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Pink Martini's debut album, Sympathique, has been selling steadily, racking up a respectable 600,000 sales in the five years since its release. NPR's Ari Shapiro reports on the pressures on the band and its charismatic leader Thomas Lauderdale to avoid the sophomore curse of a second release that doesn't live up to the first.

Joan Baez was in her late teens when her performance at the 1959 Newport Folk Festival and her self-titled debut album of traditional folk songs thrust her into the spotlight. Four decades later, the voice on her new CD — the first from her in six years — is huskier, a bit rougher perhaps, but no less powerful. NPR's Scott Simon speaks with Baez about Dark Chords on a Big Guitar.

If Steely Dan's new album sounds familiar, it's because it features the distinctive style of smooth but funky jazz that Walter Becker and Donald Fagen have brought to their music for more than 30 years. NPR's Steve Inskeep interviews the duo. Hear songs from Everything Must Go.

Critic Tom Moon reviews the new CD by Macy Gray. He includes Gray among a group of "neo-soul" artists — contemporary R&B musicians that have hit pay dirt by consciously emulating the sounds and songwriting devices of classic soul. The Trouble With Being Myself, evokes the sounds of Chaka Khan, Al Green and the Jackson Five.

She is creating a buzz in the jazz community. Critics have remarked that the young jazz artist has a "penchant for leisurely tempos, soulful interpretations and gloriously resonant low notes." Producer Roy Hurst talks with the singer-songwriter about her critically acclaimed debut album, Salt.

Since the 1960s, Canadian singer/songwriter Bruce Cockburn has released 27 records — all of them on independent labels. His latest CD, You've Never Seen Everything, is a politically charged and energetic record that blends jazz themes with the sounds of electronica. Jeffrey Pepper Rodgers reports.

Aaron Neville's new album of jazz standards may seem like a new direction for a singer who's better known for pop, blues, soul and gospel. But over the years Neville has found room in his performances for songs like "Summertime," "Cry Me a River" and "The Shadow of Your Smile." NPR's Liane Hansen talks with Neville on Weekend Edition Sunday. Hear songs from his new CD, Nature Boy.

Otis Taylor plays a style of music he calls "drone blues," a hypnotic, loosely-structured form of guitar meandering. A former antiques dealer, he writes lyrics based on themes of injustice informed by his love of history. Guest host John Ydstie speaks with Taylor about his new CD, Truth Is Not Fiction (Telarc Records, catalog # 83587).

Verve Records has again invited DJs and electronic musicians to remix classics from it's extensive catalog. Music critic Michelle Mercer has a review of the Verve Remixed 2 CD.

A British music buff says he's found the inspiration for the Beatles' hit song "Yesterday" in "Answer Me," a song recorded in 1953 by Nat King Cole. Robert Siegel talks with historian Spencer Leigh about his theory.