How a stereo-mic captured unknown bands and delightful sound

NPR | By Jordan-Marie Smith,

Ailsa Chang, Justine Kenin

Published April 27, 2026 at 4:31 PM EDT

NPR's Ailsa Chang talks with Aadam Jacobs about his massive archive of taped concert recordings from the 1980s and 1990s, and the grassroots effort to get them digitized.

Jordan-Marie Smith

Jordan-Marie Smith is a producer with NPR's All Things Considered.

Ailsa Chang

Ailsa Chang is an award-winning journalist who hosts All Things Considered along with Ari Shapiro, Audie Cornish, and Mary Louise Kelly. She landed in public radio after practicing law for a few years.

See stories by Ailsa Chang

Justine Kenin

Justine Kenin is an editor on All Things Considered. She joined NPR in 1999 as an intern. Nothing makes her happier than getting a book in the right reader's hands – most especially her own.

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