Each week (give or take one or two here and there) I share three things I like – It could be a book, a movie, a podcast, an album, a photo, an article, a restaurant, a food item, a beverage, or anything else I simply enjoy and think you might too. You can find a whole pile of things, especially books, I like and recommend HERE.
1. Quentin Walston’s “Retro Future” Album
I love Jazz. I love Jazz classics and Jazz standards. So to find a contemporary jazz musician who loves, respects, and can play the fire out of the classics and standards with respect for the masters is a delight. I accidentally stumbled across Quentin Walston on Instagram (who says social media is all bad?) and immediately loved his posts. He is educational about how Jazz works. He highlights the particular styles and skills of genius musicians. He is a pianist, which happens to be my favorite jazz instrument. And he clearly loves the music. Now Walston has released an album of his own, mostly covering some standards and classics in homage to the greats. It is delightful. If you are a jazz fan you’ll appreciate it. If you are new to jazz it is a great jumping in point.
2. Bryce Harper’s Swing
Over my lifetimes as a baseball fan there have been a handful of players whose swings have captivated me with some combination of savagery, grace, force, and abandon: Alfonso Soriano, Nelson Cruz, Eric Davis, Mo Vaughn, and others. (Royce Lewis of my very own Minnesota Twins is vying for a place on this list too.) These aren’t the most graceful swings or technically perfect ones. They are to baseball swings what Mike Tyson was to boxing: ferocity, power, speed and wow. Today, the leader in the clubhouse is Bryce Harper. He isn’t my favorite player. I care nothing about the Phillies. But wow, that swing is the next in a long legacy of ferocious hammers.
3. Tolkien Audio Books Read by Andy Serkis
I am a white reformed Christian man, so theologically, genetically, culturally, and morally I am obliged to love The Lord of the Rings and other writings by John Ronald Reuel Tolkien. And I truly do. I first encountered the hobbit as an audio book on cassette when I was in elementary school and immediately fell in love. I read the Lord of the Rings trilogy for the first time in middle school and many times since. I have even dabbled in other Tolkien lore (The Silmarillion, etc.), albeit with less enthusiasm or enjoyment. For decades the available audiobooks for Tolkien’s work were pretty awful–flat British narrator, tinny audio, and at points you could even hear pages turning and doors opening and closing. So when I heard that a new edition was being released with Andy Serkis as the narrator I was positively giddy. For those who don’t know, Serkis is the actor who so brilliantly played and voiced Gollum in the movies. He does a masterful job narrating,. voicing characters, and even bringing the admittedly long and cumbersome epic poems to life throughout The Hobbit, The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, The Return of the King, and even The Silmarillion. For any Tolkien fan these audiobooks are a must-have, and for anyone looking for a non-intimidating way to try out these books you have found it.
