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Marc Silver Marc Silver edits NPR's global health blog.
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Marc Silver

Monday

Review

Song Of The Day

An Old Song For A New Depression

Pianist Marcus Roberts is sinking his talented fingers into the familiar melody of "Ain't Misbehavin'." His instrumental take is a highlight of his new album, New Orleans Meets Harlem, Vol. 1, which salutes the great pianists of the past.

'Ain't Misbehavin' ' by Marcus Roberts

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Friday

Review

Song Of The Day

Bluesman Seth Walker Has A Surprising Song

Walker's sweet tenor carries an edge of pain, as well as affection for blue notes. His blues music isn't just about guitars and drums, just as it isn't about the torn jeans and unshaven face he presents on his Web site. Topping off that hobo look is a fedora with a sharp crease — a cool, nostalgic hat that's the sartorial equivalent of "I Got a Song."

'I Got a Song' by Seth Walker

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Tuesday

Review

Song Of The Day

Madeleine Peyroux Finds Rock And Soul

In the secret labs of music collaboration, where deceased singers are matched with living partners, has anyone ever tried to bring Billie Holiday and Hall & Oates together? Probably not, but when Lady Day enthusiast Madeleine Peyroux sings "You Can't Do Me," it's as if Holiday and the self-proclaimed "rock and soul" boys had a musical moment.

'You Can't Do Me' by Madeleine Peyroux

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Monday

Review

Song Of The Day

The Bad Plus: The Dark Heart Of The Bee Gees

A ghostly bass plucks out notes that tremble with foreboding. A Steinway piano injects haunting, minor-key arpeggios. A woman chimes in, her voice seemingly filtered through gauze. It's natural to expect a song of apocalyptic doom, until it becomes clear that she's crooning "How Deep Is Your Love," that falsetto-fueled Bee Gees relic from the disco era.

'How Deep Is Your Love' by The Bad Plus

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Monday

Review

Song Of The Day

Melinda Doolittle Wields A Mighty Broom

"Dust My Broom" was recorded by the legendary bluesman Robert Johnson back in 1936, and Doolittle tackles it with strength while avoiding histrionics. She knows her way around a bluesy run, she sings with a well-placed rasp and she rides herd over powerhouse horns, driving drums, funky keyboards and an army of backup singers.

'Dust My Broom' by Melinda Doolittle

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Wednesday

Review

Song Of The Day

One-Named Guitarist Honors One-Eyed Pianist

Midway through "Booker," Milton lets pianist Frank Campbell step in and bring the essence of New Orleans legend James Booker to the proceedings. Campbell's interlude captures the sweet side of Booker's syncopated style, while demonstrating how men like Booker used their music to drive the blues away.

'Booker' by Milton

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Thursday

Review

Song Of The Day

Bobby Lounge: Finally, It's Time For 'Rudolph'

A pianist hammers out a jaunty intro that sounds familiar, yet seems hard to place. There are octave runs and an insistent bass line, as well as repeated chords that conjure up "Heart and Soul." Wait, could it be? It sure could, as Bobby Lounge begins yelping like Jerry Lee Lewis and singing words that everyone knows by heart: "Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer / Ow, he had a shiny nose..."

'Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer' by Bobby Lounge

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Tuesday

Review

Song Of The Day

Joplin's 'Bethena' Sounds As New As It Is Old

When Scott Joplin wrote "Bethena (A Concert Waltz)" in 1905, his wife of two months had just died; Bethena may well have been her nickname. Now, more than a century later, "Bethena" sounds as fresh as it if were written just minutes ago, a tender and heartfelt remembrance of a love lost.

'Bethena (A Concert Waltz)' by Scott Joplin (performed by Randy Kerber)

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Monday

Review

Song Of The Day

Jimmy Thackery Takes The Wheel Of A Classic

Jimmy Thackery is a musical hitchhiker: He jumps on Chuck Berry's "Promised Land" and takes off without a second look. The bluesman uses his stinging, ringing guitar to set the pace for a cross-country journey that begins on a bus in Southwest Virginia.

'Promised Land' by Jimmy Thackery and the Drivers

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Tuesday

Review

Song Of The Day

Jon Cleary: Setting A 'Groove' On Fire

Nimble fingers glissando down the keys and launch into New Orleans-flavored funk. This pyrotechnic pianist sings, too, with just the right mix of mellow and sharp in his voice, reinventing King Floyd's 1971 soul classic "Groove Me." While the original bumped along at a mid-tempo pace, Jon Cleary sets it ablaze.

'Groove Me' by Jon Cleary and the Absolute Monster Gentlemen

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Wednesday

Review

Song Of The Day

Labelle: Looking Back In The Here And 'Now'

Back to Now, the reunion release from Patti Labelle and her partners in Labelle, finds their piercing mid-'70s sound fitting perfectly amid today's music scene. In "Candlelight," the seemingly nonsensical title even makes sense: It looks back while sounding as fresh and funky as ever.

'Candlelight' by Labelle

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Monday

Review

Song Of The Day

Jimmy Hughes: Return Of A Lost Soul Classic

Alabama native Jimmy Hughes makes a strong all-around case for himself in "I'm Qualified," his first single from way back in the day (that would be 1964), now revived on The Best of Jimmy Hughes and the reconstituted Fame label.

'I'm Qualified' by Jimmy Hughes

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Friday

Song Of The Day

Silver Jews On A Pleasure Cruise

Silver Jews mastermind David Berman launches "Party Barge" on his new album, Lookout Mountain, Lookout Sea. Berman isn't exactly a singer's singer, but his deep, unexpressive voice is weirdly mesmerizing if occasionally flat, and it goes well with the song's appealingly lazy beat.

'Party Barge' by Silver Jews

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Thursday

Review

Song Of The Day

Puppini Sisters' Lament In Three-Part Harmony

The Puppini Sisters' shtick is to take the style of The Andrews Sisters and add postmodern zing. In the group's outstanding original tune "Jilted," the result sounds like a confessional column from a Swing Era edition of Cosmo.

'Jilted' by The Puppini Sisters

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Wednesday

Review

Song Of The Day

Van Morrison Mocks His Alma Mater

Morrison's face bears the lines and concaves of a 62-year-old man. But in his new "School of Hard Knocks," his voice sounds as youthful and swaggering as it did when he was doing a moondance more than 30 years ago.

'School of Hard Knocks' by Van Morrison

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