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Music Articles

The Girlish Voice Of Blossom Dearie

Blossom Dearie — that's her real name — has been a fixture on the New York nightclub scene for decades. The singer and pianist is known for her quiet voice, unusual choice of material and jazz-influenced style of singing.

The Girlish Voice Of Blossom Dearie

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Music Articles

Buddy Holly's Last Concert

It was 33 years ago today a light plane crashed near the Iowa-Minnesota border, killing Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and J.P. Richardson, better known as The Big Bopper. They had just finished playing the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake, Iowa.

Buddy Holly's Last Concert

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The Story Of Buddy Holly

In July 1957, Buddy Holly left Texas with only one record climbing the charts. Five months later, sporting capped teeth, a sharp suit, and horn-rimmed glasses, Holly debuted live on The Ed Sullivan Show. Like Elvis Presley only a year before, Holly had made it to prime time TV.

The Story Of Buddy Holly

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Music Articles

Leonard Cohen's Voice Of Experience

The itinerant troubadour, composer and performer of "Suzanne," "Sisters of Mercy" and "Bird on a Wire" has a growl of a singing voice that seems to simmer and grumble up through the chords, almost like an earthquake. His new album, I'm Your Man, has already sold a quarter of a million copies in Europe.

Leonard Cohen's Voice Of Experience

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Music Articles

Lukas Foss Brings New Fans To Classical Music

Fresh Air

Over the years, composer, conductor and performer Lukas Foss has been one of America's most committed champions of new music. As a composer, he's been identified with serialism, improvisation and chance processes. In an interview with Terry Gross, he discusses his life and work.

Lukas Foss Brings New Fans To Classical Music

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Music Articles

Composer Lukas Foss On Minimalist Music

Lukas Foss is a pianist, a conductor and, perhaps most notably, a composer. Foss was born in Germany and was fifteen when his family immigrated to this country in 1937. Even before that he'd begun his prolific output as a composer and was recognized as a child prodigy on the piano.

Composer Lukas Foss On Minimalist Music

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Music Articles

The 'Serious' Sounds Of Leonard Cohen

Fresh Air

With songs like "Suzanne," "Bird on a Wire," "So Long, Marianne" and "Hey, That's No Way to Say Goodbye," singer-songwriter Leonard Cohen created his own brand of folk-rock art music. Listeners discovered Cohen's songs in the mid-'60s when Judy Collins recorded "Suzanne," and Cohen followed that by recording his own album of his songs. Cohen discusses his career with Terry Gross.

The 'Serious' Sounds Of Leonard Cohen

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Abbey Lincoln: Development Of A Jazz Singer

Fresh Air

Abbey Lincoln started her career in the early 1950s as a supper club singer. In the late 1950s, she met jazz drummer Max Roach, who introduced her to modern jazz and to a performing style influenced by the new black consciousness. They got married, and in the years they stayed together, they recorded albums on which Lincoln was backed by great jazz performers. Her songs took on a political edge, and she became active in the freedom movement.

Abbey Lincoln: Development Of A Jazz Singer

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Buddy Holly: Lubbock's Famous Native Son

This past weekend, rock 'n' roll fans from around the country and around the world gathered in Lubbock, Tex. They came for their annual conference to honor Lubbock's most famous native son, Buddy Holly, who would have been 47 years old this coming Wednesday.

Buddy Holly: Lubbock's Famous Native Son

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