Greetings and salutations, best wishes for the New Year! A wide array of upliftment from the broadest range of musicians we’ve ever posted in one week: Lonnie Liston Smith, Rosinha De Valença, The Wailers, Minnie Riperton, Roy Ayers, Nina Simone, Ghostface Killah, Adriana Evans, Aya, The Roots, Xantone Blacq, Frank Wright, Alice Coltrane, John Coltrane, Dee Dee Bridgewater, The Persuasions, Ray Charles, Eli Goulart, 4Hero, Nancy Wilson, Kirk Franklin, Stevie Wonder and Earth, Wind & Fire. Get up with it!

We end the year with a focus on Aretha Franklin, the greatest soul singer of all time. Enough said.

Previously unreleased live recordings from Aretha Franklin, live concert recordings from Joy Denalane and a reggae roundup featuring Natural Ites, Freddie McKay, The Wailers, Michael Rose, and Groundation. A most soulful week here at BoL.

Nina Simone – Mary J. Blige. A previously unreleased Nina concert. New music from Mary J. And then we close out with eight versions of Tom Jobim’s "Wave"—Nara Leao, Cesar Mariano & Romero Lubambo, Sarah Vaughan, Harry Sweets Edison, Toots Thielemans & Elis Regina, Ahmad Jamal, BR6, and Jacintha.

This week we have blue-eyed soul (The Eagles, Toto, Carly Simon, Seals & Croft, Michael McDonald) and black covers (Howard Hewett, Warren G, Luther Vandross, The Isley Brothers, Anita Baker) of blue-eyed soul and also excerpts from a Me’Shell Ndegeocello concert. This is a wild week. Enjoy.