Cannonball Adderley　

One of the great alto saxophonists, Cannonball Adderley had an exuberant and happy sound that communicated immediately to listeners. His intelligent presentation of his music (often explaining what ..more

Koji Kikkawa　

Taj Mahal　

One of the most prominent figures in late 20th century blues, singer/multi-instrumentalist Taj Mahal played an enormous role in revitalizing and preserving traditional acoustic blues. Not content t ..more

Story Of The Year　

Story of the Year took root in the late ’90s under a different name, Big Blue Monkey, in St. Louis, Missouri. At the time of its inception, the band’s sound was much heavier (similar to the De ..more

Chage　

Bruno Mars, Anderson .Paak, Silk Sonic　

Mari Mizuno　

Backstreet Boys　

The Backstreet Boys were, in many ways, a contradictory band. Comprised entirely of white middle-class Americans, the group sang a hybrid of new jack balladry, hip-hop, R＆B, and dance club pop that ..more

Natsuko Nisshoku　

McCoy Tyner　

It is to McCoy Tyner’s great credit that his career after John Coltrane has been far from anti-climatic. Along with Bill Evans, Tyner has been the most influential pianist in jazz of th ..more

Mia Wilson　

Replacements　

The Replacements initially formed in 1979, when Paul Westerberg joined a garage punk band formed by brothers Bob (guitar) and Tommy Stinson (bass) and drummer Chris Mars. Originally cal ..more

Mari Hamada　

WU-TANG CLAN　

Emerging in 1993, when Dr. Dre’s G-funk had overtaken the hip-hop world, the Staten Island, New York-based Wu-Tang Clan proved to be the most revolutionary rap group of the mid-’90s -- and only ..more

Massive Attack　

One of the most innovative and influential groups of their generation, Massive Attack’s hypnotic sound -- a darkly sensual and cinematic fusion of hip-hop rhythms, soulful melodies, dub grooves, an ..more

Takako Mamiya　

Sweet　

In some ways, the Sweet epitomized all the tacky hubris and garish silliness of the early ’70s. Fusing bubblegum melodies with crunching, fuzzy guitars, the band looked a heavy metal band, but were ..more

Yungblud (Rock)　

Fourplay　

This all-star group -- comprised of keyboardist Bob James, guitarist Lee Ritenour, bassist Nathan East, and drummer Harvey Mason -- was formed in 1991 after the quartet came together on pa ..more

Ella Langley