In "Oh My My," Jill Barber is a 21st-century original: a rootsy big-band swinger with hip-hop attitude. Ivan Otis hide caption

Catherine Russell plays with the simple, sultry jazz standard "Romance in the Dark" in unexpected ways. Courtesy of the artist hide caption

Tigran Hamasyan lets the melody sing a song of yearning and hope in "Mother, Where Are You?" Christian Ducasse hide caption

Jazz pianist Marcus Roberts turns the exuberant "Joy to the World" into a ragtime tinged with melancholy. John Douglas hide caption

"Rose City Strut" is a funky, alluring collaboration between MarchFourth Marching Band (pictured) and the Preservation Hall Jazz Band. Andy Batt hide caption

Just in time for Rosh Hashanah, Afro-Semitic Experience's "Adoshem, Adoshem, Part I" is a prayerful song that heads in unexpected directions. Hubert Williams hide caption

A 43-year-old blues singer and guitarist, Tab Benoit doesn't seem intimidated by the glorious history of "Nothing Takes the Place of You." Courtesy of the artist hide caption

A jazz pianist raised in Jamaica, Monty Alexander is the perfect choice to put a new spin on Bob Marley's "The Heathen." Courtesy of the artist hide caption

Jeff Golub Band's "Freddie's Midnite Dream" pays tribute to the late blues great with the help of pianist Henry Butler. Courtesy of the artist hide caption

For The Soul of John Black, the roots of the seductive "New York to L.A." extend all the way back to the jazz age. Pep Williams hide caption

With the passion and fury of a woman scorned, Aretha Franklin sings as a victim of love in "Sweet Sixteen." Courtesy of the artist hide caption

Rooted in early-20th-century blues and jazz, Davina and the Vagabonds' "lipstickandchrome" is freshened up with modern sass. Ezra Moore hide caption

Legendary guitarist Warren Haynes practically ignores his guitar and instead pours out his heart in "Save Me." Stewart O'Shields hide caption

In "Warning Signs," Eilen Jewell has a sweet and clear voice with a killer instinct lurking beneath the shiny surface. Liz Linder hide caption

From a 1973 album that was never released, psychedelic rocker Arthur Lee offers a bit of homespun philosophy in "Beep Beep." Herbert Worthington hide caption