The Blues
- Guitar Duet Stomp-Jeff Healey (A fun romp, seemingly from a bygone era of fingerstyle guitar.)
- Wild Rose-Dianne Reeves featuring Esperanza Spalding (If I didn't know otherwise, I would have thought this was an R&B gem from the '70s. Reeves also sings a solid cover of "Stormy Weather.")
- Theme From "Chariots Of Fire"-Vangelis (My father mentioned recently how effectively the right theme music--and this theme, in particular--sets a scene. He's right. Decades later, the majestic, orchestral "Chariots Of Fire" theme has lost none of its scene-setting ability.)
- Forever Mine-The Greencards (Endearing lead and harmony vocals and strong production values make me curious to hear more of this group's work.)
- Put On Your Old Grey Bonnet-Coleman Hawkins Quintet (It's easy to imagine a melody like this being played in a dimly lit, smoke-filled nightclub. It would segue with the Norah Jones interpretation of Willie Nelson's "Crazy.")
- J.S. Bach: Cello Suite No.1 in G major, BWV. 1007 (Janos Starker, cello) (You've almost certainly heard at least the prelude of this suite, in one form or another--performed by Yo-Yo Ma, perhaps, or by guitarist Steve Hackett in the Genesis tune, "Horizons." This is yet another expressive reading of one of the most famous works ever composed for the cello.)
- Things Get Better-Eddie Floyd (There are so many ways to tell someone you enjoy being with her; Floyd sets his commendable way of conveying this to a catchy backdrop of brass and an infectious rhythm section.)
- Piece Of My Heart-Beverley Knight (An impressively emotive cover of the Janis Joplin tune.)
