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Flying with your dog can be stressful — but now there's a private jet service for the discerning dog. It's called Bark Air.

NPR's Ailsa Chang speaks with Heather Long, chief economist at Navy Federal Credit Union, about her Washington Post analysis of how top earners are disproportionately affecting U.S. economic data.

The number of confirmed coronavirus cases on the Central and South Coasts has surged past the 6,000 mark. 647 new cases were reported in the region…

A growing number of companies say it's a way to keep workers. Critics call it another leg up for families that can already afford counseling.

Teresa James and the Rhythm Tramps are on quite a roll.

Her persuasive pipes slathered in honey and soaked in Texas-bred sass, keyboardist Teresa James and her band, the Rhythm Tramps, have long reigned as one of Los Angeles’ leading contemporary blues outfits, even though their uncommonly imaginative repertoire, much of it supplied by Terry Wilson, James’ husband, producer, and bassist, is by no means strictly limited to the 12-bar form. Their 2019 CD Here in Babylon was nominated for a Grammy in the Contemporary Blues Album category.

Rose-Colored Glasses, the band’s new release on Blue Heart Records, continues that proud tradition. It’s their 12th album and once again showcases Teresa’s enticing way with a lyric and Terry’s prolific songwriting talent, poured over grooves that’ll grab listeners and refuse to let go until the very last notes have rung. A coterie of Texas guitar greats guest on the set, including Anson Funderburgh, Lee Roy Parnell, Johnny Lee Schell, Snuffy Walden, and Dean Parks. “This new album is kind of veering a little bit more into soul,” says Teresa. “But to me, blues is more of a state of mind. It’s where you’re coming from. It’s the attitude and the heart that you bring to it.”

Soon to have a full dozen albums under their collective belt spanning 23 exciting years, Teresa James & the Rhythm Tramps remain a staple of the Los Angeles-area blues scene in addition to an international touring artist, with a sound all their own. Moving easily from Texas-style grease and blues into Memphis soul or New Orleans-flavored grooves and all points in between with fun and abandonment, as one critic said, “there are no clichés in this band.”

Down Time is an LA based indie rock band that has created a diverse body of material ranging from low key bedroom ballads to dense psychedelic grooves. at the core are timeless rock songs guided by the imaginative and soul baring lyrics of front woman, Alyssa Maunders. The songs are close and intimate while also producing thorns. They capture the complexities of the human spirit, the best and worst of our kind.

As the snow fell on the Rockies and an angry mob of vigilante rioters stormed the capital in Washington DC, Down Time recorded a group of songs to tape that would later become Spirit. From start to finish it was written, performed and produced by the band in a small room with blankets stapled to the walls.

Some songs capture the flame of loss while others hold the solitude of a quiet meadow. That is the beauty of Maunders’ lyrics; they are somehow specific and poetically adaptable at the same time, creating an effect that is deeply relatable, all with a vocal delivery akin to Adrianne Lenker. The vocals float on top of solid grooves provided by the band’s secret weapon, David B. Weaver (drums/bass) and melodic flourishes from Justin Camilli (guitar/keys) which take it to another sonic plane. In an age where rehearsal space is prohibitively expensive and laptop-pop reigns supreme, Down Time is succeeding at keeping the band together.

When one thinks of Memphis, W.C. Handy and Elvis always come to mind, and maybe some long forgotten funky hits. Nashville is only 200 miles North, and has always overshadowed its Southern sister. Truth be told, this two-part lecture will uncover the real facts of that musical mecca- hit after hit and great artists of all genres, including the Box Tops, Neil Diamond, and Elvis Presley. Come join us for a nostalgic trip down the Mississippi as we stop at one of the more unusual music centers of America!

Tony Moon has spent 60 successful years in the music business. Beginning in 1960, he joined the L.A. group Dante and The Evergreens, which was managed and produced by Lou Adler and Herb Alpert. He later moved to Nashville, becoming the guitarist and conductor for Brenda Lee. Tony also began playing on recording sessions and was Nashville's first rock independent music producer, working with five major labels. He scored several big hits for The Vogues, including "5 O' Clock World." Tony has won several awards as a songwriter and music publisher. His songs have been released by artists as diverse as Porter Wagoner, Willie Nelson, Vickie Carr, Pearl Jam, and The Beatles.

He currently administers several Music Publishing Companies and a New York Entertainment Company.

The 1960s witnessed an explosion of gifted songwriters and musicians. Bob Dylan ranks among the very top in this class. Over the course of a long and productive career, Dylan achieved a quality in his writing that elevated his work to the level of serious literature. Dylan has earned multiple literary awards in his career, most notably the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2016. Dylan’s work reflects multiple influences. Arguably, his Jewish background represents one of the clearest and most important influences on his work. His lyrics and poetry reflect a deep connection with Jewish tradition and biblical sources, especially the Hebrew prophets. These lectures will examine the Jewish elements in his work and seek to demonstrate the value a Jewish perspective brings to our overall understanding of Bob Dylan’s art and influence. This two-part lecture will be taught using audio, video, and text analysis.

Week 1: Becoming Bob Dylan: from Obscurity to Icon

Week 2: Poet, Troubadour, and Prophet: The Many Faces of Bob Dylan

Clifford Wilcox, Ph.D., is a historian who focuses on American intellectual and cultural history and Jewish Studies. His courses concentrate on the intersection of culture, ideas, politics, and religion in American history. He is Director of Education and Operations at Temple Beth Torah in Ventura, CA and has taught in the CLU FAB program since 2021. He holds a Ph.D. in American intellectual history from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.

Between labor conflicts and the constantly changing landscape of what even constitutes television, this is going to be a tricky year for predictions. We have some anyway.

"Buzz marketing" tries to create grass-roots excitement for a product or service. Slate advertising critic Seth Stevenson says the new commercial campaign by the Burger King fast-food chain, featuring the return of the King icon once a major part of the restaurant's branding, leave him buzzing -- with annoyance.