Rotation

Who can blame Lang? The slender blonde man-child is clearly talented and appeals directly to the demographic that entertainment conglomerates most covet: middle-class white kids. (Witness his oft-repeated "In Concert" special on the Disney Channel, or his appearance in the film Blues Brothers 2000.) And there is, of course, a healthy tradition of musicians starting with blues before diversifying to other styles.

On Wander This World, Lang downplays the guitar pyrotechnics that characterized his debut. In fact, he emerges here primarily as a vocalist, using the studio talents of five other guitarists to supplement his own fretwork. The voice is surprisingly strong, rough-edged and soulful, calling to mind, at its best moments, the phrasing of John Hiatt. Sometimes, though, it's downright wince-able. The 18-year-old occasionally strains himself trying to sound a little too world-weary, tortured and, well, black. Keep it natural, Jonny.

Nonetheless, Lang delivers an attractive mix of 12 songs. Only two -- "Angel of Mercy" and a scorching version of the late Luther Allison's "Cherry Red Wine" -- are structured as true blues. Others are informed by funk, especially "I Am" (co-written by Prince and his one-time producer David Z, now Lang's producer) and "Before You Hit the Ground." The bouncy "Second Guessing" is loaded with Motown-esque hooks. Everything else rocks. Among the highlights are the anthemic "Still Rainin'," the gospel-flavored"Leaving to Stay" and the acoustic "Breakin' Me." While the title track has a nice acoustic intro and some creative riffs, the lyrics bespeak a mythic homelessness that rings hollow -- coming from a mere lad who's already made more cash than most musicians do in a lifetime.

Wonderfully idiosyncratic bluesman John Lee Hooker has been at it a long time, having cut more than 100 albums. But only in the past decade has he finally earned enough dollars to keep him boogie-ing in high comfort indefinitely. Multiple Grammy Awards, a TV commercial for Pepsi, a guitar endorsement deal with Epiphone -- these are just some of the indicators of Hooker's recent economic windfall, well-deserved for such a prolific and influential career.

In 1989, that influence was celebrated -- and the career revitalized -- with the landmark release The Healer, which featured Hooker collaborating with the likes of Carlos Santana, Bonnie Raitt, Robert Cray, Los Lobos, Charlie Musselwhite and others. Unlike so many of the facile "tribute" CDs that commonly pair some distinguished old-timer with younger pop stars, this one was all about making good music. With varying results, the strategy of linking Hooker with compatible guest artists was repeated on Mr. Lucky (1991), Boom Boom (1993), Chill Out (1995) and Don't Look Back (1997).

The aptly-titled The Best of Friends is a compilation that highlights ten selections from those releases, featuring (in addition to the artists named above) Eric Clapton, Ry Cooder, Jimmie Vaughan and others. While the performances are consistently impressive, and Hooker's all-original material is timeless, a duet with Van Morrison on "I Cover the Waterfront" stands out -- a beautifully moving slow blues number. The disc also offers three new tracks, including a stirring version of Hooker's subversive classic, "Burnin' Hell," recorded with rising star Ben Harper.

But the best new treat is a potent remake of "Boogie Chillen." The opening cut, it kick-starts the record and reiterates Hooker's primal power as performer and writer. It's practically worth the cost of the CD, even if you already possess the other previously-released material that dominates the disc. And for blues fans who don't, this CD is an absolute must -- showcasing a major genius against the complementary backdrop of talented, tasteful support.

-- Roger Wood

Various Artists
Global Voices
Music of the World

When we think of world music, we most frequently think of an exotic rhythm, since drumming is one of the most obvious things that sets most of the world's traditions apart from the somewhat predictable 4/4 beat of Anglo-American pop and classical music. But the human voice was undoubtedly the first musical instrument, and before that, the first means of communication between the self and a universe populated by others. Like music, vocal expression has developed in many ingenious ways, and is used to express everything from the most noble spiritual sentiments to the most crass longings of the physical body.

Music of the World, a small label dedicated to authentic (read noncommercial) cultural expressions, created this three CD sampler of tracks from their catalog (and the catalogs of other worthy indie labels) to showcase non-Western vocal traditions, and it's a dizzying ride. The discs are broken down into three categories: Sacred, Traditional and Contemporary, and while there are plenty of compelling tracks, the overall effect is, not unexpectedly, hit or miss. Some tracks, like the five minute excerpt of Buddhist chant by the Ganden Monastery monks, fade out just as you're starting to get trancy, while others, especially the blues and Texas swing tracks on the Contemporary volume, seem out of place. Quibbles aside, there is enough variety on these 43 tracks to keep a listener busy for months. Standout tracks include Souleyman Faye's African blues, the bedrock gospel of "Job" by the Sterling Jubilee Singers, a quintet with close to 400 years of singing experience between them, Tran Quang Hai's Vietnamese throat singing and the guttural bass tones of the Tenores de Oniferi, an a capella quartet from Sardinia, but that merely scratches the surface.

The best way to deal with listening to this set is to load it into your CD player, press the shuffle button, and let the music take you where it will. -- j. poet