genius loves company

This is what I have in my CD player right now.

My wife surprised me and brought this home from the store the other day.

I haven't always been a Ray Charles fan, I guess the older I get the more I appreciate the genius of his music. He was a barrier breaker. Pop music, Soul, Blues, Country....you name it, he's sung it. If you would like to experience something gut-wrenchingly beautiful go to his official website, http://www.raycharles.com, and click on the America the Beautiful link. Ray singing in his raspy baritone one of the most emotional renditions of America the Beautiful with images of 9/11 playing in the background. It's beautiful!

The album pictured above was his final project. It is a compilation of duets with some amazing artists. My favorites have to be the songs with the ladies. Ray and Norah sing "Here We Go Again" on track 1 and you immediately find yourself bawling. Track 3 brings Diana Krall's sultry sound and Ray's soulful cry together in a wry and simple rendition of "You Don't Know Me." I am not much of a Natalie Cole fan but she and Ray do a playful version of "Fever" that makes you tap your toes. "Do I Ever Cross Your Mind?" with Bonnie Raitt is understated and especially bluesy. How could it not be with these two greats of blues music?

Anyway.....such a great album. It makes me want to mellow out with a beer and a cigar and just listen.

Just listen.

Good books like old friends

Recently I have been reading some old friends.

Books that were, up until now, "required reading" for a grade in a class.

At the beginning of the summer I picked up To Kill A Mockingbird, and plowed through it like a People Magazine! It was enjoyable to read something that I once thought was tedious!

Just a few days ago my wife brought me home a hardcover edition of The Catcher in the Rye. What an awesome novel! I wish Mr. Salinger no harm, but his 85 year old butt better release the movie rights before he croaks or his estate never will!
I don't know what got into me.....but I do find it strange that the notoriously reclusive Salinger has said that he won't release the rights to Catcher.

Anyhow......a new friend is You Shall Know Our Velocity! by Dave Eggers. I love his style of writing and he pulls you into the action from the very first page. For those of you who haven't read it, I encourage you to go to your local bookstore and get it.....along with some classics that you swore under your breath that you would never read again.

Why do I feel like a The more you know......segment on NBC?

Read little Johnny and sweet Susie......or else you'll be picking up trash on the side of the road for the rest of your life!

Education, it's more than school. It's an adventure! (du dum da daaaa)