Jon Pareles
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Huey ‘Piano’ Smith, New Orleans Rock ’n’ Roll Cornerstone, Dies at 89
With songs like “Don’t You Just Know It,” “Rocking Pneumonia and the Boogie Woogie Flu” and “Sea Cruise,” he put a firm backbeat behind joyful...
Karol G’s Songs Conquered the World. On a New LP, She Reveals Herself.
“Mañana Será Bonito,” the Colombian pop superstar’s fourth album, traces her adventures in (and out) of love, with guests including Shakira and Romeo Santos.
Laraaji Conjures a Baptism in Sound
The pioneer of ambient music, now 79, rediscovered some of his earliest recordings for a new four-disc set.
Bonnie Raitt Heads to the Grammys, Recognized as a Songwriter at Last
Long renowned as an interpreter, she has quietly built a catalog of her own. Up for song of the year on Sunday, she talked about...
Tom Verlaine’s 15 Essential Songs
From Television through his solo career, the songwriter created enigmatic tidings and cat’s-cradle guitar structures. He died on Saturday at 73.
David Crosby’s 15 Essential Songs
The singer and songwriter, who died this week, created music that helped define an era and stretched across generations. Listen to six decades of tracks...
Jeff Beck’s 10 Essential Songs
The guitarist, who died on Tuesday, could make his instrument slash, burn and sigh. Listen to tracks released from 1966 to 2010 that reveal his...
Walter ‘Wolfman’ Washington, New Orleans Musical Luminary, Dies at 79
A guitarist and singer, he was a quintessential local star, mixing blues, funk and jazz through six decades of club and festival gigs.
Tshala Muana, Congolese Singer With Danceable Messages, Dies at 64
A superstar in Africa, she sang in the language of her tribe and often addressed social concerns, insisting on women’s strength and decrying abuse.
In 2022, Latin Pop Thrived on Innovation. Again.
Bad Bunny led a takeover, not a crossover, in a year that featured standout releases from Rosalía, Rauw Alejandro, iLe, Carla Morrison and Lucrecia Dalt.