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December 16, 2011 Hear an episode of NPR's Jazz Profiles dedicated to the acclaimed large ensemble composer.

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December 7, 2011 As this retrospective roundup proves, it is nearly impossible to fit all the year's great music into one show.

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November 22, 2011 The colorful drummer and composer was known for his deep internal sense of swing. He was 80.

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November 3, 2011 Juanes' five albums have struck a chord with millions, making him a superstar who can fill stadiums and large arenas across Latin America and the U.S. Watch the charismatic Colombian superstar give an intimate performance at the NPR Music offices.

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October 23, 2011 The hard-rocking trio sounds better than ever on its fourth album, which wraps the songs of singer Nina Diaz in just the right arrangements.

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October 19, 2011 The Texas trio performs loud Latin alt-rock in both English and Spanish — though its members are only fluent in one of the two.

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October 4, 2011 Like the best conjunto music, El Brown Recluse is all about the dance floor. But the ballroom in this case is full of cowboy boots and skinny jeans.

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September 28, 2011 In the second installment of our series on Brazilian music, Guest DJ Beco Dranoff shares new spins on traditional samba, big band sounds from Rio De Janeiro, and São Paulo rap.

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September 23, 2011 The crime writer picks five songs essential to characters in his D.C.-centered books or HBO's Treme.

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September 14, 2011 Earlier this year, the categories for the Grammys were reorganized — affecting folk music and jazz categories hardest. Some Latin jazz musicians have filed a class-action suit to reinstate that category and to get the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences to reexamine the reorganization.

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August 25, 2011 For years, the American Federation of Musicians has used part of the royalties its members earn to sponsor free concerts across the country. But as sales stagnate in a tough economy and the music industry as a whole faces an uncertain future, the fund is in trouble.

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August 24, 2011 We sample music from albums with one strong song after another.

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August 17, 2011 Covers can find unheard possibilities in familiar songs. This week we feature reinterpretations of classics from Puerto Rico, Argentina, Mexico and more.

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August 3, 2011 Intrepid musical explorer Felix Contreras brought us back the best of what he found on vacation in California: Mexican-American bands like Los Hollywood and ¡Aparato!

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