"My mother is Irish-American and my father is Afro-Panamanian, so it's kind of been the story of my life to be a bridge between different cultures and different styles, and musically, that's between jazz and R&B."

Back on November 13th, Christmas With Scotty McCreery was the subject of an interview with the young American Idol winner and country music star. As we're getting closer to the holidays, Scotty offered this glimpse into his Christmasness with this exclusive EPK...

This week our playlist includes music by Cliff Richard, Thelonius Monk, Matthew Sweet, John Lennon, Zoot Sims, Mahalia Jackson and more.

Here's a list of ten Christmas songs that never get old for me even during this holiday season when it can be difficult to hear anything but seasonal classics.

Where It All Begins, her sixth solo album (and her second for the recently revived classic soul label, Stax), pushes the artist ahead on her creative journey, sometimes with mixed results.

Donny Hathaway, singer, songwriter, instrumentalist and master of Soul, was, and continues to be, one the most underrated artists of his time --- the truly great ones usually are.

According to Marc Broussard, you can't begin any discussion of musical influences without starting with Stevie Wonder at the top of that list.

"When I listen to music today, it feels like there is a lot of soul missing in soul and R&B music. I think technology, in a lot of ways, has become a crutch for people who really aren't as talented as they appear to be," Benét said.

This week we feature music by Paul Simon, Gwen Stefani, Sting, Hall & Oates, John Lennon, and more.

"We were kinda inspired by what was going on with the election and all the increased levels of activism and optimism, and we wanted to make an album that captured that sentiment."

An interview with Johnny Lang, in which the guitarist discusses his preferred instrument, Cyndi Lauper, and Motown.

Senator Ted Kennedy loved to sing. And so it seems only fitting to make a playlist in memory of this singular American icon who did so much for so long to help so many.

While most of his contemporaries have the fantasy of signing the bottom line of a label contract, Jonah Smith has rejected a record company's offer instead.

This week's column features music by Devendra Banhart, Jimi Hendrix, Neil Young, Jill Scott, Janis Joplin, Weezer and, of course, Les Paul.