Rickie L Jones

as the cover art indicates - this is a melancholy and purposeful glimpse into a life - a day in this instance - well loved. And ending. the general tone is political, a new direction for the usually ethereal and emotional direction of Ms. Jones work. Bill Frisell shines up the old chrome and with his jazzy influence songs like Ugly Man become less revolution and more evolution. It's great music. less interesting to me, but more interesting to the layman are the upbeat Tell Somebody (repeal the Patriot Act) and Little Mysteries. The latter sounds not quite finished. But whatever critique or criticism, the artist is in a category above most of the rest. Her work propelled the singer songwriter genre in the 80's, and her perfection, when she gets it, is soul inspiring. A Tree on Allenford, the napping and modest arrangement is heart wrenching even if you never listened to the lyric about a dead child whose parent leaves flowers by a tree. Sal Bernardi's double double reed (two harmonicas played at once) cello and english horn (or oboe Im not sure) make this a babe in the reeds, a treasure to be discovered. The resounding chorus, every bit as regal as any John Lennon xmas song, leaves me wondering - why doesn't everyone know - and celebrate - this womans music?

One of the first history books told like with a mind to story telling as well as fact providing. Ms Tushman was a warm storyteller whose humanity was evident in every sentence she wrote. I was totally captivated by her book, her history, her character De Coucy - who impressed me so deeply I made a special trek to his castle in France. She used people to tell the story of events of this marvelous century when history - massive battles in local fields, kings and queens living in exile crusades to distant lands and pandemics rendered society moot. The first printing press made the written word - knowledge - no longer the sole domaine of a very few. was every day. It was indeed a distant mirror and this book is solely responsible for making me a history buff. Great art - paintings from the time makes the details come alive .