Perhaps the best album of the year, Scar is definitely the most interesting story. Veteran Alt/ country fixture Joe Henry has sought to change his tune and for his latest he somehow managed to coax Ornette Coleman (the greatest living jazz saxophonist) to provide the ornamentation. Scar is a timeless treasure that delights in the same surprising way that Shelby Lynne did last year with her Grammy winning revelation.

What if 25 years ago Frank Sinatra recorded an album of Tom Waits songs and used the worlds finest jazz players to make a pop album. This is what Henry has simulated. His plaintive bluesy jazz tales of pained-loved, resonate with a voice that intersects directly between Nick Cave and Leon Russell.

Henry has been happily married to Madonna's sister, Melanie Ciccone, for several years and the couple have two children. In fact Madonna's second single from her latest Music, "Don't Tell Me" is her version of Henry's song "Stop." Most compelling is the album's tip of the hat to Richard Pryor. The opening track is entitled "Richard Pryor Addresses A Tearful Nation," and both Henry and Coleman expressed their desire to dedicate the album as a tribute to the funniest and most misunderstood man who ever lived. Coleman's breathy bee-bop solos decorate many of these amazingly accessible tunes as does the piano stylings of the brilliant Brad Mehldau.

Unless you're preference is to bang your head, this is the perfect album for any occasion. A stunning introduction or refresher course into the world of Pop/Jazz.