Jack Johnson

Most of us would be delighted to have been hit with the talent stick in any one of the sports, movie, or music departments — but Jack Johnson was blessed with skills in all three, making him a true renaissance man of 21st century entertainment. The Hawaii-born wunderkind has excelled as a pro surfer, a cinematographer (the documentary Thicker than Water), and — as you'll hear — a singer-songwriter . . . with the most soothing voice in rock. Chill to beauties like "Breakdown" before ambling barefoot to Jack's Next Steps.

While at college, Johnson drew inspiration from one of his heroes in music, Ben Harper; so it was a dream-come-true when, only a short time down the line, Harper guested on Jack's 2001 debut, Brushfire Fairytales. The two performers would strike up a friendship and touring partnership, as heard on a live version of "Please Me Like You Want To", which sits here alongside a selection from Johnson's album tracks and collaborations, plus a couple of iTunes originals.

The music of Jack Johnson sticks in the memory like salt on the skin after a swim in the sea. His lightly crusted voice and languid, bluesy guitar are gritty and organic, befitting his roots as a surfer in Hawaii. The world becomes a mellow, hopeful, unpolluted place when filtered through his signature cuts, like "Sitting, Waiting, Wishing", even though his lyrics may often describe a less than harmonious state of mind. Go on — dip your toes in Jack's ocean.