Golden-age rappers make a digital-age leap — and survive

The FORCE finds the rapper looser and more agile than he's sounded in years, assisted by eclectic production from Q-Tip.'/>

On surprising new albums, '80s trailblazers LL Cool J and MC Lyte sound thrillingly revitalized, thanks to sharp production choices and a willingness to bend their signature styles toward the moment.

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Marking the centennial of jazz pianist Bud Powell

Born Sept. 27, 1924, Powell helped set the style for jazz piano after WWII. While earlier pianists played busy bass patterns, he helped establish a more fragmented, punctuating role for the left hand.

* This article was originally published here