Since the early 1970’s multi-instrumentalist, ace studio musician and singer and songwriter Randall Bramblett has been a significant footnote in rock history. Not everyone can stand in the spotlight, yet Randall has had a substantial studio career performing with Widespread Panic, Elvin Bishop, Government Mule, the reunited Traffic, Robbie Robertson, and Steve Winwood.

Like Maxwell, D’Angelo, Anthony Hamilton, Jill Scott, Musiq, and Macy Gray, Van Hunt is a member of the “neo-soul” generation - a new generation of young artists who draw on R&B’s rich past yet give it their own unique spin.

For the uninitiated - and those unfamiliar with her music - Jonatha Brooke has been making solo records that bridge folk and pop since the mid-Nineties. Prior to her solo career, Jonatha was a member of The Story, a duo that also included Jennifer Kimball. Their 1989 debut, a collection called Grace In Gravity, was originally released on the folk-based Green Linett record label, and the band was promptly signed to Elektra Records.

One Moment More is the striking debut album from singer-songwriter Mindy Smith. It's an album filled with intelligent well-crafted songs characteristic of releases by artists like Norah Jones, Alison Krause, Gillian Welch, and Patty Griffin. Drawing on a variety of acoustic genres including country and folk the songs are honest, organic and from-the-heart - a winning combination for any artist to touch listeners regardless of the genre.

What do you say to a new artist who won a handful of Grammies for her debut album that sold over 12 million copies globally..."What do you do for encore, Norah?"

What is so exciting about Norah Jones ‘s 2002 mind blowing climb to fame is that it really came out of nowhere. Her debut album Come Away With Me beat the odds and musical trends - and deserved to.

July 14, 2001 approximately 11 months (count ‘em – 11) after Five For Fighting and John Ondrasik released America Town, John was on stage at XPN’s Singer-Songwriter Weekend and still on the brink of commercial success. John sat down at the piano and played the opening chords to “Superman,”

Wendell and Sherman Holmes, and Popsy Dixon have been playing their funkified and gospel inspired blues and R&B since the Sixties and released their first album in 1989 on Rounder Records. In The Spirit was an instant classic, showcasing their tight rhythm playing and vocal harmonies. Early supporters included Peter Gabriel and Van Morrison, while Joan Osborne produced their last album and hired them as her backing band in 1997. It has taken them almost a quarter of a century, but now The Holmes Brothers are internationally acclaimed performers.

Hailing from Taunton, Massacheusetts – South of Boston – the three piece band Wheat formed in 1997 and released their first two albums on the Chicago-based independent label Sugarfree. Wheat is made up of singer/guitarist Scott Levesque, drummer Brendan Harney and guitarist Ricky Brennan.

The soundtrack to the Civil War film Cold Mountain is a collection of old-timey traditional country, folk, blues and gospel music in the same vein as the soundtrack to O Brother Where Art Thou. Produced by the extraordinary T-Bone Burnett whose work as producer of 'O Brother' has equal import to his work with Counting Crows, Wallflowers and other pop bands, Cold Mountain is a slightly darker, more bucolic first cousin to O Brother.

Sweetheart is an excellent collection of covers of love songs featuring many favorite XPN artists. Recorded especially for this collection, it includes a mix of classic love songs and more recent tunes.