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Jesse Malin was a punk rocker at age 12, and went on to front the group D Generation, which disbanded in 1999. But his new CD, The Fine Art of Self Destruction sounds more like Bruce Springsteen than Johnny Rotten. NPR's Linda Wertheimer talks with Malin.

Blues singer Buddy Guy is playing a different kind of music than he used to. Guy — known for the bright, loud, electrified Chicago blues style — has recently unplugged his electric guitar to explore the roots of blues in acoustic form. NPR's Steve Inskeep talks to Guy about his new CD, Blues Singer.

Jazz bassist Ron Carter has more than two thousand recordings to his credit. From 1963-1968 he was part of the Miles Davis Quintet with Herbie Hancock, Tony Williams, and Wayne Shorter. Over the years he's played with Randy Weston, Herbie Mann, Betty Carter, Eric Dolphy, Sony Rollins, McCoy Tyner and others. Carter's new CD is The Golden Striker, from Blue Note Records. The interview originally aired Oct. 15, 2002.

Hot Club of Cowtown's five albums revive Western swing, a musical style made famous more than half a century ago by groups such as Bob Wills and his Texas Playboys. Group members stop by NPR's Studio 4B for a performance chat with NPR's John Ydstie.

The 1970s Memphis rock band Big Star never reached commercial success, but the group is often cited as a precursor to the grunge of the 1990s, as well as today's power-pop. A new compilation, Big Star Story, assembles some of the songs from the group's three full-length albums. NPR's Will Hermes has a review.

Emmylou Harris describes her music and talks about how she found her way into the business. Her new CD is called Stumble Into Grace.

Jazz critic Kevin Whitehead reviews the CD, Passing Ships, by Andrew Hill, which was recorded in 1969 but never released until now.

Jazz critic Kevin Whitehead reviews two new CDs by the Art Ensemble of Chicago, The Meeting and Tribute to Lester.

A new CD by Norwegian pianist Tord Gustavsen has captured the attention of our reviewer Jim Fusilli. Here Gustavsen plays with a trio, and the music is an exquisite mix of slow passionate sounds and sparse melodies, reminiscent of Bill Evans or Keith Jarrett. The CD, available from ECM records, is called Changing Places.

The mbira, or Zimbabwean thumb piano, is a revered ceremonial instrument from Southern Africa. As played by Stella Chiweshe, the mbira's often haunting sound has recently been embraced by world music enthusiasts. Chiweshe performs songs from her new CD and talks about the deeply spiritual and political sources of her inspiration.