Jimmie Vaughan’s ‘Plays Blues, Ballads & Favorites,’ released five years ago this summer, shined a needed spotlight on some largely unheard covers.

In the period immediately after New Orleans’ levees failed under Hurricane Katrina’s onslaught beginning on Aug. 29, 2005, musicians began trying to make sense of things.

JJ Grey and Mofro started out as a very good band. ‘Georgia Warhorse,’ released on August 24, 2010, catapulted them to greatness.

I’m not one to snap up everything Willie Nelson or Wynton Marsalis puts out. But ‘Two Men With the Blues,’ released in the summer of 2008, was special.

‘The Keith Emerson Band featuring Marc Bonilla,’ released on August 20, 2008, found Emerson fully – and finally – embracing his storied past.

Modern-day Irish activist Sinead O’Connor memorably paid homage to the century-old funeral of another Irish activist.

Here is a review of the 3-CD remastered version of Emerson Lake and Palmer’s classic 1972 release, ‘Trilogy.’ Jakko Jakszyk’s remix does the music justice.

Released on June 15, 2010, Tom Petty’s ‘Mojo’ built off a rootsy foundation, extending their reign as the most sophisticated garage band in America.

There were technical things that made Ornette Coleman’s work great. But stressing that gives away the one thing that really mattered: Its freedom.

‘Back to the Egg,’ released on June 8, 1979, showed Paul McCartney could plug into the new wave zeitgeist. Well, when he wanted to, anyway.