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In the 1930s and '40s, band singers were mostly blond, sophisticated and attractive. Ella Fitzgerald was awkward, gawky and even a bit chubby by comparison — but could she sing.

Blues fans have long looked to the Mississippi Delta or Chicago for a taste of authentic Americana, but a new compilation draws attention to another region: Appalachia. Classic Appalachian Blues, from Smithsonian Folkways, features acoustic fingerstyle blues assembled by music professor Barry Lee Pearson and archivist Jeff Place.

The jazz trumpeter chats about and performs songs from his album Yesterday You Said Tomorrow. He tells guest host Audie Cornish about how he developed his signature breathy sound, and his education in jazz which came from his family, formal schooling, and the clubs in his hometown of New Orleans.

Among music composers, there's always been a desire to hear their works performed exactly as conceived. One distinguished jazz guitarist acted on that impulse: He built his own collection of computer-controlled acoustic instruments.

Yes, even within the hallowed halls of classical music, one can find all manner of hoodwinking, horseplay and even a raunchy song or two. Hear Renee Montagne and Miles Hoffman spin some of the more lewd and laughable musical jokes.

The overall aesthetic of "Floored," and especially the taut unison lines that seem to crop up out of nowhere, evokes the early years of jazz-rock fusion, when the music was truly an audacious, psychedelic experiment and hadn't yet been commoditized.

Best known for his lively work with pianist Vijay Iyer, Crump leads his drummer-less trio through a set of poignant originals on WBGO's The Checkout with Josh Jackson.

"Spirit Jazz" finds Lloyd Miller and an inventive group of U.K. musicians teeming with calming confidence. Along the way, listeners are graced with a soundtrack for discovery, suitable for escapism, reflection or something else entirely.

Eschenbach, 70, has been called brilliant and erratic, but never bland. As the new conductor of Washington D.C.'s National Symphony Orchestra, he brings with him an eye for talent and a storied past.

The vocalist got her start singing with Earl Hines and recorded with Clifford Brown. On this 1995 session, Merrill is joined by Marian McPartland for duets on "Home on the Range" and "Don't Explain."