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A gifted arranger and composer whose originals include "C.T.A." and "Gingerbread Boy," Heath has written charts for Chet Baker and Art Blakey. Heath cut his teeth in big bands with Dizzy Gillespie and Howard McGhee, and in this concert from the Blue Note, he's got his own.

Recognized in Time Magazine's 2007 list of the world's 100 most influential people, Senegal's Youssou N'Dour is known in some circles as "the most famous African singer alive." He discusses his new album (Rokku Mi Rokka) and the inspiring messages behind his lyrics.

Goldmund plays minimalist piano pieces that delicately emphasize the physical expression of piano sounds. The overall effect is cinematic, like a film score composed by Erik Satie. Goldmund's piano pieces are short and restrained with spare notes and varying textures.

Iron and Wine's diverse, progressive new album (The Shepherd's Dog) has already earned strong sales and excellent reviews. In this performance and interview segment, singer Sam Beam plays songs and talks about the disc's status as a "headphone record."

Animal Collective began by intersecting folk, noise, ambient drone and psychedelic music into an intriguing, sometimes frustrating mess. The band has progressed to a unified sound, but remains rooted in melody and weirdness. Hear an interview and performance from KEXP.

In his new autobiography, Eric Clapton tells the story of his professional rise and his personal battles with substance abuse. In the first of a two-part interview, Clapton remembers the blues greats that influenced him as a young guitarist.

With relaxed rhythms and Beatles-esque melodies, Hands Down Eugene has been finding a lot of fans in the Nashville area. The band is a collection of artists (including members of Ben Folds and My Morning Jacket) lead by Matt Moody who recently moved from Missouri to Nashville.

Near the end of Miles Davis' career, he gave young Wallace Roney the gift of a trumpet. That blue horn — yes, silvery blue — has engaged in a lot of serious music-making, first with Davis and now with Roney as a solo act. Hear a concert performance captured by JazzSet.

While many contemporary songs draw from The Kinks' early garage-blues sound, later acoustic folk-rock or penchant for storytelling, Georgie James' "Henry and Hanzy" reflects the band's strong sense of nostalgia and the way it was influenced by old musicals.

Like overeating at Thanksgiving, composers can overindulge on music. Commentator Miles Hoffman discusses the reaction some composers had to the "musical bloat" of the Bruckner and Mahler years. The result was a leaner musical waistline.