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Rediscovering The Enormous Social And Spiritual Legacy Of Black Jazz Records

Doug Carn, left, with his wife, Jean Carn, in a detail from the cover of their album Spirit of the New Land, released on Black Jazz Records in 1972. Courtesy of Real Gone Records hide caption

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Courtesy of Real Gone Records

Music Features

Rediscovering The Enormous Social And Spiritual Legacy Of Black Jazz Records

As jazz experienced an awakening in the late '60s and early '70s , a record label from Oakland was at the forefront of capturing it. Now, those records are finally returning.

Whistleblowers Allege Culture Of Secrecy, Protection Of Powerful At Singers' Union

A 1939 portrait of opera singer Lawrence Tibbett, the co-founder and first president of the American Guild of Musical Artists (AGMA). Fairfax Media/Getty Images hide caption

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Whistleblowers Allege Culture Of Secrecy, Protection Of Powerful At Singers' Union

They point to a real estate deal that could drain two-thirds of the American Guild of Musical Artists' financial reserves and a secretive, failed deal with disgraced opera star Plácido Domingo.

Wanted in Israel: More Shofar Blowers For Socially Distanced Jewish New Year

Rabbi Yehonatan Adouar teaches a shofar blowing course in Rambam Synagogue in Ramat Gan, Israel Daniel Estrin/NPR hide caption

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Daniel Estrin/NPR

Coronavirus Live Updates

Wanted in Israel: More Shofar Blowers For Socially Distanced Jewish New Year

The shofar is a hallmark of Rosh Hashana, the Jewish New Year. The pandemic means there will be more and smaller prayer gatherings this year, so some cities have offered free shofar-blowing courses.

Wanted in Israel: More Shofar Blowers For Socially Distanced Jewish New Year

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50 Years Ago, Black Sabbath Found Its Sound And Took Metal Worldwide

Black Sabbath circa 1970. Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images hide caption

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50 Years Ago, Black Sabbath Found Its Sound And Took Metal Worldwide

Recorded in a few days and released just months after the band's self-titled debut, Paranoid delivered bleak but unforgettable songs about war, corruption and trauma.

50 Years Ago, Black Sabbath Found Its Sound And Took Metal Worldwide

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Stanley Crouch, Towering Jazz Critic, Dead At 74

Stanley Crouch, photographed during The New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music's Beacon Awards Gala on Feb. 27, 2006 in New York. Patrick McMullan/Patrick McMullan via Getty Image hide caption

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Patrick McMullan/Patrick McMullan via Getty Image

Stanley Crouch, Towering Jazz Critic, Dead At 74

Crouch's engagement with American culture spanned over five decades, numerous mediums and many dustups. His influence on the life and shape of jazz will remain unquantifiable.

Louder Than A Riot

Introducing: Louder Than A Riot

From NPR Music, Louder Than A Riot traces the interconnected rise of hip-hop and mass incarceration. Hosts Rodney Carmichael and Sidney Madden investigate the criminal justice system through the experiences of rap artists. Episodes available starting Thursday, October 8.

Introducing: Louder Than A Riot

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A Karaoke Bar Is Helping A Japanese Town Come Back To Life After Fukushima Disaster

Cosmos Karaoke is a lively karaoke bar in the middle of Namie, a small city that is slowly reopening after the 2011 earthquake, tsunami and nuclear accident devastated the area. Minza Lee (right) is the driving force behind the bar. Claire Harbage/NPR hide caption

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Recovering Fukushima

A Karaoke Bar Is Helping A Japanese Town Come Back To Life After Fukushima Disaster

Run by a South Korean woman, the Cosmos Karaoke Bar in Namie, Japan, is a haven for residents who've come back to live in a town that was evacuated and fell into decay after the 2011 nuclear disaster.

A Karaoke Bar Is Helping A Japanese Town Come Back To Life After Fukushima Disaster

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Making Sense Of Megan Thee Stallion's Shooting, And What Followed

Megan Thee Stallion performs at the BET Hip Hop Awards in October 2019. Carmen Mandato/Getty Images hide caption

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Making Sense Of Megan Thee Stallion's Shooting, And What Followed

All Things Considered speaks with writer Clover Hope about how an act of violence against a famous Black woman was reduced to a joke online.

Making Sense Of Megan Thee Stallion's Shooting, And What Followed

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Keeping Up With Amanda Jones, Score Composer On The Rise

Amanda Jones, a singer-songwriter turned film and TV composer, is the first African American woman to earn an Emmy nomination for original television score. Ian Spanier/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Ian Spanier/Courtesy of the artist

Keeping Up With Amanda Jones, Score Composer On The Rise

Jones is the first African American woman ever nominated for an Emmy for an original television score. She got her start because producer/writer Lena Waithe took a chance on her.

Keeping Up With Amanda Jones, Score Composer On The Rise

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Ronald Bell, Co-Founder, Songwriter And Producer Of Kool & The Gang, Dead At 68

Ronald "Khalis" Bell, performing with Kool & The Gang on March 29, 1974. ABC Photo Archives/Walt Disney Television via Getty hide caption

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ABC Photo Archives/Walt Disney Television via Getty

Obituaries

Ronald Bell, Co-Founder, Songwriter And Producer Of Kool & The Gang, Dead At 68

Ronald Bell, along with his brother, Robert "Kool" Bell, brought generations of music fans together on the dancefloor with hits like "Celebration," "Get Down On It" and "Jungle Boogie."

A Final Bow From Hal Willner, The Producer With The Golden Rolodex

Hal Willner in 2011. The producer's final project, created before his death in April, is AngelHeaded Hipster: The Songs of Marc Bolan. Timothy Greenfield-Sanders hide caption

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Timothy Greenfield-Sanders

A Final Bow From Hal Willner, The Producer With The Golden Rolodex

The beloved producer's last project, created before his death in April from COVID-19, is a tribute to the songwriting of T. Rex frontman Marc Bolan.

A Final Bow From Hal Willner, The Producer With The Golden Rolodex

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50 Years Later, Jimi Hendrix's Electric Lady Studios Is Still An Artistic Haven

Electric Lady "was this colorful, vibrant space that encouraged you to use your imagination and and inspired new music," says Lee Foster. It's an atmosphere he continues to cultivate in the studios today. Getty Images hide caption

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50 Years Later, Jimi Hendrix's Electric Lady Studios Is Still An Artistic Haven

On Aug. 26, 1970, Jimi Hendrix opened his legendary studios New York City. He died just three weeks later before he could see its success, decline and rebirth as a palace of hits.

50 Years Later, Jimi Hendrix's Electric Lady Studios Is Still An Artistic Haven

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