On the Porch in the Seventh Ward On the Porch in the Seventh Ward
As the New Orleans Jazz Fest unfolded, a down-home celebration, bright with beads, sequins and feathers, took place in the city's poorest neighborhoods.
May 22, 2007 / Books & the Arts / Billy Sothern
Hip-Hop’s E-Z Scapegoats Hip-Hop’s E-Z Scapegoats
There's a big difference between the misogynous hip-hop produced by big media and the hip-hop that moves a generation.
May 8, 2007 / Books & the Arts / Jeff Chang and Dave Zirin
The Art of the Improviser The Art of the Improviser
Nearly fifty years after Ornette Coleman revolutionized jazz, he is finally being honored with the music world's top awards.
Apr 26, 2007 / Books & the Arts / David Yaffe
Moving On Up Moving On Up
Jay-Z, self-styled savior of hip-hop, is the face of the new establishment.
Jan 4, 2007 / Books & the Arts / Jeff Chang
The Last Lennon File The Last Lennon File
The controversy over newly released files on John Lennon is less about Lennon than about excessive government secrecy.
Dec 20, 2006 / Books & the Arts / Jon Wiener
Suga Mama, Politicized Suga Mama, Politicized
Beyoncé Knowles's sexed-up club jam B'Day is also an odd, urgent, dissonant and disruptive personal and political statement.
Nov 30, 2006 / Books & the Arts / Daphne A. Brooks
The Day the Music Died The Day the Music Died
It's the end of the world as we know it: Tower Records, the last great CD emporium, is closing, victim of the iPod and MP3 revolution. As Wal-Mart and other big-box stores pick up ...
Nov 27, 2006 / Books & the Arts / Max Fraser
Down by Law Down by Law
Todd Snider has a songwriter's flair for the absurd--and he's morphed from a barroom wiseacre to a keen observer of life at the workaday fringes of Bush's America.
Nov 2, 2006 / Books & the Arts / K. Leander Williams
A Rebel in Defense of Tradition A Rebel in Defense of Tradition
As composer Steve Reich turns 70, he is winning recognition from the classical establishment for the creativity and power ever-present in his music.
Oct 19, 2006 / Books & the Arts / David Schiff
Music of My Mind Music of My Mind
John Gennari's Blowin' Hot and Cool looks at the intimate but fractious relationship between jazz luminaries and their critics.
Sep 14, 2006 / Books & the Arts / David Yaffe