And now for something completely different...

Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you the five albums in heavy rotation at home right now...

1) The Grand Wazoo, Frank Zappa (1973)
A great record in its own right. Despite being fairly short (a shade under forty minutes), this one definitely keeps your attention. Two of my favorite instrumentals are on here, "Eat That Question," and "Blessed Relief." Zappa proves how ahead of his time he could be by introducing some great jazz/rock fusion with a brilliant supporting cast. Trumpeter Sal Marquez shows a wide range of styles here, from the early freak-outs of the opening track to the beautiful, understated playing on the album's closer.
2) A Boy Named Charlie Brown, Vince Guaraldi Trio (1969)
A wonderful jazz record. Mostly upbeat, catchy, get-stuck-in-your-head sort of stuff, with a fantastic cover of "Fly Me to the Moon" as a closer. Highly underrated.
3) Somewhere Else Before, Esbjorn Svenson Trio-also known as E.S.T. (2001)
I really can't say enough about this group. The first time I heard them, I was floored. A great jazz trio. From Sweden. Definite touches of electronic and psychedelic music are to be found here. "From Gagarin's Point of View" has one of the most beautiful, haunting melodies I can recall. "The Wraith" and "Spam-Boo Limbo" provide some unique energy. They have a few other releases out, which can be tough to find, but I recommend any of them. Here is a great starting point, though, since it's a compilation from two European releases, "From Gagarin's Point of View" and "Good Morning Susie Soho." Go buy it. Now.
4) Milk Me, The Beatnuts (2004)
Doesn't quite fit with the others mentioned so far, I know. This is a dirty, thugged-out rap record. But it's a guilty pleasure. For those of you not familiar with the Beatnuts, the group consists of Psycho Les and Juju, who mainly handle the production, but do take the mic from time to time. The high points here are (not surprisingly) some of the wildy creative and funky beats. Not a lot of high-profile guests, but Rahzel (of Wu-Tang fame) takes a nice turn on "Confused Rappers." Worth a listen if you're tired of hearing the same rappers over and over.
5) The Magic Flute, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1791)
I know, it doesn't quite fit either. But I listen to most everything. And this is brilliant. One of the most frequently performed operas in the world, and also one of the more challenging. Full of Masonic symbols, so all you conspiracy theorists go ahead and have a field day. It doesn't hurt (in my opinion) that it features a bass in a prominent role (Sarastro). Being one myself, it's always nice to hear. And it's just good music.

Anyway, that's all for now, folks. More to come...stay tuned.