Gordon Lightfoot Book, Music and More!

She was sweet 16, from the English countryside, when she debuted in 2003 with a stunning voice that sounded African-American and mature well beyond her years. Still a teenager (she turns 20 this April), Stone proves that she’s here to stay. Her third album, produced by Raphael Saadiq, is a mix of original funk and Motown-style pop songs featuring duets with Lauryn Hill on “Music” and rapper Common on the mellifluous “Tell Me What We’re Gonna Do Now.” Fun, rich and tasty, it’s a Stone soul picnic. Mar. 20

Although Ziggy, being the eldest child, was thought to be the heir apparent to the reggae king, he’s been eclipsed by the arrival of Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley, who released 2005’s breakthrough Welcome to Jamrock. Now along comes Stephen, who sang with Ziggy in the Melody Makers and produced Damian’s Jamrock, to assert his claim to the throne. Stephen’s debut album, featuring brothers Damian and Julian and guests Ben Harper and Mos Def, is an infectious blend of hip-hop, r&b and roots reggae. Crucial. Mar. 20    

There’s a quiet riot going on—and it’s not heavy metal. It’s the resurgence of American folk music, seen in the popularity of Devendra Banhart and Joanna Newsom and in Bruce Springsteen tackling ditties like “Froggie Went a-Courting” on The Seeger Sessions. Cooder, ever the musicologist, goes one better, producing an entire album of animal-themed folk songs about a feline named Buddy Red Cat and recruiting banjo legends Mike and Pete Seeger and other guests to join him. It’s a hootenanny and it’s heating up. Mar. 13