It started off as a twinkle in my eye last year. And, like giving birth, nine months later, the Women’s Music Summit came to life. And what a crazy cool music making extravaganza it was! Housed at Full Moon Resort in the Catskill Mountains in Big Indian, New York, the event kicked off with a cocktail party and open-mic night that offered all of the ladies attending a chance to share their talents.

This silky voiced ingénue isn’t afraid to get a little raw, and that’s what I like about her. La Havas deftly interweaves soulful, jazzy pop-friendly vocal melodies with jagged instrumental phrasing with a result that is extremely listenable and fresh. Yes, I need to hear it all again!

Look at that Fender Strat in your hands. Did you ever think about how many hands touched it before it landed in your capable grip? To be honest, I didn’t -- until I made a visit to Fender's factory in Ensenada, Mexico, to help celebrate the facility’s 25th anniversary. Our stay included a tour of the production facilities.

In case you don’t know, NAMM is the trade show for music gear, and the summer show is the little brother of the massive winter NAMM that takes place in Anaheim, California. But what summer NAMM lacks in size, it makes up for in quality. And let me tell you, there is some serious talent in Nashville, Tennessee. Woo hoo!