonist and composer resisted his Japanese American heritage for decades. He now funnels that painful and triumphant personal history into a string of vital records.

What makes that song swing? At last, physicists unravel a jazz mystery

Jazz saxophonist Joshua Redman plays in 2019. Swing is an essential component of nearly all kinds of jazz music. Physicists think that subtle nuances in the timing of soloists are key to creating that propulsive swing feel. Bernd Thissen/picture alliance via Getty Image hide caption

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Bernd Thissen/picture alliance via Getty Image

Shots - Health News

What makes that song swing? At last, physicists unravel a jazz mystery

For nearly a century, jazz musicians have debated what gives songs that propulsive, groovy feel that makes you want to move with the music. The secret may lie in subtle nuances in a soloist's timing.

What makes that song swing? At last, physicists unravel a jazz mystery

Listen · 7:01
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Jason Moran's new album pays tribute to Black jazz pioneer James Reese Europe

Jason Moran performs at the 2022 Newport Jazz Festival. Courtesy of Newport Jazz Festival hide caption

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Courtesy of Newport Jazz Festival

Review

Music Reviews

Jason Moran's new album pays tribute to Black jazz pioneer James Reese Europe

WRTI Your Classical and Jazz Source

Jazz artist Jason Moran revisits the deep influence of Black composer and bandleader James Reese Europe, best known for serving with the Harlem Hellfighters in World War I.

Jason Moran's new album pays tribute to Black jazz pioneer James Reese Europe

Listen · 5:18
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Jazz Night In America remembers the artists we've lost

Alison Shearer performs in Jazz Night's 2022 In Memoriam video NPR hide caption

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NPR

Jazz Night In America: Video Episodes And Shorts

Jazz Night In America remembers the artists we've lost

Jazz Night In America's video tribute to the artists lost in 2022.

Jazz Night In America remembers the artists we've lost

Listen · 57:06
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Celebrate New Year's with Toast of the Nation

Ranky Tanky with Lisa Fischer Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Courtesy of the artist

Toast Of The Nation

Celebrate New Year's with Toast of the Nation

Ring in the new year with music from Chucho Valdés, José James, Ibrahim Maalouf and Ranky Tanky with Ms. Lisa Fischer.

Celebrate New Year's with Toast of the Nation

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