Review Song Of The Day Brassy Jazz with the Soul of a Child February 27, 2008 • Diane Schuur really belts out the jazz standard "September in the Rain." She takes that old chestnut about "leaves of brown" that tumble down and she heats it up, adding just the right hint of rue. Her backup, a pianist whose touch is both light and lush, is surely a George Shearing disciple. 'September in the Rain' by Diane Schuur Toggle more options Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/57135288/55648288" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
'September in the Rain' by Diane Schuur Toggle more options Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/57135288/55648288" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
Review Song Of The Day Bettye LaVette Picks Up the Pieces of a Lost Career February 8, 2008 • The '60s soul singer, newly discovered after decades of disappointment, sounds as if she means every word of Willie Nelson's "Somebody Pick Up My Pieces." Does any indie soul singer bring more guts, more conviction and more emotion to her singing? 'Somebody Pick Up My Pieces' by Bettye LaVette Toggle more options Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/15440764/15419775" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
'Somebody Pick Up My Pieces' by Bettye LaVette Toggle more options Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/15440764/15419775" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
Review Song Of The Day 'Andre's Blues' and the Sounds of Contentment December 5, 2007 • For two minutes and 21 seconds, Sir Andre Previn improvises in the studio and comes up with "Andre's Blues," one of the cuts on his new solo piano album. At the start, Previn's 78-year-old fingers take off in a lighthearted reverie and then segue into the business of the blues. 'Andre's Blues' by Andre Previn Toggle more options Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/13820275/13788126" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
'Andre's Blues' by Andre Previn Toggle more options Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/13820275/13788126" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
Review Song Of The Day Cyrus Chestnut Out-Elvises Elvis November 7, 2007 • Chestnut knows how to conjure up a spirit of romance: Just listen to the jaunty jazz pianist's reinvention of "Love Me Tender" on his new CD, Cyrus Plays Elvis. It's a great example of how a gifted musician can take a sappy song and set it free. 'Love Me Tender' by Cyrus Chestnut Toggle more options Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/16071865/16061121" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
'Love Me Tender' by Cyrus Chestnut Toggle more options Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/16071865/16061121" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
Review Song Of The Day Sharon Jones' '100 Nights' of Heartache October 24, 2007 • Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings' "100 Days, 100 Nights" is about love, not some supersized flood; according to the singer, that's how long it takes for a man's heart to unfold. Meanwhile, her dynamite backup band chips in the brassy punctuation marks. '100 Days, 100 Nights' by Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings Toggle more options Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/15588139/15578843" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
'100 Days, 100 Nights' by Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings Toggle more options Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/15588139/15578843" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
Review Song Of The Day A Bold Soul Man Gets Bolder September 10, 2007 • To cover a song by the great Jackie Wilson takes a lot of gumption, not to mention a lot of voice. But since Ryan Shaw says people are always comparing him to Wilson, he figured he might as well try one of the late soul singer's classics ("I'll Be Satisfied") on his debut album. 'I'll Be Satisfied' by Ryan Shaw Toggle more options Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/10714151/10714174" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
'I'll Be Satisfied' by Ryan Shaw Toggle more options Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/10714151/10714174" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
Review Song Of The Day A Soulful Homage to the Secular Slow Jam July 27, 2007 • An ordained preacher at 15, Keite Young now aims to conquer the sinful world of secular music. At 27, he showcases all the tools on "E.N.S.," including a keening tenor, a sharp falsetto and a thorough knowledge of both the gospel idiom and the school of funk. 'E.N.S. (Everybody Needs Somebody)" by Keite Young Toggle more options Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/12275824/12277183" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
'E.N.S. (Everybody Needs Somebody)" by Keite Young Toggle more options Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/12275824/12277183" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
Song Of The Day Katrina Makes Marva Wright Sing the Blues June 18, 2007 • New Orleans blues singer Marva Wright says she remains too distraught over the destruction of her hometown to write songs about what happened. She sure can sing about it, though, as her bittersweet cover of "You Are My Sunshine" proves. 'You Are My Sunshine' by Marva Wright Toggle more options Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/11119106/11119297" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
'You Are My Sunshine' by Marva Wright Toggle more options Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/11119106/11119297" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
Review Song Of The Day An Imaginary Cup of Tea for Two May 25, 2007 • Everyone on earth seems to have recorded "Tea for Two," but the multilingual lounge act Pink Martini makes it clear that the cloying classic is a fantasy. Paired with angel-voiced Jimmy Scott, singer China Forbes invests the song with a delicate intimacy. 'Tea for Two' by Pink Martini Toggle more options Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/10432777/10432816" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
'Tea for Two' by Pink Martini Toggle more options Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/10432777/10432816" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
Review New Music A Wry Ode to a Singer's Indispensability April 25, 2007 • With her tart, no-nonsense voice, Mable John deserved to be a star like her brother Willie, who sang "Fever" before Peggy Lee. But Mable John never quite made it, though it sure wasn't because of her singing. Case in point: "Able Mable." 'Able Mable' by Mable John Toggle more options Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/9799376/9799387" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
'Able Mable' by Mable John Toggle more options Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/9799376/9799387" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
Review Song Of The Day The Return of a Long-Lost Boogie March 27, 2007 • "Boogie Blues" contains two minutes and one second of wonderful boogie-woogie, sung by a great jazz singer at a 1963 concert and never heard on record until now. Anita O'Day's Tokyo performance aired live on Japanese TV, then languished in the vaults. 'Boogie Blues' by Anita O'Day Toggle more options Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/9147573/9147700" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
'Boogie Blues' by Anita O'Day Toggle more options Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/9147573/9147700" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
Review Song Of The Day Finding Warmth in a Raucous Affirmation March 2, 2007 • Ruthie Foster opens "Up Above My Head" with a minor-key electric-piano riff, conjuring up Marvin Gaye and the '70s pop-gospel hits of The Staple Singers. Then comes the 43-year-old Texan's warm, down-to-earth voice, with its undercurrent of wistfulness shining through. 'Up Above My Head (I Hear Music in the Air)' by Ruthie Foster Toggle more options Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/7675257/7675631" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
'Up Above My Head (I Hear Music in the Air)' by Ruthie Foster Toggle more options Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/7675257/7675631" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
Five for Friday Not to Miss: Lists with a Twist for 2006 December 28, 2006 • As a public service, Five for Friday proudly presents its first annual roundup of weird, wild and altogether wonderful lists.
Contest Winners: NPR Listeners Know News, Crafts December 28, 2006 • Our end-of-the-year recap: 2006-themed ornaments and menorahs submitted for NPR's first craft contest.
Dear Readers, Do It Yourself! November 30, 2006 • This weekend, join the DIY cult.DIY, for the uninitiated, means Do It Yourself.And what better time to drop-kick commercialism and embrace handcraftiness than the holiday season?
