Folk, Jazz & World from Minnesota Public Radio

The Carolina Chocolate Drops perform live at the Minnesota State Fair

Tue, 31 Aug 2010 15:12:35 -0500

The Carolina Chocolate Drops stopped by The Current booth at the Minnesota State Fair for a live performance.

Charlie Parr performs live at the Minnesota State Fair

Tue, 31 Aug 2010 14:43:43 -0500

After stopping by the Local Show earlier this August, Charlie Parr returns to the Twin Cities to perform live on The Current at the MPR booth at the Minnesota State Fair.

Secret Sisters perform live in The Current studios

Thu, 19 Aug 2010 10:34:46 -0500

Sisters (and Alabama natives) Lydia and Laura Rogers grew up learning how to harmonize to the music of the Everly Brothers and Doc Watson, among others. After a Nashville audition, the music industry took notice, and the Secret Sisters were born.

Saxophonist defies smooth jazz label

Thu, 19 Aug 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Saxophonist David Sanborn has often been associated with smooth jazz, but he says his roots are in the blues. He joins Midmorning to talk about his influences and his long career.

New Classical Tracks: Finding the Soul of the Fiddle... or Is It a Violin?

Tue, 17 Aug 2010 10:27:44 -0500

Classical violin playing and Irish fiddling come together in this new CD from Kevin Burke, whose credentials include training in both styles.

Storyhill perform in The Current studio

Sun, 15 Aug 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Storyhill began in Bozeman, Montana, when Chris Cunningham and John Hermanson met in their 7th grade world geography class.

Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros perform live in The Current UBS Forum

Fri, 13 Aug 2010 10:08:05 -0500

As the Southern California ten-piece that has become known for their infectious and endearing whistling-based love song "Home," Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros have had a whirl-wind of a year since they were last in our studios.

Rufus Wainwright performs in The Current studios

Wed, 11 Aug 2010 14:04:26 -0500

Singer-songwriter Rufus Wainwright may have been born to folk music royalty, but over the last decade and a half of recording and performing, he's managed to carve out a musical niche all his own.

Charlie Parr performs in The Current studio

Sun, 08 Aug 2010 00:00:00 -0500

When he traded a Johnson 9.9 outboard motor for a beat up Gibson 12 string back in 1979, Charlie Parr unknowingly and unofficially began a career as a world-class practitioner of traditional folk and Piedmont-style blues - though you'll never get him to admit it.

Singer Ruth Moody goes solo on new album

Fri, 06 Aug 2010 21:59:02 -0500

Singer Ruth Moody, the founding member of A Prairie Home Companion favorite The Wailin' Jennys, is out with her first full-length solo album, "The Garden." She spoke with MPR's Steven John.

New Classical Tracks: A Jazzy Take on Gershwin

Tue, 03 Aug 2010 14:02:29 -0500

Jean-Yves Thibaudet's new CD presents classic Gershwin pieces in their rarely heard jazz-band arrangements. The result is a disc of effervescent summer listening.

Richfield: Pickin' party at the strip mall music shop

Fri, 30 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Bluegrass, country, Cajun, Celtic, and Tejano music might not be the first thing you think of when you see the strip mall located near 66th Street and Penn Avenue South in Richfield, but that's what you'll find at the Homestead Pickin' Parlor.

An unconventional path to a charming life

Thu, 29 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Joan Armatrading has collected honorary degrees and even accolades from Queen Elizabeth for her eclectic music spanning folk, blues, and rock. And yet she feels her character hasn't changed at all over her prolific 40-year career.

Josh Ritter performs in The Current studios

Wed, 21 Jul 2010 09:45:15 -0500

With his acoustic guitar, Josh Ritter has let loose folk sounds that have often been compared to the likes of Leonard Cohen and Bob Dylan.

Old 'treasured' recordings of Spider John Koerner released

Fri, 09 Jul 2010 16:30:05 -0500

Minnesota folk music legend Spider John Koerner performs Friday night at the Cedar Cultural Center in Minneapolis, marking the release of some vintage recordings that feature him in two different phases of his career.