Gordon Lightfoot Book, Music and More!

She had a voice that perfectly blended the sacred and the secular, one that could scale gospel highs and move effortlessly from jazz and blues to r&b and pop. She also lived an extraordinary life, overcoming numerous personal challenges to become a respected figure of indomitable strength, someone who came to represent both women’s liberation and the civil rights movement. When Aretha Franklin died last week at 76, the legendary artist drew an outpouring of tributes from politicians and pop stars alike. “Let’s all take a moment to give thanks for the beautiful life of Aretha Franklin, tweeted Sir Paul McCartney, “the Queen of our souls, who inspired us all for many, many years. She will ...

From its upside down cover photo to the off-kilter music inside, Grande’s fourth album is clearly meant as the ponytailed pop singer’s Mature Artistic Statement. The quirkier tracks come courtesy of singer-rapper-producer Pharrell Williams, of “Happy” fame, while the more straightforward offerings are the work of Swedish hitmaker Max Martin. Grande makes no direct reference to the terrorist attack at her May 2017 Manchester concert that killed 23 people and injured another 500, although one bubbling, infectious Williams number has Grande half-rapping “The light is coming to give back everything the darkness stole.” She addresses her clinical anxiety on “Breathin’” and “Get Well Soon,” the la...

Mraz is unapologetically wholesome. He likens his live show to a yoga class. His albums always have at least one song with love in the title. That sunny outlook helped the talented singer-songwriter win two Grammy Awards and sell over seven million albums. But it all went sour when America’s political climate turned toxic. Despondent, Mraz wrote several protest songs that failed to connect and he briefly considered quitting. But a stint on Broadway restored his love of performing and he decided he “could be of more service as the voice of optimism.” Mraz's sixth album is just the right tonic for these dark times. “Love is Still the Answer” is a gorgeous ode to positivity, much like the regga...