NPR Music

It's not easy to pin a single genre on Calexico. Joey Burns and John Convertino's band blends Americana, Tejano and indie rock music. Burns and Convertino began recording under the name — borrowed from the California border town — in 1996 in Tucson, Ariz., and have released several well-received albums, including this year's Algiers.

A resident of Bruceton Mills, W.Va., Bob Shank has appeared on Mountain Stage multiple times, going back to the early 1980s, when he was a member of the Americana group Hickory Wind. He also appeared in 2007 with the instrumental band Freeman, Bloom & Shank. But it's unlikely that he ever appeared under such short notice — Shank graciously joined the lineup only hours before show time, when another artist canceled because of illness.

Ninety years ago near the village of Katonah, N.Y., art lovers Walter and Lucie Rosen bought Caramoor, a wooded estate, and built a home for their collection of painting and sculpture. Every room was a gallery, including their favorite, the Music Room; after they lost their only son in World War II, they presented a small concert series there to honor him. So began the transformation of Caramoor from a private home to an arts center and treasure for Westchester County, north of New York City.