Preston Frazier’s Best of 2021 Rock, Pop and R&B also includes Henry Bateman, Toto’s Joseph Williams, Lucas Lee, Dire Straits’ Alan Clark, and others.

Released 55 years ago this month, ‘A Quick One’ saw the Who exploring unusual themes to great effect. ‘Tommy’ and ‘Quadrophenia’ were just over the horizon.

Asked to pick five favorite Yuletide songs (and only five), our panel of holly-jolly musical enthusiasts offered some occasionally offbeat suggestions.

Preston Frazier’s Best of 2021 jazz favorites also include terrific releases by Peter DiCarlo, Dan Wilson, Nate Smith, David Garfield and Andrew Green.

The only thing that beats a white Christmas is a blues Christmas, particularly the vintage style blues proffered by Ben Levin for his yuletide tune “Forgot Mrs. Claus.”

Professor Tip Top’s ‘Tomorrow Is Delayed’ is an excellent album which leaves its own footstep on the dark side of any distant moon.

The holiday music of 2021 may not be plentiful, but there are a handful of very worthy new releases and reissues.

In the 45 years since Pat Metheny’s debut album arrived, I haven’t gone many weeks (if even days) without listening. Yet there are still new revelations.

Playing in the most exposed settings is a Catherine Sikora hallmark, her latest being ‘corners,’ a series of concerts by one, for one. Her fearlessness never lets her — nor the listener — down.

As good as previous Pink Floyd vinyl reissues are, ‘A Momentary Lapse of Reason: Remixed & Updated’ is quite unique.