Louder: Trumpeters. Friends. Rivals.

Plus: Yoko Ono, 10 new songs, Blondie's Clem Burke and more

View in browser|nytimes.com April 12, 2025 By Caryn Ganz Sixty years ago this week, Brooklyn hosted perhaps the most famous jazz gig in the borough's history — and what made it fascinating was the relationship between two of the musicians onstage, the trumpeters Freddie Hubbard and Lee Morgan. The pair were the same age, 27, "though each was at his own crossroads," Jeffrey McMillan writes in a recounting of the two-evening event known as the Night of the Cookers, featuring voices who were there, including the saxophonist and flutist James Spaulding, now 87, and Patricia Hayes, who helped put on the shows at the social club La Marchal. Hubbard and Morgan were frenemies, and the music (captured by an engineer named Orville O'Brien and later released on Blue Note) was electric. Pulp, Stereolab and Turnstile returned with long-awaited new music this week (Pulp is previewing its first album since 2001, and Stereolab its first in 15 years!), and Jon Pareles also took a tour through Sleigh Bells' catalog — and groups that inspired and followed them — as the duo released its latest LP. (Their blend of the super loud and super poppy has always been extremely Ganzcore). Jon and Lindsay Zoladz had a conversation about two new opportunities to reassess the career of Yoko Ono, asking "Is the Yokossance Finally Here?" And we said goodbye to Blondie's drummer, Clem Burke, and the cartoonist and music writer John Peck, whose Providence, R.I. poster has hung on the wall of my various apartments since the mid-90s. Clarence Gatson/Gado, via Getty Images; Paul Hoeffler/Redferns, via Getty Images Trumpeters. Friends. Rivals. 60 Years Ago, the Pair Made Jazz History. Over two nights in Brooklyn, two musicians at a crossroads — Freddie Hubbard and Lee Morgan — went head-to-head in a pair of sizzling gigs. By Jeffery McMillan PLAYLISTS Chris Pizzello/Invision, via Associated Press The Playlist Pulp, Stereolab and Turnstile Return: Hear 10 New Songs Listen to tracks by Bon Iver, Valerie June, Rauw Alejandro and others. By Jon Pareles Phil Sears for The New York Times Getting Loud With Sleigh Bells and Beyond Hear songs from the duo's latest album, "Bunky Becky Birthday Boy," plus predecessors and protégés. By Jon Pareles POPCAST Popcast Doechii! NewJeans! Ye! Answering Your Pop Music Questions For Popcast's listener mailbag, we address some of the most urgent music topics of the moment, including Doechii's rise and NewJeans' K-pop struggle. 1 HR 10 MIN LISTEN Charlie Ley/Mirrorpix, via Getty Images Is the Yokossance Finally Here? A new biography and film about Yoko Ono offer more opportunities to assess her contributions to culture. Two pop music critics debate if they're worthy of their subject. By Jon Pareles and Lindsay Zoladz Anna Liminowicz for The New York Times Hania Rani's Music Is Tranquil. Please Don't Call It 'Soothing.' The Polish musician is a mainstay of streaming playlists with names like "Calm Vibes." But she bristles at the notion that her music is therapeutic. By Thomas Rogers NEWS Pop Songs, 'Hamilton' and Windows 95 Chime Join National Registry The recordings, along with works by Tracy Chapman, Elton John and the rock band Chicago, are among the 25 selected for preservation by the Library of Congress. By Derrick Bryson Taylor Madonna and Elton John Make Up. (Yes, They Were Feuding.) They made peace backstage at "Saturday Night Live." You'd be forgiven for forgetting that their decades-old dispute had remained unresolved. By Yan Zhuang Weezer Bassist's Wife Is Shot by L.A. Police and Charged With Attempted Murder Jillian Lauren Shriner, an author who is married to a member of the band Weezer, was arrested after pointing a gun at officers, the Los Angeles Police Department said. By John Yoon Soulja Boy Is Ordered to Pay $4 Million in Sexual Assault Case The rapper, known for songs like "Crank That (Soulja Boy)," was found liable of assaulting a woman who said she was his assistant over two years. By Jonathan Wolfe and Neil Vigdor Frank Franklin II, via Associated Press 5 Songs by Rubby Pérez, the Merengue Singer Lost in the Roof Collapse The musician, 69, got his break in the 1980s and continued releasing albums through 2022. By Stephen Thomas Erlewine OBITUARIES Clem Burke, Versatile, Hard-Driving Drummer for Blondie, Dies at 70 He provided both the explosive percussion on "Call Me" and the laid-back rhythm on the reggae-influenced "The Tide Is High." By Clay Risen Michael Hurley, a Singer Both Eccentric and Inspirational, Dies at 83 A folk troubadour with an eclectic style, he built a devoted following for his songs about love, death, drinking and a particularly sad werewolf. By Richard Sandomir Amadou Bagayoko, Half of Malian Duo Who Went Global, Dies at 70 As Amadou & Mariam, he and his wife were improbable pop stars on two counts. Their style was venturesome and eclectic, and they were blind virtuosos. By Alex Traub John Peck, Underground Cartoonist Known as The Mad Peck, Dies at 82 Among many other accomplishments, he illustrated a scholarly work on the history of comic books and wrote record reviews in four-panel comic-strip form. By Jeré Longman Tracy Schwarz, Mainstay of the New Lost City Ramblers, Dies at 86 He was the last surviving member of a retro-minded string trio whose celebration of prewar songs of the rural South put them at the heart of the folk revival. By Alex Williams Alice Tan Ridley, Subway Singer on 'America's Got Talent,' Dies at 72 The mother of the actress Gabourey Sidibe, she spent decades singing full time as a busker in the New York City subways. By Sopan Deb BOOKS, THEATER AND MOVIES Fiction Jennifer Weiner Goes Behind the Music in a Tale of Estranged Sisters In this affectionate if sometimes off-key novel, a would-be rock star confronts the family drama behind her mother's brief, blazing career. By Caryn Ganz Review: How 'The Last Five Years' Became a Blur on Broadway Nick Jonas and Adrienne Warren star in a muddy revival of Jason Robert Brown's still-scathing musical. By Jesse Green 6 Songs From 'Just in Time' That Capture Bobby Darin's Versatility The show's star, Jonathan Groff, and members of the creative team on how songs like "Splish Splash" and "If I Were a Carpenter" illuminate Darin's life. By Alan Light Critic's Pick 'One to One: John & Yoko' Review: A Year in the Life Kevin Macdonald's immersive documentary follows the couple from their heady first days in New York to their galvanizing concert at Madison Square Garden in 1972. By Manohla Dargis Make a friend's day: Forward this email! Get this from a friend? Sign up here. Follow us on X, formerly Twitter @nytimesmusic. Send your feedback on Louder at theplaylist@nytimes.com. Check out our full range of newsletters and subscribe to The Amplifier here. Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance. You received this email because you signed up for Louder from The New York Times. To stop receiving Louder, unsubscribe. To opt out of other promotional emails from The Times, including those regarding The Athletic, manage your email settings. To opt out of updates and offers sent from The Athletic, submit a request. 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