Captain Fingers

Sitting atop the charts in 1975, Elton John and Bernie Taupin recalled their rise to power in Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy, their first explicitly conceptual effort since Tumbleweed Connection. It's no coincidence that it's their best album since then, showcasing each at the peak of his power, as John crafts supple, elastic, versatile pop and Taupin's inscrutable wordplay is evocative, even moving…

For nearly three decades, Lee Ritenour has been one of the world's foremost light jazz artists. Mixing a smooth urban vibe with the occasional soul/funk jive, his efforts have attempted to walk the razor-thin tightrope between the avant-garde and the accessible. In 2004, the gifted guitarist decided to call together a collection of colleagues and former band mates, and make an album celebrating music from the process of "making," not marketing. Assembling such luminaries as pianist Dave Grusin; keyboardist Patrice Rushen; talented bass impresarios Anthony Jackson, Melvin Davis, and Dave Carpenter, and drummer Oscar Seaton, the first foundation was set.

Susan Miller works behind the girdle counter in a department store and dreams about the beautiful clothes and glamour she can never hope to have. Enter May Worthington and Warren, a pair of con artists who pose as the mother and uncle of a pretty girl in order to separate millionaires from their money. They convince Susan she has an opportunity to fulfill all her dreams, and the trio heads for Palm Beach. Susan meets John Wheeler who says he is shopping for a sailboat.