Louder: Jazz Has Always Been Protest Music. Can It Meet This Moment?

September 4, 2020

By Caryn Ganz

Pop Music Editor

Three very different, very compelling stories lead the way this week: Giovanni Russonello examines how jazz’s relocation into academic institutions over the past five decades has left musicians “torn between the music’s roots in Black organizing and its present-day life in the academy” at this moment of reckoning. Joe Coscarelli sat down with the rapper and internet troll 6ix9ine for the first interview since the musician was freed from prison after testifying against his former gang. And Amanda Hess writes about the glaring absence of audiences, which has spotlighted the mythical role they play in popular entertainment.

Diana Ejaita

Critic’s Notebook

Jazz Has Always Been Protest Music. Can It Meet This Moment?

Over the past 50 years, the music has become entrenched in academic institutions. As a result, it’s often inaccessible to, and disconnected from, many of the very people who created it: young Black Americans.

By Giovanni Russonello

Daniel Arnold for The New York Times

6ix9ine, Rap’s Newly Freed, Chart-Topping Villain, Admits to Everything

In his first interview since being released from prison, the polarizing rapper, who testified against his former gang, addresses his “snitching,” his horrible reputation and his record of abuse.

By Joe Coscarelli

Margeaux Walter for The New York Times; Photographs via Getty Images; ABC; Harpo Productions; NBC

Critic’s Notebook

The Shows Must Go On. But They Aren’t the Same Without You.

The sudden absence of live audiences has upended the worlds of sports, comedy and politics. What do we lose when the crowd doesn’t show?

By Amanda Hess

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SZA’s Surprise Return, and 10 More New Songs

Hear tracks by Ava Max, Tricky, Bill Callahan and others.

By Jon Pareles, Lindsay Zoladz and Giovanni Russonello

Remembering Riley Gale of Power Trip, a Thrash Titan

The band’s 34-year-old frontman helped break down barriers between scenes, and was known for singularly wild live shows.

‘Chuck Berry’ Review: The Quest to B. Goode

Jon Brewer’s documentary about the musical legend is far more traditional than its subject.

By Jeannette Catsoulis

Roberto Ricciuti/Getty Images

Determined to Salvage the Fall, Cabaret Plots Its (Outdoor, Online) Return

Making performances more accessible to audiences is part of the mission. Presenting shows that reflect the moment is another.

By Elysa Gardner

MTV’S VIDEO MUSIC AWARDS

MTV Video Music Awards: 6 Memorable Moments

Lady Gaga transported viewers to “Chromatica” (in a mask) at an event that tried to make a virtual collection of performances and speeches appear like a communal celebration.

By Joe Coscarelli, Caryn Ganz, Jon Pareles, Ben Sisario and Lindsay Zoladz

At the V.M.A.s, Lady Gaga’s Clothes Were Good, but Her Masks Were Better

This is one way to use the red carpet and fashion to send a message.

By Vanessa Friedman

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Salome Bey, Soulful Singer, Actress and Playwright, Dies at 86

Ms. Bey, known as “Canada’s first lady of the blues,” broke ground in her adopted country by creating opportunities for Black people in the theater.

By Catherine Porter

those we’ve lost

Aldir Blanc, Lyricist Who Pushed Samba’s Boundaries, Dies at 73

His songs included “O Bêbado e a Equilibrista,” a popular call for the amnesty of political exiles during Brazil’s military dictatorship. He died of the coronavirus.

By Stephen Kurczy