Noah Schaffer
Contributor
Noah Schaffer is a Boston-based journalist. His writing also appears in The Boston Globe and The Arts Fuse, and he has produced documentaries for public radio’s Afropop Worldwide. He is the co-writer of gospel singer Spencer Taylor Jr.’s 2021 autobiography. He was the co-producer and liner notes author for the compilations “Take Us Home - Boston Roots Reggae: 1979 to 1988” and “The Skippy White Story: Boston Soul 1961-1967.” The latter was named one of the top reissues of the year by the New York Times. For a decade Schaffer covered the court system as a reporter and digital editor at Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly. Prior to that, he was the news editor of Worcester Magazine.
Recently published
14 albums by New England musicians to listen to this summer
In a time of AI-generated tunes, WBUR music writer Noah Schaffer shares what our local human musicians are creating this season, from heartfelt country to Afrocentric jazz.
Our favorite local music from May
From a jazz album inspired by Leonardo da Vinci's "Vitruvian Man" to a Brockton rapper's salute to "Phineas and Ferb," our music critics selected genre-blending local artists for this month's...
Our favorite local music this month
Spring has ushered in a wave of genre-spanning new tracks and albums. From a timeless look at the triumphs and struggles of our inner lives to an ode to icons...
Tanya Donelly and Chris Brokaw are going medieval on listeners
Both major figures in Boston's rock scene, the duo teamed up to create "The Undone is Done Again," a new EP of medieval songs rearranged for Donelly’s voice and Brokaw’s...
Non-Event celebrates 25 years of bringing experimental music to Boston
Despite being an organization without a permanent venue, Non-Event is dedicated to presenting music that is inherently as non-commercial as it gets. "If they weren’t doing what they are doing,...
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Boston's folk scene remembers Bob Franke with a tribute concert
The beloved singer-writer died in October at the age of 74 after being struck and killed by a motorcycle in Guatemala, where he had recently retired. Musicians are honoring his...
Five years after his death, Chick Corea's legacy lives on
The Chelsea native died in 2021, but between a series of newly released live recordings, his recent Grammy win for Best Jazz Performance, and his compositions remaining a core part...
14 albums by Greater Boston musicians to listen to this spring
From Latin jazz to children’s music to hard-hitting R&B, WBUR music writer Noah Schaffer shares albums coming out this spring that prove Greater Boston artists are full of resourcefulness and...
Joseph Sater, co-owner of the Middle East Restaurant & Nightclub, has died
Sater moved from his native Lebanon to the U.S. in 1974, around the same time his brother first bought what was then a neighborhood restaurant. The pair turned it into...
Listen: Mark Erelli aims for the perfect love song on 'Kindhearted Woman'
The acclaimed Boston singer-songwriter has an annual tradition of writing about his own love for his wife. This year's installment is a song of gratitude with a laid-back, country-folk waltz.