Photo: Al Pereira/WireImage.com

Patty Griffin, Children Running Through (ATO, 2007): "She takes the wind out of me and just turns me into a pair of ears. I don't think there's a better singer-songwriter in the world. Patty is the wizard of making you remember how many times your heart's been broken." 
Download This: "Heavenly Day"

M.I.A., Kala (Interscope, 2007): "Good god, have you heard her? Everything about this album is so brand-new. It's like nursery rhymes, the Beatles' 'Helter Skelter,' and jungle drums all mashing together. You have to jump up and catch it—she's not spoon-feeding you at all." 
Download This: "Boyz"

Chick Corea & Béla Fleck, The Enchantment (Concord, 2007): "Who would have thought of making a record of jazz banjo and piano? When I heard it, I thought, "These guys are like brothers from different mothers." Their sensibilities are perfectly intertwined." 
Download This: "Brazil"

Nina Simone, Ne Me Quitte Pas (Universal Music France, 1954): "She's thrilled me for as long as I can remember. The vulnerability in her voice is so apparent. You almost want to tell her to be quiet—someone might be listening."
Download This: "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood"


More celebrity playlists:

Jill Scott

Harry Connick Jr.

Danny Elfman