Even as Fleetwood Mac announced a new tour for 2013, the question remained: What about Christine McVie?

Jeff Lynne, so meticulous in the studio that he’s now painstakingly rerecorded all of the Electric Light Orchestra’s best-known hits, wouldn’t seem to be a great fit with the famously low-fi Bob Dylan.

Check out a seven-minute steam of song samples from Spock’s Beard’s new studio effort, Brief Nocturnes and Dreamless Sleep — their first with new vocalist Ted Leonard.

In one way or another, each of these recordings confounded and delighted me. Pushed me to new vistas, either in the way I approached the artist, their own original work, or the tunes they covered. Made me think, and feel differently.

Led Zeppelin, appearing last night on David Letterman’s television program, paid tribute to fellow Kennedy Center honoree Buddy Guy — with Jimmy Page enthusing about Guy’s “out of this world” guitar style.

Recently I’ve received requests to examine “Rain,” the groundbreaking B-side to “Paperback Writer.” Indeed, “Rain” has transformed into one of the Beatles’ best-loved B-sides, a masterpiece both musically and lyrically.

A couple of guys about a half generation apart but both a full generation or two after the ones who created the sweetly swinging jazz they thrive on, Scott Hamilton and Harry Allen carry the torch for the original great tenor sax masters

Worried about being running aground in some tropic locale this Christmas season? Something Else! has you covered, with a new list of Yuletide favorites criss-crossing the usual stylistic landscape.