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Some of the country's best young classical musicians congregate in Miami each year to participate in the New World Symphony. In the first of a three-part series following the symphony, NPR's Ari Shapiro talks with the orchestra's artistic director Michael Tilson Thomas.

Brazzaville is a Los Angeles-based sextet with a worldly outlook, and their sound has been described as "musty noir tropicalia" with influences from Latin America and the Mideast. The band's new CD Welcome to... Brazzaville — Day to Day producer Christopher Johnson profiles the band's leader, David Brown.

Capable of singing blues, R&B, jazz, and pop, Dinah Washington touched the jazz world with her gritty, salty vocals. Her album, Unforgettable, contains the hit, "This Bitter Earth." According to jazz commentator Murray Horwitz, the album conjures up 1960s images of supper clubs, cocktail dresses, and suits with skinny ties.

Rick Peckham teaches guitar at the Berklee School of Music — and he plays a mean Telecaster himself. Now his trio — with Tony Scherr on bass and Jim Black on drums — has released a CD called Left End.

Pre-teen sisters Asya and Chloe make up Smoosh, the latest band to rock Seattle. They've been touring this year with Pearl Jam and Sleater-Kinney and have a debut CD, She Like Electric. NPR's Jennifer Ludden talks with the band.

Max Roach was one of the founders of the jazz "be-bop" style. He also revolutionized jazz drumming by shifting the focus of the beat from the bass drum to the ride cymbal. In 1954, he formed a quintet in Los Angeles with trumpeter Clifford Brown, resulting in several classic recordings.

With lungs that even the most powerful soprano would envy, Polly Rhythm -- a 37-year-old parrot -- can mimic and sing opera. He sings along with the Queen of the Night's aria from Mozart's "The Magic Flute."

The Grammy-nominated honky tonk band BR549 lost two founding members in 2001. Front man Chuck Mead and drummer Shaw Wilson tell NPR's Scott Simon how they set out to record and tour again.

The latest edition of What Are You Listening To? features some of the favorite music of animator Rachel Max. Her playlist includes upbeat songs that provide inspiration for her short animated films.

NPR's Jennifer Ludden has a performance chat with American music icon Willie Nelson. Ludden caught up with Nelson while he was on tour promoting his new album It Will Always Be.