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Marin Alsop says she can't remember the first time she met composer Jennifer Higdon, and both simply believe they've always known each other. Oddly, the two women have never had a conversation about gender in the classical-music world — that is, until now. Higdon's Violin Concerto is set to be performed by Hilary Hahn next month.

A now-infamous 2008 trip to Avatar Studios brought Liane Hansen face to face with her vocal limitations. But she also met a young artist making her debut recordings. Now Sabrina Scott has released her EP, called A New View.

Jazz critic Kevin Whitehead reviews Lucky Thompson: New York City, 1964-65 featuring rare live recordings of saxophonist Lucky Thompson.

Asleep In The Bread Aisle is the latest release from rapper Asher Roth, who grew up white in the suburbs. Roth says he hopes his work — as well as the person he happens to be — will challenge the hip-hop community.

Rock critic and Fresh Air regular Ken Tucker joins the show to review Wussy, the self-titled third album from the Cincinnati, Ohio quartet.

U.K. musician Natasha Khan, better known as Bat For Lashes, uses a fusion of keyboards and harps to generate tribal beats and electronica. She speaks on the uncommon sounds and ideas behind her acclaimed new album, Two Suns.

Critic Tom Manoff reviews a new recording of Rachmaninov's preludes by pianist Steven Osborne, who opts for innocence over opulence, giving each of the 24 preludes its own distinct and compelling character.

The volatile and eclectic music scene of 1960s Los Angeles comes together in a new box set issued by Rhino Records. Critic Ed Ward gives it a listen.

Rap music may have started in the Bronx, but in recent years, the South has taken over the airwaves. The latest selection in the You Must Hear This series, in which musicians talk about a piece of music they love, is some early Southern rap from the group that coined the term "Dirty South." Rapper Bun B, of the Grammy-nominated group UGK, says that Goodie Mob's debut album inspires his life and music to this day.

Cash has a new album on which she sings one of the most famous lines in country music: "The lights in the harbor don't shine for me." That's from the Hal David and Paul Hampton classic, "Sea of Heartbreak." Many artists have recorded this song in the past half-century, and Cash recently sat down with NPR's Steve Inskeep to discuss its history and significance.