Free Album Streaming: Kate Bush, Slash, & Betty Wright; John Lennon Tribute Concert; & More

Slash's new live album features Myles Kennedy (also seen in "Back from Cali," above).

There aren't a lot of big names among the musicians with free album streaming this week, but a couple of the well-known artists that are available for listening are returning to the stores after long waits.

Kate Bush, the eclectic British singer with the amazing vocal range, is back with her first album of all-new material since 2005. And longtime soul singer, producer, and vocal coach Betty Wright returns with her first album in 10 years, and she's backed by today's go-to house band, The Roots. (Hear an NPR interview with Betty Wright from Nov. 13th here.)

Unlike those two singers, Guns 'n Roses guitarist Slash hasn't been absent from the recording scene for a long time; he debut self-titled album came out just last year. But he has come out with his first live solo album, and it features a few familiar tunes from his old band along with originals.

There's a notable compilation out this month, too. 2011 marks the 30th anniversary of John Lennon's death, and a new live album captures the 30th annual concert held in his memory. You'll hear Lennon tunes performed by artists including Alejandro Escovedo, Patti Smith, Bettye LaVette, Aimee Mann, Shelby Lynne, Martin Sexton, Joan Osborne, and many more.

And for Frank Sinatra fans, there's "Sinatra: Best of the Best," said to be the first-ever collection from The Voice that combines hits from his Reprise and Capitol releases, from 1953 to 1980.

KCRW Album Preview: 
"50 Words For Snow" by Kate Bush (streaming through Nov. 22)
(Also streaming at NPR Music)

AOL Music Listening Party: 
"Made in Stoke 24/7/11" by Slash
"30th Annual John Lennon Tribute" by Various Artists
"Betty Wright: The Movie" by Betty Wright and the Roots
"Best of the Best" by Frank Sinatra

AOL Music also has a number of albums that sound interesting by artists I'm not familiar with: "Circus Girl" by Sherrie Austin; "18 and Alive" by Chelsea Lee; "The Gilded Cage" by Electric Sun; and "Pretty Old Soul" by Lizzie Huffman.

In addition, Spinner features a number of albums this week that I'm looking forward to hearing, even though I don't know the artists. Among them: "Freeclouds" by Carter Tanton; "Prosopopoeia" by The Color Bars; "All Your Heroes Become Villains" by Ed Hale and the Transcendence; "Breaking Hearts" by Rah Rah; and "Will Work for Free" by Toy Bombs.

"LennoNYC," Film on John Lennon in New York, Premieres Tonight on PBS

"LennoNYC," the documentary about John Lennon's life in New York that I wrote about last month, finally gets its premiere on PBS TV tonight. It will air at 9 p.m. in New York.

You can learn more about "LennoNYC" and see a video preview at its page at the PBS website. The movie has gotten very positive notices from a number of reviewers, including the New York Post.

"LennoNYC" features concert footage and home movies of Lennon that have never been seen before, audio outtakes from the recording sessions for the album "Double Fantasy," exclusive interviews with Yoko Ono, and much more.

For John Lennon's 70th Birthday, Concerts, Album Releases, and More

Watch the full episode. See more American Masters.

Above: A free screening of the film "LENNONYC" will be held in Central Park this Saturday, which would have been John Lennon's 70th birthday.

John Lennon would have turned 70 years old on Oct. 9th, and there's no shortage of events coming up to celebrate his birthday (some of which have already taken place). Among them:

* Yoko Ono and her "We Are Plastic Ono Band" held two Lennon tribute concerts in Los Angeles this past weekend. Spin magazine said, "the 77-year-old nodded to her own history, engaged in ear-splitting excursions into the avant-garde and brought the house down with duets with Iggy Pop (the first night) and Lady Gaga (the second)." You'll find more about the concerts, and photos, in their article (link above).

* Remastered versions of Lennon's solo albums were released Oct. 5th, as was a "Signature Box," an 11-CD set that includes all of his solo albums plus two CDs of rarities and a commemorative book.

* The film "LENNONYC," which looks at the musician's years in New York, in the 1970s, will be screened at Central Park Summerstage on Saturday at 7 p.m. (doors open 6 p.m.) PBS will air the movie on Nov. 22nd.

* Another movie, "Nowhere Boy," focusing on Lennon's early life in Liverpool, will be released on Oct. 8th.

* The 30th annual John Lennon Tribute concert will be held Friday, Nov. 12th at the Beacon Theatre. This year's lineup features heavy hitters such as Jackson Browne, Patti Smith, Cyndi Lauper, Aimee Mann, Keb' Mo', Joan Osborne, Martin Sexton, Shelby Lynne, Taj Mahal, Meshell Ndegeocello, Alejandro Escovedo, The Kennedys, Rich Pagano of the Fab Faux, and more.

* If you've got the money to shell out for a good cause, City Winery is having a John Lennon 70th birthday party on Saturday, Oct. 9th featuring Kimya Dawson, Anais Mitchell Freedy Johnston, Jesse Malin, The Chapin Sisters, Lisa Bouchelle, The Kennedys, and Tony Scherr. Tickets are $95 and benefit two charities that provide food for the poor.

And what will Yoko Ono be doing on Lennon's birthday? Reportedly she'll be in Iceland, where she will light what's called the Imagine Peace Tower memorial situated on an island near Reykjavik.