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This blogger, Richard Gehr, is not an employee of AARP. The opinions expressed in the blog are not necessarily the opinions of AARP and AARP assumes no liability for the content posted by Mr. Gehr or any other participant

Richard Gehr | December 05, 2007

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"Black Mirror: Reflections in Global Music (1918-1955)" (Dust to Digital)
In the spirit of musician-archivist Pat Conte's groundbreaking Secret Museum of Mankind series, Ian Nagoski's "Black Mirror" reintroduces 78-rpm releases from around the world, mostly recorded in order to introduce foreign audiences to the potential joys of phonograph ownership. The 24 tracks on this album, from nearly as many different nations, are warm and scratchy and often-beautiful mementos of a time when villages were anything but global.

Betty Harris, "Intuition" (Evidence)
Sixty-eight-year-old soul singer Betty Harris, of 1963's "Cry to Me" fame, returns from a 40-year recording hiatus with an impassioned, and refreshingly nostalgia-free, new album. Having sung exclusively in church during the interim, it's no surprise that a fiery gospel spirit informs Harris, the Alabama-raised daughter of two preachers. Jon and Sally Tivens wrote her solid new material.

Keali'I Reichel, "Kukahi—Live in Concert" (Punahele DVD)
Kukahi may mean "to stand alone," but this popular Hawaiian performer gets a lot of help from his own hula troupe on this prettily shot survey of traditional and contemporary music and dance from the islands. After changing his loincloth for shirt and pants, Reichel picks up his guitar and sings a mellifluous assortment of tunes from throughout his career. Bonus features include a nice segment featuring Reichel's hula guru, Uncle George Holokai, who died last year.

Rufus Wainwright, "Rufus Does Judy at Carnegie Hall" (Geffen CD), "Rufus! Rufus! Rufus! Does Judy! Judy! Judy! Live at the London Palladium" (Geffen DVD)
Not Judy Garland but an incredible simulation, Rufus Wainwright elevates the concept of camp to an only slightly ironic new level with his recreation of Garland's legendary April 23, 1961, Carnegie Hall performance. Wainwright's evocation of Garland's pained and passionate spirit also functions as a knowing celebration of contemporary gay culture, complete with 40-piece orchestra.

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