Dog Man Dave Pilkey

Concept discs tend to go one of two ways–they dance around a theme, causing listeners to draw their own conclusions about how well the album hangs together, or they come on strong. Sax man Dave Koz's At the Movies floats mellifluously into the second category. From the moment Judy Garland's voice comes keening through the crackle of "Over the Rainbow," we're transported directly into the cinema alongside Koz and a handful of high-wattage friends. Only in Koz's theater, the music is at times more heart-tuggingly pretty than we remember. "Moon River," from Breakfast at Tiffany's meanders gracefully before Barry Manilow surfaces to lend a languid, signature-smooth vocal.

Dave Alvin earned his crown as "the King of California" the hard way. A fourth-generation Californian, Alvin worked his way through various incarnations in order to arrive at this point. A longstanding monumental force in Los Angeles and California music, Alvin is essentially a blues player who writes and performs what he terms "American folk music." From Celtic and British folk tunes to early rock & roll, from classic blues and country & western to the Bakersfield sound, Alvin knows his stuff. Gleaning from all the genres, Alvin sits firmly upon his throne, creating a brand of music that is intelligent, insightful, and broad in scope.