*** ½ (out of 4 stars)
Warning: This album carries with it an “Explicit Lyrics” sticker. Parents and others who might be offended – head’s up!

So a lot of kids are heading to Cabo this weekend. One of them is going there to get the crowd going. His name is Samuel Adams Wisner. But he goes by Sam Adams, and his close friends call him “Wiz.” You see, Wiz’s EP “Boston’s Boy” was released on iTunes a few days ago… and after one day, he hit number 1 on the iTunes Hip Hop chart. Numero Uno… After one day!

Last week, I was telling everyone I knew (and a few I had never met before) about this kid. I even used the correct lingo. I was telling people that this kid was 100% legit… that this kid is ballin’… He’s reppin’ Beantown bigtime with his beats… and most importantly, that his flow is sick. You see, I take profound talent very seriously and will do whatever it takes to get the word out.

Well, that was last week, when no one I talked to knew about him. This week is a whole different story. This kid is spreading like wildfire… from coast to coast. I can just hear the major record labels battling it out now, as they try to claim the next Eminem as their own. It’s not a question of if, but of who, and when… Hopefully, Sammy will have a good deal worked out, and make sure his artistic impulses are nurtured. The future of hip hop needs this kid.

If you know anything about Sam Adams up to now, it is likely his Asher Roth rebuttal, “I Hate College.” For the record, he goes to Trinity College, where he was captain of the soccer team. You’d think he might take the rest of the semester off. He’s kinda busy. Not so. He plans on graduating this spring semester.

He has a unique way of blending the lyric with electronic rap and coming up with an inspired sound. He is making it all sound modern again, and there are several possible directions for it to go, with his sound. Although he knows how to work a crowd, it is obvious from the songs he drops on “Boston’s Boy” that Sam feels at home in the studio. For the record, “Boston’s Boy” was recorded at Cybersound (in Boston), and also at Westlake (in L.A.), where Michael Jackson did a lot of his work.

In a pretty specific subset of the music world, Sam Adams sets a good example. His success is so immediate and big, that he keeps other kids dreaming that it might happen to them. And why not? It happened to him. Having that kind of excitement on the scene is good for the whole music scene.

Like the best of artists, Sam Adams is a reflection of what he sees, hears and feels. He understands his audience, and he loves doing what he does. No wonder they are going crazy over this new kid on the block. This is the tightest new release so far this year. He kills it fo’ sho’.

Download these:

“Coming Up” – Great opening, great beat, great lyrics. This is his declaration of independence. Every great rapper gets one, and Sam’s the man with this one.

“Driving Me Crazy” – The best song on the album. Yes, that’s Annie Lennox’s “Walking On Broken Glass” underscoring the rap. Sweet.

“Just Love Here” – Need a new slow burning song that pushes the limits? This is the one.

“I sucker punched my best friend
And the bouncer head locked me on stage with the band
I look like (censored by Parcbench)…
I feel like (censored by Parcbench)…
I think it’s time I call it quits…”
(from Luke Bryan’s “Take My Drunk A*s Home”)

Just in time for Spring Break 2010, Georgia farmboy and country singer Luke Bryan has released two EPs exclusively on iTunes called “Spring Break… with All My Friends” and “Spring Break 2… the Hangover Edition.”

I say “just in time” because, well… let me list the song titles and you’ll see what I mean:
“Sorority Girl”
“Take My Drink A*s Home”
“All My Friends Say”
“Wild Weekend”
“Cold Beer Drinker”
“I’m Hungover”

If this doesn’t sound like great Spring Break country music, then maybe you’re not a fan of Spring Break. These are songs that you will find yourself singing along to, even if you never quite learn the words. The South Georgia native just might find himself invited to beaches all over the country every March and April if he continues to stake his claim as the Spring Break guest artist of all time. The guy is real, and his songs ring true to his audiences.

These songs aren’t going to end up in the Country Music Hall of Fame, but chances are you’ll hear them blasting out of someone’s pickup down the highway. This is strictly good-time country, with a definite emphasis on working hard, drinking beer, hitting on girls, and drinking more beer. Luke Bryan keeps the mood light, and there’s nothing wrong with a collection of rowdy songs that are this good.

Luke is currently on tour, opening for Jason Aldean’s “Wide Open” tour. Here’s where you can catch him over the next couple of months…

March 10, 2010 – Hilton Coliseum, Ames, Iowa (opening for Jason Aldean)

March 11, 2010 – Verizon Center, Mankato, MN (opening for Jason Aldean)

March 12, 2010 – Swiftel Center, Brookings, SD (opening for Jason Aldean)

March 13, 2010 – The Blue Note, Columbia, MO

March 18, 2010 – The Odeum, Broomfield, CO (opening for Jason Aldean)

March 19, 2010 – Energy Solutions Arena, Salt Lake City, UT (opening for Jason Aldean)

March 20, 2010 – Taco Bell Arena, Boise, ID (opening for Jason Aldean)

March 21, 2010 – Holt Arena, Pocatello, ID (opening for Jason Aldean)

March 25, 2010 – Remington’s Hunt Club, Starkville, MS

March 26, 2010 – Lee Stadium, Opp, AL

March 27, 2010 – Sims Park Amphitheater, New Port Richey, FL

April 3, 2010 – Oracle Arena, Oakland, CA (“Hot Country Nights” show, with Dierks Bentley, Blake Shelton, Michelle Branch)

April 8, 2010 – Wesbanco Arena, Wheeling, WV (opening for Jason Aldean)

April 9, 2010 – Univ. of Southern Indiana, Evansville, IN

April 10, 2010 – Indiana State University, Terre Haute, IN

April 16, 2010 – Canyon Moon Ranch, Florence, AZ

April 22, 2010 – Ocala Entertainment Complex, Ocala, FL

April 23, 2010 – Mississippi Coast Coliseum, Biloxi, MS

April 24, 2010 – Snowden Grove Amphitheater, Southhaven, MS

April 27, 2010 – Miami University, Oxford, OH

April 28, 2010 – Cotton Eyed Joe, Knoxville, TN

April 29, 2010 – 4th Street Live, Louisville, KY

April 30, 2010 – Greensboro Coliseum, Greensboro, NC

May 1, 2010 – Gwinnett Center Arena, Duluth, GA

May 2, 2010 – Columbia Life Arena, Columbia, SC

May 5, 2010 – Turner Hall Ballroom, Milwaukee, WI

May 7 & 8, 2010 – Joe’s Sports Bar, Chicago, IL

May 15, 2010 – Ridge Ferry Park, Rome, GA

May 29, 2010 – Freedom Weekend Aloft, Simpsonville, SC

Thanks to an email message sent by a producer of “The Hurt Locker” (asking voters to vote for his low-budget indie film over a certain $500 million budget 3-D contender), there is at least some drama in the contest for “Best Picture.” Word around Hollywood is that there might be a backlash vote against “Hurt Locker” for this, but I think that is just the usual Hollywood attempt to make a story when one doesn’t exist. Since most of the voters’ ballots were mailed in by last Tuesday at 5pm, the backlash will be minimal. By then most of the Oscar voters already voted for all their friends and mailed their ballots in. Besides, how many of the voters would listen to anything a producer has to say?

But at least it gave the press something to write about. The biggest unreported story for this years Academy Awards is that there aren’t many actual movie stars left in Hollywood… and there are even fewer nominated for a performance this year. Remember just a few years ago, when you could see stars like Clint Eastwood, Judi Dench, William Hurt, Maggie Smith, Paul Newman, Jon Voight, Cate Blanchett, Denzel Washington, Julia Roberts, Dustin Hoffman, and Meryl Streep on the red carpet? Well, some things in the universe apparently never change, so you will still get to see Meryl Streep show up for her 16th nomination. But other than that, you will have to settle for the likes of Vera Farmiga, Carey Mulligan, Jeremy Renner, Gabourey Sidibe, Christoph Waltz, and Anna Kendrick. Who, you ask? Exactly. It is no accident that this is the final year that Barbara Walters is putting together her famous “Oscar Special.” She can’t be expected to profile these non-stars forever, can she? I mean, is there anyone in Hollywood that we don’t hear enough about? OK, Jack Nicholson… I’ll give you that. Then again, maybe that’s precisely why he’s such a bona fide star.

At this year’s Academy Awards, neither of the two front-runners (“Avatar” and “The Hurt Locker”) feature a big name star in a leading role. Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldana weren’t even nominated for their pedestrian work in “Avatar,” and Jeremy Renner (who?) probably worked for scale in “The Hurt Locker.” Of the 10 nominees for “Best Picture” there are only 3 that feature a movie star; “Up in the Air” (George Clooney), “Inglorious Basterds” (Brad Pitt), and “The Blind Side” (Sandra Bullock).

Hollywood has gotten rid of stars as much as they can. After all, one of the hosts this year is that bore from TV’s “30 Rock” Alec Baldwin. (Wait a minute – didn’t he promise to leave the country?) Thankfully, the other host is Steve Martin. So maybe the show won’t be half bad. Another plus: they finally got rid of the pathetic “Best Song” performance. We will at least be spared having to listen to five lame cover versions of songs so terrible the original recording artists usually refused to sing live in front of 36 million viewers.

Instead of real movie stars, now it is the movies that are the real stars, and this year’s expansion of the “Best Picture” category to 10 movies is just one more step toward that end. Let’s not forget that last year neither of the biggest box-office draws (“The Dark Knight” and “WALL-E”) drew a “Best Picture” nomination. So this year, the Academy decided to expand the list in a lame attempt to artificially boost ratings by rewarding mediocre, but extremely popular movies. This will go down in Oscar history as the year that 10 films were nominated in a year that there weren’t even 5 truly great films that deserved to be nominated. If that isn’t Hollywood for you, I don’t know what is.

The film that most deserves to be called 2009’s “Best Picture” is “The Hurt Locker.” I predicted the nomination and director Kathryn Bigelow’s win in my review last July, and I stand by that still. “The Hurt Locker” is an important and powerful film focused on the war in Iraq. The only film that could conceivably stage an Oscar coup is James Cameron’s “Avatar.” But for those of us that remember already seeing “Star Wars” and its sequels, we can still hope that the original screenplay of “The Hurt Lock” shocks and awes “Avatar” to oblivion on Oscar night.

And the Parcbench Oscar Picks are…
(Post-Oscar update: Looks like I got 17 out of 24 correct. Those that were chosen correctly are given an asterisk*… otherwise, the actual winner is listed in parentheses.)

Best Picture – The Hurt Locker*

Best Animated Feature – “Up”*

Best Director – Kathryn Bigelow, “The Hurt Locker”*

Best Actor – Jeff Bridges, “Crazy Heart”*

Best Actress – Sandra Bullock,”The Blind Side”*

Best Supporting Actor – Christoph Waltz, “Inglourious Basterds”*

Best Supporting Actress – Mo’Nique, “Precious”*

Best Original Screenplay – “The Hurt Locker”*

Best Adapted Screenplay – “Up in the Air”(”Precious”)

Best Original Score – “Up”*

Best Original Song – “The Weary Kind” from “Crazy Heart”*

Best Editing – “The Hurt Locker”*

Best Cinematography – “Avatar”*

Best Art Direction – “Avatar”*

Best Costume Design – “The Young Victoria”*

Best Makeup – “Star Trek”*

Best Sound Mixing – “Avatar”(”The Hurt Locker”)

Best Sound Editing – “Avatar”(”The Hurt Locker”)

Best Visual Effects – “Avatar”*

Best Foreign Film – “The White Ribbon” (Germany)(”El Secreto de Sus Ojos”)

Best Documentary Feature – “Burma VJ”(”The Cove”)

Best Documentary Short Subject – “The Last Truck: Closing of a GM Plant”(”Music by Prudence”)

Best Animated Short Film – “Logorama”*

Best Live-Action Short Film – “The Door”(”The New Tenants”)
The 82nd Annual Academy Awards will be presented on Sunday, March 7, and televised live on ABC beginning at 5 p.m. PT/ 8 p.m. ET.

Scratch “Scratch My Back.” Peter Gabriel’s first solo album in eight years is a set of covers that are an embarrassment to the memory of one of rock’s great artists. I guess making one of these cover albums is a requirement when becoming an old rock ‘n’ roller (Peter Gabriel is now 60). It’s a rite of passage to make a mess out of someone else’s songs at some point in a long career. Why else would so many former greats put out the retro garbage like this? At least when everyone puts out their obligatory holiday album, it’s kind of fun… and it stays hidden for 11 months of the year. But really – an album of 12 cover songs that features piano and orchestra, but not a single guitar or drum? This, from Peter Gabriel… Really?

The songs on the album are reinterpreted tracks originally done by Neil Young, David Bowie, The Talking Heads, and others. But no matter their origin, they almost all end up sounding like the same depressing song. These songs aren’t reinterpreted… they’re euthanized. Gabriel slows everything down to a standstill, and then muddies it up with his baritone vocals. By the time he gets to “I Think It’s Gonna Rain Today,” it is all a big, yawn-inducing cliché. Can someone please tell me why so many singers think that slowing down a tempo creates some sort of dramatic tension? It usually evokes the opposite reaction.

Peter Gabriel is one of the most accomplished musical geniuses that doesn’t seem that interested in making music (or at least new albums), which is why this greatest hits of funeral dirges is that much more disappointing. “Scratch My Back” is like going to one of the finest restaurants in town, and finding every course overcooked. After getting an Oscar nomination for composing a song for the film “Wall-E,” this is it? So what does that mean if we “scratch his back”? Will he scratch ours by getting back into the studio and giving us the Peter Gabriel album we’ve been waiting for all these years?

Download these:

“Mirrorball” – This cover of the song by Elbow has a majesty all its own. If you want a taste of the best of what this album has to offer, this is it.

“The Book of Love” – At least this witty song (originally by the Magnetic Fields) is slightly uplifting. Gabriel demonstrates that he still has a powerfully emotional vibrato. The song is full of moments that all connect to deliver a successful, unified idea.

It’s a great day for country music. Today the self-titled debut album from Easton Corbin is finally released. The album is a consistently easy blend of near perfect vocals and incredibly listenable arrangements that would make anyone fall back in love with country music. Some have even called Easton “the future of country music.” Oh yeah, that was me who said that a few weeks ago while reviewing Easton’s breakout first single “A Little More Country Than That.”

After listening to the whole album, I stand by my words. Although the songs themselves may not all entirely live up to the potential in Easton’s vocals, this album is a major debut that may stabilize the sound of country music for years to come as it decides the degree to which pop music will be an influence. It is high time that the neo-traditional production values captured on this album made a huge comeback.

No doubt the atmosphere achieved on the album is the work of producer Carson Chamberlain. If you are as grateful as I am to hear a steel guitar figure prominently in so many of these songs, you can thank the fact that Carson was a former steel guitarist and band leader for the one and only Keith Whitley. In Easton Corbin’s delivery, it is possible to hear a touch of that Keith Whitley blue-collar dignity in Easton’s voice. The other obvious influence here (on several levels) is George Strait. If you’re going to be compared to anyone when your first album comes out, I guess it’s okay that everyone is comparing you to a legend who has 38 hit albums (so far). But as the four songs that he co-wrote on the album show, Easton has great potential to be so much more than the guy on the radio that sounds like George Strait. The songs he co-wrote are some of the best on the album.

It is clear that the growing popularity of country music has changed what an audience thinks of as country. So for all of the tried and true traditional country fans that have put up with the Taylor Swift “pop-try” sound, I give you Easton Corbin. He is the real deal. There’s room for all kinds of music, as long as it is quality. And when it comes to quality phrasing, approach, delivery, nuance, feeling and clarity of meaning, Easton Corbin is miles ahead of any other up-and-coming singer/songwriter out there. Now that he has officially arrived, let’s hope that Easton Corbin will be around for years to come… and that he continues giving Nashville a refresher course on what makes country music great.

Download these:

“A Little More Country Than That” – You never forget that first song that made you fall in love with a country singer. When the singer and the song are a perfect fit, it transcends being a mere hit; it becomes a moment in time that will always come rushing back, every time you hear that song. This is that song.

“This Far From Memphis” – This is one of those songs that makes sad feel good… or at least satisfying in its own peculiar way. If you have a road trip scheduled in the near future, this will help you get through that long stretch when you can’t tune in a good country station on the radio.

“I Can’t Love You Back” – I could listen to this song all day and night. The details of the emotional pull of love are chronicled here in a manner that is more compelling than any other song currently out there.

“The Way Love Looks” – This is the song that will get you back in the mood to smile and give it your best shot. This is country music at its easy, natural best.

Label: Purdy Records

Singer/songwriter/guitar player Shannon Curfman’s 4th Album “What You’re Getting Into” was released on February 9th of this year and is currently #12 on the Billboard Blues Album Chart.

In 1999 Curfman released her debut album “Loud Guitars, Big Suspicions“- at the tender age of 14- to rave reviews. The impressive blues album sounded like the product of someone with far more years behind her; since then, Curfman’s stellar songs and soulful vocals have only gotten better.

”Seven years later she released the EP “Take It Like A Man”, followed quickly by “Fast Lane Addiction” which incorporated the songs from the previous CD with additional tracks to create a full-length album. With the release of these two albums, Shannon moved away from her blues roots in favor a harder rock attitude.

Curfman credits her time living in Detroit, working with members of Kid Rock’s team, and the influence of Led Zeppelin while in L.A. for inspiring her transition to hard rock-which of course was itself influenced by the blues. Other influences on Curfman’s exceptional work include: Robert Johnson, B.B. King, Jeff Healey, Jonny Lang, Jimi Hendrix, Chris Whitley and many others, including the guitar player Shannon calls her “biggest influence” Jeff Beck, with whom she’s spent much time hanging out.

With the release of “What You’re Getting Into” Shannon has returned to her blues roots while maintaining a rock edge. Her amazing cover of Eric Clapton’s “The Core” is stellar; not surprisingly, she notes that she’s been playing the song since she was about 11. Her cover of Brian May’s “Dragon Attack” is another great selection for classic rock lovers, with amazing guitar work by Stevie D of Buckcherry.

There are three cover songs and seven original songs on “What You’re Getting Into” -all of which add up to a hell of a lot of  listening enjoyment. Offering pure escapism, there are no political overtones or heavy messages in Curfman’s songs. This is music designed strictly for entertainment, whether you’re with friends, driving in the car or just hanging around the house alone.

If you like the blues and classic rock, performed with passion and soul, this album and all Shannon’s music are for you. Since she’s on an independent label it’s preferable to purchase her music on her website at www.shannoncurfman.com, where you can also see her current tour dates and purchase a copy of her original, private label version of “Loud Guitars, Big Suspicions” which has a few songs you can’t get anywhere else.

You can listen to my exclusive interview with Shannon Curfman by clicking here.

Interview w_Recording Artist Shannon Curfman_ A CRF Non-Political Special – Feb 27,2010

Josh currently has the number one song on the country charts (”Why Don’t We Just Dance?”). In the review I mentioned a song (“Your Smile”) that left me feeling frustrated. I jumped to the conclusion that the lyric was “corny” without considering that the song itself may not have been “corny” but, rather, just shamelessly uncynical and uncluttered. This being the case, the song is actually brave in the way that it stylistically embraces the positive and the purest aspects of country life.

My main objection to Josh Turner’s albums lately is that the song choices seem to over-emphasize the down-home quality that he does so dang well. It can be a little overwhelming to hear one song after another that sentimentalizes the classic images of country life. Like too much of a good thing, it can be an overabundance of riches.

I stated that I wanted to like the song, but that I couldn’t. But I’ve decided that it wasn’t the song I didn’t like, it was that the song lived on a playlist that didn’t properly frame the song. The writer doesn’t have much say with what happens to his creativity once the record label has gotten ahold of it. This is reality, but it is also a shame. It’s a bit like not letting a painter choose the proper frame for a painting.

The challenge is for the producer to pick and choose just the right combination of songs. Clearly, with songs this good, it is not the songs themselves that are responsible for an issue in the repertoire. (Sorry, I didn’t mean to use a French word in a country music article). It is my appreciation of Josh’s talent that makes me want him to stretch in new directions on occasion. That being said, I have come to the conclusion that I incorrectly judged “Your Smile”: I want to like it, and now I do.

Maybe it’s just that we’ve strayed so far from the traditional country path in search of the almighty cross-over pop/country hit that my ears have forgotten the profundity of a simple country tune. Maybe the post-modern overemphasis on all things “cool” in our culture has numbed me to the appeal of the classic components of country life.

Consider this lyric from “Your Smile,” (written by Elliott Park):
“Your smile,
Like daylight dripping through the mountain pines,
Pure sunshine, summertime,
Your smile
Like a wheat field in the southern breeze,
Apple trees, sweet and right…”

In any case, reconsidering the worthiness of this song required me to listen to it again and again… and then I got to listen to it again… and later on, I found myself wanting to listen to it again. Then I broke down and looked up Josh Turner’s performance on the David Letterman Show last week, and I decided the only way to make up with “Your Smile” was to issue this public statement. Tiger Woods’ pathetic example notwithstanding, I can find no better way to declare my love for this song. So there. Imagine a critic having an incorrect initial response. It happens. But it takes a music lover to admit it, and make things better.

I suggest you call your local country radio station (if you are lucky enough to have one – that, of course, leaves out those of you who live in New York City) and request “Your Smile,” sung by Josh Turner.

The song was written by Elliott Park, a singer/songwriter best known for writing the smash hit “I Loved Her First” (recorded by Heartland). Elliott keeps his songwriting untainted from the tarnish of Nashville by living in good ol’ Texas. Here’s hoping he can keep the honest songs coming, and keep we music critics at least half as honest in the process.

Click on Josh’s smile above for a link to the performance that David Letterman said “just makes you feel good”:

With a Megaticket, fans can buy a country music season ticket that lets them get the same seat to every show in the lineup. It’s basically the same principle as subscribing to a Broadway series or any number of arts events. Fans pick their city’s venue and choose from a variety of ticket packages featuring multiple artists and seating options. To see a map of cities and venues with a complete list of venue packages and availability, visit www.megaticket.com.
(Packages vary in each city and are available for limited time only.)

OK, so before you spend your tax refund, here is this summer’s line up of country greats that will be hitting the road and hopefully coming to your city:

-Brad Paisley (with Darius Rucker)

-Brooks & Dunn with Jason Aldean (April 23 thru June 13th but not including 5/4-5/6) & Gary Allan (5/4-5/6 and after June 13th)

-Rascal Flatts with Kellie Pickler and Chris Young

-Sugarland with special guests

-Tim McGraw with Lady Antebellum and The Lost Trailers (2/11-4/10) and Love and Theft (4/11-8/15)

-Toby Keith (with special guests)

The COUNTRY THROWDOWN 2010 concert series features the best in new country artists, including: Montgomery Gentry, Jamey Johnson, Little Big Town, Jack Ingram, Eric Church, Eli Young Band, The Lost Trailers, Heidi Newfield, Ryan Bingham, Jonathan Singleton & The Grove, Emily West. It also features songwriter/singer Bluebird Cafe artists, including: Ashley Ray, Brad Tursi, Cory Branan, Dave Pahanish, Jedd Hughes, Sarah Buxton, Troy Olsen, Walker Hayes.

There are a few classical CDs that everyone should have on their shelf. These include: Vivaldi’s “Four Seasons,” Beethoven’s “Symphony No. 5,” “The Three Tenors,” Stravinsky’s “Rite of Spring,” and a good collection of Mozart’s “Greatest Hits.” Add Joshua Bell’s “At Home With Friends” to the list. Joshua Bell is one of the greatest classical violinists in the world today. He has a precision that is matched only by his willingness to also take a chance while he performs. This CD presents Joshua Bell in a more relaxed setting. It’s not strictly classical, but it’s a classical-ish CD you’re going to love. It’s a great addition to your music collection.

Joshua Bell’s “At Home with Friends” has quickly become one of Amazon.com’s top selling classical music albums. Here’s why…

As the album’s title suggests, the music is performed by violinist Joshua Bell and guest artists that Bell has met over the course of his career, from well-known artists such as Sting, Chris Botti, Kristin Chenoweth, and Josh Groban, to new artists finally getting the attention they deserve such as Frankie Moreno. It is an eclectic mix of sounds that each represent the best of their particular genre. If you’re looking for an album that has touches of Classical that provides high musical integrity and a laid back atmosphere, look no further.

“At Home with Friends” starts out with a smoldering version of “I Loves You Porgy” from Gershwin’s “Porgy and Bess.” On this track, Bell is accompanied by Chris Botti on the trumpet. Botti’s sweet, smooth tone combines with Bell’s warmth to make a gorgeous album opener. From there, it is really a smorgasbord of musical delights.

Not every track is perfect, of course. “Come Again” with peculiar vocals by Sting is one of the weaker cuts. And what in the heck is “Oh, Holy Night” doing on this album?

But the beauty of this CD is that if you don’t care for one artist, there will be another one, completely different, following on the next track. Josh Groban’s duet with Bell is as beautiful as one would expect, for example. Broadway and television star Kristin Chenoweth shares her substantial soprano voice on “My Funny Valentine,” and she gives a memorable performance. “I’ll Take Manhattan,” the album’s closing piece, features Marvin Hamlisch on piano, and Bell on violin. This beauty of this album is in its arrangements; they are intimate enough to sound almost improvisatory. It’s what happens when you get the best of the best together, and let them relax and have fun making the music breathe.

The highlight of the album is “Eleanor Rigby.” Bell starts things off by easing into the song, as if it were a painting at first seen from afar. Closer and closer, we are pulled in slowly. And then, one minute and thirty seconds into the song, it transforms from a study on the classical structure of the Beatles into a soulful interpretation by pianist and singer Frankie Moreno. Moreno reminds us just what a dramatic and contemporary song “Eleanor Rigby” is, while making it sound more elegant than it has ever been before. Although Frankie Moreno is leading the way, the song is still a duet through and through. Moreno and Bell first create (and then resolve) the dramatic tension through their musical interplay. Moreno and Bell, on piano and violin, have such a clear musical conversation that it is, in its own way, the perfect tribute to Lennon and McCartney.

All in all, it sounds like the artists joining Joshua Bell on this album felt relaxed and free. It also sounds as if everyone loves the song they were chosen to record. Joshua Bell’s “At Home With Friends” is clearly one that you should take home, and enjoy with your friends.

Other artists featured on “At Home with Friends” include Carel Kraayenhof, Edgar Meyer, Sam Bush, Mike Marshall, Frankie Moreno, Nathan Gunn, Regina Spektor, Dave Grusin, Chris Thile, and Anoushka Shankar. To listen to the album in its entirety for free, go to: www.JoshuaBell.com.

Here’s where you can catch Joshua Bell on tour over the next couple of months:

2/24/10 – New York City (Carnegie Hall)
2/26/10 – Los Angeles (Walt Disney Concert Hall)
2/27/10 – Davis, CA (Jackson Hall)
2/28/10 – Palm Desert, CA (McCallum Theatre)
3/2/10 – Pittsburgh, PA (Heinz Hall)
3/3/10 – North Bethesda, MD (Music Center)
3/4/10 – Peekskill, NY (Paramount Center)
4/8/10 – 4/10/10 – New York City (Avery Fisher Hall)
4/15/10 – Urbana, IL (Foellinger Great Hall)
5/15/10 – Birmingham, AL (Stephens Performing Arts Center)
5/18/10 – Costa Mesa, CA (Segerstrom Concert Hall)
5/27/10 – 5/29/10 – Saint Paul, MN (Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra)

The reclining passenger, it turns out, was rapper Skyler Gordy, aka Sky Blu from the rap group LMFAO. Gordy claims that Romney grabbed his shoulder, after which he retaliated by hitting Romney’s forehead. Police quickly boarded the plane and escorted Blu off the plane. The other members of LMFAO got all of this on tape.

“I just react — boom — get off me, you know,” Gordy says in the video, taking a swing through the air as he speaks. “And I didn’t take it any further than that. I just wanted the man not to touch me; that’s it.”

[Does he always react this way to people touching his shoulder while speaking to him? If so, then he probably shouldn’t ever tour in the south.]

“I was tiii-red,” he said.

OK, I could maybe possibly understand him lashing out if he had just been jolted out of a deep sleep. But he didn’t have time to fall asleep, much less get so far deep into a sleep where touching his shoulder would jolt him.

Romney didn’t retaliate, rather he let the crew handle it. The plane returned to the gate where the Royal Canadian Mounted Police arrested Gordy. Romney didn’t press charges.

Gordy seems to be milking this for all he thinks he can. He later said in an interview,

“I have no hard feelings toward him,” Gordy said. “I’m sure he’s a good dude.”

When asked if he would vote for him, the fame-starved rapper protested that Romney was a Republican and he was a Democrat. He admitted he might get a drink with him … if he drinks.

I think Mitt Romney is doing the right thing by not justifying this incident or Gordy with airtime.