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
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.
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Our favorite local music from January
From a single inspired by larvae squirming in the dirt to a comically enlightening track about waiting on hold with an insurance company, our music critics share their favorite music...
14 albums by Greater Boston musicians to listen to this winter
This winter ushers in an avalanche of new music, from the debut of jazz-funk artist Emma Blanc to the return of The Grownup Noise to a DMZ archival release. WBUR...
The best local albums of 2025, according to our critics
Even as the amount of music made by both humans and AI exceeds what any listener could possibly consume, a few local artists managed to break through the glut and...
Not-so-traditional holiday concerts to check out in December
Journalist Noah Schaffer joined WBUR's Morning Edition to share a great list not-so-traditional holiday concerts for those who want to hear something different this year.
Our favorite local music we heard in November
Two young upstarts and three stalwart favorites provided WBUR's music critics favorite music this month.