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Anne-Sophie Mutter is one of the busiest musicians around, complete with new recordings, new pieces to premiere and seemingly endless concert tours. But when she's relaxing at home in Germany, she lists Ella Fitzgerald and La Bohème among her musical favorites.

Rock music may give the electric guitar fire, but avant-garde jazz musicians often re-think the instrument beyond its basic, melody- and rhythm-based functions. Here are five musicians who eschew standard conventions and instead approach the guitar as a device of pure sound.

No road trip is complete without a great car. And while classic wheels aren't great for your carbon footprint — not to mention your travel budget — here are five songs that go well with a ride in an old-fashioned luxury gas-guzzler.

In the 1970s in Recife, Brazil, a scene coalesced around a musician named Lula Cortes. An offshoot of the psychedelic rock scene happening around the world at the time, the movement created a handful of labels that recorded, produced and distributed some of the most beautiful music ever, perfect for hot summer nights.

Every year, more and more U.S.-based bands are playing African music. Discover new music from the likes of Akoya Afrobeat, Burkina Electric, Extra Golden, Markus James, and the Occidental Brothers Dance Band International.

It's summer — time to get out of the city and head for the open road. These five great driving songs from WNYC's John Schaefer provide the right energy to help ease the transition from urban cityscapes to bucolic countrysides, while holding nostalgia for the city at bay.

Ella Fitzgerald is one of the most recognized voices in jazz history. As a teen, her dream was to be a dancer, but fate had different plans for her. "Lady Ella" possessed a three-octave range, was noted for her pure tone, and is widely considered one of the finest Great American Songbook interpreters.

Summer road trips are a time for both celebration and meditation. There's an urgent need to be free and explore, while also blocking out the rest of the world and getting lost in wistful daydreams. For Carrie Brownstein, former guitarist for Sleater-Kinney and host of NPR's Monitor Mix blog, nothing captures those moments better than these five songs.

Pianist Arturo O'Farrill, son of the Latin jazz pioneer Chico O'Farrill, now conducts the Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra in New York. He picks five jazz albums which he says changed his life.

Ellington was the most prolific jazz composer of all time, writing and performing tirelessly for more than 50 years. Many of his compositions also bear the name of composer Billy Strayhorn, his longtime collaborator and friend. Ellington's mark can be found everywhere on jazz, both past and present.