George Varga

Before Peter Asher, at right, went to work for The Beatles at Apple Records in 1968, he and Paul McCartney shared the attic apartment in the Asher family’s home in London. (Courtesy Dayna Goldfine)

Peter Asher: The vital musical link between The Beatles, James Taylor, Barbra Streisand and other legends

July 11, 2026 at 8:31 a.m.

Peter Asher was instrumental in helping James Taylor and Linda Ronstadt become two of the biggest stars of the 1970s, "Nothing I did was ever part of a master plan,"...

Waveforms of audio files from various instruments are displayed on a computer screen during the creation of a piece of AI-generated music at Suno headquarters in Cambridge, Mass. (Robert F. Bukaty / AP)

Is Suno a bonanza for making AI-generated music, or an existential threat?

April 4, 2026 at 8:40 a.m.

Singer-songwriter Jack Tempchin and Grammy Award-winners Jon Batiste, Timbaland, Alison Brown, Nuno Bettencourt and others weigh in on AI-generated music.

ENCINITAS, August 9, 2017 | Singer-songwriter Jack Tempchin, who wrote two of the Eagles' biggest hits, "Peaceful Easy Feeling" and "Already Gone", plays music from his new album, titled "Peaceful Easy Feeling", featuring several songs he co-wrote with the late Glenn Frey of the Eagles while in his studio at his home in Encinitas on Wednesday. | Photo by Hayne Palmour IV/San Diego Union-Tribune/Mandatory Credit: HAYNE PALMOUR IV/SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE/ZUMA PRESS San Diego Union-Tribune Photo by Hayne Palmour IV copyright 2017

Songwriters Hall of Famer Jack Tempchin embraces AI on his new albums: ‘The people in “the band” are not real.’

March 29, 2026 at 8:30 a.m.

'It's the end of the era of music as we know it,' says singer-songwriter Jack Tempchin, He doesn't sing or play a single note on his two new studio albums,...

Pianist Vijay Iyer and trumpeter Wadada Leo play on stage

Best jazz albums of 2025 were made by young mavericks and veteran greats alike

December 30, 2025 at 8:30 a.m.

Some favorites are by Linda May Han Oh, Branford Marsalis, Mary Halvorson and Yazz Ahmed.

James Taylor appears at the presentation of the Gershwin Prize

James Taylor on his new musical, songwriting, Ukraine and more: ‘It helps to have a deadline’

April 25, 2025 at 7:30 a.m.

The beloved troubadour discusses the thrill of performing and his new musical.

Analysis: Will Grammy Awards strike right or wrong note in fire-wracked Los Angeles?

January 29, 2025 at 1:24 p.m.

The 2021 and 2022 Grammy Awards were postponed because of a pandemic surge. Should this year's edition in Los Angeles also be postponed as area residents grapple with the impact...

Cover image of “Cowboy Carter” by Beyoncé. (Parkwood Entertainment/TNS)

What are the best albums of 2024? Here are our picks

December 18, 2024 at 1:21 p.m.

Our picks for the best albums of 2024 come from Andra Day, Bilal, Willie Nelson, Beyonce, Billie Eilish, Fontaines D.C., Laura Marling, St. Vincent and other gifted artists.

Sabrina Carpenter performs onstage during the Outside Lands Music Festival in San Francisco on Aug. 10, 2024. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group/TNS)

Rock of ages: 2024 was a banner year for music by artists in their 20s, 80s and beyond

December 16, 2024 at 3:04 p.m.

From Sabrina Carpenter and Chappell Roan to the Rolling Stones and Willie Nelson, young and old acts thrived.

American jazz trumpeter and composer Miles Davis (1926 – 1991), sits with his instrument during a studio recording session, October 1959. (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

Miles Davis’ ‘Kind of Blue’ is, at 65, a shape-shifting album that transcends time and genre

August 6, 2024 at 1:43 p.m.

His legion of fans include Lana Del Rey, John Legend, Kendrick Lamar, Radiohead, Carlos Santana and more.

Singer-songwriter Jewel performs on the Main Stage during the first day of The Wellness Experience by Kroger at The Banks on Aug. 20, 2021, in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Duane Prokop/Getty Images for The Wellness Experience by Kroger/TNS)

Jewel shines anew as mental health care champion and multimedia artist

July 23, 2024 at 1:47 p.m.

The Alaska-born troubadour is now on tour with Melissa Etheridge. Jewel credits her early days in San Diego as pivotal to her career. 'I've never been a critic's darling," she...

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