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Strauss' gorgeous music in "At Sunset" is lit with the golden rays of a fall afternoon slipping away into twilight. An opening burst of orchestral color soars, but gets muted in a haze of French horns. The strings, floating high and sweet, weave a long-lined melody.

Slavic Soul Party mixes the "messed-up" rhythms of the Balkans with gypsy music, funk and jazz for a sound that brings young hipsters and older immigrants together in the same room. Hear an interview with band leader Matt Moran, as well as a studio performance of new songs.

In 1959, seven now-legendary musicians in the prime of their careers went into the studio to record five simple compositional sketches. The result was a universally acknowledged masterpiece, the best-selling jazz album of all time: Miles Davis' Kind of Blue.

Davis' trumpet style was instantly recognizable, even though his music was ever-changing. His was a restless spirit, always pushing himself and his music forward into uncharted terrain.

In the 1950s, composer William Bolcom began an ambitious project to set the 46 poems in William Blake's Songs of Innocence and Experience to music. A massive work, the result premiered in 1984. Now, a recording of Bolcom's work has finally been released. NPR's Jeffrey Freymann-Weyr reports.

Tinariwen formed in the refugee camps of Libya and Algeria. They've carried instruments and rifles in their lives, and fought for the freedom of their Tuareg people. Their music is a mix of North African blues and at times reggae-influenced. Chris Nickson reviews their CD, Amassakoul.

Tom Waits' change in approach on Real Gone can make the new album a challenge to hear, but worth digging into. Hear critic Tom Moon.

Lyle Lovett releases his first CD of all-original material in seven years. And as his fans have come to expect, the record is a blend of country, bluegrass, gospel and, of course, the blues. NPR's Michele Norris talks with Lovett about his new album, My Baby Don't Tolerate.

Reviewer David Greenberger has been listening to the latest release of the British pianist and accordion player Geraint Watkins, Dial 'W' for Watkins.

Akin Fernandez's obsession with "numbers stations" — broadcasts of seemingly random numbers sequences that still remain officially a mystery — led to a CD set compiling off-air recordings. It's become a cult hit. Matt Cowan reports.