海角大神

Sax appeal

There鈥檚 something about the breathy, midtone register of a saxophone perfectly situated between soaring strains of violins and the deep rumble of the cello. That鈥檚 why jazz sax masters have been cutting albums with strings for dec颅ades. Now it鈥檚 tenor man 鈥檚 turn. Walking Shadows features jazz stalwarts Brad Mehldau on piano and Brian Blade on drums, but it鈥檚 the string arrangements and Redman鈥檚 eclectic song choices that make this a real gem. Standouts are a witty take on the Beatles鈥櫬� 鈥淟et it Be鈥� and a shimmering version of Kern and Hammerstein鈥檚 鈥淭he Folks Who Live on the Hill.鈥�

Powerful poetry

Poetry lovers know the power of the simplest verse. Now the folks at the California-based website hope to prove that power to politicians with a new weekly project, 鈥�Words of Fire.鈥� Five Los Angeles poets will tell the story of the city鈥檚 true soul hoping it will get city leaders to understand the town in a new way.聽 Check it out at .

McFerrin spirituals

has charmed fans for decades with his own distinctive musical stylings. Now he brings his whimsical, deceptively light approach to African-American spirituals. Ranging from such well-known tunes as 鈥淪wing Low, Sweet Chariot鈥� to some rarely heard standards, the songs are part of his family legacy. (His father, renowned Met baritone singer Robert McFerrin, recorded them on 鈥淒eep River鈥� in 1957.) Rhythmic and heart-warming, Spirityouall is out on Sony Masterworks.

Sacred moments

Sacred will be a global crowdsourced documentary depicting one year of spiritual and religious life. Beginning on June 21, WNET New York Public Media invites the public around the world to contribute footage that answers the question, 鈥淲hat is sacred to you?鈥� Footage shot during the 365-day filming period and contributed via the film鈥檚 website () will be edited together into a mosaic portrait of spiritual and religious life on Earth.

Star light, star bright

StarMap 3D will help guide you across the night sky. The compass feature enables a map that shows all of the stars and constellations right above you, complete with 3-D illustrations. With enough details to entertain the amateur astronomer, and interesting displays for children, this app is great for summer stargazing. (iPad and iPhone compatible, $2.99)

Doo-wop remade

Baby Caught the Bus, from , is one of those lovely finds 鈥� a first album by an inspired group that bursts on the music scene as a joyful and surprise hit. The Australian group, fronted by Browne with a powerful, bluesy presence, delivers a youthful take on old-time rhythm and blues, jazz, and doo-wop. The single 鈥淟ove Letter鈥� has been a chart topper on radio stations across the spectrum and is only one song on an album with cross-generational appeal.