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Rock critic Ken Tucker reviews Get Rich or Die Tryin' (Interscope Records), the new CD from rapper 50 Cent.

For his feature Director's Cuts, NPR's Ned Wharton looks at two CDs that highlight the role of producer as auteur: a tribute to the late Serbian-born Suba, who produced Bebel Gilberto's Tanto Tempo; and a disc called Assembly — a collaboration between guitarist/producer Michael Brook and Tanzanian musician Hukwe Zawose. On Weekend Edition Sunday.

He's been called the 'not-so missing link between soul and country'. His songs have been recorded by Vince Gill, George Strait, the Dixie Chicks, Shelby Lynne and many others. But he's also recorded over a dozen of his own solo albums and has sung background vocals on more than 40 albums. In 1999 he collaborated with his hero, blue grass legend Ralph Stanley on the album, I Feel Like Singing Today which was nominated for a Grammy. Recently he collaborated again with Stanley on the album Lost in the Lonesome Pines (Dualtone); He also has a new solo album The Hummingbirds (Dualtone).

Musician and actor Steve Van Zandt is a guitarist for Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band. He's also recorded solo and has produced a number of records and written songs for other musicians. He plays hitman Silvio Dante in the hit HBO series The Sopranos. He's also now a radio DJ. His syndicated show, Hard Rock Cafe Presents Little Steven's Underground Garage plays Sunday nights on a number of classic rock stations across the United States.

Hailing from Sweden, the Esbjorn Svensson Trio has long practiced a fresh, inventive style of improvisation. Its members talk about the differences between American and European approaches to jazz, and perform in NPR's Studio 4A.

June 28 marks the centennial of master melody-maker Richard Rodgers, composer of such beloved musicals as Oklahoma! and The Sound of Music. Hosted by NPR's Susan Stamberg, Easy to Remember explores Rodgers' life and career. The program features music from cast albums, soundtracks, period recordings and popular records.

Jewel has been performing before live audiences since she was a little girl growing up in Alaska. So it's no surprise the singer/songwriter is more comfortable on stage than in the recording studio. On Morning Edition, Host Bob Edwards' interviews Jewel.

Neil Young may be the hardest man in rock 'n' roll to pin down. Biographer Jimmy McDonough tried his best, but as he tells Scott Simon on Weekend Edition Saturday, he couldn't do it, even in 800-plus pages. But it sure was fun trying.

Argentine composer Osvaldo Golijov has written a Latin American Passion, according to Saint Mark. The Passion tells the story of Christ's betrayal, death, and ressurection; perhaps the best-known Passions are those by Johann Sebastian Bach. Our music critic Tom Manoff says Golijov's achievement is remarkable, a musical drama set in a New World for a new time. It's a mixture of traditions — Spanish, Latin, and Aramaic words are set to a music that draws on Latin American folk music, African drumming, flamenco and Gregorian-like chant melodies. • Listen to Fred Child's interview with Osvaldo Golijov for Performance Today, April 8, 2002.

Musician and actor Steve Van Zandt. He is the guitarist for Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band. He's also recorded solo and has produced a number of records for other bands. He plays hitman Silvio Dante in the hit HBO series The Sopranos. His syndicated radio show, Hard Rock Cafe Presents Little Steven's Underground Garage plays Sunday nights on a number of classic rock stations across the United States. This interview first aired June 27, 2002.