Archive for June, 2015

Notable Music Releases Of 2015 (So Far)

Posted in Music with tags , , , , , , , , , on June 18, 2015 by David McInerny

UnknownDeath Cab For Cutie – Kintsugi
A number one position for an album named after the Japanese art of using broken pottery shows nothing is broken for Death Cab. Kintsugi is as melodic and driving as anything the band has created, and puts the group solidly in the “here to stay” status. I first saw the band with my then-middle school daughter. DCFC was headlining with the Psychedelic Furs, and I walked away from the experience even more of a “Furs” Richard Butler fan, but also a new Death Cab acolyte as well. Hearing “The New Year” (Trasatlanticism, 2003) for the first time live in that concert back then created a respect I feel again with songs like “No Room In Frame” from Kintsugi.

 

Unknown-1Anthology – Steve Howe

The guitar wizard from Yes created as much solo work as he did with his legendary progressive rock band. Rhino Records has lovingly compiled a two-disc retrospective with the help of Howe and his son. In addition, Steve has remastered much of the work and included a song-by-song introspection in the liner notes which makes the release a great tribute to the guitarist’s virtuosity which is worth of discovery for any fan of Yes and prog rock in general.

 

UnknownKeith Jarrett – Creation

Even Miles Davis was befuddled at Keith Jarrett’s ability to sit down at a piano in front of a live audience and improvise for two hours, but Jarrett continues to do it as a septuagenerian. Creation was recorded at concerts he played in Europe, Canada and Japan in 2014, and the jazz master shows that he has lost little if any of his impromptu creativity. His famous trio has retired, but one hopes he’ll play solo as long as his fingers continue to move.

 

MK_Tracker_500Mark Knopfler – Tracker

The sound of Dire Straits long behind him, Knopfler has compiled a body of solo work that stands on its own. When I hear him now, I have to remind myself that he is British and isn’t writing from experience as a boy from some Mississippi plantation. Tracker, as with all his solo work, is replete with images of rural, hard working men and woman with haunted pasts they cannot escape, characters from the road that roam the outskirts of dusty towns, and lovers with nothing but themselves from which to draw hope. It’s another in a long line of strong work in which Knopfler is creating his own genre.

 

coverWill Tucker – Worth The Gamble

This young Memphis bluesman has succeeded in transferring his energetic live act to disc, and Worth The Gamble is an apt title for his effort. Already a top draw on Beale Street, this guitarist is on the cusp of breaking out in much the fashion that Samantha Fish has this year, keeping the blues tradition not only alive but fresh. Tucker’s voice is strong and his playing is unapologetically Memphis-based. He is proud of his heritage and would make W.C. Handy proud of Tennessee’s newest and sassiest artist.

 

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2015 Summer Reading

Posted in Books with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on June 2, 2015 by David McInerny

IMG_4803Here it is, June upon us. A month for planting the annuals, mourn the ending of school for the tots, shop for vacation apparel and, most importantly, gather the summer reading list. I’ve just completed mine, and while I always reserve the right to modify my choices based on my mood and evolving interest, it’s good to have a plan, however tentative. Here are my picks in no particular order (and please send me your favorite suggestions).

Picnic in Provence (2015), Elizabeth Bard: On the heels of her bestselling debut, Lunch in Paris, Elizabeth Bard describes a trip to the Provencal town of Cereste. Tales of expatriates falling in love with France just never seem to get old, and Bard again includes detailed recipes of the local dishes she encounters.

The Golden Lion of Granpere (1867), Anthony Trollope: Before television soap operas, there was Trollope. His books were often released chapter by chapter each week in the London newspapers, and Brits couldn’t wait for the weekend to read the latest in unrequited love, Victorian norms betrayed, and feuding families. This novel is set at a British inn and describes the lengths men will go to gain the love of the beautiful Marie.

The Third Option (2000), Vince Flynn: The fourth installment of Flynn’s pissed-off CIA operative, Mitch Rapp. Mitch is bone tired of terrorists, and he always decides to do something about it, official orders or not. This will be a quick two-day, 500 page read.

King John (2015), Stephen Church: Ever wonder what Shakespeare, Robin Hood, the Crusades, the Magna Carta and Richard the Lion-hearted all have in common? In what promises to be a readable history of 12th century England, Stephen Church centers his research on the much-maligned King John and his reign’s impact on historical characters of yore we all know so well, or think we do.

Death of a Dude (1969), Rex Stout: Nero Wolfe, Stout’s corpulent New York detective who solves mysteries without ever leaving his Manhattan brownstone, is forced to do just that, and finds himself in Montana without his gourmet cook and oversized recliner. Wolfe is roughing it, and it’s murder with humor.

The Perfect Meal (2013), John Baxter: Yes, more expatriates in love with France! Baxter survives an expensive but lackluster meal one evening in Paris, and decides to travel the country in search of the ingredients for a perfect French meal. Then he cooks it for his friends!

The Tapestry (2015), Nancy Bilyeau: Set in Henry VIII’s post-Catholic London, the historical novel finds Joanna, a former monastic novice, attempting to live out a quiet life weaving tapestries. When she finds that her best friend has the attention of Henry, who intends to make her the next in a long line of wives, Joanna enters the dangerous world of royal intrigue to try and save her friend.

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