Various Lounge-a-Palooza (Hollywood)

This compilation lives up to its subtitle, "Taking lounge music to its illogical conclusion," by messing with a range of disparate formulae. Steve Lawrence and Eydie Gorme cover Soundgarden's "Black Hole Sun" (now a standard), Ben Folds Five flesh out their live version of the Flaming Lips' "She Don't Use Jelly" with an orchestra and Cassandra Wilson offers her usual acousti-jazz-pop. The vibe shifts freely from campy to creepy (Polly Harvey & Eric Drew Feldman's "Zaz Turned Blue"), but it only serves to accentuate the hits and misses. 7/10 (Chris Yurkiw)

Various Artists El Che Vive! (Last Call/Fusion III)

No chipper cha-chas or sultry sambas on this comp. A tribute to Ernesto "Che" Guevara, modern-day martyr of socialist revolution, this disc arrives on the 30th anniversary of his murder. Heartfelt Latin folk from Europe and South and Central America, the playlist is split between vintage tracks from '67-'69 (three tracks by Cuba's Carlos Puebla, for instance) and recent recordings (Chile's Angel Parra). The package is framed by excerpts from speeches by Che himself. For the diehard Leftist on your list. 8/10 (Rupert Bottenberg)

Various Midnight in the Garden Of Good and Evil: A Johnny Mercer Songbook soundtrack (Malpaso/Warner Bros.)

In his bid to become a film director in the same league as Woody Allen and Robert Altman, Clint Eastwood reminds us that he's just as big a jazz fan as those other guys. He turns the soundtrack of Midnight into a tribute to pop-standard parolier and composer Johnny Mercer, and taps the talent of key singers (Paula Cole, Alison Krauss, Tony Bennett) and players (Joshua Redman, Christian McBride, Charlie Haden) on co-Mercer classics like "Days of Wine and Roses" and "Fools Rush In (Where Angels Fear To Tread)." The kicker: Clint sings one himself! 8/10 (Chris Yurkiw)

D*Note Self-titled (Virgin)

England's '80s rare groove scene is something people in North America never really heard about much, except through the brief glow of acid jazz. But the scene's importance is unquestionable: in London, before house hit around 1987, what most clubbers were dancing to was rare groove: meaning late funk, jazz funk, obscure soul. It shaped the British taste. And jazz-head Matt Winn was there, in seminal Bristol clubs like the Moon Club. And then he raved. And then he found jungle. This magnificent album shows it all: it's not boring "jazzy drum & bass," it's melodic jazz that uses twittering drum & bass, Brit-soul vocals and uplifting bleeps for pep. It's the coolest thing I've heard in a while, because it's jazz, for sure, but a jazz that bows down to a history of DJs and post-disco and not dusty old men blowing aged American brass. A real keeper. 9.5/10 (Mireille Silcott)

Various Big Noise 2 (Hannibal/Fusion III)

This compilation is the second posthumous celebration of the Mambo Inn club nights of South London. Having thrown in the towel on New Year's Eve two years ago, the Mambista Massive was, for a while, evidence of the acid jazz scene taking a righteous detour into the possibilities of world music. Despite the name, Cuban sounds accounted for only a fraction of the tunes that made it to the Mambo Inn turntables. Here we've got ambassadors from Africa (Baaba Maal), South America (Caetano Veloso) and the Islands (the disc closes with Jazz Jamaica duking it out with "Skaravan"). 8.5/10 (Rupert Bottenberg)

New Orleans Klezmer Allstars The Big Kibosh (Shanachie)

The high spirits of klezmer get amplified (and a bit distorted) by the feverish circus vibe of NOKA's home town. Marching orders from top-ranking ska producer Joe Ferry (who's worked with the Skatalites, among others) don't hurt either. Purists will no doubt take issue with the oddball jazz detours on tracks like "The Trio" and "Klip Klop," and the irreverent injection of sorely-needed funkiness. To the casual listener, though, The Big Kibosh will be a wacky, wonderful whirl. 8.5/10 (Rupert Bottenberg)