Music journalism, books and more

Tony Bennett has been called the epitome of cool and one of the best friends the American songbook ever had. The legendary singer’s interpretations of the works of Cole Porter, Irving Berlin and Rodgers & Hart made him a household name in the 1950s and ’60s. Unlike all of his peers, Bennett maintained his popularity in subsequent decades, appealing to younger audiences through collaborations with artists like Elvis Costello and Canada’s k.d. lang. Now a remarkable 85 years young, Bennett—who’s recorded 70 albums and won 15 Grammy Awards in his career—shows no sign of stopping. This week, after he performs at New York’s Metropolitan Opera House, a special 85th birthday dinner will take place,...

Having written some of pop’s most enduring hits, Buddy Holly is in no risk of being forgotten. This 16-track compilation—the second tribute album to be released this summer—is proof of the rock-and-roll pioneer’s ongoing appeal. Ex-Fleetwood Mac diva Stevie Nicks growls through “Not Fade Away” and Zooey Deschanel coos “It’s So Easy,” while Ringo Starr delivers a buoyant “Think it Over.” But Chris Isaak captures Holly’s genius best with his touching, sensuous reading of “Crying Waiting Hoping.”

From Cream to the Travelling Wilburys, supergroups are nothing new. But SuperHeavy, Mick Jagger’s side project with Joss Stone and Dave Stewart, of Eurythmics fame, is worlds away from Crosby, Stills Nash & Young. Rounded out by Bob Marley’s son Damian and Bollywood’s A.R. Rahman, the group sounds like a hip United Nations soundtrack. Clearly, they’re having fun: the video for reggae track “Miracle Worker” features Jagger as a neon-pink-suited witch doctor promising “love and laser” cures.

Barbra Streisand has recorded so many hits in her legendary career that it’s hard to single out just one as her signature song. But “The Way We Were, from the film of the same name in which she co-starred with Robert Redford, comes pretty close to being definitive. Written by the Alan and Marilyn Bergman, it reached number one in 1974 and sold more than a million copies. Over the years, Streisand has sung more than 50 songs by the husband-and-wife team, whose work has received numerous awards, including an Oscar, a Golden Globe and two Grammys for “The Way We Were.” Now she is paying tribute to the Bergmans with What Matters Most. Says Streisand, of the songwriters: “Alan and Marilyn Bergman...

Kravitz’s ninth studio album reflects on growing up in a mixed-race family—his mother was The Jeffersons actress Roxie Roker, while his father was TV producer Sy Kravitz. The CD’s 16 songs follow Kravitz’s usual mix of rock and funk, from the Aerosmith-like “Come and Get It” to the James Brown-inspired “Life Ain’t Ever Been Better Than It Is Now.” He also teams up with A-list rappers Jay-Z and Drake, on “Boongie Drop” and “Sunflower” respectively, proving that the veteran “Fly Away” singer is still flying high.

Anyone who grew up with Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy will love this tribute album to Muppets music. Featuring indie artists like OK Go and My Morning Jacket, the collection captures all the sweet optimism of the adorable puppets. Sondre Lerche tackles the thumping “Mr. Bassman,” while the Fray delivers the gobbledygook classic “Mahna Mahna. But the real highlights are “Rainbow Connection” (Weezer and Hayley Williams) and “Bein’ Green” (Andrew Bird), songs made famous by the inimitable Kermit himself.

Hip-hop has its heroes, none bigger than Jay-Z and Kanye West. They are among the biggest stars in pop music, with critically acclaimed, Grammy-winning albums that consistently top the charts. Jay-Z’s been around longer, having made his debut in 1996 with Reasonable Doubt, an album that dealt frankly with his childhood life on the streets of New York dealing drugs. By contrast Kanye, a onetime Chicago State University student who earned recognition producing Jay-Z’s albums, didn’t release his own debut, The College Dropout, until 2004. Both rappers have signature styles: Jay-Z boasts stunning lyrical dexterity, while Kanye draws inspiration from eclectic sources. Jay-Z’s marriage to r&b quee...

Luke Doucet and Melissa McClelland have much in common. Both have served time in Sarah McLachlan’s band and pursued solo careers as singer-songwriters. They married in 2006 and have now tied the musical knot in Whitehorse. There’s genuine passion on the duo’s debut, in the sparkling harmonies of “Emerald Isle” and the bluesy riffs of “Killing Time is Murder.” The couple’s intimacy shines covering Bruce Springsteen’s “I’m on Fire,” on which McClelland’s sublime vocals and Doucet’s twanging guitar burn bright.

Life on her Texas ranch with bull-riding champion husband Ty Murray is good, judging from the happy vibes here. Written with their baby son, Kase, in mind, Jewel’s latest CD features family-friendly originals like the swinging “Supermarket Song” and the Spanish-tinged “Bucky the Bull.” But the former Alaskan folkie also has a knack for such country-fied classics as “Oh Susanna” and “She’ll Be Comin’ Round the Mountain.” Jewel even channels Julie Andrews on the Mary Poppins classic “My Favorite Things.”

Kelly Rowland first rose to stardom as a member of Destiny’s Child, one of the best-selling groups of all time. Although she found herself in the shadow of Beyoncé, Rowland was the first in the group to release a solo album. Her 2002 debut, the r&b and rock-influenced Simply Deep, sold well, while “Dilemma,” her duet with rapper Nelly, topped the charts and made her a household name. She also won a Grammy Award for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration. It seemed for a brief moment that Kelly’s fame might even eclipse Beyoncé’s. But then two things happened: Beyoncé’s star went supernova with her debut, Dangerously in Love, and sales of Rowland’s next album, Ms. Kelly, tanked. Her fortunes improved wh...