Michelle Mercer

Shorter's biographer, Michelle Mercer, recalls the many "isms" and lessons she learned from her time working with the legendary composer and saxophonist on his biography, Footprints.

This Oklahoma City venue is showcasing the role of protest music in the Trump era, and how songwriting can also bridge the political divide.

Mendonça, one of Brazil's most popular pop stars, is solidifying her reputation as the face of a new genre: "feminejo," which is injecting a female perspective into the region's pop-country music.

Robert Glasper, Kendrick Scott, Ambrose Akinmusire and a handful of other Blue Note stars join forces on a new album called Our Point of View.

NPR reviews the latest release from jazz clarinetist Anat Cohen, Luminosa.

Luciana Souza's The New Bossa Nova features pop standards set to a Brazilian bossa nova beat.

Irish storyteller and folklorist Eddie Lenihan has spent 30 years collecting and telling stories. He has the largest private collection of folklore in Ireland. Lenihan travels the world on a mission to tell his tales -- and in the process, help preserve Irish culture in the modern world.

Involvement in bowling leagues, bridge clubs, and other participatory groups has declined considerably in recent decades, but community choruses have bucked the trend. Commentator Michelle Mercer has noticed the connection between singing and happiness, as she shares in this postcard from her gleeful local chorus.

Just in time for Fat Tuesday, critic Michelle Mercer has a review of the four-CD set Big Ol' Box of New Orleans. It features a number of different musical styles popular in the Big Easy throughout the years.