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This week, Turning the Tables honored Ella Fitzgerald, the First Lady Of Song. As one of the most beloved singers of the 20th century, she was celebrated for her masterful, playful delivery, as well as her groundbreaking improvisational skills.
On our site, you can learn about her glass-shattering Memorex cassette campaign (“Is it live, or is it Memorex?”) in the 1970s and read an appreciation of her joyful, expressive personal style. We also have a powerful examination of Ella, Ethel Waters and the idea of the ideal black voice, and deep-dives into two memorable performances: an essay about a show during the height of the soul era, and a video about recording her live album, Ella In Berlin: Mack The Knife (made by our friends at Jazz Night in America). We also made a playlist of some of her greatest songs, as well as music by artists who inspired her and those who have felt her influence.
How high the moon,
Marissa Lorusso and Lyndsey McKenna |
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| - This week’s All Songs Considered new music mix is a solitary affair: It’s just Bob Boilen in a makeshift studio sharing six songs you need to hear, including a track off singer-violinist Sudan Archives’ forthcoming debut album, a look at intimacy from Jenny Hval and a simple yet stunning cut by Bonnie “Prince” Billy.
- L.A. trio MUNA’s music wonders what pop made for misfits and outcasts might sound like. The trio's new album, Saves the World, is an emotional excavation of life's most difficult moments.
- Capitol Records has shared an early take of The Beatles’ “Oh! Darling,” along with a completely remixed version of the track, ahead of a 50th anniversary edition of Abbey Road.
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- For her latest album, Joan Shelley left her home in Kentucky and traveled to Iceland to record music made for overstimulated brains in uncertain times. Like the River Loves the Sea contains durable, classically constructed folk songs, but more than ever before, there’s a thematic throughline that ties everything together.
- Hold music is camouflaged sound – it needs to obviously exist, while also barely doing so. Small wonder, then, that its biggest “hit” does none of that.
- Over the last decade, Lana Del Rey has built a career – one that peaks on her new album, released last week – and a musical identity on the idea that greatness doesn't have to be emotionally tidy.
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A repeat visitor to the Tiny Desk always feels special. When The Tallest Man On Earth returned to Bob Boilen’s desk – almost 10 years to the day and more than 850 Tiny Desk concerts after his first appearance – he came with a touch of grey and a beard, but his performance was no less intense or moving.
(Bonus cut: This week Lizzo's "Truth Hurts" climbed all the way to the top of the Hot 100. Did you need another excuse to watch her Tiny Desk concert again? Probably not, but we'll meet you there.) |
| AmericanaFest is on the horizon! The annual music festival and conference kicks off next week, and we’ll be streaming the annual awards live on NPR Music with our friends from WMOT and WXPN this coming Wednesday at 7 p.m. CT. |
| “You get swept up into it.” It’s a story of love – and vacuum cleaners. |
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