A half-dozen cool things in music, from two points of view:

Jesse Arias of Minneapolis:

1 "The Greatest Night in Pop," Netflix. A look back at some of America's greatest artists and music professionals. They gathered to create a song that would resonate forever: "We Are the World." Talk about networking. Watch some of the '80s top artists and music professionals pull this off. Watch a group of men and women creatively pull together and give their best.

2 The Grammy Awards. They did not disappoint. A walk down the red carpet is always about fashion. Both men and women look good and feel good about themselves. The best host is Trevor Noah. Tracy Chapman and Luke Combs gave a phenomenal performance of "Fast Car." Miley Cyrus is a rock star. Dreams do come true in America.

3 Juice Lord. Reviewing his 2023 highlights on X (@PoetryIsReality), the St. Paul MC talks about selling out First Avenue and touring with Prof. Juice Lord and his team are creating music on a level with Jay-Z in his early days. A catalog playlist: "Brown Sugar," "Loved Ones," "Don't Be Stupid," Spread Luv," "Blessed Up," "See It Thru."

Jon Bream, Star Tribune critic:

1 Jovonta Patton, First Avenue. When there were technical difficulties in the first number, the Minneapolis gospel singer called his wife, Symone, to the stage and she delivered such breathless, fiery testifying that her voice grew raspy. That set the stage for nearly two hours of glorious testifying as the fireball of passion that is pastor/singer Patton — supported by eight musicians, 10 singers and 11 dancers — brought church to First Ave on a Friday night. Amen!

2 "The Next Scene: Can the music industry survive the AI revolution?" New Yorker. Writer John Seabrook offers an in-depth profile of Universal Music Group CEO Lucian Grainge, a poohbah of the recording industry, to ultimately address what to do about AI. A daring and innovative leader with no imminent answer, Grainge urges: "We have to be ready. Let's not be afraid. Let's just be prepared."

3 Joshua Redman, the Dakota. The veteran saxophonist took listeners on a delightfully jazzy journey to toe-tapping "That's New England," an understated but ultimately funky "Do You Know What It Means to Miss New Orleans," a hushed "Hotel California," a haunting "After Minneapolis" and a swingin' "Rhode Island Is Famous for You" featuring promising young vocalist Gabrielle Cavassa.

To contribute: popmusic@startribune.com