Music

From the versatility of the violin to the virtuosity of a mysterious opera composer, NPR's Tom Huizenga and host Guy Raz spin an eclectic set of the year's best classical recordings.

The English singer and songwriter, formerly of the dance-pop duo Everything but the Girl, confronts the mixed blessings of the holiday season on her new album Tinsel and Lights.

The jazz master died on Wednesday at age 91. In a 1999 interview with Fresh Air's Terry Gross he talked about his decades in the music industry and his first love: rodeo roping.

We remember Dave Brubeck, who died Wednesday at age 91, with a March 2012 review from jazz critic Kevin Whitehead, who wrote about a few of the more obscure titles from Dave Brubeck's quartet.

The pop legend spoke to Morning Edition about the Great American Songbook, his long career and "Mandy."

In subtropical Japan, the sanshin is a ubiquitous part of life. The instrument even follows Okinawans long after they're gone — played at grave sites, when families pay respects to their ancestors.

The surf-rock band spends a day hanging out at NPR's Washington, D.C., headquarters and helping to provide All Things Considered's soundtrack. It's the first (and perhaps only) time the show has had its own in-house band playing interstitial music live.

The celebrated young American cellist walks us through her recording of this "devastating" concerto written just after the end of World War I. She collaborated with conductor Daniel Barenboim, whose late wife, Jacqueline du Pre, was the standard-bearer for this work.

The $100 Guitar Project started when two friends bought a cheap guitar on a whim. They invited some other friends to compose and record an original piece on the instrument. Nels Cline, Fred Frith and Elliott Sharp are among the 65 guitarists who recorded for the project that went viral.

The West African nation of Mali is a hotbed of blazing electric guitar players. In recent years, two of the best — Zani Diabate and Lobi Traore — died suddenly while in the prime of their creative lives. Both have posthumous releases out this year worth tracking down.