Obama, artists combine for an inaugural keepsake

A historic CD/DVD package inspired by the nation's new CEO tops our inaugural parade of 2009 music releases.

BEATS A SET OF DISHES: Forget the commemorative presidential coins and plates now being hawked on TV. Mark this day with "Change Is Now: Renewing America's Promise" (A-), a CD/DVD package produced by Hidden Beach Records for the 2009 Presidential Inauguration Committee.

Like HB's prior release, "Yes We Can: Voices of a Grassroots Movement," the CD bursts with stars and uplift music, tunes new and old inspired by the candidacy and themes of Barack Obama. Blended in are soundbites from Prez 44's most memorable speeches.

But wait, there's more! A separate DVD has more than three hours of complete Obama speeches, including his "Announcement for President" (Feb. 10, 2007) and his most cited and historic speech on race relations, "A More Perfect Union," delivered right here at the National Constitution Center on March 18.

While there's some artist overlap, there's no duplication of the material featured at Sunday's outdoor "We Are One" concert on the Lincoln Memorial (also produced by the Presidential Inauguration Committee).

By my book, the set is worth having just for Stevie Wonder's hook-happy, harmonica-fired new salute, "All About the Love Again," the most uplifting piece of songcraft he's delivered since that "Happy Birthday" homage to Nelson Mandela.

Pointing to the diversity of Obama's fanbase are tracks from will.i.am ("It's a New Day") the Tony Rich Project, James Taylor, Usher, Jennifer Hudson, Lionel Richie, Wilco, Ozomatli, India.Arie, Melissa Etheridge, Death Cab for Cutie and Common.

Order at www.hiddenbech.com, www.pic2009 or www.timelife.com; in stores later this year.

BRUCE ALERT: Another participant in Sunday's Obama party, Bruce Springsteen, has been so energized by the election that he's whipped up an album of tunes with a very positive vibe.

"Working on a Dream" hits stores Tuesday. But it's yours to stream for free at www. NPR.org/music for the next seven days.

JAZZ TITAN: Four days after the inauguration, Philadelphia's great saxophonist, composer and band leader Benny Golson will be honored at the Kennedy Center in Washington on his 80th birthday.

Start blowing out the candles now with the release of Golson's "New Time, New 'Tet" (Concord, A). This sophisticated set revives his most distinguished "jazztet" formation - boasting a three-horn front line of Golson on sax, Eddie Henderson on trumpet and Steve Davis on trombone - and Golson's most sublime musical approach. That is, intertwining post-bop jazz and classical impulses in a taut, boldly lyrical fashion.

Also fresh out today is "The Best of Benny Golson," (Concord, A ) including the likes of "Killer Joe" and "Along Came Betty," though not his equally noteworthy "I Remember Clifford" or any of the great themes he wrote for movies and TV shows like "M*A*S*H."

MORE COMMEMORATIONS: The legendary Blue Note jazz label is marking the occasion of its 70th anniversary with the release of "Mosaic: A Celebration of Blue Note Records" (B+). Catalog perennials get punched up for today's ears by pianist Bill Charlap, trumpeter Nicholas Payton, tenor sax man Ravi Coltrane, alt-sax and flutist Steve Wilson, guitarist Peter Bernstein, bassist Peter Washington and drummer Lewis Nash.

Billed the Blue Note 7, the same crew plays the Kimmel Center on April 3.

San Paulo-born keyboardist and singer Eliane Elias honors the 50th anniversary of Brazil's most popular musical export with the "Bossa Nova Stories" (Blue Note, A-).

Featuring small ensembles and lush, string-driven orchestrations, Elias blends signature tracks with tunes she's always heard in a bossa nova context.

HOT, HOT, HOT: Decadent dance-pop and glam-rock flavors congeal on the incendiary Fires of Rome album "Hours" (The Hours, B+). It you like vintage Bowie, T-Rex and Chic, let 'em light your fire.

Alternating disco-rock and folky pop styles makes for a strange marriage in "The Black Ghosts" (Universal Republic, C+) from the British duo of the same name. The success of the track "Full Moon" on the No. 1 soundtrack to the teen romance vampire flick "Twilight" has forced the U.S. reissue of this set, which ain't really as wicked as they'd like you to think.

FOLKY EXOTICA: Given Christopher Guest's involvement in musical parody - the mockumentaries "A Mighty Wind" and "Spinal Tap" - it was natural to expect more twisted business in his new project with David Nichtern and CJ Vanston as "The Beyman Brothers" (Dharma Moon, A-).

In fact, they've conjured up a haunting, glowing set of pastoral, new-age-flavored instrumentals.

On their self-titled "Fiction Family" (ATO, B), the new collaboration of Switchfoot's Jon Foreman and Nickel Creek's Sean Watkins blends chipper pop-rock tunes and vocalizing with minimalist, folk-rooted arrangements.

Early last year, Damien Rice got tired of vocal sidekick Lisa Hannigan stealing his thunder and gave her the boot. But this Irish lass has retorted with a solo debut called "Sea Sew" (ATO, B+) that's just peachy.

Curious story songs float on a bed of violin and cello, glockenspiel and muted trumpet. Yum.

West African singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Rokia Traore sings softly and sensuously in multiple languages on her exotic, experimental "Tchamantche" (Nonesuch, B+). It's as if she packed up the village and transplanted it to Paris.

Thaw out with two steamy New Orleans bands, as BeauSoleil reels and rocks in purist zydeco fashion on "Alligator Purse" (Yep Roc, B) and the Subdudes serve up their balmy, bluesy acoustic swamp stuff "Live at the Rams Head" (Biographica, B+), a double-CD version of a show previously released on DVD. *