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You may not recognize the name James Hand, but that's just because you've never heard anything like him. The 57-year-old Texan has been in hidden away in country music scene for years, and if his third album Shadow of the Ground shows his age, critic Ken Tucker says it's just that Hand doesn't care what you think.

Pianist Aaron Diehl is a fresh graduate of The Juilliard School of Music, but he's most assuredly an up-and-coming force in jazz. Dubbed "The Real Diehl" by Wynton Marsalis, Diehl displays brilliant technique and a truly creative approach to music, whether he's interpreting Tatum, Ellington or Mozart. He joins Marian McPartland on "Afternoon in Paris" and "One Morning in May."

With the help of legendary Nashville session musicians and a little paternal assistance from Paul Simon, Harper Simon has just released his solo debut. But don't be fooled by his pedigree: The younger musician has his own sound.

Music critic Milo Miles reviews two new collections of tunes from the late Latin pioneers Tito Rodriguez and Tito Puente. The two were rivals on the bandstand of the Palladium, the epicenter of the 1950s mambo craze.

The Brooklyn-Queens Expressway isn't exactly the type of scenic roadway that usually inspires great works of art, yet that's the inspiration behind Stevens' new album, The BQE. The singer-songwriter spent nine months traveling the BQE to capture the moods and frustrations of its motorists.

We listen back to excerpts of interviews with and concerts by singer and guitarist Richard Thompson. A new box set collects more than 40 years of his work.

Moby's latest album, Wait for Me, is his best new release in a decade, full of beauty, sadness and celebration. The singer and electronic artist is currently on tour in support of the record, giving sold-out performances to packed arenas and smaller clubs throughout Europe and the U.S. For this stellar concert, recorded live in Berlin on June 26, Moby treated fans to nearly two hours of new songs and old favorites from a career spanning nearly 20 years.

Listening to Davis' propulsive funk, it's apparent that her image was just as important to her albums as a guitar or a keyboard or her voice. In 1975, she seemed to represent her era, but she probably pushed boundaries too far for mainstream music. Here, Meredith Ochs reviews a recent reissue of Davis' groundbreaking album Nasty Gal.

A self-described news junkie, singer Corey Glover has long kept his lyrics extremely topical. In a session from WNYC's Soundcheck, his hard-rock band Living Colour addressed both long-suffering Hurricane Katrina victims and the final moments before Sept. 11.

Listening to Boston's Passion Pit is a lot like going out dancing; it's easy to get caught up in the music and lose yourself. But the group has more to offer than just catchy hooks. Its brand of shiny electro-pop combines bright, danceable aesthetics with emotionally charged lyrics. Hear the band in session on World Cafe.