Reverbiage: Stories from NPR tagged 'johnny'

Johnny Griffin At The Village Vanguard

Thu, 20 Nov 2008 11:45:00 EST

Only a few days after the release of the album Smokin Sax and before a date to promote it, saxophonist Johnny Griffin died at age 80 at his chateau in Availles-Limouzine, France. Hear his final U.S. homecoming at the Village Vanguard recorded live by JazzSet

Johnny Flynn: Stirring Up 'A Larum'

Sat, 23 Aug 2008 13:58:00 EDT

A 25-year-old singer-songwriter, Flynn makes music that seems to draw equally from William Shakespeare and Bob Dylan: He has the ear of a poet and the mind of a storyteller. Flynn has just made his American debut with A Larum.

Gillian Welch At The Newport Folk Festival

Sun, 03 Aug 2008 17:25:00 EDT

Gillian Welch and her musical partner David Rawlings filled the Newport air with their gorgeous harmonies on this sunny Sunday afternoon set. They finger-picked from the whole catalog, but fans were also treated to three brand new songs, including a Johnny and June Carter Cash cover of "Jackson."

Johnny Griffin: In Memoriam

Tue, 29 Jul 2008 14:43:00 EDT

Dee Dee Bridgewater says the tenor saxophonist was the "epitome of a bygone era of legendary jazz musicians — dapper, suave, debonair, classy, hip, and he could tell a mean joke." Bridgewater and pianist Michael Weiss celebrate Johnny Griffin's life.

Fleet Jazz Saxophonist Johnny Griffin Dies

Fri, 25 Jul 2008 18:03:00 EDT

Once billed as the "world's fastest saxophonist," the Chicago native played in the bands of Lionel Hampton and Thelonious Monk. He was known as one of the strongest and most proficient exponents of hard-swinging bebop traditions.

Hollywood's Honorary Mayor Johnny Grant Dies

Thu, 10 Jan 2008 18:16:00 EST

Tinsel Town is mourning an elder statesman. Johnny Grant, who died Wednesday at the age of 84, never became a star himself. But the honorary mayor of Hollywood did become a familiar -- and beloved -- face along one of the world's most famous boulevards.

Johnny Grant, Hollywood's 'Mayor,' Dead at 84

Thu, 10 Jan 2008 06:00:00 EST

Hollywood is mourning its honorary mayor. For 50 years, Johnny Grant was Tinseltown's biggest booster, guiding hundreds of stars to the Walk of Fame. He also took the stars to soldiers at war, leading dozens of USO tours. Grant was 84. "I tell people I'm the luckiest guy in the world to have the name Hollywood attached to mine," he once said. "I mean, that is the key to the world."

Town Pardons Johnny Cash at 'Flower Pickin' Fest'

Mon, 05 Nov 2007 16:00:00 EST

On May 11, 1965, after playing a show at Mississippi State University, Johnny Cash was arrested and charged with public drunkenness. This past weekend, the city of Starkville, Miss., symbolically pardoned him. The ceremony took place as part of the three-day Johnny Cash Flower Pickin' Festival. It's named after Cash's defense: He reportedly told the arresting officers that he was just picking flowers -- at 3 a.m. Cash went on to write a song about the experience: "Starkville City Jail."

Broadway Gives Its Regards to Preschoolers

Sun, 12 Aug 2007 17:29:00 EDT

Two kids' TV shows shine the lights of Broadway into the eyes of tiny tots. Both Johnny and the Sprites and The Wonder Pets feature jaunty songs and wholesome stories written by some of Broadway's top talent.

The Authentic Sounds of 'Scarlet Town'

Wed, 01 Aug 2007 17:46:00 EDT

There's something delightfully imperfect in Johnny and the Moon's "The Ballad of Scarlet Town": Maybe it's the unadorned strumming, the metallic clattering that functions as percussion, or the slightly out-of-tune and often flat-falling vocals of frontman Dante DeCaro.

Johnny Hartman, 'The Romantic Balladeer'

Tue, 10 Jul 2007 18:00:00 EDT

He had one of the most gorgeous voices ever to sing a love song. But during his lifetime, Johnny Hartman was known only to hardcore jazz lovers. It was after his death when he finally made it to the top of the jazz charts.

Premier Jazz Violinist Johnny Frigo Dies

Sat, 07 Jul 2007 08:00:00 EDT

Versatile contemporary jazz violinist Johnny Frigo died this week at age 90. Frigo played with Jimmy Dorsey's orchestra in the 1940s, and formed his own Soft Winds Jazz Trio in 1947, recording such hits as, "I Told You I Love You, Now Get Out," and "Detour Ahead."

Critics Call 'Yucca Mountain Johnny' Propaganda

Mon, 25 Jun 2007 09:43:00 EDT

Congress is weighing the fate of Yucca Mountain Johnny, a smiling cartoon character with a red hard hat, safety glasses and a tool belt. He lives on a government Web site meant to explain to kids how nuclear waste is stored. Critics think Yucca Mountain Johnny is a little biased and are trying to get rid of him.

In D.C., Top Iranian Chef Hails From El Salvador

Tue, 13 Feb 2007 17:14:00 EST

Hispanic cooks can be found in many of America's restaurants. But it still surprises Washington, D.C., diners that the city's best chef for Iranian food is a Salvadoran. Juan, who goes by Johnny, says he worked his way up in the industry, learned a foreign cuisine and made it his own.

Golden Year Puts Johnny Mathis on Center Stage

Sun, 03 Dec 2006 15:13:00 EST

Johnny Mathis is marking his 50th anniversary in show business. He's celebrating with two retrospective CDs, one featuring holiday classics. And a concert called Johnny Mathis: Gold will be shown on PBS stations later this month.

Johnny Cupcakes Finds Sweet Success in T-Shirts

Sat, 19 Aug 2006 15:53:00 EDT

John Earle has turned what began as a joke into a thriving business on Boston's hip Newbury Street. His cupcake-themed T-shirts, at $40 to $70 each, are a lesson in the power of viral marketing and brand building.

The Sound of Pure Britpop, Texas-Style

Tue, 27 Jun 2006 15:40:00 EDT

The Texas band Dynah draws on influences ranging from Mick Ronson and Johnny Marr to Radiohead. Wake, its sophomore album, represents a potent distillation of those influences -- awash in atmospheric soul, with zero filler.

Johnny Cash's 'Personal File'

Sat, 24 Jun 2006 12:35:00 EDT

In the early 1970s, Cash recorded songs and stories, alone, accompanied only by his acoustic guitar. After his death in 2003, his family stumbled upon the recordings. Forty-nine of them have been collected on a newly released CD, Personal File. We listen to one of the songs, called "It's All Over."

Rosanne Cash Remembers Her Father, Johnny

Fri, 25 Nov 2005 00:00:00 EST

Rosenne Cash was the daughter of Johnny Cash and Vivian Liberto. She began her career touring with her father, and released her first single in 1979. She's a Grammy-winning country music artist with over 40 hit singles. Her next album, Black Cadillac, will be released in January.

Johnny Cash: In His Own Words

Thu, 24 Nov 2005 00:00:00 EST

The new film Walk the Line is based on the life of legendary musician Johnny Cash. We begin a two-day look at the life of the much-celebrated "Man in Black" with an interview with Cash himself. This interview originally aired on Nov. 4, 1997.

Inside Johnny Cash's Folsom Prison

Fri, 18 Nov 2005 00:00:00 EST

In 1968, a young reporter took a tape recorder with him to Johnny Cash's concert inside Folsom Prison. Beley's recording is familiar, but it's from an entirely new perspective: that of the audience.

Singer Johnny Mathis's Long Career

Wed, 07 Sep 2005 00:00:00 EDT

Ed Gordon talks with balladeer Johnny Mathis about his long and storied career. Mathis has enjoyed a string of number-one pop hits in the past four decades.

Johnny Apple's Tour of North American Cities

Sat, 16 Apr 2005 00:00:00 EDT

R.W. "Johnny" Apple, associate editor of The New York Times, tells Susan Stamberg about his new travel guide, Apple's America: The Discriminating Traveler's Guide to Forty Great Cities in the United States and Canada.

Big Blast from the Past: Rock and Roll Trio

Tue, 12 Apr 2005 00:00:00 EDT

Big Blast from the Past: Rock and Roll Trio April 12, 2005 · Music historian Ed Ward remembers the Rock and Roll Trio, from the early 1950s made up of brothers Johnny and Dorsey Burnette and electric guitarist Paul Burlison. Their recordings have been collected on the Hip-O Select label.

Johnny Carson at His Best: Introducing Clinton

Mon, 24 Jan 2005 00:00:00 EST

In tribute to late television host Johnny Carson, Day to Day offers listeners a sample of Carson at his best. In his introduction of then Arkansas Gov. Bill Clinton as a guest on the Tonight Show, Carson parodied Clinton's lengthy speech introducing Michael Dukakis at the 1988 Democratic Convention.