As you might expect, the mark of *69 is all over the various artists Divas To the Dancefloor (*69) compilation, from the spoken segments to the distinctive beats. When vocalist Lola Robinson declares “I am the diva. You’d better roll out the red carpet, ‘cause here I come,” on the opening track, “Heart Attack” by Jahkey B., you know you are on Peter Rauhoffer’s terrain. Listeners are invited to get lost in Presta & Stakey’s “Find Myself” and many will inevitably find themselves clinging to Andrea Martin’s full-throttle diva vocals on Industry’s “Release Me”. Some of the vocalists get the chance to raise the roof, diva style, on tracks such as Sessomatto’s “I Need Somebody”, Beat Hustlerz’s “Just About Had Enough” (featuring the fierce Thea Austin), Suzanne Palmer’s “Luv 2 Luv”, and “Rhythm Of My Life” by Tush. The compilation also has its share of deviations from the norm, including the alluring “I Try” by Made By Monkeys, “Haru” by Haru, and Bob Sinclair’s “Kiss My Eyes”, which was co-written by new-wave diva Lene Lovich.

Divas with mighty, gospel-choir soloist voices have reigned in dance clubs for many years, and Stephanie Cooke is no exception. Everything (King Street) is the right title for Cooke’s 11-track disc, as it compiles a variety of her dance tracks from 1996 through 2003. In “Rain” and “Mind, Body & Soul”, she makes it clear that she’s singing to her Lord, but the atheists and those with other religious affiliations among us on the dance floor can still be moved by less specific, but equally-slamming cuts such as the title track, “Power Of Love”, and “I Thank You”. Talk about the passion for the Christ! Cooke also deftly explores more secular themes on “Alright”, “Holding On To Your Love”, “I Never Told You You Could Stay” and “If I Have to Change”.

I’m sure I won’t be the first person to call producer and remixer Charles Feelgood (aka Charles Fields) “Dr. Feelgood”, but suffice to say that with his CD House Music (Topaz), on which he wrote or co-wrote 10 of the 12 tracks and had a hand in the production of all, he makes a much needed “house call”. Proving that good house music extends beyond the borders of its Chicago birthplace, the Baltimore/D.C.-area DJ and producer sets the tone with opening statement “I Feelgood” and the rest is house history. The Latin-tinged “On That Tip”, by Timbalero, is a spicy and sassy cut followed by the high-flying vintage disco beat of 707’s “Altitude”. “Detroit Girl” is an infectious urban dance track with a vocal break by Meshell that recalls Ya Kid K’s Technotronic rants. The wordless vocals of Funkariffic’s “Mardi Gras” give it a retro feel that refers to the ‘60s. However, it is on more straightforward house rockers such as D-Licious’s “Charm City Hustle”, Society Noise’s “Yeah Yeah”, Funky Experience’s “B-More Bump” and “Dial 611” by NR-G Out, that Feelgood lives up to his chosen moniker.

Here’s a concept we could do with more of: a “live deep house” band. Vocalist and drummer Christian Urich, who does a pretty fly Stevie Wonder for a white guy, is joined by Ethan White (keyboards) and Jason Kriveloff (bass), to create a seductive and soulful sound that inspires dancing with abandon in Introducing Tortured Soul (Purpose). “I Might Do Something Wrong” sounds like an outtake from one of the aforementioned Wonder’s late 1970s recording sessions. On “How’s Your Life” they nearly tear the roof off the house, while it’s hard not to fall in love with the warm soul harmonies and hot keyboards of “Fall In Love”. The disc’s aptly named centerpiece, “Epic”, takes the listener on an odyssey through ‘70s jazz fusion to early live disco all in less than 10 minutes. The enjoyable “Enjoy It Now” made me think of line dances and polyester shirts open to the third or fourth button and the timeless “Love Everlasting” once again calls on the influence of jazz fusion and vintage disco dance steps.

From Apollo 100’s “Joy” to Walter Murphy’s “A Fifth of Beethoven” in the 1970s to the dreaded series of Hooked On Classics albums in the 1980s, attempts to update and disco-fy classical music are nothing new. Even Benny Goodman, Glenn Miller and Xavier Cugat, to mention a few, put their distinctive touches on the classics. The dozen re-workings of compositions by Beethoven, Puccini, Bach, Ravel, Dvorak, Tchaikovsky, Schubert and others on Masterworks Remixed (Groove Gravy) range from chill-out to full-fledged dance-floor workouts that are surprisingly accessible. Zigo makes a tangerine dream out of Bach’s “Overture No. 3”, as Beethoven’s “Moonlight Sonata” is given a subtle Middle Eastern flavor by Dakesh York. Two B joins The Tao Of Groove for a hip-hop reading of Puccini’s “Nessun Dorma” and compositions that naturally lend themselves to beat enhancements, such as Ravel’s “Bolero” and Rimsky Korsakov’s “Flight Of The Bumblebee”, are so adorned by Jazzelicious and J-Radical, respectively. Tchaikovsky’s “Swan Lake: Waltz” takes flight in Rithma’s hands and a Spanish guitar and a slamming beat box go toe to toe in Tangarine D’Or’s remix of Rodrigo’s “Concierto De Aranjuez”. Purists everywhere will probably be shaking their heads, while club-goers shake their asses to Le D’s reworking of Schubert’s “Piano Mass No. 6: Kyrie”.

A selection of contemporary classics get the remix treatment on the odd, but interesting Pink Panther’s Penthouse Party (Virgin) compilation. Both the late composer Henry Mancini and the Pink Panther are celebrating milestones this year. Mancini would have turned 80 in June and the Blake Edwards movie turns 40. Mancini and the animated pink pussycat are the common denominators here with the movie theme song undergoing three remixes at the hands of Fischerspooner, St. Germain and Malibu. “Shot In The Dark/Peter Gunn”, two more of Mancini’s theme songs are given the mash-up treatment by Chris Mancini (his son) and Lennart Maven. Other remixes of familiar tracks include Gabin’s edit of Peggy Lee’s “Fever”, Titan’s cover of Carole King’s “Corazon”, and Pizzicato Five’s distinctive reading of “The Girl From Ipanema”. Other space-age bachelor pad tracks that round out this compilation include “Voulez Vous? ”, by Arling & Cameron, “Summer Sun” by Koop, “Bossa Per Due” by Nicola Conte and “Tres Tres Chic” by Mocean Worker.