Search results for

Born in the '60s, soul-jazz is a groove-oriented style built from the bottom up. You take a strong bass line, establish a steady groove between the bass and drums, and then embellish that groove with riffs and melody lines that draw heavily from gospel, blues and R&B.

Russia's Solovetsky Islands, less than 100 miles from the Arctic Circle, have become a popular tourist destination. Originally an outpost of the Orthodox Church, they later became home to a brutal prison. Now, islanders and church officials are battling for control.

Mozart's fanciful opera mixes surreal characters with mystical rites and rituals and a liberal dose of Masonic symbols and allegory.

The government says order has been restored in Myanmar, following a crackdown on recent anti-government demonstrations. But some say the bloodshed has made security forces squeamish about using violence to quell any future protests.

Most Israelis view Gaza as hostile territory ruled by a terrorist group, Hamas, committed to the destruction of the Jewish state. Though cross-border violence has subsided recently, Israelis still feel under attack and remain in a state of hyper-vigilance.

Tens of thousands of listeners voted in the All Songs Considered poll for the year's best CDs.

The popular children's book author turns his attention to a macabre event at the orchestra, complete with music and illustrations. Daniel Handler, acting as Mr. Snicket's mouthpiece, investigates the mystery, starting with the death of the composer.

The best new music releases out of Africa in 2009 reveal two strong trends. First, the whole notion of blues and rock intermingling with their ancestral precursors in West Africa continues to yield fruit, and the blends just keep getting better. New uses of technology provide the other big story, as hybrids of tradition and techno turn a new generation of listeners on to Africa.

The Daily Beast editor-in-chief joins NPR's Steve Inskeep for another chat about the best reading she's been doing lately — books and articles about an iconic Depression-era photo, campaign promises and a country that has a way of flying too close to the sun.

Now researchers in the U.K. are using maps to study variations in the way health services are delivered. The approach, pioneered at Dartmouth in the U.S., shows that the care provided can be quite different even when doctors are paid salaries.

Pilot Chesley Sullenberger's wild ride started this year when he landed a US Airways jet plop-solid perfect onto the icy surface of the Hudson River on Jan. 15, saving all 155 passengers on board. He's a hero to the nation, but Sullenberger says his story is really more about a nation in need of a hero.

From Spanish lullabies and moonlit nights, to the fluttering wings of a persistent little barn owl, NPR Music's Tom Huizenga and host Guy Raz spin a mellow mix of new releases.