Black Thought Made You A James Brown Mixtape
"Had it not been for all of the breaks, I wouldn't be here where I am today — nor would The Roots," Black Thought says.
Music & Culture
The Slants Frontman Fights Government To Register His Band's Name
Simon Tam, the founder and bassist of The Slants, has spent six years trying to register his group's name. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office says the name disparages Asians.
For The Word, Gospel Is More About A Feeling
The mostly instrumental supergroup's second album, Soul Food, is a rousing, thoroughly modern take on gospel.
A Long Way From Wax Cylinders, Library Of Congress Slowly Joins The Digital Age
Through the library's website, you can listen to the recording of a former slave or millions of other items. But critics say the library needs to move more aggressively to adjust to the digital age.
Cuban Drummer Dafnis Prieto's Crisp Rhythms Are 'Good For Jazz'
Triangles and Circles, the new album from Dafnis Prieto, blends Afro-Cuban beats, blues feeling and spontaneous rhythmic variations. Critic Kevin Whitehead says that drums are at the album's heart.
In Search Of Intensity, Musicians Turn To Adrian Utley
The Bristol, U.K.-based producer and member of Portishead has become a go-to collaborator for dark, uncompromising rock, with credits on recent albums by Torres, Marianne Faithfull and Perfume Genius.
The Inspiring Force Of 'We Shall Overcome'
It is not a marching song. It is not necessarily defiant. It is a promise.
Flower Songs: A Springtime Opera Puzzler
In the old poem, it's April showers that bring May flowers. But in opera, flowers pop up for a variety of reasons — not all of them pretty.
What Does A Creative Brain Look Like?
What happens in the brain during musical improv? Researcher Charles Limb scanned the brains of jazz musicians to find out.
Can Math Make You A Better Musician?
Drummer Clayton Cameron tells a story about how his math skills helped him impress the godfather of soul, James Brown.