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Diana Krall is known for her interpretations of old favorites from the American songbook. But her latest release, The Girl in the Other Room, includes newer songs and — for the first time — her own music. She talks about her craft with NPR's Steve Inskeep.

In the last of our five days with the words and music of Aaron Copland, we hear the composer talk about an exciting episode in his life: the years he spent in Paris. And we hear Leonard Bernstein lead the Tanglewood Music Center Orchestra in the third and fourth movements from Copland's Symphony No. 3.

As music director of Weekend Edition Sunday, NPR's Ned Wharton supervises music continuity for the show, keeps tabs on what's new and noteworthy in the music world and produces many of the artist features heard on the program. He offers holiday picks for 2004.

As a young piano prodigy, Rachel Fuller composed neoclassical orchestral works. Today, she rocks. "Cigarettes and Housework," her debut pop CD, features dark, edgy songs and a title track about doing housework in the nude. She talks with NPR's Liane Hansen.

Producer David Harvey's new bluegrass album pays tribute to British '70s pop icons The Moody Blues. Bluegrass stars from Tim O'Brien and Alison Krauss to Stuart Duncan and Aubrey Haynie interpret "I'm Just a Singer in a Rock and Roll Band" and "Nights in White Satin," among others. Hear NPR's Steve Munro.

NPR's Mandalit del Barco delves into the history of "Rapper's Delight" — and the ongoing controversy over the song. The hip-hop tune, propelled by a funky Chic bass groove, was first heard on the radio a quarter-century ago and became an instant classic.

For the holiday season, Piano Jazz host Marian McPartland reads Dylan Thomas' A Child's Christmas in Wales. She provides her own musical improvisations to evoke the mood of holidays past.

Can a band plagiarize itself? One listener in Canada has implied as much by taking two songs by the band Nickelback and superimposing them over one another to emphasize the similarity.

For those with less-than-perfect singing voices, technology offers help. A number of computer programs can correct pitch to make just about anyone sound in tune -- even NPR's Renee Montagne, who lends her voice to show how the software works.

Jimmy Norman sang with the Coasters for three decades. He played with Hendrix and wrote lyrics for "Time is on My Side." At 70, he has his first nationally distributed solo CD: Little Pieces. Hear Norman and NPR's Scott Simon.