RANDOM SIGHTS + SOUNDS

After showing off his acting chops in the widely watched yet much maligned HBO series, "The Idol" where he played the creative director for one of the biggest pop acts in the world, Australian pop star, Troye Sivan has returned to his own music career. "Rush" is a breezy, feel good dance track that brings to mind the sounds of 1980’s Pet Shop Boys. Sivan admits this song was partly inspired by that feeling that comes from inhaling poppers which a popular brand is called Rush. This is the first single off of Sivan's upcoming third album, "Something to Give Each Other", due out in October, which he promises will be a celebration of sexy, good times.



Here are some songs I'm into right now including Fall Out Boy's lyrical update of the 1989 Billy Joel classic, "We Didn't Start The Fire":

The actress and singer, Jane Birkin has passed away on July 16th at the age of seventy-six. While she was British born and raised, Birkin first found fame in France after meeting French musician, Serge Gainsbourg in 1968 while they were shooting a film. They fell in love and the couple recorded an album the following year, "Jane Birkin/Serge Gainsbourg" which featured, "Je t'aime… moi non plus", a controversial song at the time due to it’s sexual content. And while it was banned in some countries, the song (originally written by Gainsbourg for French actress, Brigitte Bardot) reached number one in Birkin's native country, the first foreign-language song to do so in the UK. Birkin would go on to record several solo albums (mostly written by Gainsbourg) before their relationship ended in 1980. She would continue to act, appearing in French and English language films such as "Don Juan, or If Don Juan Were a Woman", "La Belle Noiseuse", "Death on the Nile", "Evil Under the Sun" and "Jane by Charlotte" which was her final screen appearance in this 2021 docu-drama directed by Birkin's daughter, actress Charlotte Gainsbourg. And yes, that handbag by Hermès was created for her in 1984 and the Birkin bag has become a much coveted status symbol.

And finally, I would like to honor the legacy of the legendary crooner, Tony Bennett, who we lost on July 21st at the age of ninety-six. Since his first number-one hit, "Because of You" in 1951 and his popular, signature song, "I Left My Heart in San Francisco" in 1962, the New York born and raised vocalist kept the sounds of jazz and traditional pop alive and well, even when it fell out of favor. Bennett successfully found relevance again with the MTV Generation in the late 1980s and 1990s without ever having to alter his music. He teamed-up with many contemporary artists, most notably Lady Gaga, and Tony Bennett was cool once again. Here is a highlight of Bennett performing duets with some of his biggest fans: Judy Garland, k.d.Lang (who recorded an album with him, "A Wonderful World" in 2002), Amy Winehouse and Lady Gaga (who recorded two albums with Bennett which included his final album, "Love For Sale" in 2021).

2021 GRAMMY AWARD NOMINATIONS

The nominations for the 64th annual Grammy Awards were announced on November 23rd with Jon Baptiste, receiving the most nominations this year with a total of eleven for "We Are", his latest studio album that features an intriguing blend of jazz and r&b. Batiste, best known for his role as musical director on "The Late Show With Stephen Colbert", had won an Oscar for Best Original Score alongside Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross earlier this year for the animated film, "Soul". 

Justin Bieber, Doja Cat and H.E.R. all received eight nominations. Last year's big winner, Billie Eilish received seven nominations for "Happier Than Ever", the follow-up to her debut along with Olivia Rodrigo for her debut, "Sour" who received a nom for Best New Artist. The Swedish super-pop group, ABBA shockingly received their very first Grammy Award nod for their first single in forty years, "I Still Have Faith in You" in the Record of the Year category. 

The music legend, Tony Bennett made history as the oldest nominee at age of ninety-five for his collaboration with Lady Gaga on the jazz collection, "Love For Sale". And Jay-Z, the recent inductee in to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, also made history this year as the most nominated individual artist of all-time with eighty-three with three new nominations for his work with the late DMX and Kanye West. Paul McCartney moved in to the second spot with eighty-one due to two additional nominations in the rock category.

One notable change this year is that in the four major categories; Album of the Year, Record of the Year, Song of the Year and Best New Artist, have been expanded to include ten nominees. I think that while this will give recognition to more deserving artists, there will still only be one winner, making the final selection even more difficult than it has been in the past.

The 2021 Grammys will be held in Los Angeles at the former Staples Center which has recently been newly renamed Crypto.com Arena on January 31, 2022, April 3rd, 2022 broadcasting live on CBS and streaming live and on-demand on Paramount+.

Here is a partial list of the nominations for the 2021 Grammy Awards:

Album Of The Year:

"We Are" — Jon Batiste
"Love For Sale" — Tony Bennett & Lady Gaga
"Justice (Triple Chucks Deluxe)" — Justin Bieber
"Planet Her (Deluxe)" — Doja Cat
"Happier Than Ever" — Billie Eilish
"Back Of My Mind — H.E.R.
"Montero" — Lil Nas X
"Sour" — Olivia Rodrigo
"Evermore" — Taylor Swift
"Donda" — Kanye West

Record Of The Year:

"I Still Have Faith In You" — ABBA
"Freedom" — Jon Batiste
"I Get A Kick Out Of You" — Tony Bennett & Lady Gaga
"Peaches" — Justin Bieber Featuring Daniel Caesar & Giveon
"Right On Time" — Brandi Carlile
"Kiss Me More" — Doja Cat Featuring SZA
"Happier Than Ever" — Billie Eilish
"Montero (Call Me By Your Name)" — Lil Nas X
"Drivers License" — Olivia Rodrigo
"Leave The Door Open" — Silk Sonic

Song Of The Year:

“Bad Habits” — Fred Gibson, Johnny McDaid & Ed Sheeran, songwriters (Ed Sheeran)
"A Beautiful Noise" — Ruby Amanfu, Brandi Carlile, Brandy Clark, Alicia Keys, Hillary Lindsey, Lori McKenna, Linda Perry & Hailey Whitters, songwriters (Alicia Keys And Brandi Carlile)
"Drivers License" — Daniel Nigro & Olivia Rodrigo, songwriters (Olivia Rodrigo)
"Fight For You" — Dernst Emile II, H.E.R. & Tiara Thomas, songwriters (H.E.R.)
"Happier Than Ever" — Billie Eilish O’Connell & Finneas O’Connell, songwriters (Billie Eilish)
"Kiss Me More" — Rogét Chahayed, Amala Zandile Dlamini, Lukasz Gottwald, Carter Lang, Gerard A. Powell II, Solána Rowe & David Sprecher, songwriters (Doja Cat Featuring SZA)
"Leave The Door Open" — Brandon Anderson, Christopher Brody Brown, Dernst Emile II & Bruno Mars, songwriters (Silk Sonic)
"Montero (Call Me By Your Name)" — Denzel Baptiste, David Biral, Omer Fedi, Montero Hill & Roy Lenzo, songwriters (Lil Nas X)
"Peaches" — Louis Bell, Justin Bieber, Giveon Dezmann Evans, Bernard Harvey, Felisha “Fury” King, Matthew Sean Leon, Luis Manual Martinez Jr., Aaron Simmonds, Ashton Simmonds, Andrew Wotman & Keavan Yazdani, songwriters (Justin Bieber Featuring Daniel Caesar & Giveon)
"Right On Time" — Brandi Carlile, Dave Cobb, Phil Hanseroth & Tim Hanseroth, songwriters (Brandi Carlile)

Best New Artist:

Arooj Aftab
Jimmie Allen
Baby Keem
Finneas
Glass Animals
Japanese Breakfast
The Kid Laroi
Arlo Parks
Olivia Rodrigo
Saweetie

Best Pop Vocal Album:

"Justice (Triple Chucks Deluxe)" — Justin Bieber
"Planet Her (Deluxe)" — Doja Cat
"Happier Than Ever" — Billie Eilish
"Positions" — Ariana Grande
"Sour" — Olivia Rodrigo

Best Pop Solo Performance:

"Anyone" -Justin Bieber
"Right On Time" - Brandi Carlile
"Happier Than Ever" - Billie Eilish
"Positions" - Ariana Grande
Drivers License" - Olivia Rodrigo

Best Pop Duo/Group Performance:

"I Get A Kick Out Of You" - Tony Bennett & Lady Gaga
"Lonely" - Justin Bieber & benny blanco
"Butter" - BTS
"Higher Power" - Coldplay
"Kiss Me More" - Doja Cat Featuring SZA

Best Rap Album:

"The Off-Season" — J. Cole
"Certified Lover Boy" — Drake
"King’s Disease II" — Nas
"Call Me If You Get Lost" — Tyler The Creator
"Donda" — Kanye West

Best Rap Performance:

"Family Ties" — Baby Keem Featuring Kendrick Lamar
"Up" — Cardi B
"m y . l i f e" — J. Cole Featuring 21 Savage & Morray
"Way 2 Sexy" — Drake Featuring Future & Young Thug
"Thot Shit" — Megan Thee Stallion

Best Rap Song:

"Bath Salts" - Shawn Carter, Kasseem Dean, Michael Forno, Nasir Jones & Earl Simmons, songwriters (DMX Featuring Jay-Z & Nas)
"Best Friend" - Amala Zandelie Dlamini, Lukasz Gottwald, Randall Avery Hammers, Diamonté Harper, Asia Smith, Theron Thomas & Rocco Valdes, songwriters (Saweetie Featuring Doja Cat)
"Family Ties" - Roshwita Larisha Bacha, Hykeem Carter, Tobias Dekker, Colin Franken, Jasper Harris, Kendrick Lamar, Ronald Latour & Dominik Patrzek, songwriters (Baby Keem Featuring Kendrick Lamar)
"Jail" - Dwayne Abernathy, Jr., Shawn Carter, Raul Cubina, Michael Dean, Charles M. Njapa, Sean Solymar, Brian Hugh Warner, Kanye West & Mark Williams, songwriters (Kanye West Featuring Jay-Z)
"M Y . L I F E" - Shéyaa Bin Abraham-Joseph & Jermaine Cole, songwriters (J. Cole Featuring 21 Savage & Morray)

Best R&B Album:

"Temporary Highs In The Violet Skies" - Snoh Aalegra
"We Are" - Jon Batiste
"Gold-Diggers Sound" - Leon Bridges
"Back Of My Mind" - H.E.R.
"Heaux Tales" - Jazmine Sullivan

Best R&B Performance:

"Lost You" — Snoh Aalegra
"Peaches" — Justin Bieber Featuring Daniel Caesar & Giveon
"Damage" — H.E.R.
"Leave The Door Open" — Silk Sonic
"Pick Up Your Feelings" — Jazmine Sullivan

Best R&B Song:

"Damage" - Anthony Clemons Jr., Jeff Gitelman, H.E.R., Carl McCormick & Tiara Thomas, songwriters (H.E.R.)
"Good Days" - Jacob Collier, Carter Lang, Carlos Munoz, Solána Rowe & Christopher Ruelas, songwriters (SZA)
"Heartbreak Anniversary" - Giveon Evans, Maneesh, Sevn Thomas & Varren Wade, songwriters (Giveon)
"Leave The Door Open" - Brandon Anderson, Christopher Brody Brown, Dernst Emile II & Bruno Mars, songwriters (Silk Sonic)
"Pick Up Your Feelings" - Denisia “Blue June” Andrews, Audra Mae Butts, Kyle Coleman, Brittany “Chi” Coney, Michael Holmes & Jazmine Sullivan, songwriters (Jazmine Sullivan)

Best Progressive R&B Album:

"New Light" — Eric Bellinger
"Something To Say" — Cory Henry
"Mood Valiant" — Hiatus Kaiyote
"Table For Two" — Lucky Daye
"Dinner Party: Dessert" — Terrace Martin, Robert Glasper, 9th Wonder & Kamasi Washington
"Studying Abroad: Extended Stay" — Masego

Best Country Album:

"Skeletons" Brothers Osborne
"Remember Her Name" - Mickey Guyton
"The Marfa Tapes" - Miranda Lambert, Jon Randall & Jack Ingram"
"The Ballad Of Dood & Juanita" - Sturgill Simpson
"Starting Over" - Chris Stapleton

Best Country Solo Performance:

"Forever After All" - Luke Combs
"Remember Her Name" - Mickey Guyton
"All I Do Is Drive" - Jason Isbell
"Camera Roll" - Kacey Musgraves
"You Should Probably Leave" - Chris Stapleton

Best Country Song:

"Better Than We Found It" — Jessie Jo Dillon, Maren Morris, Jimmy Robbins & Laura Velz, songwriters (Maren Morris)
"Camera Roll" — Ian Fitchuk, Kacey Musgraves & Daniel Tashian, songwriters (Kacey Musgraves)
"Cold" — Dave Cobb, J.T. Cure, Derek Mixon & Chris Stapleton, songwriters (Chris Stapleton)
"Country Again" — Zach Crowell, Ashley Gorley & Thomas Rhett, songwriters (Thomas Rhett)
"Fancy Like" — Cameron Bartolini, Walker Hayes, Josh Jenkins & Shane Stevens, songwriters (Walker Hayes)
"Remember Her Name" — Mickey Guyton, Blake Hubbard, Jarrod Ingram &Parker Welling, songwriters (Mickey Guyton)

Best Americana Album:

"Downhill From Everywhere" - Jackson Browne
"Leftover Feelings" - John Hiatt with The Jerry Douglas Band
"Native Sons" - Los Lobos
"Outside Child" - Allison Russell
"Stand For Myself" - Yola

Best American Roots Performance:

"Cry" - Jon Batiste
"Love And Regret" - Billy Strings
"I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free" - The Blind Boys Of Alabama & Béla Fleck
"Same Devil" - Brandy Clark Featuring Brandi Carlile
"Nightflyer" - Allison Russell

Best Dance/Electronic Music Album:

"Subconsciously" - Black Coffee
"Fallen Embers" - ILLENIUM
"Music Is The Weapon (Reloaded)" - Major Lazer
"Shockwave" - Marshmello
"Free Love" - Sylvan Esso
"Judgement" - Ten City

Best Dance/Electronic Recording:

"Hero" — Afrojack & David Guetta
"Loom" — Ólafur Arnalds Featuring Bonobo
"Before" — James Blake
"Heartbreak" — Bonobo & Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs
"You Can Do It" — Caribou
"Alive" — Rüfüs Du Sol
"The Business" — Tiësto

Best Rock Album:

"Power Up" - AC/DC
"Capitol Cuts - Live From Studio A" - Black Pumas
"No One Sings Like You Anymore Vol. 1" - Chris Cornell
"Medicine At Midnight" - Foo Fighters
"McCartney III" - Paul McCartney

Best Rock Performance:

"Shot In The Dark" - AC/DC
"Know You Better (Live From Capitol Studio A)" - Black Pumas
"Nothing Compares 2 U" - Chris Cornell
"Ohms" - Deftones
"Making A Fire" - Foo Fighters

Best Alternative Music Album:

"Shore" — Fleet Foxes
"If I Can't Have Love, I Want Power?" — Halsey
"Jubilee" — Japanese Breakfast
"Collapsed In Sunbeams" — Arlo Parks
"Daddy‘s Home" — St. Vincent

Best Jazz Vocal Album:

"Generations" — The Baylor Project
"SuperBlue" — Kurt Elling & Charlie Hunter
"Time Traveler" — Nnenna Freelon
"Flor" — Gretchen Parlato
"Songwrights Apothecary Lab" — Esperanza Spalding

Best Gospel Album:

"Changing Your Story" — Jekalyn Carr
"Royalty: Live At The Ryman" — Tasha Cobbs Leonard
"Jubilee: Juneteenth Edition" — Maverick City Music
"Jonny x Mali: Live In LA" — Jonathan McReynolds & Mali Music
"Believe For It" — CeCe Winans

Best Latin Pop Album:

"Vértigo" — Pablo Alborán
"Mis Amores" — Paula Arenas
"Hecho A La Antigua" — Ricardo Arjona
"Mis Manos" — Camilo
"Mendó" — Alex Cuba
"Revelación" — Selena Gomez

Best Spoken Word Album (includes Poetry, Audio Books & Storytelling):

"Aftermath" — LeVar Burton
"Carry On: Reflections For A New Generation From John Lewis" — Don Cheadle
"Catching Dreams: Live At Fort Knox Chicago" — J. Ivy
"8:46" — Dave Chappelle & Amir Sulaiman
"A Promised Land" — Barack Obama

Best Compilation Soundtrack For Visual Media:

"Cruella" - Various Artists
"Dear Evan Hansen" - Various Artists
"In The Heights" - Various Artists
"One Night In Miami..." - Various Artists
"Respect" - Jennifer Hudson
"Schmigadoon! Episode 1" - Various Artists
"The United States Vs. Billie Holiday" - Andra Day

Best Music Film:

"Inside" — Bo Burnham
"David Byrne‘s American Utopia" — David Byrne
"Happier Than Ever: A Love Letter To Los Angeles" — Billie Eilish
"Music, Money, Madness. . .Jimi Hendrix In Maui" — Jimi Hendrix
"Summer Of Soul" — Various Artists

Best Music Video:

"Shot In The Dark" — AC/DC
"Freedom" — Jon Batiste
"I Get A Kick Out Of You" — Tony Bennett & Lady Gaga
"Peaches" — Justin Bieber Featuring Daniel Caesar & Giveon
"Happier Than Ever" — Billie Eilish
"Montero (Call Me By Your Name)" — Lil Nas X
"Good 4 U" — Olivia Rodrigo

Producer Of The Year (Non-Classical):

Jack Antonoff
Rogét Chahayed
Mike Elizondo
Hit-Boy
Ricky Reed

2018 NATIONAL RECORDING REGISTRY

"My Girl", the classic Motown love song by the Temptations, has surprisingly just been added to the National Recording Registry this year. This number one tune, written by Smokey Robinson and his Miracles band mate, Ronald White back in 1964, is just one of twenty-five important recordings that will be preserved by the Library of Congress. A few other surprise additions that I thought would have already occurred are the beloved soundtrack to the 1965 Best Picture Oscar winner, "The Sound of Music";  the recording of a song most associated with singer, Tony Bennett, "I Left My Heart in San Francisco" and "Rumours", one of the biggest selling albums of all-time by the rock band, Fleetwood Mac.

Since 2002, the Library of Congress have selected sound recordings that are culturally, historically, or aesthetically important that informs or reflect life in the United States. The selections will feature a wide range of music, commentaries, radio programs, comedy albums and speeches. To date, there are now 500 recordings placed in the National Recording Registry.

Here is the complete list of the twenty-five recordings being inducted in the 2018 National Recording Registry:

“Dream Melody Intermezzo: Naughty Marietta” (single) - Victor Herbert and his Orchestra (1911)

Standing Rock Preservation Recordings - George Herzog and Members of the Yanktoni Tribe (1928)

“Lamento Borincano” (single) - Canario y Su Grupo (1930)

“Sitting on Top of the World” (single) - Mississippi Sheiks (1930)



"The Complete Beethoven Piano Sonatas" (album) - Artur Schnabel (1932-1935)

“If I Didn’t Care” (single) - The Ink Spots (1939)



Proceedings of the United Nations Conference on International Organization - (4/25/45-6/26/45)

“Folk Songs of the Hills” (album) - Merle Travis (1946)

“How I Got Over” (single) - Clara Ward and the Ward Singers (1950)



“(We’re Gonna) Rock Around the Clock” (single) - Bill Haley and His Comets (1954)



“Calypso” (album) - Harry Belafonte (1956)

“I Left My Heart in San Francisco” (single) - Tony Bennett (1962)



“King Biscuit Time” (radio) - Sonny Boy Williamson II and others (1965)

“My Girl” (single) - The Temptations (1964)

“The Sound of Music” (soundtrack) - Various Artists (1965)



“Alice’s Restaurant Massacree” (single) - Arlo Guthrie (1967)

“New Sounds in Electronic Music” (album) - Steve Reich, Richard Maxfield & Pauline Oliveros (1967)

“An Evening with Groucho” (album) - Groucho Marx (1972)

“Rumours” (album) - Fleetwood Mac (1977)

“The Gambler” (single) - Kenny Rogers (1978)



“Le Freak” (single) - Chic (1978)



“Footloose” (single) - Kenny Loggins (1984)



“Raising Hell” (album) - Run-DMC (1986)

“Rhythm Is Gonna Get You” (single) - Gloria Estefan and the Miami Sound Machine (1987)



“Yo-Yo Ma Premieres: Concertos for Violoncello and Orchestra” (album) - Various artists (1996)

NEW SOUNDS

LADY GAGA & TONY BENNETT

After Lady Gaga recorded a song with Tony Bennett for the sequel to his popular "Duets" album in 2011, this unlikely duo got along so well that they wanted to do an entire album together. That has finally worked out with "Cheek To Cheek", a collection of jazz standards. Their wish is that this record will get younger listeners interested in these classic songs by such composers as George Gershwin, Cole Porter and Duke Ellington. Recorded the old-fashioned way, live with an orchestra, Gaga and Bennett seem to inspire each other and had a lot of fun together.

Here is their swinging version of the Irving Berlin song, "Let's Face The Music and Dance":

"Let's Face The Music and Dance" -Lady Gaga & Tony Bennett (2014)

Take a look at the music video for "Anything Goes" for an example of how much these two enjoy each other:



BARBRA STREISAND

"Partners", the thirty-fourth studio album from Barbra Streisand is another duets release from the legendary performer but this time, most of the songs are re-recordings of her previous hits. Produced by Walter Afanasieff and Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds (who is also one of her duet partners on "Evergreen"), the CD features some of the best vocalists in music history. The line-up includes Lionel Ritchie ("The Way We Were"), Billy Joel ("New York State of Mind"), John Legend ("What Kind of Fool"), Josh Groban ("Somewhere"), Stevie Wonder ("People") and most surprisingly, the late Elvis Presley on his classic, "Love Me Tender".  Some of the match-ups are more effective than others but overall, "Partners" is still worth a listen. It's interesting to note that there were no other female singers used on this project. Perhaps no one was available? Anyway, the album is off to a great start as it has reached the top-ten in several countries and debuted at number one in the U.S.

Here is the virtual musical pairing of Streisand with the "King", who actually came very close to co-starring with her in the 1976 remake of "A Star Is Born":

"Love Me Tender" - Barbra Streisand & Elvis Presley (2014)

SMOKEY ROBINSON

On his first CD in four years and on his new label, Verve, Smokey Robinson has also decided to go the duets route on the appropriately entitled, "Smokey & Friends". Like the Streisand record, Robinson has rounded up some of his musical buddies (such as James Taylor, Elton John, Mary J. Blige, Sheryl Crow and John Legend) to rework the songs he wrote and made famous. Sadly, there really isn't much here that's inspired or particularly memorable.

One of the more interesting tracks is with Steven Tyler of Aerosmith who together do an adequate blues-rock version of "You Really Got a Hold On Me". Have a listen:

HOT AND FRESH OUT THE KITCHEN

"TALK THAT TALK" - RIHANNA

I would have lost money if I had bet against the idea that the sweet, young girl from the islands who sang the cute but fluffy, "Pon De Replay" back in 2005 would become one of the biggest pop stars in the world. But that is exactly what Rihanna is now.

"Talk That Talk" is the pop superstar's sixth album over the past seven years. After the darker period of the last two albums, Rihanna is now decidedly in a light, sexy mood, confident and looking for fun. The singer hasn't changed the winning formula too much as there is still a very large stable of hot writers and producers to help mold her sound.

"Do Ya Thang" - Rihanna (2011)

"HOW DO YOU DO" - MAYER HAWTHORNE

Meyer Hawthorne has returned with a fun and funky new album, "How Do You Do" on his new major label, Universal Republic Records. He has continued the old school r&b vibe that was featured on his terrific debut, "A Strange Arrangement" and with this new release, Mr. Hawthorne has delivered an even stronger album of classic silky soul perfectly blended with hip-hop beats. He's even has rapper, Snoop Dogg singing on a track!

"Can't Stop" - Mayer Hawthorne Featuring Snoop Dogg (2011)

"CEREMONIALS" - FLORENCE AND THE MACHINE

Flame-haired, English songstress, Florence Welch has reassembled her Machine (Isabella Summers on keyboards, guitarist, Robert Ackroyd, Chris Hayden on drums, bassist, Mark Saunders and Tom Monger on the harp) to release the follow-up to the band's highly successful 2009 debut album, "Lungs".

On "Ceremonials", Florence delivers a dark, moody and  ballad-heavy collection using that unique voice to create more of her wonderfully, quirky orchestral art-rock songs.

"Lover To Lover" - Florence & The Machine (2011)

"STRONGER" - KELLY CLARKSON

The very first "American Idol" winner, Kelly Clarkson is still the best vocalist to come off of that show and with her fifth album, "Stronger" she delivers more of her trademark countryified pop-rock songs with hints of r&b scattered throughout.

Unfortunately, there are no surprises and Ms Clarkson would greatly benefit from stretching herself much further but it's still a solid, entertaining pop album.

"Mr. Know-It-All" - Kelly Clarkson (2011)

"DUETS II" - TONY BENNETT

Veteran pop singer, Tony Bennett has recorded over seventy albums during his long career and has recently made history, at the age of eighty-five, as being the oldest artist to ever have a album debut at the top of the Billboard Hot 200 Album chart.

"Duets II" is the a follow-up to his 2006 hit album, "Duets" which, once again, pairs him up with a wide spectrum of musical artists who perform many classic songs from the Great American Songbook. It includes an impressive list of vocalists such as Faith Hill, Andrea Bocelli, Queen Latifah, Alejandro Sanz, Lady Gaga and the late Amy Winehouse.

Here is Mr. Bennett's amusing duet with a game, Lady Gaga:

"The Lady Is A Tramp" - Tony Bennett & Lady Gaga (2011)

This is the video of  Tony Bennett and Amy Winehouse perfroming their rendition of "Body and Soul":




"MY LIFE II" - MARY J. BLIGE

Mary J. Blige's tenth studio album, "My Life II" is a sequel (of sorts) to her 1994 album. During the time of the "My Life" album, Mary was dealing with drug addiction, depression and an abusive relationship but she is now a happily married woman with a positive outlook which is reflected in the songs on the latest album.

Although Mary lined up some of the top producers (Darkchild, Danja, Tricky Stewart) and performers (Beyonce, Nas, Drake) on this project but the final results fails to live up to the original album. There are are some fine moments to be found but overall it lacks the true passion and power of some of the classic songs, "You Bring Me Joy", "I Love You" and the title track off of "My Life"

"25/8" - Mary J. Blige (2011)

"NOTHING BUT THE BEAT" - DAVID GUETTA

French DJ, David Guetta is currently one of the most popular record spinners in the world and has very successfully moved in to music production.

On his fifth album, "Nothing But The Beat", Mr. Guetta has once again rounded up a group of all-star talent from the world of r&b, hip-hop and pop to perform on this disc. Nicki Minaj, Chris Brown, Lil' Wayne, Jennifer Hudson and Sia are just a few of the names that make an appearance and the collaboration with Usher on the song, "Without You" has reached number four on the pop chart. The relentless, throbbing beats can grow slightly tiresome after a while but for the lovers of dance music, David Guetta can do no wrong.

"Turn Me On" - David Guetta featuring Nicki Minaj (2011)