Caroline Shaw and the Shock of the New Caroline Shaw and the Shock of the New
The Pulitzer Prize–winning composer turns the history of the string quartet upside down, turning a once fusty form into something adventurous.
Jul 18, 2019 / David Hajdu
A Short History of Country Music’s Multicultural Mishmash A Short History of Country Music’s Multicultural Mishmash
Or everything that came before Lil Nas X and Billy Ray Cyrus walked down that “Old Town Road.”
Jun 7, 2019 / David Hajdu
Billie Eilish’s Radically Quiet Pop Billie Eilish’s Radically Quiet Pop
The LA musician is the pop star made for AirPods.
May 3, 2019 / David Hajdu
Listening to Michael Jackson Will Never Be the Same Listening to Michael Jackson Will Never Be the Same
What it means to listen to Jackson’s music after HBO’s Leaving Neverland.
Mar 22, 2019 / David Hajdu
Jeremy Denk Explains the History of Western Classical Music (Yes, All of It!) Jeremy Denk Explains the History of Western Classical Music (Yes, All of It!)
The pianist’s new album, c. 1300–c. 2000, gives a listener a lesson in seven centuries of composition, from Monteverdi to Stockhausen and beyond.
Mar 15, 2019 / David Hajdu
Julia Wolfe’s Haunting Elegy to the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Julia Wolfe’s Haunting Elegy to the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory
A monumental achievement in high musical drama, Wolfe’s new piece Fire in my mouth is already one of the year’s best performances.
Feb 14, 2019 / David Hajdu
The Best Albums of 2018 The Best Albums of 2018
A striking number of this year’s most potent albums give voice to the disorientation, anxiety, and rage that infuse the human experience today.
Dec 21, 2018 / David Hajdu
Myra Melford’s Snowy Egret Is Jazz’s Most Dynamic Quintet Myra Melford’s Snowy Egret Is Jazz’s Most Dynamic Quintet
Their new album is an impeccably accomplished and deeply satisfying collection created largely through free improvisation.
Dec 19, 2018 / David Hajdu
Ambrose Akinmusire’s Jazz of Pure Possibility Ambrose Akinmusire’s Jazz of Pure Possibility
Teaming up with a chamber orchestra and freestyle rapper, the trumpeter’s recent album is fearlessly imaginative.
Nov 19, 2018 / David Hajdu
Jason Lutes’s ‘Berlin’ Sets a New Standard for Graphic Novels Jason Lutes’s ‘Berlin’ Sets a New Standard for Graphic Novels
This expansive work follows a cast of characters caught up in the massive upheavals happening in Germany between the world wars.
Oct 19, 2018 / Books & the Arts / David Hajdu