What a wonderful week this is. We kick off with Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong establishing the gold standard of singing American standards. Then we’re off to Rio, to savor the charming music of Celso Fonseca. And then we jet back to L.A. to pay much respect to Ms. Etta James. Give thanks.

This week we feature seminal tracks from the magnificent Bobby Blue Bland and follow Bobby with new work from José James. We conclude with a deep consideration of Somali born/Toronto based MC K’naan.

Doug & Jean Carn blessed us with three classic albums—here’s the mixtape! Canadian jazz vocalist Melissa Walker follows with a mixtape of sensitive vocals. We close with seven versions of "Compared To What" featuring Les McCann & Eddie Harris, Billy Paul, Roberta Flack, Philip Bailey, Meshell Ndegeocello, Ray Charles & Leela James, and Dee Dee Bridgewater. Jazz is the focus this week.

This week begins with a homage to Phyllis Hyman and continues with a peek at jazz saxophonist Donald Harrison, and concludes with a taste of new music from Novalima, a band from Peru.

This is a week of funky blues, kicking off with Charles Wright & The Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band, followed by  Oumou Sangare & Idrissa Soumaoro, two masters from Mali. And batting clean-up is the magnificient Esther Phillips. The blues in a bunch of different manifestations.