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In his 30-year career, musician Fred Hersch has performed in solo, duo, trio and quintet settings. In 2003 he received the prestigious Guggenheim Memorial Fellowship, which he used to work on his latest project, Leaves of Grass. For it, Hersch leads a 10-piece ensemble, which includes vocalists singing the words of Walt Whitman set to compositions by Hersch. He is touring the ensemble this month.

Bobby Short, one of the cabaret world's most revered performers and a symbol of New York style, has died at the age of 80. A fixture at New York's Carlyle Hotel for more than 35 years, Short entertained thousands with his interpretations of the works of Cole Porter, Duke Ellington and other classic American composers.

Three months before his death, tenor saxophonist Stan Getz teamed with pianist Kenny Barron at the Cafe Montmartre in Copenhagen to record a series of duets. The brilliant collaboration was recorded for the 1991 album, People Time.

The first person to record a solo on the vibraphone, Lionel Hampton was a master balladeer. Among its many gems, Essential Masters of Jazz has Hampton's classic "Midnight Sun," which Hampton described as capturing a "love feeling."

Music journalist and author Greil Marcus talks about 'Like a Rolling Stone: Bob Dylan at the Crossroads,' his new book about the recording of the 1965 hit. Marcus says the legendary song nearly didn't happen.

Machito emigrated to the United States in 1937, after years of being a professional musician in Cuba. The timing was perfect, as Afro-Cuban jazz (a variety of Latin jazz) was on the verge of becoming popular. Machito and his band became a master of the genre, as displayed on this energetic album.

The Mills Brothers were so proficient at imitating instruments with their voices, that many of their CDs contained a clarifying note: "No musical instruments used on this recording other than one guitar." This two-disc set has all of the brother's biggest hits, including "Paper Doll" and "Glow Worm."

Prosecutors allege that Atlanta rapper Young Thug co-founded a violent street gang.

The American Chamber Players, a Washington, D.C.-based chamber music ensemble, performs music by the often overlooked English composer Frank Bridge.

NPR science correspondent Joe Palca talks with a physics professor who serenades his students with ditties about E=mc² and the like. Professor Walter Smith at Haverford College often plays songs on his ukulele to teach complex concepts.