Julie Andrews received the AFI Life Achievement Award in Los Angeles, and the evening slipped into something warmer than a ceremony. Five of her former screen children walked onstage. The now old von Trapp children began singing the iconic “Do Re Mi” from The Sound of Music. Andrews, now smiling ear to ear, joined the […]
Norwegian singer AURORA (born Aurora Aksnes) was born in Stavanger in 1996 and raised in Høle and Os. From an early age, it was clear that she had a knack for music. By the time she was six years old, she was already composing and singing complex, original songs. It quickly became clear that music
In the realm of Rock ‘n’ Roll music, no artist elicited more excitement, fervor, and sheer respect than Tina Turner. A favorite with music critics, in 2018, a writer for The Guardian noted her “swagger, sensuality, gravelly vocals and unstoppable energy,” while journalist Kurt Loder (of MTV fame) described Turner’s voice as a combination “emotional
“Experimental” is the term most often used describe the music of John Cage. But for those who have never heard nor seen a Cage performance, the term experimental says little. Mozart was experimental. Miles Davis was experimental. The Beatles were experimental. But when the word is applied to John Cage, “experimental” takes on an entirely
When British “outsider artist” Ron Gittins passed away in 2019 at the age of 79 (“outsider” the term referring to artists primarily self-taught), family and friends had no idea what to expect when they entered his rented apartment in Oxton, Birkenhead, England; but knew it would be fantastic. Even as a boy living in his
A decade later, people are still talking about and watching Aerosmith’s performance at the Colosseum in Rome (and for good reason!). Stephen Tyler took the stage on September 8th, 2017, as a benefit for the Andrea Bocelli Foundation and the Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center. The night also featured many of the greats, including Elton John,
Teddy Swims is the stage name of Jaten Collin Dimsdale, an American musician who became popular in 2019 and 2020 for his soulful song covers, like the song “Valerie.” Initially written by the indie rock band the Zutons with a garage-pop sound, Mark Ronson and Amy popularized it as a Motownesque crowd favorite. How Teddy
Pink Floyd’s “Wish You Were Here” (from their 1975 album with the same name) is a meditation on absence that has resonated with listeners for the last 50 years, becoming a regular staple on most classic rock stations in the United States. The studio version opens with a ghostly radio effect, as if the listener
Dan Vasc has done it again with this iconic cover of Amazing Grace. Amazing Grace has lived a long time in public memory. It entered the folk canon through services and street singing, then returned to the charts when Judy Collins recorded a folk and gospel reading in the 1970s. The Library of Congress later
There are moments in music history when two worlds that seem lightyears apart collide and create something startlingly human. Charles Bradley covering Black Sabbath’s Changes is one of those moments. On paper, it sounds almost like a novelty: a soul singer reimagining a heavy rock ballad. But once you hear Bradley’s trembling voice wrap itself
Before there was John Mayer, Eric Clapton, Chet Akins, or Freddie King, there was “Django” Reinhardt; creator of a style of Jazz guitar now referred to as “Gypsy Jazz.” After establishing an extraordinary following in Paris, France, in the autumn of 1946, Reinhardt made his first tour of the US, debuting at Cleveland Music Hall
When Radiohead first released “Creep” in 1992, the song was messy, raw, and a little uncomfortable. Thom Yorke’s distressed voice created an unforgettable sense of tension. Decades later, the track found itself reincarnated through the unlikely collaboration of Postmodern Jukebox and vocalist Haley Reinhart. What was once grunge-inflected alienation suddenly sounded like it belonged in