Gordon Lightfoot Book, Music and More!

This African diva has won a Grammy Award for her global sound, but her eighth album pays tribute to the music that inspired her childhood—much of it American r&b. Angélique teams up with John Legend on Curtis Mayfield’s “Move On Up” and with Dianne Reeves on Aretha Franklin’s “Baby, I Love You.” Whether caressing Otis Redding’s “I’ve Got Dreams to Remember” in the Nigerian language of Yoruba or belting out James Brown’s “Cold Sweat,” she proves herself one soulful, funky mama.

Although his career was cut short by a tragic plane crash in 1967, Otis’ impact is still being felt. An emotional singer who brought gruff, syncopated whoops and hollers to aching ballads and ecstatic upbeat numbers alike, Redding epitomized soul music for many people and was a favorite of both the Beatles and the Rolling Stones. Hip-hop artists have long sampled his sound. Last year, Kanye and Jay-Z won a Grammy Award for their hit “Otis,” which highlighted his gritty vocals, and recently Justin Timberlake sang “(Sittin’ On) the Dock of the Bay” at the White House, joined by President Obama and his wife Michelle. Now the imaginatively packaged 3-CD set, The Complete Stax/Volt Singles Collec...