From hardship to hero worshipped: the early life of louis armstrong

Two decades after the release of his career-defining debut album, megastar musician John Legend tells Christobel Hastings about overcoming adversity, speaking truth to power and why music is a salve for all of life’s moments

Maurice Ravel has been an enduring part of my world, both as a performer and teacher. As a little girl I played the Mouvement de menuet from his Sonatine at a piano competition, which the renowned pia

A trove of unreleased music shines revelatory new light on NICK DRAKE ’ s acclaimed debut, Five Leaves Left , mapping the album’s genesis via outtakes, alternate versions and rediscovered recordings. Crucially, these also allow us to hear from the shy, elusive songwriter himself, as he explains the ideas behind his remarkable music from a distance of over 50 years. In the company of Drake’s closest collaborators, Nick Hasted pieces together the true story behind one of the most mythologised albums of all time. As one confidant confirms, “No-one’s ever been that close to these tapes…”

The month’s best guitar music – a hand-picked selection of the finest fretwork on wax

BATTLING SNOW IN THE LIGURIAN ALPS, A TRAVELLER AND HIS HORSE LEARN THERE’S PROFOUND MEANING IN MASTERING THE ART OF QUIET COMPANIONSHIP

Bruce Springsteen has become something of a national treasure in Britain — but it wasn’t always the case, says David Hepworth