Terence Blanchard's History-Making Met Opera Debut

Plus, remembering Dr. Lonnie Smith

View this email online by Marissa Lorusso Ken Howard/Metropolitan Opera This week, for the first time in its 138-year history, New York’s Metropolitan Opera presented an opera by a Black composer. That work was Fire Shut Up in My Bones, based on the memoir of the same title by Charles M. Blow and composed by Terence Blanchard.  As a trumpeter, Blanchard has played with jazz legends like Lionel Hampton and Art Blakey, and has won five Grammys for his jazz records. He has also carved out a career in film music, and has been nominated for two Academy Awards for his film scores. He says Fire Shut Up in My Bones, though, is not a jazz opera — rather, he calls it "an opera in Jazz."  Nate Chinen, director of editorial content at WBGO, attended the triumphant premiere, describing the music as “glowingly consonant but full of subtle harmonic and timbral surprises.” Blanchard wasn’t necessarily the obvious choice to break The Met's streak of operas by white composers, he says, “but as Monday's triumphant performance showed, he was the right one.” Blanchard and his collaborators “seized the opportunity,” Nate writes, “making Fire an undeniable declaration of their assertive presence.” Newsletter continues after sponsor message New Music Rapper Meek Mill vowed his latest record, Expensive Pain, would be his best yet. On New Music Friday from All Songs Considered, hear a discussion about how his career and life have evolved since his previous full-length — plus, conversations about new albums from Tirzah, Illuminati Hotties, Miko Marks and more. Earlier this year, Brandi Carlile published a memoir, Broken Horses. Now, she’s back with a new record called In These Silent Days. Like the memoir, it follows what seems to be a guiding principle in Carlile's personal philosophy: always find the beauty in the brokenness. Love For Sale is the latest album from Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga — a somewhat surprising pair, but one whose work together has blossomed into a genuine collaboration. It also may be Bennett's final album; he's 95, and has been living with Alzheimer's disease. This week’s All Songs Considered new music mix spans the globe: from a funny single by British rock band Wet Leg to a Frisian-language track by Nynke Laverman to a "Prayer for Peace” courtesy of Pakistani musician Ustad Saami. Featuring After a federal court trial in New York that lasted seven weeks — and more than 25 years of accusations — R. Kelly was found guilty. The charges include sexual exploitation of a child, bribery, racketeering and sex trafficking involving five victims. He faces a possible sentence of 10 years to life in prison. Dr. Lonnie Smith, an NEA Jazz Master known for his dynamism and wizardry on the Hammond B3 organ, died this week. He was one of the most unique Hammond stylists to emerge from the golden era of 1960s organ ensembles, and his music wove an other-worldly and soulful tapestry that gained him fans around the world. Labelle’s Sarah Dash died in September, leaving fans to mourn not only her life and talents, but an irreplaceable chemistry. Scholar Maureen Mahon argues that even next to Patti LaBelle's charisma and Nona Hendryx's songcraft, there is no Labelle without the range and clarity of Dash's silver throat — and the trio's commitment to singing as equals. This week, the Latin Grammy nominations were announced. While the nominations favor a wider range of artists, genre and fusion pieces this year, reggaeton was — despite its artistic and commercial success worldwide — largely shut out. In the grand history of Black American music, no one ever embodied a combination of instrumental prowess, composerly ambition, educational authority and institutional savvy quite like Dr. Billy Taylor. This week, Jazz Night In America shared a celebration of his career.​​​​​​​ Tiny Desk NPR Our “El Tiny” celebration at the Tiny Desk continues this week with a special focus on families. We featured an utterly beautiful performance by Mexican singer Silvana Estrada in her family's instrument workshop and a touching (home) concert by Cuban singer Eme Alfonso, including backing vocals from her parents. One More Thing 🎵 His palms are sweaty, knees weak, arms are heavy...🍝 Listen to your local NPR station. Visit NPR.org to hear live radio from WUFT 89.1 (edit station). What do you think of today's email? We'd love to hear your thoughts, questions and feedback: nprmusic@npr.org Enjoying this newsletter? Forward to a friend! They can sign up here. Looking for more great content? Check out all of our newsletter offerings — including Books, Pop Culture, Health and more! Need a new playlist? Follow NPR Music on Spotify and Apple Music! You received this message because you're subscribed to NPR Music emails. This email was sent by National Public Radio, Inc., 1111 North Capitol Street NE, Washington, DC 20002 Unsubscribe  |  Privacy Policy