Tony Bennett, one of America's great voices surrounds himself with other singing superstars, mostly to good effect, in the new album "Duets: An American Classic," an 80th birthday celebration.

It helps that Bennett recorded these duets in person, and that he's worked with some of these folks, such as k.d. lang and Elvis Costello, before. A few of Bennett's partners here, notably Celine Dion and Stevie Wonder, get a bit overemotive (though Wonder's harmonica is a treat on "For Once in My Life"), but Tim McGraw ("Cold, Cold Heart"), James Taylor ("Put On a Happy Face") and George Michael ("How Do You Keep the Music Playing?") are surprising standouts amidst a heady corps that also includes Paul McCartney, Elton John, Bono, Sting, the Dixie Chicks and Barbra Streisand. Nevertheless, the album's best moment is "I Left My Heart in San Francisco," a Bennett solo performance accompanied only by piano.

ARTIST: SCISSOR SISTERS

ALBUM: TA-DAH (Universal Motown)

Although in the United States it sold only a fraction of its hefty sum internationally, the Scissor Sisters' debut danced its way into many pop music lovers' hearts -- and iPods. On "Ta-Dah," the glammed-up gang returns with its unique blend of pop/rock, disco beats and singer Jake Shears' captivating falsetto. You can practically see Shears strutting his stuff on tracks like "Ooh" and lead single "I Don't Feel Like Dancin'," co-written by Elton John. And there's loads of campy fun to be found on "I Can't Decide" and "She's My Man." Despite embracing the styles of decades past (specifically, the piano-driven pop of John and the Bee Gees' disco-riffic ditties), the Sisters still manage to sound unique.

ARTIST: MEDESKI, SCOFIELD, MARTIN & WOOD

ALBUM: OUT LOUDER (Indirecto Records)

Reprising their collaboration on 1998's "A Go Go," Medeski, Martin & Wood are back with jazz guitarist John Scofield for "Out Louder." The mood is funky, and the outcome is nearly as noteworthy as the musicians' previous disc. The MMW groove is improvisation, springing from a keen jazz sensibility and developing into anything from alt-jazz to gospel. Scofield vibes with the MMW ethic in a manner that is often profound, producing major thrills. For some fine jazz funk, cue up "Little Walter Rides Again," "Down the Tube" and "Tootie Ma Is a Big Fine Thing." Also note the absolutely lyrical cover of John Lennon's "Julia," the dissonant groove of "Hanuman" and a tasty rendition of Peter Tosh's "Legalize It." One of the more distinctive jazz discs of the year.

ARTIST: BONNIE "PRINCE" BILLY

ALBUM: THE LETTING GO (Drag City)

Will Oldham's latest album under the guise Bonnie "Prince" Billy finds the singer-songwriter at his lo-fi best, with reflective, at times haunting, songs supplemented by delicate strings and wistful harmonies from Faun Fables singer Dawn McCarthy. The gentle, tender "Love Comes to Me" opens the set with an elegant string arrangement, light guitar strumming and faint percussion. "Cursed Love" ups the tempo and advances the album's sonic depth, while the bluesy "Cold and Wet" strips down to fingerpicked acoustic guitar. McCarthy's gorgeous echo on "I Called You Back" closes the album beautifully, attesting to the power of her lingering vocal presence. Oldham's songwriting is top-notch as usual, his melancholy lyrics in perfect balance with the accompanying music.

ARTIST: ANTHONY DAVID

ALBUM: THE RED CLAY CHRONICLES (Brash Music)

Anthony David traverses the thin line between R&B and soul elegantly and eloquently on his second solo set. Adding more beats to the mix, he tunes up a stronger R&B vibe versus the stripped-down, acoustic soul on his buzz-building 2004 set, "3 Chords and the Truth." Fortifying his efforts is a diverse array of vocalists, many of them from Savannah, Ga., native David's adopted hometown of Atlanta: PJ Morton, Tori Alamaze, Laurnea, Kiesha Jackson and India.Arie. Jazz guitarist Earl Klugh brings a special touch to a remix of one of the set's midtempo charmers, "Smoke One." Whether channeling Bill Withers on the love ballad "Words" (featuring India.Arie) or socially conscious singer/rapper Gil Scott-Heron on the gentrification-themed title track, David ultimately hooks you with his top-notch storytelling.

ARTIST: TEDDYBEARS

ALBUM: SOFT MACHINE (Big Beat/Atlantic Records)

Every track on Teddybears' major-label debut is A) good and B) perfect to hype a product. It should come as no surprise, then, that Teddybears leaders Joakim and Klas Ahlund also wrote and produced the Caesars' "Jerk It Out" (the foundation of the successful iPod campaign) and work for a TV production house in their native Sweden that counts McDonald's as a client. "Soft Machine" is just as smart and catchy as "Jerk," combining Jamaican MC-ing ("Cobrastyle," already in Heineken and Tab ads) with jangly pop guitars ("Yours to Keep"), post-punk ramblings (by Iggy Pop himself on "Punkrocker"), Art of Noise-ish atmospherics ("Magic Kraut," "Alma") and -- most impressive -- commercial savvy with genuine musicality. Forget Ace of Base. Teddybears might be the best Swedish export since ABBA.