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Janine Jansen is a 28-year-old rising star of the violin. Last week, she was featured by the BBC at one of its lunchtime concerts from London's Wigmore Hall. We'll sample that concert and hear Jansen's performance of the Violin Sonata No. 2 by Edvard Grieg. Itamar Golan is at the piano.

California Guitar Trio's members are candid about the kind of music they play, which is evident from the band's name: It's an L.A.-based group of three highly skilled acoustic-guitar players. But its music isn't that simple, as it blends blues, folk, jazz, classical and surf-rock.

Elliott Smith, nominated for an Oscar for the song "Miss Misery" on the Good Will Hunting soundtrack, was found dead Tuesday with a stab wound to the chest. NPR's Neda Ulaby reports on the musician's life, his large cult following and his music. Hear samples of some of his songs, and listen to past NPR interviews with Smith.

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

This Tiny Desk Contest entry is filled with dark observations about navigating survival within various societal structures that seem to go against that very thing.

This Tiny Desk Contest entry is about finding solace in the noise of the city, succumbing to escape.

Lennon suggested that the song represents "our collective desire for peace worldwide" and that it transports listeners to a place "where love and togetherness become our reality."

Thomas Mayfield helped raise test scores and engagement in the classroom, and now he's helping teachers in Fort Worth learn what he did.

Grammy-winning singer and composer Cassandra Wilson has made a career out of using her jazz and blues skills to transform pop songs. On her latest album, Glamoured, Wilson applies her rich, husky voice to a variety of musical genres. NPR's Michelle Mercer has a review.

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.