I Wonder As I Wander: Carols & Love Songs - John Jacob Niles

Listening to the songs of John Jacob Niles takes you to another era, but one that, while having the taste of antiquity, may not be an era that actually existed. Niles strums away on a homemade dulcimer and often curls his voice up into a polished but haunting falsetto (think Jeff Buckley's take on "Corpus Christi Carol"). His style is alien enough that it conjures a time long ago; he's been compared to an English balladeer or troubadour (and many of the songs here are old English carols), but what makes him really appealing is the vitality in his singing. Niles once mentioned that good singing is not singing notes and words, but ideas, and the ideas here come through with

This collection has a bunch of English carols, traditional songs, and a few of his own. The album is most effective listened closely to a few songs at time. It doesn't work well as background music, if you're tuning out it can become simply grating. But overall, it's a very rewarding listen.

Ballads and Blues - Odetta

Odetta's solo debut from 1956, here we have a collection of folk tunes, work songs, sea shanties, and spirituals, all delivered with the force of nature that is Odetta's voice. Accompanied only by vigorous guitar strumming, and in one case only hand claps ("Another Man Done Gone"), Odetta sings with passion and intensity whether she's belting out a phrase with operatic polish or softly caressing a line. She occasionally sings loud enough to test the limits of the recording equipment.

The album opens with "Santy Ano," an invigorating call to adventure on the seas, from the first moment pulling you into an untamed world much further away than the 50s. , but other stand-out tracks include "Muleskinner Blues," "Hound Dog," the a capella "Glory, Glory" and the tour-de-force "Spiritual Trilogy." This last is a medley of 3 slave songs in progression from the lament "Oh Freedom," picking up strength through "Come and Go with Me" to climax with the triumph of "I'm On My Way."

These songs, in the blues tradition, are about striving to transcend troubles, the shackles of work, and the burden of a hard life with music, and in that, the album succeeds brilliantly. Odetta may sing from an other-worldly place, but her music is timeless.

The Namesake - Jhumpa Lahiri

The Namesake follows the 30 year history of the Ganguli family, in particular Gogol Ganguli. His parents move from Calcutta to Boston, and while never fully set on staying, they begin to raise a family. Gogol, saddled with a ridiculous name he resents (after Russian author Nicolai Gogol), grows up, finds and loses love, and becomes an architect. He has the constant unease of a man displaced, even as he settles into all things American and tries to forget his Indian heritage.

Lahiri writes plainly, her style's been called "transparent" and indeed at times I felt that I wasn't reading words, but having the story fed directly into my head. She keeps close to the characters and portrays them all sympathetically, withholding any judgment, so the novel feels very intimate. She fills the story with close descriptions of domestic details--clothes, food preparations, daily routines, but these details never feel overwhelming. Lahiri paints in objects, and suffuses them in tones of comfort or alienation.

The Namesake is a story you'll sink deep down into; its poignancy stays with you.

Paris 1958 - Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers

I first borrowed this album from a library in high school, and I've been listening to it ever since. I've listened to it so much that the solos have worn fond grooves into my brain. This incarnation of the Messengers features Lee Morgan, Benny Golson, Bobby Timmons, and Jymie Merritt. It's the same line-up that recorded the seminal album Moanin', which some of the same tunes. Having heard that album a few years later, I think I prefer this one.

On Paris 1958, the playing is a bit more hard-charging and inventive. They stretch out quite a bit, taking a generous 14 minutes on "Moanin'", 11 on "Blues March." The airy, nightclub production helps the mood, you can hear much the of room talking, shouting, cheering, laughing at turns that take them by surprise. The band is especially keyed-in, they keep it loose, almost sloppy, but if you listen closely you'll hear the deft interplay between them - Morgan with his funky, talky trumpet solos responding to Timmons behind him on piano stepping carefully around his lines, Blakey guiding the whole band from beneath with his powerful rhythm, having them charge ahead, cool off, or keep it slinky.