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Music Reviews

Trio Infuses 'Transylvanian Folk Songs' With Mystery And Clarity

Fresh Air

Lucian Ban, John Surman and Mat Maneri bring a fresh treatment — and musical chemistry — to the bare-bones folk transcriptions of the 20th-century Hungarian composer Béla Bartók.

Trio Infuses 'Transylvanian Folk Songs' With Mystery And Clarity

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Ella Fitzgerald And Louis Armstrong Go 'Cheek To Cheek' On A 4-Disc Set

Fresh Air

Fitzgerald's warm, yet ultra-cool voice was at the opposite pole of jazz singing from Armstrong's gravelly growl. There's absolutely no reason their voices should blend so effortlessly — but they do.

Ella Fitzgerald And Louis Armstrong Go 'Cheek To Cheek' On A 4-Disc Set

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New Takes On Bach And Handel Delight The Ears During The Pandemic

Fresh Air

Two new CDs of serious music feels just right: Johnny Gandelsman plays violin transcriptions of Bach's Complete Cello Suites, and Kate Lindsey sings arias by Handel, Haydn, and Scarlatti on Arianna.

New Takes On Bach And Handel Delight The Ears During The Pandemic

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LA Punk Band X Returns With Go-For-Broke Urgency In 'Alphabetland'

Fresh Air

X's first album 35 years takes its place alongside the best work they've ever done. The music on Alphabetland is the sound of X snatching back its past in order to fuel the music of its future.

LA Punk Band X Returns With Go-For-Broke Urgency In 'Alphabetland'

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C.P.E. Bach: Mercurial Diversions For Uncertain Times

Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach's mercurial music, with its sparkle and unpredictability, was a departure from the style of his father, Johann Sebastian. De Agostini Picture Library/Getty Images hide caption

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De Agostini Picture Library/Getty Images

Deceptive Cadence

C.P.E. Bach: Mercurial Diversions For Uncertain Times

In a new album of keyboard concertos, hear how J.S. Bach's son charted his own startling and original path in music that sparkles with unpredictability

C.P.E. Bach: Mercurial Diversions For Uncertain Times

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Saxophonist Dayna Stephens' 'Liberty' Feels Right For The Way We're Living

Fresh Air

The Dayna Stephens trio's improvised grace in a compact setting — where players are interdependent, but no one steps on any toes — sets a good example for life during the pandemic.

Saxophonist Dayna Stephens' 'Liberty' Feels Right For The Way We're Living

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Lido Pimienta Releases A New Album, Raises Awareness Of Problems In Colombia

KERA

Colombian-Canadian singer Lido Pimienta has released a new album, Miss Colombia, to raise awareness of challenges faced by indigenous and black women in Colombia.

Lido Pimienta Releases A New Album, Raises Awareness Of Problems In Colombia

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Rina Sawayama Embraces The Pain On Her Beautifully Messy Debut

On her self-titled debut album, Rina Sawayama borrows from all corners of the pop world to explore depression, her fight to preserve her Japanese heritage and the legacy of family strife. Hendrik Schneider/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Hendrik Schneider/Courtesy of the artist

Rina Sawayama Embraces The Pain On Her Beautifully Messy Debut

On her self-titled debut album, Rina Sawayama borrows from all corners of the pop world to explore depression, her fight to preserve her Japanese heritage and the legacy of family strife.

Rina Sawayama Embraces The Pain On Her Beautifully Messy Debut

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With 'Future Nostalgia,' Dua Lipa Reminds Us How To Feel Care-Free

Fresh Air

The pop singer's smart and snappy second album is a '70s and '80s disco throwback. The record immediately stands out from nearly all current popular music for its sheer, bursting joyfulness.

With 'Future Nostalgia,' Dua Lipa Reminds Us How To Feel Care-Free

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Lisa Mezzacappa's 'Cosmicomics' Riffs On Italo Calvino's Scientific Surrealism

Fresh Air

Mezzacappa's new sextet was inspired by stories from the late Italian writer. Cosmicomics is alive with slippery music, light-touch humor and sounds that curve through time and space.

Lisa Mezzacappa's 'Cosmicomics' Riffs On Italo Calvino's Scientific Surrealism

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Deap Lips' Debut Is An Interstellar Excursion For The Quarantined Mind

Deap Lips is a collaboration between Deap Vally and members of The Flaming Lips. Its debut is "a psychedelic dream with jagged edges," perfect for quarantine listening, our critic writes. Erika Mugglin/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Erika Mugglin/Courtesy of the artist

Deap Lips' Debut Is An Interstellar Excursion For The Quarantined Mind

The combination of the Flaming Lips' sprawling musical palette and Deap Vally's raunchy guitar glam is a psychedelic dream that will take your brain on a journey while your body is in isolation.

Deap Lips' Debut Is An Interstellar Excursion For The Quarantined Mind

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Roger And Brian Eno's First Album Together Comes At The Perfect Time

Mixing Colours is Roger and Brian Eno's first release as a duo. Bee Eno and Mary Evers/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Bee Eno and Mary Evers/Courtesy of the artist

Roger And Brian Eno's First Album Together Comes At The Perfect Time

Brothers Brian and Roger Eno have spent decades making music separately, but Mixing Colours is their first release as a duo. Tom Moon writes that its ambient calm offers sanctuary for these times.

Roger And Brian Eno's First Album Together Comes At The Perfect Time

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Jazz Guitarist Jeff Parker Crosses Musical Genres On 'Suite For Max Brown'

Fresh Air

Parker's breezy new album, which mixes live music with vintage synthesizers, draws on R&B, early hip-hop, droning electronica, jazz-funk, Afropop and flailing '60s-rock solos.

Jazz Guitarist Jeff Parker Crosses Musical Genres On 'Suite For Max Brown'

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K-Pop Band BTS Proves Its Skill And Influence On 'Map Of The Soul: 7'

Fresh Air

BTS' new record features songs that vary from grandly dramatic to impishly playful. The album's been a near-instant hit, selling over 2 million copies in its first two hours of release in South Korea.

K-Pop Band BTS Proves Its Skill And Influence On 'Map Of The Soul: 7'

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On 'I Think I'm Good,' Kassa Overall Expands The Realm Of Jazz/Hip-Hop Fusion

Kassa Overall calls himself a "backpack jazz producer." He recorded his new album I Think I'm Good by capturing free-form jazz exploration and then chopping the recordings on his laptop. Spencer Ostrander/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Spencer Ostrander/Courtesy of the artist

On 'I Think I'm Good,' Kassa Overall Expands The Realm Of Jazz/Hip-Hop Fusion

Kassa Overall calls himself a "backpack jazz producer": a combination of jazz musician, rapper and bedroom producer. His latest album captures the evolving sound of hip-hop/jazz fusion.

On 'I Think I'm Good,' Kassa Overall Expands The Realm Of Jazz/Hip-Hop Fusion

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