Anderson .Paak, Then and Now Anderson .Paak, Then and Now
Malibu is .Paak’s best work: a layered album that is so fun and easy to listen to that, on each return listen, you hear something new.
Feb 11, 2016 / Books & the Arts / Matthew McKnight
Sneakers, Through the Looking Glass Sneakers, Through the Looking Glass
The comedian Kevin Hart’s new signature Nike shoes represent a complicated mixture of pride and injury.
Jan 27, 2016 / Hanif Abdurraqib
Why Donny McCaslin Was David Bowie’s David Bowie Why Donny McCaslin Was David Bowie’s David Bowie
In the making of Blackstar, David Bowie trusted that Donny McCaslin and his quartet would invoke a profoundly emotive album.
Jan 26, 2016 / Books & the Arts / David Hajdu
Trump the Improviser? Trump the Improviser?
This candidate operates in a jazz-like fashion, but all he makes is unexpected noise.
Jan 21, 2016 / Books & the Arts / David Hajdu
David Bowie Set Off My Inner Squeal David Bowie Set Off My Inner Squeal
As I was growing up in 1960s England, Bowie gave me room to find myself.
Jan 14, 2016 / Laura Flanders
David Bowie, the ‘Apolitical’ Insurrectionist Who Taught Us How to Rebel David Bowie, the ‘Apolitical’ Insurrectionist Who Taught Us How to Rebel
With delight and ease, Bowie broke the boundaries of gender and sexuality.
Jan 11, 2016 / John Nichols
Forget What You’ve Heard: These Were the Ten Best Albums of 2015 Forget What You’ve Heard: These Were the Ten Best Albums of 2015
In a year when sales numbers fell to an all-time low, the quality of music produced was stunningly high.
Dec 17, 2015 / Books & the Arts / David Hajdu
An Opera of Permanent Catastrophe, and of Hope An Opera of Permanent Catastrophe, and of Hope
A new production of Alban Berg’s Lulu reveals the explosive powers still manifest in modern art.
Dec 3, 2015 / Books & the Arts / Peter E. Gordon
Steve Coleman Works the Connections Steve Coleman Works the Connections
The composer and saxophonist’s hybrid jazz fuses the sounds of the world.
Dec 2, 2015 / David Hajdu
A Jazz Singer A Jazz Singer
Legendary vocalist Mark Murphy exemplified the jazz values of improvisation, swing, and in-the-moment spontaneity.
Oct 30, 2015 / David Hajdu