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His album, Down in the Alley has been nominated for a Grammy as Best Traditional Blues Recording. He's been playing accoustic blues for nearly 20 years. Though he was raised in California, his roots musically and otherwise are in rural Mississippi. He was influenced by Charlie Patton, Leadbelly, Blind Willie McTell and others. Later he was also influenced by Jimi Hendrix and Taj Mahal.

Jazz critic Kevin Whitehead reviews Blowing In From Chicago, a new re-issue from tenor saxophonists Clifford Jordan and John Gilmore.

Tavis Smiley interviews grammy award winning bassist Marcus Miller about his life, his career, and his new album M2.

Host Steve Inskeep talks to musician Corey Harris about his "diaspora rock." On the singer's latest album he composes music influenced by Africans around the world — from the Caribbean and the American South to the hip hop clubs of Washington, D.C. Learn more about Corey Harris.

NPR's Scott Simon and cultural commentator Murray Horowitz reflect on the impact of "Ol' Man River." It's the 75th anniversary of Paul Robeson's powerful recording of the hauntingly beautiful song from Show Boat.

Lucinda Williams' latest album is full of love songs, but they're the kind you might play over and over after an ugly breakup. "I guess you could write a good song if your heart hadn't been broken, but I don't know of anyone whose heart hasn't been broken," Williams tells NPR's Bob Edwards. Hear samples from 'World Without Tears'.

Host Liane Hansen speaks with saxophonist Ravi Coltrane, son of musician Alice Coltrane and the sax legend John Coltrane. Though John Coltrane died before Ravi was two years old, ultimately Ravi followed in his father's footsteps and has become a respected bandleader. Ravi Coltrane's new cd, Mad 6, is on Eighty-Eights/Columbia Records, and his website is http://www.ravicoltrane.com.

The 78-year-old singer is currently performing at Birdland in New York City. Previously, Carroll spent 25 years playing at Bemelmans Bar at the Carlyle Hotel. This year, she received three lifetime achievement awards; one of them was the Kennedy Center's Mary Lou Williams Women in Jazz Lifetime Achievement Award. Carroll has a number of albums to her credit; her latest is the new solo album Morning in May.

The Canadian trio The Be Good Tanyas releases its second album, Chinatown. The album is a rich blend of folk, country, old-timey and new-timey music. Meredith Ochs reviews this new release.

In her third poetry collection, Zeina Hashem Beck is graceful her defiance of fitting self into a box. She embraces the multitudes – mother, citizen, poet, warrior – and presents herself as one whole.