In late 1959, 26-year-old trumpeter/arranger Quincy Jones was engaged to conduct a jazz band for a musical called Free and Easy, the songs for which were written by Harold Arlen and Johnny Mercer. The unusual intention was to tour Europe before coming to Broadway, but the show never finished its engagement in Paris, closing down amid recriminations and stranding the cast and the orchestra. ~ AllMusic

Oscar Peterson's trio with Ray Brown and Herb Ellis lasted from 1953 to 1959 and is well documented on records, but the appearance in 2003 of this previously unreleased 1958 concert at the Orpheum Theatre in Vancouver is welcome news to the pianist's fans. Buoyed by a receptive audience and always in the mood to play to the best of their abilities, the musicians outdo themselves throughout the set. ~ AllMusic

Ah, the venerable tradition of pop-punk bands putting their energetic, snot-nosed stamp on songs from different genres.

Crunk, that particular high-energy party hip-hop built around looped drum machines and simple chants, broke through into the mainstream a few years ago with massive hits by OutKast, Lil Jon, Bone Crusher, and the notably addictive Oscar-winner "It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp" from Hustle and Flow.

Rhino's The Best of Buddy Knox is a definitive 18-track compilation featuring all of the hits the light rockabilly cat ever had, including "Party Doll," "Rock Your Little Baby to Sleep," "Hula Love," "Swingin' Daddy," "Somebody Touched Me," "Teasable, Pleasable You," "That's Why I Cry," "I Think I'm Gonna Kill Myself," "Lovey Dovey," and "Ling-Ting-Tong."

Brian Hyland's "Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka-Dot Bikini" is one of those songs that straddles the line between silly and annoying, but the public thought highly enough of it to make it a number one hit in 1960. Listeners expecting a full menu of similar novelties will be surprised by Hyland's Greatest Hits. Spanning the years 1960-1970, Greatest Hits consists mostly of Hyland's folk-pop from the mid- to late '60s, concluding with his 1970 hit version of the Impressions' "Gypsy Woman." Most of these 18 tracks were charting hits although only three cracked the Billboard Top Ten.

Punk Goes 80's is a cute idea for a comp. Not very punk, not very original, but very cute and fun. Pop-punk stalwarts Fearless Records round up their stable of bands and some compatriots to do covers of '80s pop hits.

A very raw, punk rock comp. Not always the best recording going on here. Punk bands in the 90's doing cover's of 80's tunes.

Punk Goes Pop is a compilation that goes under the premise of punk-pop bands covering huge pop stars.