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Alan Cheuse reviews two historical novels, both with protagonists immersed in sewing and slavery: Breena Clarke's Stand the Storm and Frances de Pontes Peebles' The Seamstress.

The jazz vocalist says that once an idea has been caught on tape, "it's never going to be quite as strong" as in that first moment. Her new, all-improvised album is called Spontaneous.

Rudresh Mahanthappa's work always seems to be filed under jazz, but it's hard to find a style he doesn't touch: hip-hop, country, metal and soul fused with traditional sounds from India, Africa and Indonesia. And he makes it rock.

Drums — wide and deep talking-to-you drums — are the key ingredient in the Cindy Blackman sound. At the Women in Jazz Festival at the Kennedy Center, the Lenny Kravitz drummer brought her quartet featuring JD Allen. Sherrie Maricle's Fiveplay opens.

Chris Stein's photos in Me, Blondie and the Advent of Punk Rock document a city that is barely recognizable today.

The award for lifetime artistic achievements will also recognize jazz trumpeter, pianist and composer Arturo Sandoval. The Apollo Theater will receive a special Honors as "an iconic American institution."

Gabriel Crouch is Director of Choral Activities and Senior Lecturer in Music at Princeton University. He began his musical career as an eight-year-old in the choir of Westminster Abbey, where he performed a solo at the wedding of HRH Prince Andrew and Miss Sarah Ferguson. After completing a choral scholarship at Trinity College, Cambridge, he was offered a place in the renowned a cappella group The King's Singers in 1996. In the next eight years he made a dozen recordings on the BMG label (including a grammy nomination), and gave more than 900 performances in almost every major concert venue in the world.

The trumpeter's legendary sound and bravado dwarfed his 5'6" frame. Known as "Little Jazz," and later just "Jazz," his nicknames befit his devotion (five decades) to the art form. Celebrate his centennial with five of his fieriest early performances.

For his new cookbook, the chef compiled soul-soothing, stomach-satisfying recipes from around the world. And this time, Oliver tells NPR's Linda Wertheimer, he worried less about calorie counts.

Piano music of Richard Rodney Bennett and Jed Distler on our 500th episode this Friday (1/24, rebroadcast Saturday 1/25)