Music

Every Tuesday night at the 5 Spot, some 200 people show up the East Nashville bar for Two Dollar Tuesdays: a $2 coverage charge, $2 beers and five musical guests. It's hosted by Derek Hoke, an unassuming, laid-back guy with the cowboy hat and retro-vintage eyeglasses.

"I call it a speed showcase," Hoke says. "Everybody plays five songs, and I tell them to play the 'best of' — you know, get up there, kill and get off. There's somebody coming up right after you, and we have to plow through this thing."

No rest for the weary. It's been another whirlwind of a work week — over here we rejoiced that our hip-hop stream is up and running and then mourned the death of industry executive Chris Lighty.

Brazilian singer Luciana Souza has worked in many genres, from jazz and bossa nova to classical music and even, as a small child, commercial jingles. A graduate of Berklee and the New England Conservatory of Music, Souza has been nominated for four Grammys and worked at a prolific pace. In fact, she's just released two albums of covers, Duos III and The Book of Chet; the latter finds her covering the works of Chet Baker.

Frederic Yonnet is known for bringing the harmonica to urban jazz, R&B and hip-hop. He's working on the album Reed My Lips: The Rough Cut. It's available as a digital download, but the final mix will be out next year with suggested changes from fans. Yonnet joins host Michel Martin for a special encore performance chat.

A pioneer who muddies the waters separating jazz, blues, country, soul and rock, Cassandra Wilson possesses a beautiful voice and more than three decades of musical experience. The two-time Grammy winner began her career with the M-base collective, but found success as a solo jazz singer.

Next Wednesday: Matt Wilson's Arts and Crafts Live at the Village Vanguard. But first, these news:

• Larry Blumenfeld, a very good writer, has a new jazz blog up at the ARTINFO.com site.

Wednesday, Sept. 5 marks the 100th anniversary of the birth of composer John Cage.

Got an idea for a classical cartoon, or a reaction to this one? Leave your thoughts in the comments section.

Pablo Helguera is a New York-based artist working with sculpture, drawing, photography and performance. You can see more of his work at Artworld Salon and on his own site.