It's Randy Jackson's World
Branching out, and quite profitably so, from his "American Idol" judges seat, Randy Jackson is proving to be quite a significant media mogul with current projects that can be seen on television and heard on radio (and on your MP3 player). On MTV, Jackson produces the highly rated "America's Best Dance Crew," a multi-week competition featuring hip-hop dance groups. The dancing on this show has been top-notch and incredibly inventive while the host (Mario Lopez) and the panel of judges (choreographer Shane Sparks, rapper Lil Mama, and former N'Sync member J.C. Chasez) add tons of coolness and sexiness to the show.

More closely related to his musical roots, Jackson, who is an accomplished Grammy Award winning rock bassist, has been busy in the studio this past year creating RANDY JACKSON'S MUSIC CLUB ­ VOLUME ONE (Dream Merchant 21). This CD features songs by the likes of Joss Stone, Katherine McPhee, Angie Stone, Richie Sambora and his fellow "AI" judge Paula Abdul. Not surprisingly, MUSIC CLUB is a solid radio friendly effort that is sure to please a wide range of listeners. This new CD (which is charting well), combined with "Dance Crew" and the current season of "American Idol" is proof that Jackson is arguably one of the most influential persons in American pop culture today.

She's Back
Back in 1994 I went Down Under to Australia to attend the Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras extravaganza. In addition to having a scandalously good time ­ what happens in Sydney, stays in Sydney, even if it happens to be with an 11-incher ­ I was lucky enough to see Kylie Minogue perform at the main event. Only a casual fan previously, she put on a hell of a show that night and converted me to "big fan" status. Now 14 years later, during which my admiration for her has grown immensely, Kylie is back to tantalize her fans with a new album simply called X (Astralwerks). Already a huge hit internationally (it was released last year to the rest of the world), this CD pairs her familiar breathy vocals with infectious electronic beats. Tracks from the album that you may have heard already, include "All I See," "Wow," "In My Arms," and "2 Hearts." Kylie is still at the top of her game and X is a definite must-have not only for her fans and but for those who appreciate good music.

"Wright On!"
OMG! The new album by Lizz Wright, THE ORCHARD (Verve), is an incredible piece of musical magic. Possessed of a beautifully strong voice, Wright presents 12 tracks on this third effort of hers that has been hailed by many as both the best adult contemporary and best jazz vocal albums to be released thus far in 2008. Her smoky vocal performance is hauntingly seductive and her effortless ability to blend jazz, R&B, and gospel will undoubtedly bring comparisons to the likes of Nina Simone and Billie Holiday. Don't sleep on Ms. Wright; THE ORCHARD needs to be in your collection.
Dance Singles
"Bleeding Love" by Leona Lewis The next great U.K. singer planning to take America by storm will be taking dance floors by storm with remixes of her first single by Moto Blanco, Jason Nevins, and The Shapeshifters (my favorite).
"I'm A Fire" by Donna Summer While the remixes by the likes of Solitaire and Matty Heilbronn are indeed good, the original album version has a soulful house groove that just works.
"Touch My Body" by Mariah Carey Mimi always brings out the best in remixers and the two club efforts by Craig C and Seamus Haji are further proof. Both are fantastic!