My first review of the new year is - ironically enough - an album that seems to have a couple of different issue dates. Jazz guitarist Michael Higgins' effort, The Moon And The Lady Dancing, appears to have been available in some spots last Summer, but the album's official street date is January 1st, 2009. But we're here to talk about the music, not the calendar, and I'm happy to report that there is a lot to like on this effort from Higgins and his trio. The talented veteran of the Los Angeles jazz scene, who not only has an extensive musical education, but has also played alongside many of the greats, has put together a nice collection that features most traditional jazz but with a few nice innovative touches. Joined by bassist Jay Anderson (who also acted as producer) and drummer Adam Nussbaum, Higgins gives us an even dozen tracks that are mostly his own compositions. The exceptions are the old Kern-Robin standard "Love In Vain," and a Dietz-Schwartz piece, "Alone Together." Both have been part of the jazz songbook for years and are good choices for the trio, with the latter an especially a good showcase for Higgins' smooth and softly melodic guitar play. Among Higgins' own compositions, I especially enjoyed the hint of a Calypso beat in "The Last Farewell," a song he dedicates to his parents. I also found myself appreciating the title song of the album, which really showcases the guitarist's playing style. My favorite on the album was probably "Zoot's Blues." A good listen, and one that gives each of the trio's members space to shine, but it was the title that first caught my attention. I'm a fan of Zoot Sims, but it turns out that it was actually written by Higgins for his cat. (Of course, if he named the cat Zoot then Higgins must be a fan of the sax legend too, right?) If you enjoy solid jazz performed by guitar, bass, and drums, and you appreciate listening to talented pros who are in a zone with their playing partners, then give this one a try. (Follow album link for clips.)

Ground-breaking jazz musician Freddie Hubbard died today (December 29) at the age of 70. The renowned trumpet player passed away at a Los Angeles-area hospital. He had been hospitalised there since suffering a heart attack in November. During his lengthy career, Hubbard collaborated with jazz greats including John Coltrane, Ornette Coleman, Miles Davis and Herbie Hancock. He is credited with having influenced countless trumpet players with his unique style. “He played faster, longer, higher and with more energy than any other trumpeter of his era,” his long-time manager and producer David Weiss said in a statement. Hubbard won a Grammy Award in 1972 for Best Jazz Performance By A Group and has played on more than 300 recordings. His most recent band was The New Jazz Composers Octet. The Indianapolis, Indiana native is survived by his wife of 35 years, Briggie Hubbard, and his son Duane. Funeral services are pending. A memorial tribute will reportedly take place in New York in early 2009.

From Arctic Monkeys Alex Turner covering The Strokes with Lightspeed Champion in January, through Noel Gallagher and Jay-Z’s feud over Glastonbury in the summer to the recent ‘Hallelujah’ battle between ‘X Factor’, Jeff Buckley and Leonard Cohen 2008 has been a busy year for music news. Now with just a few days of the year left, we present the most popular NME.COM stories of 2008 - as read by you. Onstage attacks, big band reunions and even a bottle of bleach have made the Top Ten. Relive 2008’s most read moments again: 1.Russian officials try to outlaw emo as a danger teen trend. 2.Online hoaxers trick the world - well bits of it - into believing Lil Wayne has been shot dead. 3.Oasis’ Noel Gallagher is attacked onstage at the Canadian V Festival. 4.Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker narrowly escapes with his life after being involved in a plane crash. 5.Amy Winehouse goes blonde - briefly. 6.Guns N’ Roses finally finish ‘Chinese Democracy’. Were we dreaming? Remarkably, no. 7.Blur tell NME.COM exclusively that they are reuniting next year. 8.Oasis announce summer Stadium tour with Kasabian, The Enemy - and a storming press conference from Noel Gallagher (watch the video from it again now). 9.Kurt Cobain’s ashes are stolen from the Nirvana frontman’s widow, Courtney Love. 10.AC/DC announce their plans to return with a 2009 stadium tour.

I have to confess that I haven't been to a New Year's Eve party for a long time, but I would be willing to bet that at least a few party-goers will still follow the tradition of singing "Auld Lang Syne" when midnight arrives. I would also guess that most of them will have no idea of the origin of the song, and by that point of the evening they probably won't care. That's why I'm taking it upon myself to furnish a little info in advance. The song actually started life as a poem written by Scottish poet Robert Burns well over two hundred years ago. However, Bobby didn't actually coin the phrase that serves as the title. It had been used much earlier by a number of poets and had even appeared in early folk songs. It literally translates as "old long since", and it means "days gone by" or "long ago". It was also used as a beginning in fairy tales — for example, "days of auld lang syne" would equate to the more familiar "once upon a time". Burns also described his poem as a song to some of his contemporaries, but after all this time opinions vary on what melody was used. Still, the song's use  during holiday celebrations steadily increased through the years, and after more than two centuries has not only spread around the world but has evolved into the familiar version we now know. But it can still be a confusing song. In the movie, When Harry Met Sally, Billy Crystal's character gives voice to those concerns. "I mean, 'should old acquaintance be forgot'? Does that mean that we should forget old acquaintances, or does it mean if we happened to forget them, we should remember them, which is not possible because we already forgot?" One of my favorite versions of the song doesn't have that problem, since it's an instrumental. During the glory days of the big band era, New Year's Eve dances were a popular attraction. If I had been around in those days I would have loved to have heard Glenn Miller's band playing their swinging version of "Auld Lang Syne." Happy new year to all.

As soon as a promising white, blues-tinged, female soul singer arrives on the scene, it tends to ignite the inevitable comparisons to the likes of the legendary Dusty Springfield, amongst others. That, of course, is a huge legacy for any aspiring young singer to carry around. One of those who, along with Dusty – and Amy Winehouse, for example – has attracted such comparison is Beth Rowley. Does Rowley's album, Little Dreamer, live up to these weighty claims? Beth was born in 1981 to British missionary parents who were, at that time, living in Lima, Peru. Her father inspired her by playing guitar along with his collection of Woody Guthrie vinyl. On their return to England she spent most of her childhood in Bristol. She later studied at Brighton’s Institute of Modern Music before beginning to get active on the local gigging scene. As a teenager she provided backing vocals for Ronan Keating. Earlier this year she wrote and recorded a song for the film The Edge Of Love, starring Keira Knightley. Her forthcoming studio album was eagerly anticipated, and in October 2008 Little Dreamer appeared. The album is beautifully lo-fi, radiating a warm glow of late night atmosphere amid some softly seductive vintage performances. There is a nicely honed balance of soul, pop, and blues, alongside touches of jazz. For one brought up in the way that she was, it is little surprise there are some well delivered gospel songs included in the mix as well. Beth Rowley’s live performances are attracting a good deal of attention. She clearly has a strong stage presence and her voice can light up even the dullest of audiences. In the studio she loses little of those qualities delivering an impressive set of satisfying songs that showcase her remarkable vocal talent. A highlight for me is her version of “Nobody’s Fault But Mine”, which is worth the CD’s price alone. Coolly delivered, it has Beth on simply exquisite form. Also included are high quality covers of Willie Nelson’s “Angels Flying Too Close” and a reggae-based version of Bob Dylan’s “I Shall Be Released”.

Loretta Lynn is one of the few female veteran artists still performing on the circuit. She has announced dates for her shows almost throughout the entire year. The tour gets on the road with a performance in Hilton Head Island, SC on the 16th of January. After that she is going to visit a couple of cities for concerts nearly every month up to November. Loretta is quite the country icon, and was top of the charts in the â€?60s and â€?70s, before she took a hiatus to take care of her ailing husband. She has had a second coming of sorts since her return in 2000. Loretta Lynn Tour Dates 2009 01/16/09 - Hilton Head Island, SC - Shoreline Ballroom 01/17/09 - Silver Springs, FL - Silver Springs Amphitheatre 02/06/09 - Marksville, LA - Mari Center 02/07/09 - Robinsonville, MS - Gold Strike Casino Resort 03/06/09 - Biloxi, MS - IP Casino, Resort & Spa 03/07/09 - Bossier City, LA - Horseshoe Casino & Hotel / Riverdome 03/08/09 - Tulsa, OK - Johnston Theatre 03/20/09 - Jim Thorpe, PA - Penn’s Peak 03/21/09 - Atlantic City, NJ - Harrah’s Casino Hotel 04/18/09 - Chicago, IL - Old Town School Of Folk Music 05/29/09 - Pigeon Forge, TN - Country Tonite Theatre 05/30/09 - Hurricane Mills, TN - Loretta Lynn Ranch 09/26/09 - Hurricane Mills, TN - Loretta Lynn Ranch 10/09/09 - Renfro Valley, KY - Renfro Valley Entertainment Center 10/10/09 - Renfro Valley, KY - Renfro Valley Entertainment Center 10/16/09 - Birmingham, AL - Alys Stephens Centre For Perf. Arts 11/07/09 - Nashville, IN - Little Nashville Opry

With thanks to the late Layne Staley I try not to plan the funeral before the body has died but there's only one Tuesday left in 2008 and there's nothing I'm in a hurry to go out and buy. Three years down the road I may come across a 2008 album I missed and want to amend this list, but for now, for better and worse these are my Top Songs of 2008. The best thing about this list is no song from my Album of the Year appears on it. As odd as that may seem, it underscores my reason for naming it my Album of the Year (we'll get to that discussion soon enough). What follows is a list of the best songs I heard this year. In some cases, they've come from albums I loved and in others they were the best thing on an album that disappointed. I've limited myself to one song per album in order to keep some sort of order here. These songs may not work for you, but they're a few of the ones that got me through. “Consoler of the Lonely” - The Raconteurs, Consolers Of The Lonely: This feels less like a song and more like a collage. Brendan Benson and Jack White trade lines over a start-stop riff with some squalls of Jack's lead guitar racket interspersed. Something this disjointed shouldn't be this catchy, but I'll be damned if it's not. This is a house favorite. “So He Won't Break” - The Black Keys, Attack & Release: The Black Keys shouldn't make all future albums with Danger Mouse, but their work on Attack & Release came off much better than I'd have predicted. DM's sonic touchups reveal these guys are capable of executing their ideas with more than riffs and grit. “So He Won't Break” mixes some alt-pop with the blues and DM's tasty sonic accents. “Birmingham” - The Bittersweets, Goodnight, San Francisco: I live 90 minutes from Birmingham and believe me when I say never imagined anything this lovely and wonderful could spring from there. This is one of Hannah Prater's best vocals and that is saying something. “Short Street” - Dave Carter, Commitment and Change: If I become a jazz fan before I die, Dave Carter's Commitment and Change will have something to do with it. Just as with “Muhammad Ali” on Barrett Martin's The Painted Desert (Martin serves as drummer and producer for this fine quartet), within the first few bars of album opener “Short Street,” I sensed the presence of something special. This composition has such a great feel to it and Carter, Martin, Luis Guerra, and John Rangel maintain that over the course of the entire record. “Somebody's Baby” - Jon Foreman, Winter EP: This might be the single saddest song I've ever heard in my life. This could have easily become maudlin and melodramatic, but the arrangement is spare and Foreman's vocal is warm and genuine. The lyric is bleak, but Foreman's vocal exudes a compassion that is profoundly affecting.

Well, at least now we know what the new My Chemical Romance album won’t sound like. A few months back, when we spoke to MCR bassist Mikey Way about the “Batman” story he was writing for DC Comics, he mentioned that he and his bandmates had begun work in earnest on the follow-up to 2006’s Welcome to the Black Parade, but, while they’re all writing songs, he had no idea what the album would end up sounding like. “So if, say, we wrote some songs that sound like Rick Springfield, a week later they’ve all turned into Children of Bodom songs,” he explained. “I know it’s going to be great — I just don’t know what it’s going to sound like. We’re going to be just as surprised as everyone else, believe me.” And we did. So when we recently caught up with Mikey’s brother, MCR frontman Gerard Way, we asked if the new album was still in such a state of flux. His answer? Yes, but he’s at least got an idea of how he doesn’t want it to turn out. “You know, we’ve made concepts for three albums now, so I think this one — at least from my standpoint — I want to go into it not thinking about a definite story. I said that during Parade, but I still think I had something to work out,” he said. “I think I had to get it out of my system, as far as writing concept records. I had to at least do one more before I stopped doing them. Obviously, they’ll always be cohesive though. The songs need to fit together, that’s what makes a great album.” Way added that rather than focusing on a concept, he and the band are keeping it much simpler this time around — they’re just focusing on writing really killer, really loud rock songs. “The one thing is we’ve never really captured that ‘live’ feeling. We’ve gone for sometimes more polish. We’ve obviously emulated bands like Queen in trying to get that classic, late-’70s glam sound, and we’ve gone for that at times, especially on the last record,” Way explained. “But then, when we’re playing this stuff live, it’s ultimately going to get more aggressive, so I think it’d be interesting to hear what the band sounds like recorded at least somewhat in those parameters of a live set. “And that’s not to say it’ll all be distorted, who knows. I think you record it live viscerally, and the minute you put in the distortion, yeah, it’s going to sound ‘punk,’ ” he continued. “You take it off and I don’t know what it sounds like then. The song we did for ‘Watchmen’ [a cover of Bob Dylan’s ‘Desolation Row’] in a lot of ways is a really good test-run or experiment, at least sonically.” Of course, in keeping with the company line, Way said that there is no definite timetable for when or where My Chem will actually begin recording the new album … in fact, what with Way’s “Umbrella Academy” comic series having recently been green-lit for production and guitarist Frank Iero’s side project Leathermouth taking off, there seems to be even less time to be dedicated to the business of being MCR. “Well, [guitarist] Ray [Toro] is coming out Sunday and … we may even sketch out a whole album together, which is something we used to like to try to do. We’ve had less and less time to sit down and try to do a skeleton of an album,” Way said. “It’s good to start doing that stuff, but once you start doing that you kind of paint yourself into a corner. Like, we finished mixing Black Parade, and then the next day we were on a plane off to Europe doing press. It was literally that quick. So I don’t think we want to go through that again. We don’t want some kind of time limit on us.”

Bill Cosby may be seventy one years of age, but he is still fit enough to tour the countryside. Starting 16th January, the veteran comedian and actor will be on tour for several months, through stand-up performances in different states of the US including Indiana, Michigan, Florida and DC running up to 27th June. He will also hold a solitary show in September at Cerritos, CA. Famous for his role in ‘I Spy’, which later led to his own series ‘The Cosby Show’, Bill has acted in numerous films. He has been given the nickname of ‘America’s Dad’, due to his personality. Bill Cosby Tour Dates 2009 01/16/09 - Elizabeth, IN - Horseshoe Southern Indiana 01/18/09 - Flint, MI - The Whiting 01/24/09 - Washington, DC - Kennedy Center Opera House 02/14/09 - Oakland, CA - Paramount Theatre 02/21/09 - Worcester, MA - The Hanover Theatre For The Performing Arts 02/28/09 - Austin, TX - Bass Concert Hall 03/06/09 - Hamilton, ON - Hamilton Place Theatre 03/13/09 - Houston, TX - Jones Hall For The Performing Arts 03/14/09 - Fort Pierce, FL - Sunrise Theatre 03/21/09 - Omaha, NE - Orpheum Theater 03/28/09 - Denver, CO - Temple Hoyne Buell Theatre 03/29/09 - Durham, NC - Durham Performing Arts Center 04/11/09 - Madison, WI - Overture Center For The Arts 04/25/09 - Wilkes-Barre, PA - F.M. Kirby Center For Perf. Arts 04/26/09 - Englewood, NJ - Bergen Performing Arts Ctr. 05/07/09 - Santa Ynez, CA - Chumash Casino 06/27/09 - Minneapolis, MN - Orchestra Hall 09/27/09 - Cerritos, CA - Cerritos Center For The Perf. Arts

They all came through. Lil’ Wayne, 50 Cent, Nas, Rick Ross, DJ Khaled, Ace Hood, Young Jeezy, the Clipse, Ludacris, LL Cool J, DJ Drama, Joe Budden, Fat Joe, Tha Dogg Pound, Snoop Dogg, Charles Hamilton, B.O.B., T.I., Fabolous, Soulja Boy and even Katt Williams. The best of the best appeared on Mixtape Monday and we have to thank all the artists and all of you who have watched and logged on every week to support us. This was our biggest and best year ever and, in 2009, we promise to only make it even better. Look for some big enhancements and a continuation of the big names. But before we get too far ahead of ourselves, let’s take few minutes to reflect on the dopest segments from your favorite day of the week. You didn’t think we would let 2008 close without us sending major big ups (once again) to the artists who keep this underground circuit we love thriving? OK, no more time to waste, here are our annual Mixtape Monday Awards — and head over to the Newsroom blog to see what more we have to say about our picks! Trumpets, please! Mixtape Act of the Year Shaheem Reid’s Pick: G-Unit Rahman Dukes’ Pick: G-Unit Mixtape DJ of the Year Shaheem Reid: Drama Rahman Dukes: Green Lantern Radio and/or Satellite DJ of the Year Shaheem Reid: Green Lantern Rahman Dukes: Whoo Kid Lyricist of the Year Shaheem Reid: Nas Rahman Dukes: Nas Most Slept-on Album of the Year Shaheem Reid: The Game, L.A.X. Rahman Dukes: Mobb Deep, H.N.I.C. 2 Album of the Year Shaheem Reid: Lil Wayne, Tha Carter III Rahman Dukes: T.I., Paper Trail Concert of the Year Shaheem Reid: Kanye West’s Glow in the Dark Tour (Close second props to the Rock the Bells Jones Beach stop) Rahman Dukes: Atlanta’s Birthday Bash Producer of the Year Shaheem Reid: Kanye West Rahman Dukes: Kanye West Topic of the Year Shaheem Reid: The Auto-Tune takeover Rahman Dukes: Did Jay-Z and Beyoncé get married? Breakthrough DJ of the Year Shaheem Reid: Infamous Rahman Dukes: DJ Scream Breakthrough MC of the Year Shaheem Reid: Shawty Lo Rahman Dukes: Shawty Lo Live Performer of the Year Shaheem Reid: Kanye West (Gotta give a shout to my runner up T.I. His shows had so much energy.) Rahman Dukes: Lil Wayne Internet Superstar Shaheem Reid: Charles Hamilton Rahman Dukes: Consequence Breakthrough Of The Year (Producer) Shaheem Reid: Drumma Boy Rahman Dukes: Don Cannon Craziest Collaboration Shaheem Reid: Jay-Z, T.I., Lil Wayne and Kanye West on “Swagger Like Us” Rahman Dukes: Young Jeezy and Nas on “My President” Check for in ‘09 Shaheem Reid: Obviously, that three-headed monster from the land of Interscope is going to be extremely successful when and if 50 Cent, Eminem and Dr. Dre put out albums. But I’m thinking Jay-Z’s Blueprint 3 will be the album the year. Hov’s rhymes and a lot of Kanye’s beats? That’s guaranteed timeless music. On a more underground level, I’m hoping Joe Budden and the Clipse get more shine. They have been some of the doper MCs in the game for the past few years. I thoroughly enjoyed all of Fabolous’ guest appearances, so I have faith in the upcoming Loso’s Way. Rahman Dukes: I’m still waiting on that classic album from my boy Saigon’s The Greatest Story Never Told. “Believe It” is still an amazing record, and that’s just a taste of what to expect from the album. Of course, keeping it Queens, I can’t wait to see what 50 Cent does. Fif is by far the realest cat doing it in the game. Jay-Z has been on a streak lately with all of the Kanye West-produced tracks, so his album will probably be the best of ‘09. Can’t forget about the Clipse, and hopefully we’ll finally get that Cuban Linx II. Lets go, Rae! Of course, not everyone can win an award, so here’s the best of the rest: Standout Street CDs and Independent Albums of ‘08 50 Cent’s Sincerely Yours, Southside G-Unit’s Return of the Body Snatchers and Elephant in the Sand Lil Wayne and DJ Drama’s Dedication 3 The Clipse’s Road to Till the Casket Drops DJ Khaled’s We Global Prodigy’s H.N.I.C. 2 J. Period’s March 9th Mixtape and Best of Mary J. Blige (Three CD Edition) Notorious B.I.G. and Big L’s Live From Amsterdam Nipsey Hussle’s Bullets Ain’t Got No Name, Vol. I and II Crooked I’s Block Obama I and II We are the best in the business, baby. See you in ‘09!