Peter Wolf is the vocalist and composer for the J. Geils Band. The J. Geils Band had their heyday in the 1970s and 1980s. But Peter Wolf continued writing songs and releasing solo albums. The just released A Cure for Loneliness on Concord Records is one of Wolf’s best albums. I liked the blend of styles and the variety of songs. Ever wonder what that old J. Geils Band hit “Love Stinks” sounds like in a bluegrass version? It’s here. And Wolf covers the old Fifties hit, “Tragedy,” with the right amount of emotion. My favorite songs on this CD are “Peace of Mind” and the song that was supposed to be a duet with Bobby Womack, “It’s Raining.” Womack died before the recording session so Wolf dedicates the song to Bobby and sings it solo. If you’re in the mood for an eclectic, entertaining album, you’ve come to the right place with A Cure for Loneliness. Take a listen below. GRADE: B+
TRACK LIST:
1. Rolling On
2. It Was Always So Easy (To Find an Unhappy Woman)
3. Peace of Mind
4. How Do You Know
5. Fun for Awhile
6. Wastin’ Time
7. Some Other Time, Some Other Place
8. It’s Raining
9. Love Stinks
10. Mr. Mistake
11. Tragedy
12. Stranger

Mark Twain’s Life on the Mississippi is the Wall Street Journal Book Club choice for April. I hadn’t read Life on the Mississippi before but I had a copy on my shelves for years so I figured I’d read it now. The big attraction of the book is the process Mark Twain goes through to become a pilot of a riverboat. Twain has to learn 1,200 miles of river in order to maneuver his steamboat to its destination. And, then Twain has to learn another 1,200 miles of river to get back to the beginning! Life on the river back in the 1860s is wild and varied. Sadly, by the end of the Civil War, the economy of the Mississippi completely changed and Twain had to find a new profession. You can read more about Life on the Mississippi here. This is the first non-fiction book the Wall Street Journal Book Club picked for its readers. I enjoyed it. Do you have a favorite Mark Twain book?

Edward Gorey provided cover artwork for hundreds of hardcovers and paperbacks from 1953 to 2000. This wonderful book collects a small fraction of that artwork but what’s here is breath-taking! The book was edited by Gorey enthusiast Steven Heller who is the co-chair of the MFA Design: Designer as Author program at the School of Visual Arts, New York. Heller’s informative introduction shows the range of artistic subjects Gorey tackled in his covers. Also, one of my favorites, The Dark Beasts (1964) by Frank Belknap Long, is included in this marvelous volume. If you’re a fan of paperback artwork, this is a must-buy!

Bill Clinton showed up in Western New York yesterday to fire up volunteers for Hillary. Donald Trump plans a visit to Buffalo in a week or so. No word on when Bernie Sanders will come to town. Today, Ted Cruz was heckled in New York City so he might be wary about coming here.

Most of my students support Bernie Sanders. When asked why, they tell me: “Bernie is going to give me a free college education.” Who do you think will win the New York Primary on April 19?

Iain Pears, best known for An Instance of the Fingerpost and a series of art mysteries like The Immaculate Deception, comes up with an entertaining cautionary tale with Arcadia. In the future, a genius mathematician named Angela Meerson invents a machine which is supposed to access parallel universes. In this dystopian future, the Earth is overcrowded with 35 billion people struggling to live. Parallel universes could solve that problem: the Government could send excess population to new worlds. But Angela thinks her machine doesn’t access parallel works; she thinks it’s a time machine. Angela destroys all of her notes and data and goes through the machine. She ends up in Europe in 1936.

Angel invents another machine, one that creates a “pocket universe.” When a young girl named Rosie accidentally enters this new world, her presence triggers unanticipated forces. The story bounces around from the future to the pocket universe–called Anterwold–to post World War II Britain. I enjoyed the characters and the importance of Story in this novel. And, as a bonus, Iain Pears throws in a murder mystery. If you’re in the mood for a clever adventure novel, Arcadia will provide hours of enjoyment. GRADE: A-

No, this is not a movie based on the Philip K. Dick classic SF novel of the same name. This Eye in the Sky is a suspenseful movie of a drone mission. Terrorists are assembled in a house that’s under observation. Helen Mirren plays the Colonel in charge of the drone mission. Alan Rickman, a British General, plays the mediator with the politicians. The chain of command is lengthy and bureaucratic. The basic moral decision is: what is acceptable collateral damage? If you have an interest in the future of warfare, Eye in the Sky shows you some astonishing technology. And some moral dilemmas. You can read Patti Abbott’s more detailed review of Eye in the Sky here. GRADE: B+

Tonight’s NCAA Men’s Basketball championship features two very good teams. North Carolina is a 2-point favorite over feisty Villanova. The 2016 Tournament provided plenty of entertainment. This Championship game should be go down to the final buzzer. My head says North Carolina but my heart says Villanova. So I’m picking Villanova to defeat the favored North Carolina team. Who do you think will win?

We finally saw Kung Fu Panda 3 at the cheap theater. This animated adventure came out a couple months ago and did decent business in the dead of Winter. The first Kung Fu Panda movie was fun as Po, the only panda in a Chinese village, learns he has a much larger destiny. The second Kung Fu Panda movie gave the audience more action and adventure. This third episode in the Kung Fu Panda franchise features Po facing an enemy from the Spirit World. Po has to learn who he truly is in order to confront the threat. I found this weighty story a bit dull and tedious. Jack Black voices Po, Other characters are voiced by: Angelina Jolie, Dustin Hoffman, J. K. Simmons, Jackie Chan, Lucy Liu, Seth Rogen, David Cross, Bryan Cranston, Kate Hudson, James Hong, and Jean-Claude Van Damme. GRADE: B-

I’ve really enjoyed March Madness this year! There were Bracket Busters on Day One. Plenty of upsets and buzzer beaters! Tonight’s games should continue the excitement. I’m going with Villanova (2-point favorites) over Oklahoma but that could easily go the other way. Syracuse boasts about its fan base and certainly there are plenty of Syracuse graduates in Western New York rooting for this surprising team. Many critics complained when Syracuse was selected for the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament a month ago. Now, after a couple of incredible upsets, Syracuse is in the Final Four facing the mighty North Carolina team. I think the Syracuse dream ends here. North Carolina will win (9 1/2 point favorite). Who do you think will win?