How do you become one of the most popular names in contemporary jazz? Do like Rippingtons founder Russ Freeman did, and charge up your smooth-jazz genius with a keen ear for pop and R&B flavors, then g …

Arroyo's seminal hits include "La Noche," recently covered by Juanes, as well as the reckless "Rebeli=n," an impassioned anthem against slavery. The oldie "Manyoma" is an endearing hommage to fellow Fr …

With the mighty D'Angelo missing in action for much of the past five years, it seems only fitting that Anthony Hamilton has quietly assumed his critical and commercial spot as the crown prince of neo-s …

For more than 30 years, you just couldn't count ol' J.T. out. No matter what the times, no matter what the style, he could step up and deliver an anthem for the ages. He gave Stax one of its biggest so …

Richard Smallwood delivers a rare combination of utter conviction and natural talent that has taken him to the highest levels of contemporary and traditional gospel. His artistry is clear in every temp …

Smallwood's recording career began in 1982 with the Richard Smallwood Singers, who became the first black gospel group to tour the Soviet Union. Testimony was cut ten years after that debut, and …

In the early '80s, when punks were being overhauled by goths and the rest of the new wave nation was turning to synthesizers in search of the sound of the future, a pompadoured, tattooed hell-raiser fr …

Brian Setzer's Deep Cuts are where the man unleashes a six-string spectacular on personal favorites like the Ventures' "Hawaii Five-O" and the classic "James Bond Theme," which he manages to make even  …

Cheap Trick delivered crunchy-chord pop with a molten metal center and scored with hard rock power ballads. Through lineup changes and a late-career return to their original sound, what's constant are  …