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As opposed to the hard-bop sound dominant on the East Coast during the '50s, the West Coast sound was a bit mellower and more lyrical, with blended harmonies and more interest in composition and arrangement than improvisation. In these five songs, you'll hear all the definitive aspects of the West Coast jazz sound.

Just as the 2008 presidential election exposed and ultimately crossed gender, racial and generational barriers, many of the year's notable recordings explored and wrestled with different kinds of boundaries — some musical, some cultural, and some almost unimaginable if not for the power of music.

It was an unusually strong year for great unknown artists. While bigger, more established bands continued to attract the most attention, smaller, lesser-known acts made the most memorable music of 2008. All of the great unknown artists featured here made music that was inspired, original and heartfelt.

When you think about Celtic music, piercing tin whistles, mournful violins and galloping bodhran drums generally come to mind. But in the last few decades, many bands have melded Celtic folk music with punk-rock energy. Hear a five-song sampler.

The Latin music giant died Sunday after a long illness; he was 73. As prolific as he was influential, Cuba helped pioneer the Latin soul movement in the 1960s, and became an elder in the salsa scene.

Hip-hop heavyweights might not always show their softer side, but when their hearts get broken, they're not often shy about airing their woes. As LL Cool J revealed in the sensitive classic "I Need Love," there's a tender heart beneath the surface of even the brashest rapper. Here are five tearjerkers from a group of normally stoic tough guys.

St. Patrick's Day is a holiday when everybody is Irish: wearing at least a splash of green, getting together with friends for a pint or a party, and so on. To celebrate the day, here are some jazz songs that wear the green, at least in their titles, as well as musical tributes to Ireland.

When Coleman's imprint of fire-brazed melodicism strikes you, you may very well have his tunes stuck in your head all night long.

Winter, more than any other season, has its own soundtrack: There's a nonstop loop of holiday tunes in every store you visit, and carolers in the town square. By the time late December rolls around, many people have had it. Author Tom Moon offers an alternative list of winter music.

While most regional record fairs have been replaced with gigantic mega-shows, the WFMU Record Fair in New York City still offers the collector a chance to find unknown minimal-synth seven-inches from Germany, random rap 12-inches from the Bronx's Golden Age, and Japanese Kabuki-psychedelia. Listen to five obscure West African funk, highlife, Juju and psychedelia tracks from the 1970s.