Boz Scaggs: Memphis

Among postmillennial vocal-jazz developments, near the top of the list is Boz Scaggs’ reemergence as a richly gifted interpreter of standards. Now Scaggs takes a slight detour, physically and stylistically, landing at Memphis’ fabled Royal Studios for a stellar assortment of soul and country covers.

Though Scaggs is rapidly closing in on 70, his distinctive voice, with its trademark nasal twang, remains remarkably strong, showing little if any deterioration since the days of Silk Degrees and Down Two Then Left. The playlist draws almost exclusively from that same era.