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.

“Rikki Don’t Lose That Number,” Steely Dan’s most popular single, doesn’t consistently make it on the set list. Are they bored with it too?

“Crazy Happy” is not an avant-garde old-school Chicago piece, but it possesses just enough jazz elements to prove that Robert Lamm still has the goods.

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

Dan Markell’s latest single conveys holiday greetings to family and friends across the miles.

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.