Here are some of my favorite artists:

Afro Celt Sound System: A fantastic blend of Celtic, African, and techno music.

The Alan Parsons project: Their album I Robot is one of my favorites.

Alison Krauss and Union Station: My favorite bluegrass group. What a voice this woman has! And the musicianship all around is incredible.

Andreas Vollenweider: A great harp player, and wonderful live.

Battlefield Band: Fabulous contemporary celtic music.

The Beatles: The greatest and most influential band of the rock era. I can't believe how many great songs they wrote.

Beck: The ultimate un-rock star rock star. Hilarious, a studio genius, yet also amazing live.

Billy Mann: A soulful singer, amazing guitarist, and great songwriter.

Bonnie Raitt: What a voice, what a great slide guitar player.

Brother: Celtic rock from Australia - what could be better than bagpipes with a pounding drum kit?

Bruce Hornsby: An amazing piano player and songwriter. His jams are amazing. I can't believe that many ideas can flow out of one person.

Bruce Springsteen: The early years were outstanding.

Buddy Rich: One of the greatest drummers of all time.

Capercaillie: Favorite world music Celtic band of all time.

Dada: One of the best pop bands on the planet. Well produced, good songwriting, great crunchy guitar sound, and great vocals.

Dave Weckl: One of my favorite drummers to see live. Never runs out of ideas.

Del McCoury Band: The best of traditional bluegrass. The classic "high lonesome sound".

Dennis Chambers: My favorite drummer. Versatile, energetic, precise, funky, and with the best technique I have ever witnessed.

Duncan Shiek: A fabulous voice and writes amazing songs. NOTE: Web site is full of useless flash crap-o-la. Good luck finding any info there.

Eileen Ivers: An amazing contemporary fiddle player with a world beat sensibility.

Elton John: Elton is one of my all time favorites. I love his voice, his songwriting (with a strong emphasis in his work in the 70s). He is a great pianist, totally entertaining live, and a fascinating person to boot.

Evelyn Glennie: One of the few solo percussionists in the world. Insanely good at what she does, creative, amazingly fast on the marimba. Very captivating.

Frank Zappa: My fave Zappa album is One Size Fits All.

Genesis: The Peter Gabriel years and early Phil Collins years are the best of progressive rock.

Grateful Dead: Jerry, Mr. Happy Guitar, I still miss you so much.

Indigo Girls: Great songwriters, and all around fabulous people. Their live shows rock!

James Taylor: A great songwriter, guitar player, and singer all rolled into one.

Jean-Luc Ponty: He's a great soloist and always works with the best musicians.

John McLaughlin: Incredible jazz guitarist with amazing chops and musicality.

k.d. lang: A powerful voice and very interesting person.

Keb' Mo': He cuts right to the heart of things with his voice and presence. He's very entertaining live and really interacts with the audience.

King Crimson: The classic years include Bill Bruford on drums and John Wetton on bass. Trippy, edgy progressive sounds and Frippertronics combined.

King Sunny Ade: Infectious rhythm and happy guitar make for a great combination. His live shows are not to be missed - 2 guys on talking drums!

Led Zeppelin: The definitive heavy metal band. John Bonham's bass drum sound is what heavy metal is all about.

Lúnasa: A dazzling array of contemporary Celtic sounds.

Mike Oldfield: If I could only have one album on a desert island it would be Mike Oldfield's Tubular Bells II. Simply brilliant.

Ozric Tentacles: Hypnotic, trippy, instrumental, psychedelic swirl of sounds. Their albums always have a great drum mix.

Peter Gabriel: His solo work, especially his 1986 album So and beyond, is outstanding. He has a great voice and writes great pop tunes with a world beat edge.

Phish: The best live band, damn good in the studio. Virtuoso musicians with an ecclectic taste in music. The Phab Phour!

The Police: Stewart Copeland fused reggae and rock and made me love splash cymbals.

Shawn Colvin: One of the best voices I've ever heard, and she can write amazing tunes.

Solas: The best of contemporary Celtic music.

The Who: They encapsulate what the energy of rock and roll is all about.

Yes: Close To the Edge is one of the most brilliant albums I've ever heard.

Youssou N'Dour: My favorite singer ever. A soaring beautiful voice, and his music is rhythmic and soulful.