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After Ailing, A Favorite Conductor Stages His Comeback

Conductor James Levine in rehearsal with Russian virtuoso Evgeny Kissin. Cory Weaver/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Cory Weaver/Courtesy of the artist

After Ailing, A Favorite Conductor Stages His Comeback

Fresh Air

Live at Carnegie Hall captures a riveting experience with the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and a beloved conductor, James Levine, who has been plagued with a variety of medical troubles.

After Ailing, A Favorite Conductor Stages His Comeback

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Will The Real Llewyn Davis Please Stand Up?

Dave Van Ronk at the 1968 Philadelphia Folk Festival. Diana Davies/Courtesy of Smithsonian Folkways hide caption

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Diana Davies/Courtesy of Smithsonian Folkways

Will The Real Llewyn Davis Please Stand Up?

Fresh Air

Dave Van Ronk's autobiography inspired Joel and Ethan Coen's new movie about a '60s folksinger. Though he died in 2002, a new anthology ought to help give Van Ronk a long-needed boost.

Will The Real Llewyn Davis Please Stand Up?

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Two Sides Of Holiday Cheer From Kelly Clarkson, Nick Lowe

Kelly Clarkson's new holiday album is titled Wrapped in Red. Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Two Sides Of Holiday Cheer From Kelly Clarkson, Nick Lowe

Fresh Air

Whether glossy and heartfelt (Clarkson's Wrapped in Red) or earnest and playful (Lowe's Quality Street: A Seasonal Selection for All the Family), these albums can help conjure a holiday mood in the month before Christmas.

Two Sides Of Holiday Cheer From Kelly Clarkson, Nick Lowe

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Latyrx: Still Deft And Defiant After Two Decades

Latyrx's new record, The Second Album, is out now. Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Latyrx: Still Deft And Defiant After Two Decades

The oratorical alt-rap duo featuring Lateef the Truth Speaker and Lyrics Born returns with a follow-up to 1996's The Album. The new record demonstrates that the two are as capable as ever of illustrating the musicality of hip-hop.

Latyrx: Still Deft And Defiant After Two Decades

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Pop's Resident Provocateur Fizzles On 'ARTPOP'

Lady Gaga's new album, ARTPOP, is out now. Inez and Vinoodh/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Inez and Vinoodh/Courtesy of the artist

Pop's Resident Provocateur Fizzles On 'ARTPOP'

Lady Gaga has been building anticipation for her third studio album in ways that only she can manage. But perhaps the forte of ARTPOP lies in its marketing — not the actual music.

Pop's Resident Provocateur Fizzles On 'ARTPOP'

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No Need To Cook The Books: Booker Ervin's Debut LP Reissued

Booker Ervin on the cover of The Book Cooks, his debut album. Courtesy of Bethlehem Records hide caption

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Courtesy of Bethlehem Records

No Need To Cook The Books: Booker Ervin's Debut LP Reissued

Fresh Air

Down-home and majestic, the tenor saxophonist's sound was like a cane stalk shooting up out of rich earth. His 1960 album The Book Cooks features fellow sax-man Zoot Sims in a friendly square-off.

No Need To Cook The Books: Booker Ervin's Debut LP Reissued

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Amir ElSaffar Navigates Uncharted Blue Notes On 'Alchemy'

Amir ElSaffar's new album is called Alchemy. Nicole LeCorgne/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Nicole LeCorgne/Courtesy of the artist

Amir ElSaffar Navigates Uncharted Blue Notes On 'Alchemy'

Fresh Air

Alchemy is a step forward in defining and refining the trumpeter's mix of jazz and Iraqi rhythms.

Amir ElSaffar Navigates Uncharted Blue Notes On 'Alchemy'

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Hilary Hahn, 'In 27 Pieces: The Hilary Hahn Encores'

In 27 Pieces: The Hilary Hahn Encores comes out Nov. 11. Michael Patrick O'Leary/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Michael Patrick O'Leary/Courtesy of the artist

First Listen

Hilary Hahn, 'In 27 Pieces: The Hilary Hahn Encores'

The resourceful young violinist asked for brand-new encores — and, boy, did she get them. Hear fascinating works by 27 contemporary composers, written especially for Hilary Hahn.

In 27 Pieces

Audio for First Listens is no longer available after the album is released.
Brandy Clark Tells The 'Stories' That Are Tough To Hear

Brandy Clark's new album is titled 12 Stories. Becky Fluke/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Becky Fluke/Courtesy of the artist

Brandy Clark Tells The 'Stories' That Are Tough To Hear

Fresh Air

Ken Tucker calls the country singer-songwriter's new 12 Stories a "modestly amazing album." Every song is striking, textured and finely detailed.

Brandy Clark Tells The 'Stories' That Are Tough To Hear

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Europe Swings The Body Electric

The members of Caravan Palace are practitioners of electro-swing. Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Europe Swings The Body Electric

Fresh Air

What had been an infrequent novelty — mixing electronic and '30s beats with scat and big band-ish horn solos — has become more and more common among European dance musicians and producers. Critic Milo Miles looks at two compilations that highlight this European dance trend.

Europe Swings The Body Electric

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It's A Family Affair On Linda Thompson's 'Won't Be Long Now'

Linda Thompson's new album is called Won't Be Long Now. Annabel Vere/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Annabel Vere/Courtesy of the artist

It's A Family Affair On Linda Thompson's 'Won't Be Long Now'

Fresh Air

The singer-songwriter's new album sounds like a collection of songs that could have been sung a hundred years ago, or written and recorded just a few weeks ago. She's joined on the album by her ex-husband, Richard Thompson, and their three children.

It's A Family Affair On Linda Thompson's 'Won't Be Long Now'

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'Traces Of You': Anoushka Shankar's Memorial To Her Father

Anoushka Shankar's new album, Traces of You, comes out Tuesday. Harper Smith/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Harper Smith/Courtesy of the artist

'Traces Of You': Anoushka Shankar's Memorial To Her Father

The sitar player and composer's father, Indian music pioneer Ravi Shankar, died while she was recording her new album, Traces of You. Banning Eyre reviews the record, which features Anoushka's half-sister, Norah Jones.

'Traces Of You': Anoushka Shankar's Memorial To Her Father

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