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With a husky whisper of a voice and a well-developed acoustic guitar style, Matt Ward might easily be pegged as a folk singer. But reviewer Meredith Ochs says his new album, Hold Time, points in many musical directions.

Last November, for the first time in his career, Morrison revisited his second album, Astral Weeks, in concert. The result, Astral Weeks: Live at the Hollywood Bowl, arrives this week, offering a fresh take on one of the key recordings in late '60s rock.

The accordion has traveled the world, and its sound has been altered by every culture it touches. Music critic Banning Eyre says Argentinean Chango Spasiuk takes lowbrow music from the countryside and transforms it into sophisticated urbanite fare. He reviews Spasiuk's new album, Pynandi Los Descalzos.

The itinerant troubadour, composer and performer of "Suzanne," "Sisters of Mercy" and "Bird on a Wire" has a growl of a singing voice that seems to simmer and grumble up through the chords, almost like an earthquake. His new album, I'm Your Man, has already sold a quarter of a million copies in Europe.

Rose Marie McCoy is one of the most prolific songwriters of '50s American pop music, yet her legacy remains relatively unknown. During her career, the artist published more than 800 songs, some of which were recorded by the likes of Elvis Presley, Dizzy Gillespie and James Brown.

Before Barack Obama's election, a group of musicians recorded and released a collection of 43 original songs, one for each U.S. president. Titled Of Great and Mortal Men, the three-CD set ended with the presidency of George W. Bush. Now, just in time for the inauguration, the creators are making their 44th song available for download here.

With so many classic Christmas carols to choose from, creating brand new ones can be daunting, but English conductor-composer John Rutter has been at it for nearly 50 years. He shares his tips on what makes a good carol.

The Oslo-based trio of vocalists introduces a Norwegian Christmas tune, as well as a few traditions from their homeland, in NPR's Studio 4A. The group's latest recording has just been nominated for a Grammy Award.

The world-famous cellist has a challenge for his fans and fellow musicians: Get online and produce a virtual collaboration with him. Simply download Ma playing "Dona Nobis Pacem," add new music, mix and then upload it back to the site, where the rest of the submissions can be heard. Ma says he'll play music, in person, with the winner.

Friend and patron to several generations of composers and artists, Freeman was the catalyst behind the opera Nixon in China by John Adams, as well as pieces by John Cage, Harry Partch, Thomas Ades, Philip Glass and dozens of others.