Fans of the Pop-Country group Sugarland probably own this CD by now. Jennifer Nettles’ unique voice on her first solo album runs the gamut from ballads to power pop songs. The sidemen–Matt Sweeney, Smokey Hormel, Jason Lader, ex-Faces keyboardist Ian McLagan, Red Hot Chili Peppers’ drummer Chad Smith, Alex Acuña, and Lenny Castro–are top-notch. Some of the songs include wind instruments, string instruments, and horns that give the songs a very different sound from the average C&W album. My favorite song is “Good Time to Cry.” GRADE: B+
TRACK LIST
1 Falling (3:22)
2 Me Without You (3:37)
3 Moneyball (3:13)
4 That Girl (4:00)
5 This Angel (3:31)
6 Jealousy (3:51)
7 This One’s For You (3:44)
8 Know You Wanna Know (3:05)
9 Thank You (4:11)
10 Good Time To Cry (4:26)
11 Like A Rock (4:23)

I’ve never been a big fan of Porgy & Bess so factor that in while you read this review. This controversial new touring version of the Gershwin classic features a great cast. It has the classic songs I really like: “Summertime,” “I Got Plenty of Nothin’,” and “That Ain’t Necessary So.” But this story of doomed love was tough for Diane and me to watch. Even though this new version has “compressed” the original work, it still felt long. Porgy & Bess broke plenty of barriers when it first appeared in 1935. But in the 21st Century, it’s a bit of an odd duckling. GRADE: C+

Keith Roberts is best known for his alternative-history SF novel, Pavane (1968), where the Spanish Armada arrives safely and invades England. Gateway SF is publishing a series of omnibus volumes of classic SF works. This Keith Roberts omnibus collects The Chalk Giants (1974), Kiteworld (1985), and The Grain Kings (1976). The Chalk Giants is a series of linked short stories with a patented British catastrophe theme. Kiteworld is a post-nuclear holocaust novel. The Grain Kings explores a future where food is becoming a scarce commodity. I’ve ordered about a dozen more of these Gateway SF omnibuses. If you’re interested in this excellent series, just click here to see their forthcoming books.

I’m fascinated by probability so Paul J. Nahin’s Will You Be Alive 10 Years From Now? And Numerous Other Curious Questions in Probability was a must-buy. Nahin taught probability courses to engineering students for 30 years at the University of New Hampshire and the University of Virginia. In addition to calculating life expectancy, Nahin explores gambling with a number of dice problems. I was also captivated by Nahin’s use of examples from mathematical history. He provides stories about Pascal and Francis Bacon and other probability luminaries. For the more math-savvy readers, Nahin provides MATLAB computer programs to solve the more complex problems. But, if you’re rather not wade through a lot of math, you can see if you’ll be alive 10 years from now by using the Life Expectancy Calculator here. According to the Calculator, I’m going to see 84!

Right now, Western NY is being hit by a late winter storm. Forecasters are calling for 8-12 inches of the White Stuff to fall on us today. I’ll be firing up Big Orange for yet another show blowing mission. Once I clear the snow from my driveway and sidewalks, I plan to listen again to Marina Rebeka’s new CD, Mozart Arias. Marina Rebeka’s voice makes these arias as light as cotton candy. The Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra under the direction of Speranza Scappucci provide solid accompaniment. If you’re a fan of Mozart, you’re going to enjoy this thrilling CD. Check out the sample below. Pardon me, I have to go snow blow again. GRADE: B+

I’m a fan of Iron Man so this new animated adventure was a must-buy for me. Tony Stark is launching a super spy satellite when his launch facilities are attacked. Stark, as Iron Man, faces a new enemy whose armor is a hybrid of computer technology and advanced DNA. Although the spy satellite makes it into orbit, SHIELD enters the action by capturing Iron Man. Tony Stark manages to find a temporary partner in The Punisher. But they’re chased by the Black Widow and Hawkeye. As Tony Stark investigates his adversary, he learns the new villain has links to Stark Enterprises’ past. If you’re in the mood for 88 minutes of action, Iron Man: Rise of the Technovore delivers plenty of enjoyment. GRADE: B+

Despite Stephen King’s rave blurb on the back cover of The Black-Eyed Blonde (don’t read it before you read the book because it contains a spoiler), I can’t echo Stephen King’s enthusiasm. When John Banville decided to write a Philip Marlowe novel, his biggest challenge was could he imitate Raymond Chandler’s unique writing style. My vote is: NO. But, that being said, The Black-Eyed Blonde is a solid private eye novel. Banville’s Philip Marlowe is more emotional than Chandler’s Marlowe. A black-eyed blonde shows up at Marlowe’s office and hires him to find her missing lover. Marlowe immediately falls in love with his client which leads him into some very dangerous territory. The bodies mount up and Marlowe discovers links to the past. For purists, this pastiche will be unreadable. But, John Banville is a clever writer who does the best he can with a book like this. GRADE: B

Patrick attended a computer conference in South Korea. He took some photographs and provides some commentary here.  Tomorrow, Patrick begins his 16-hour flight to India to attend a wedding of a friend he met during his student days at Carnegie-Mellon University.  My children are taking my advice to travel while they’re young!.

A locked room mystery. That’s about the last thing I would have expected in Adrain McKinty’s In the Morning I’ll Be Gone. In the Morning I’ll Be Gone is Book Three of “The Troubles Trilogy.” Set in Ireland in the early 1980s, these mysteries feature Sean Duffy, a scruffy, tenacious Catholic cop in the Protestant Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC). Duffy is recruited by MI5, the British intelligence agency, to locate Dermot MCann, an IRA bomber. As Duffy investigates, he’s offered a deal by one of the principals in the case: if Duffy can solve a cold case murder, he’ll be given the location of Dermot McCann. But, as Duffy learns, the possible murder of a young woman happened in a pub whose doors were bolted. The police had to break in to recover the body. Duffy doesn’t give up and comes up with a stunning solution. You can read my reviews of the first two books in “The Troubles Triolgy”–The Cold Cold Ground and I Hear the Sirens in the Street here. If you’re looking for a well-written, intense, and clever locked-room mystery, pick up a copy of In the Morning I’ll Be Gone. GRADE: B+

Stark House has done it again! Here in one attractive package are two noir classics by Wade Miller. “Wade Miller” was the collaborative team of Bob Wade and Bill Miller. Together they wrote some great private eye adventures featuring Max Thursday (sadly, only six books in that series). The team of Wade Miller produced 30 novels, hundreds of short stories, radio scripts, and plays. This new Stark House collection brings two of Wade Miller’s best stand-alone novels together. Some of you may remember the movie version of Kitten With a Whip from 1964 starring John Forsythe and Ann-Margret. Kiss Her Goodbye is a chase novel where the two main characters try to escape their past. If you’re in the mood for some noir fiction, try this Wade Miller collection. It’s terrific!