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Tao Rodriguez-Seeger, the grandson of folk all-timer Pete Seeger, has carried on in the family tradition of musical activism, making frequent appearances at the venerable folk festival.

When a publicist for Tom Jones contacted us and said the singer wanted to do a "Big Desk Concert," the thought of Jones' substantial voice filling our office left us laughing — and dying to do it.

It's clear from this Tiny Desk Concert that Maria Taylor has never made a go of it as a busker: In terms of volume, she's closer to a whisper than a scream. But hers is a wonderfully warm presence.

Thao Nguyen and her backing band, The Get Down Stay Down, make mixing indie-pop and folk sound easy. Nguyen's exuberant voice filled NPR's offices this past September and christened its SXSW showcase.

In this program from 1987, Petrucciani, then 23, performs his own tune, "The Prayer," and host Marian McPartland joins him on "My Funny Valentine."

Bassist and singer Spalding graduated from music school in 2005. Four years, two celebrated albums and several invitations to the White House later, her act is one of the most sought-after in jazz.

It's been 50 years since his Time Out, and its crossover hits "Take Five" and "Blue Rondo a la Turk," first appeared in record shops. And at age 88, he says he still loves playing that material.

The school's basketball team may be overshadowed by its neighbors, but its jazz program has a history of top-notch talent. The college is sending both a big band and a small group to Newport.

Weston returns to Piano Jazz with host Marian McPartland to perform "A Ballad for T.," "Little Niles" and "African Lady."

He's been a "first-call" saxophonist in New York City for more than two decades. But this week, he's the one doing the calling. Wilson and his new quartet of old friends set up shop at the Vanguard.

The home-state band rejoins the Newport lineup for yet another triumphant return.

It's hard not to notice Hiromi Uehara's energy: her dazzling keyboard abilities are front and center in her music. With her quartet SonicBloom, the pianist and keyboardist showcases her talent.

Gillian Welch and David Rawlings put out Soul Journey, their last record under Welch's name, in 2003, and since then have toured under the moniker David Rawlings Machine.

As a teenager in 2002, Matthew Muckey stunned a From the Top audience with his trumpeting skills. Now, he plays with the New York Philharmonic.

Musicians at the 2010 Spoleto Festival U.S.A. bring out the "Gypsy" in Haydn and Brahms. The newly renovated Dock Street Theater in Charleston, S.C., plays host to Gypsy-inspired sounds.

He found his footing in jazz through its hard-swinging main stem. But after he'd proved his hard-bop mettle, he leaned toward experimentalism. Now, the trumpeter seems comfortable with all of it.

An Arizona band led by singer-guitarist Joey Burns and multi-instrumentalist John Convertino, Calexico has spent a decade and a half as a go-to purveyor of atmospheric, even cinematic desert pop.

Binney's deceptively simple-sounding songs, and the passionate alto saxophone blowing he brings to them, saw bright daylight when he brought an A-list band to the CareFusion Newport Jazz Festival.

The choral conductor strives for beauty in every musical experience. It all started with the lonesome sound of a late-night train whistle. Hear Warland lead two 20th-century masterworks in concert.

The queen of desert rock arrived like international royalty to perform selections from her new album, Timbuktu Tarab. Watch the Malian singer unveil her stunning vocal chops.