Gordon Lightfoot Book, Music and More!

From the beginning, Rufus Wainwright’s star has shone brightly—almost blindingly so—in pop’s pantheon. His 1998 self-titled debut drew him comparisons to Stephen Foster and Cole Porter, while later albums were hailed for their wit and opulence. Openly gay, Rufus has never been a wilting violet. The son of songwriters Loudon Wainwright III and Kate McGarrigle, he grew up in a matriarchy after his parents divorced, with his mother, grandmother, aunt Anna and sister Martha and surrounded by music. “Emotions were always high-pitched in our house,” Rufus once recalled. “Breaking down and crying was almost mandatory.” Channeling those emotions helped to give Rufus’ career an extraordinary trajecto...

The Armani boys brigade is back with another collection of operatic-pop weepers, just in time for Christmas. Recorded on their worldwide tour of 81 cities and 32 countries, this CD-DVD package includes the handsome, multinational quartet’s typically over-the-top renditions of classical hits and pop classics sung in English, Italian, Spanish and Latin, including “Somewhere,” “My Way,” “Amazing Grace” and “Nights in White Satin.” Best of all is Il Divo’s suave Spanish version of Leonard Cohen’s glorious “Hallelujah.” December 2009

The Canadian quartet has performed for Her Majesty the Queen and shared stages with Céline Dion and Sir Paul McCartney. Now Victor Micallef, Clifton Murray, Remigio Pereira and Fraser Walters continue their classical-pop crossover moves on their sophisticated sophomore CD, covering everything from Bob Dylan’s “Forever Young” to Puccini’s “Nessun Dorma.”

The Italian superstar’s sweet tenor has graced opera and pop classics alike. Here, working with David Foster, he turns up the romantic heat on Elvis Presley’s “Love Me Tender” and adds samba sizzle to “Girl from Ipanema.” Ever versatile, Andrea also duets in Portuguese with Nelly Furtado and in Spanish with Jennifer Lopez.