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Music Reviews

'Lamentate': Two Sides to Arvo Pärt's Art

Arvo Pärt, one of the world's most honored living composers, recently recorded and released two new works on a CD called Lamentate, conducted by Andrey Boreyko. Music critic Tom Manoff says the pieces highlight two very different sides of the composer's work.

'Lamentate': Two Sides to Arvo Pärt's Art

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Culture

A Psychedelic Return: 'John Simon's Album'

Fresh Air

The solo album by John Simon, a record producer who worked with many groups from the late 1960s and early '70s, is being reissued. Among one of Simon's most popular projects was his work with The Band and Blood, Sweat and Tears.

A Psychedelic Return: 'John Simon's Album'

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Rating Hurricane Katrina Benefit Songs

Music critic Sarah Bardeen reviews some of the music written for Hurricane Katrina benefit efforts. Bardeen says that some of the tribute songs make for compelling music, but others fall well below the mark.

Rating Hurricane Katrina Benefit Songs

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Culture

Sun Kil Moon: 'Tiny Cities'

Mark Kozelek of Sun Kil Moon is a singer-songwriter with a lilting, folk-rock style. His band's new releasw, Tiny Cities, covers the songs of another, very different singer-songwriter: Isaac Brock, of the alternative rock band Modest Mouse.

Sun Kil Moon: 'Tiny Cities'

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World Cafe

Modern Duets, from DJs to World Music

XPN

When two musicians team up on a song, the results can be stunning: The intimacy of a duet and the magic of a collaboration can capture the essence of two performers at their best. Critic Tom Moon discusses some recent collaborations — some of which bend the definition of a duet.

Modern Duets, from DJs to World Music

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Music

Sandy Denny: A Giant in British Folk Music

Fresh Air

British singer and songwriter Sandy Denny played a seminal role of the folk-revolution in the 1960s. From her solo work to songs like "Who Knows Where the Time Goes," recorded with Fairport Convention, Denny was loved for her wistful, honest singing style.

Sandy Denny: A Giant in British Folk Music

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A Posthumous 'Soul of Nina Simone'

Jazz singer Nina Simone, once dubbed the "High Priestess of Soul," died two years ago. Now the RCA record label has released an anthology of her music, called The Soul of Nina Simone. Musician and writer David Was has a review.

A Posthumous 'Soul of Nina Simone'

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Culture

'Ruby, My Dear': Dazzling Jazz with a French Flair

The accordionist Richard Galliano plays what's known as French musette, a rich, energetic blend of European folk music and American jazz. Critic Jim Fusilli says Galliano's new live album, Ruby, My Dear, shows just how dazzling jazz with a French flair can be.

'Ruby, My Dear': Dazzling Jazz with a French Flair

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Culture

Lots to Love on Stevie Wonder's 'A Time to Love'

Stevie Wonder's new album A Time To Love is his first in a decade. He collaborates with Prince, gospel singer Kim Burrell and his own daughter, Aisha Morris, last heard splashing in the tub on the 1976 hit "Isn't She Lovely."

Lots to Love on Stevie Wonder's 'A Time to Love'

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Music

Chris Douridas: Finding Music Gems in Japan

Chris Douridas, a music supervisor for feature films and host of the music show New Ground at member station KCRW, recently went to Japan and brought back some real gems — he shares his musical finds.

Chris Douridas: Finding Music Gems in Japan

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Dengue Fever: 'Escape from Dragon House'

Sarah Bardeen reviews Escape from Dragon House, a new CD from the group Dengue Fever. The six-member band fuses Cambodian pop with psychedelic rock, creating an only-in-California sound that's gaining new fans.

Dengue Fever: 'Escape from Dragon House'

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