This week Jean Carn provides a classic interpretation of the Wayne Shorter composition "Infant Eyes." Common spits "Come Close" and gets pirated (but, in this case, that’s a good thing!). And funky London chanteuse Caron Wheeler covers/gets in(to) "The Wind Cries Mary," a Jimi Hendrix composition. A little something for all you jazz heads, all you hip-hop heads, all you rock heads. Where you at? What you think? Let us know.

Old school/nu skool. Ray Charles/Ambersunshower. Kalamu likes to drown in his own tears. Mtume likes a good running song. Neither of us much cares for some of what the other likes, but we both agree that Terry Callier and Yusef Lateef do something special with “Love Theme From ‘Spartacus.’” Now it’s your turn to comment—will it be one or the other, both or neither?

This is one crazy, mixed-up week of Black music. Q: What do Bob James, Slick Rick, Ghostface Killah and Run-DMC have in common? A: The classic tune "Nautilus." Check out Paula Lima, the Brazilian funk diva who covers Glenn Miller’s "Moonlight Seranade." Meditate to Rokia Traoré, a young singer/songwriter from Mali, West Africa who has a quintessential African anthem backed by the Kronos String Quartet. Let us know what you think about this boundary-busting mash-up.

This week we kick off with a jazz classic from Nancy Wilson and close with Luther covering Dionne Warwick—plus a 1982 interview with Luther. In between we look at Kanye’s Diamonds (including "Conflict Diamonds" by Lupe Fiasco)—and it’s not a pretty picture. Additionally we have a background piece on Kanye and Lauryn Hill. Let us know how it all looks to you.

This week it’s: sex and nakedness; music and social change; Kelis and Grace Jones; Sam Cooke covered by The Nevilles, The Fugees and by DC-based vocalist, Sunny Sumter; plus an insightful interview with Harold Battiste who arranged and produced for Sam Cooke. Libido and/or social consciousness? Tell us what you think, what you feel. Well?