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Even a ubiquitous figure like Chuck Berry has neglected gems gathering spiderwebs in remote corners of his catalog. Blues helps fill in a bit of his legend, showing how he transferred devices used by generations of blues guitarists into the then-new rebellion of rock.

E.B. White's classic children's book is ostensibly about a spider and a pig. But author Michael Sims says the story is really about the barn the critters live in, based on a real barn on White's Maine farm.

Duke has put out more than 30 albums, which have incorporated jazz, pop, Latin and R&B to critical and commercial success. On his latest album, Dukey Treats, he pays tribute to funk, soul and Sly Stone.

Cruise's instrument, a voice of such intense calm it could be unsettling, made her a natural collaborator of director David Lynch — and, later, new-wave icons The B-52s.

The name of this CD is Lee Konitz with Wayne Marsh, but Lennis Tristano is probably its greatest influence. Appearing on half the tracks, piano innovator Tristano played a major role in influencing the album's other musicians away from a traditional, frantic bebop sound.

Gene "Jug" Ammons played bebop and R&B with equal skill. As the founder of the "Chicago School" of tenor sax, he performed with the Woody Herman and Billy Eckstine orchestras. He and his saxophonist friend, Sonny Stitt, often seemed to be in competition when they played together, as they do in this album.

Born in the '60s, soul-jazz is a groove-oriented style built from the bottom up. You take a strong bass line, establish a steady groove between the bass and drums, and then embellish that groove with riffs and melody lines that draw heavily from gospel, blues and R&B.

This special summer festival episode features a clever synthesis of hip-hop, R&B and soul, recorded live across two music festivals in New York City.

"Free to Stay" has all the makings of a left-field radio hit, including a smooth R&B rhythm and a hook that's an instant earworm. On paper, it's easy to see Smoosh's youth as a gimmick, but the song is infectious enough to chase away the doubts.

As an artist, Michael Franti has run the gamut from politically conscious hip-hop to a passionate blend of soul, hip-hop and R&B. But what his music has lost in harsh intensity, it has gained in emotional compassion.