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Moving away from the wholesome-sounding Americana of his previous work, Dennen's Hope for the Hopeless is a much heavier collection marked by finger-snapping grooves. He shares new songs and talks about his non-profit work in a session from WXPN.

Drumming for The Beatles during the band's formative years, Pete Best was dismissed just before Beatlemania hit, for reasons that are disputed to this day. Best returned to the scene 20 years later with The Pete Best Band, delivering a savage '60s sound; he has a new CD out, called Haymans Green.

Producers Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff helped pioneer the sound of Philadelphia soul. Their renowned record label, Philadelphia International, produced the hits "Love Train," "Backstabbers" and "The Love I Lost."

It's been a remarkable year for jazz, and narrowing down a Top 10 list for 2008 takes a bit of work. Once again, there's room for enthusiasm and optimism about the state of jazz and its ability to inspire musicians and listeners alike. Here's a look (and a listen) back at some of the year's highlights.

The Chicago rapper's new album, 808s and Heartbreak features him singing instead of rapping, but he's filtered his vocals through the voice processing system known as Auto-Tune, an increasingly popular trend among pop artists. The result is a melancholy, intimate and decidedly quirky effort.

The city of Chicago has one more thing to boast about: Its hometown orchestra, the Chicago Symphony, has been named America's top orchestra in a new critics' poll published in the venerable British magazine Gramophone.

The Latin percussionist's classic 1972 album captures one of the greatest musicians of the 20th century at his peak. Bobby Sanabria, himself an award-winning bandleader, discusses the music and career of "El Rey del Timbal," Tito Puente.

Mates of State's music has only gotten richer and more rewarding since its members started a family: Their superb new album, Re-Arrange Us, finds it celebrating the tricky balancing act of marriage, parenthood and rock 'n' roll in a way that's undeniably uplifting and cheerful. Hear songs from that album in a session with World Cafe host David Dye.

The remarkable young soul singer grew up in a strict Pentecostal family before discovering a fondness for the classic records of the '60s and '70s. He brings his timeless delivery to a live performance on Mountain Stage.

Often compared to the likes of Ben Folds, or even a muted incarnation of Queen, Jukebox the Ghost makes music that's buoyant without leaving a saccharine aftertaste. Exhibit A: the flamboyantly orchestrated "Good Day."