Mar 2nd, 2010 · Drawing from its globe-trotting experience with Yo-Yo Ma's Silk Road Ensemble, Brooklyn Rider blends genres and influences seamlessly, carving out its own unique space within the world of chamber music. The string quartet will perform as part of NPR Music's daytime party at The Parish in Austin, Texas, on March 18.
Feb 26th, 2010 · A new Johnny Cash album, American Recordings VI: Ain't No Grave was released this week to coincide with what would have been Cash's 78th birthday. We remember the singer, songwriter and guitarist, who wrote more than 1,500 songs — and performed from the 1950s until just before his death in 2003.
Jan 26th, 2010 · It's hard to know what will happen when the string quartet Brooklyn Rider starts playing. Yes, these four guys love to play Debussy and Brahms, but they're just as likely to team up with a singer-songwriter or a Kurdish kamancheh player. Or write their own music. So we weren't sure what they'd do when they stopped by the NPR Music offices to play a Tiny Desk Concert. What we got was a bracing sample of their visceral fire.
Dec 9th, 2009 · When the waves promised to reach 50 feet, the world's most fearless big wave riders got the word: "The Eddie" is on. The spontaneous, invitation-only contest at Hawaii's famed North Shore occurs as rarely as the big waves do. The contest is named for legendary surfer and lifeguard Eddie Aikau, who disappeared on an ocean rescue. Tuesday's gigantic waves were the biggest to hit Hawaii in 40 years. The winner: Greg Long of San Clemente, Calif.
Nov 13th, 2009 · Actress Anna Deavere Smith traveled across the country interviewing people about their thoughts on health care. From an injured bull rider to a medical school dean, she recounts what she heard through monologues in her latest documentary-style theater production, Let Me Down Easy.
Nov 8th, 2009 · David Hasselhoff is best known for the TV shows Baywatch and Knight Rider, but to Germans he's a pop hero. Twenty years after the fall of the Berlin Wall, Hasselhoff reminisces about his song that became a soundtrack for that historic moment, "Looking for Freedom."
Oct 6th, 2009 · The city used to be a haven for tens of thousands of motorcyclists before a law was passed requiring all riders to wear helmets. The law has cut down on rallies, but it has also led to a lawsuit before the state Supreme Court.
Jul 24th, 2009 · In South Carolina, a TV ad for a local roller coaster shows it going so fast, a rider loses his hairpiece. The owner of a South Carolina hair replacement shop was not amused. So Dennis Murphy rode the 150-foot coaster in Myrtle Beach — and emerged windblown, but with his toupee still on top. Mr. Murphy said his hair was designed to "blow in the breeze."