Reverbiage: Stories from NPR tagged 'artists'

World Bank Gives Visitors A Glimpse At Africa

Thu, 08 Jan 2009 12:00:00 EST

"Africa Now" is a new art exhibit at The World Bank showcasing contemporary African creations. Host Michel Martin visits the display and talks to curator Marina Galvani and Petros Ghebrehiwot, an Eritrean artist, whose work is featured in the exhibit.

Music Patron Betty Freeman Dies

Tue, 06 Jan 2009 15:07:00 EST

Friend and patron to several generations of composers and artists, Freeman was the catalyst behind the opera Nixon in China by John Adams, as well as pieces by John Cage, Harry Partch, Thomas Ades, Philip Glass and dozens of others.

Somali Rapper K'Naan Schools American MCs

Tue, 06 Jan 2009 05:32:00 EST

News from Somalia usually involves violent warlords or pirates hijacking ships off the coast. Other than that, average Somalis don't have much of a voice. The rapper K'Naan is trying to change that, and in the world of hip-hop, he's become an artist to watch.

Jake Shimabukuro: Solo Ukulele In Concert

Fri, 02 Jan 2009 17:38:00 EST

Jake Shimabukuro is a genre-demolishing artist who plays jazz, blues, funk, classical, bluegrass, folk, flamenco and rock. It's all with the mission of showing everyone that the ukulele is capable of much more than just traditional Hawaiian music. He performs a concert from San Francisco.

Richard Sudhalter On Cornetist Bix Beiderbecke

Fri, 02 Jan 2009 14:08:00 EST

A cornetist and jazz scholar, Sudhalter remembers overlooked cornetist Bix Beiderbecke with Marian McPartland. Beiderbecke had a short career in the 1920s, but he influenced a wide spectrum of artists, from Hoagy Carmichael to Miles Davis. McPartland plays Beiderbecke's most famous piano composition, "In a Mist," before getting together with Sudhalter on "Davenport Blues."

Ring In The New Year With Jazz

Tue, 30 Dec 2008 14:11:00 EST

This year at NPR Music ends the way the previous 29 have for NPR and its jazz partner WBGO: with live jazz, all night long. Toast of the Nation features jazz groups welcoming the new year across the country, from New York to Los Angeles, Boston to New Orleans. Here's a preview of the night's artists.

Dina Vierny, Model And Muse For Art's Masters

Mon, 29 Dec 2008 00:41:00 EST

Henri Matisse made drawings of her, with spare, pure lines. Aristide Maillol sculpted her in bronze. Now, Dina Vierny, the muse of those 20th-century artists, is 89 years old; she still speaks of them with affection and clarity.

One Artist's Secret To Success

Sat, 27 Dec 2008 08:00:00 EST

Most artists struggle financially during the best of times and now they face an economy that's bad for everyone. But one Denver artist is confident he'll weather the current economy the same way he's thrived for 40 years.

Tweets From Frolleagues And Other 2008 Lingo

Fri, 26 Dec 2008 14:49:00 EST

The language of our lives is changing faster than you can download an iPhone app. Wired magazine's "Jargon Watch" columnist (and conceptual artist) Jonathan Keats runs down the top tech jargon terms of 2008.

Classical Music's New Faces: Best CDs Of 2008

Mon, 22 Dec 2008 12:44:00 EST

From the poetic playing of pianist Ingrid Fliter to the high notes (and high drama) of soprano Anna Netrebko, this group of talented musicians represents the next generation of emerging classical artists, most of whom are still in their 20s and 30s.

Paul McCartney Finds Freedom In His Alter Ego

Sun, 21 Dec 2008 00:02:00 EST

McCartney and Youth returned to work as The Fireman for their third and latest release together, Electric Arguments. McCartney entered the studio, without any material, and recorded 13 songs in 13 days. The legendary artist reveals how his alter-ego allows him the freedom to experiment.

The 10 Best Mixtapes Of The Year

Fri, 19 Dec 2008 15:37:00 EST

In the purely democratic world of hip-hop mixtapes unsigned rappers build a fan base, past-their-prime artists re-connect with an audience, and major-label commodities show their adventurous side on records that overprotective label reps would never authorize and commercial radio could never pick up. Here are some of this year's finest tapes.

Why Are There So Many Holocaust Movies...

Wed, 17 Dec 2008 13:31:00 EST

The Holocaust provides the backdrop for a spate of new movies. While The Boy in the Striped Pajamas and The Reader just premiered, they're closely followed by three others. Can we chalk up this trend to an artistic need? Critic Andrew Wallenstein says no — the timing indicates the real reason: the Holocaust is Oscar bait.

Getting Inside Bernard Madoff's Mind

Tue, 16 Dec 2008 16:00:00 EST

Why would someone like Bernard Madoff allegedly get involved in a Ponzi scheme? Nomi Prins, former Wall Street insider and author of Other People's Money: The Corporate Mugging of America, offers her insight into how scam artists in the finance world think.

Top 10 Great Unknowns, From Second Stage

Tue, 16 Dec 2008 09:20:00 EST

It was an unusually strong year for great unknown artists. While bigger, more established bands continued to attract the most attention, smaller, lesser-known acts made the most memorable music of 2008. All of the great unknown artists featured here made music that was inspired, original and heartfelt.

Op-Ed: SEC Negligent In Madoff Ponzi Scheme

Mon, 15 Dec 2008 14:21:00 EST

Andy Serwer, managing editor of Fortune Magazine, can't believe a recent SEC investigation didn't uncover money manager Bernard Madoff's "vast conspiracy." He offers five recommendations to "crook-proof" your portfolio from the next "cheap-trick artist."

Comic Book Duo Hopes To Make Their Mark

Mon, 15 Dec 2008 12:00:00 EST

Could a new super hero be on the horizon? Two comic book artists think so. Andre Campbell, who is legally blind, and Tyran Eades talk about the special challenges they face.

End Near For Editorial Cartoonists...

Sun, 14 Dec 2008 08:00:00 EST

This year, at least a dozen veteran cartoonists got the axe, among them Lee Judge of The Kansas City Star. Judge tried to stay relevant by focusing on local issues, and starting a blog. But his satirical take on local issues can easily be replaced by nationally syndicated artists. As print media declines, the era of the political cartoon, particularly at local papers, may be coming to an end. Reporter Sylvia Gross of member station KCUR in Kansas City has this story.

Chris Velan On Mountain Stage

Fri, 12 Dec 2008 11:41:00 EST

Montreal-based singer-songwriter Chris Velan played in many bands throughout his youth before forming a reggae group with his two brothers in 1998. Now a solo artist, he has two solo albums under his belt, and has honed his sound into a reggae-influenced, socially conscious brand of folk music. Velan recently performed live on Mountain Stage in anticipation of his upcoming third album, Solidago.

Ray LaMontagne: Private Among Friends

Fri, 12 Dec 2008 10:42:00 EST

Initially a solo artist, Ray LaMontagne branches out on his new album, Gossip in the Grain, taking some touring bandmates into the studio with him. In a session from WXPN, he reveals why he wrote a song for White Stripes drummer Meg White.

The Year On Vinyl: Dropping The Needle

Wed, 10 Dec 2008 16:21:00 EST

Now that the MP3 is king, vinyl has become something of an underground revolution. More and more artists have begun to insist on releasing their new albums on vinyl, and music fans who jettisoned their collections in favor of "clear, perfect digital sound CDs" are raiding garage sales and rediscovering analog music all over again. Here are 10 releases from 2008 that are worth the extra effort of vinyl.

Laughing From The 'Pulpit To The Pews'

Tue, 09 Dec 2008 10:46:00 EST

In her new book, Patti Webster explores humorous stories from the Bible, as well as jokes in the Christian tradition. Besides being an author, Webster is the CEO of a public relations firm that represents artists like Ludacris, OutKast and Patti LaBelle. She talks about her book, It Happened in Church.

A Hollywood Makeover For Chess Records

Fri, 05 Dec 2008 14:30:00 EST

Cadillac Records takes its name from the way the record producers the Chess brothers would reportedly give their artists cars instead of royalties. It's just one of the facts that gets the Hollywood treatment in one of two new movies about Chess Records.

Not Just For Doctors: X-Rays As Art

Fri, 05 Dec 2008 11:02:00 EST

Nick Veasey has looked inside everything from airplanes to oranges. Veasey is an X-ray photographer and recently published a collection of his work. Science Friday digital producer Flora Lichtman stopped by a shoot to see the artist in action.

Flaunt It With Jazz Flute

Tue, 02 Dec 2008 13:47:00 EST

The flute is one of the oldest known instruments, but it gets little respect. It's mostly known for schmaltzy concert recordings and one particular comedic movie reference. Luckily, the sheer virtuosic force of many jazz artists has lent a cool factor to the much-maligned instrument. Here are five of jazz's best flutists in action.