The much loved R&B icon Etta James sang classics like "Tell Mama", "I'd Rather Go Blind", "At Last", "Seven Day Fool", the funky "All The Way Down" and many more. A Los Angeles native, she started singing in the church as a child. She got an early jump when Johnny Otis helped nurture her young career before she signed with Chess in 1960, her label for many years. She dated BB King, sang with Chuck Berry, toured with the Rolling Stones and her music covered doo-wop, gospel, ballads, R&B, blues, jazz, soul, funk & rock. Dig one of my faves...

The father of the bossa nova, the ever-popular Tom Jobim's breezy, jazzy and poetic music became infectious around the world through songs like "The Girl From Ipanema", "A Felicidade", "Desafinado", "Samba Do Avião", "Corcovado" and more, as interpreted by Stan Getz, Astrud Gilberto, Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald and the man himself. He stands as a major innovator in not just Brazilian music but also as a uniquely pioneering jazz composer. Here is a nice version of "A Felicidade", with Gal Costa:

Blind Willie Johnson, the gospel blues singer/guitarist from Texas was responsible for one of the single most haunting songs in the American song canon, "Dark Was The Night, Cold Was The Ground" (a song which has been sent into outer space). Allegedly blinded by his stepmother in an act of revenge against his father, Johnson's hard life included living in the streets and in the ruins of his burned-down home. While ill, he was refused admittance at a hospital due to being black and blind, dying with no treatment. Here is that deeply stirring song as we celebrate his birthday...

Here's a crazy version of "Hey Joe" from Niger that was brought to my attention via the new Agrim Agadez comp on the Sahel Sounds label. The record gathers raw recordings of guitar music from the Sahelian region of Niger, showcasing folks we'd likely never get to hear, playing entrancing and often gritty sounds. Led by guitarist Abdoulaye Bouzou (better known as Mona), Anza de L'Ader are a top act of Niger, formed in the 1970s. They are one of the heaviest psychedelic orchestras in West Africa. Many Muslims in the region were not accustomed to producing music in the '70s,...

(Luka Productions in studio, 2012) Here is a stunningly gorgeous album from Mali-based artist Luka Guindo, who makes music as Luka Productions. A nice blend of roots percussion and deft use of electronics, this is unique and pretty. Luka is a veteran of the Bamako hip-hop scene and has produced tracks for Supreme Talent Show and dozens of other local artists. This shimmering beauty of a record, however, is of a different mood. Fasokan is available from the amazing Sahel Sounds, digitally or 500 press LP. Mixed by Jesse Johnson at Boomarm Nation. From the Sahel Sounds press release: "New...