Oa Na Mba by Patrick Bebey – CD Review

25. February 2009 · 1 comment · Categories: African Music, Jazz Music · Tags: , , ,

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Looking for something different to feed your jazz addiction?  Patrick Bebey may be just what you’ve been craving.  Smooth jazz beats, Bebey’s mellow flowing vocals, and a delicious blend of African rooted musical sounds give the CD Oa Na Mba a special something you won’t find in just any jazz.  The instruments used in Patrick Bebey’s work are probably a variety you’ve never even heard of: the sanza (or thumb piano), talking drums, the sabar, and pygmy flutes.  But when you add them to the more familiar pianos, bass, and trumpets, the mix is something worth giving a serious listen.

Bebey has no small musical resume.  He studied classical music at the Paris Conservatoire and is self-taught in Brazilian, jazz, and African music.  For a sold-out “Africa at the Opera” production at the Philharmony in Cologne, he performed a piece for the Pygmy flute and choir, together with Ladysmith Black Mambazo a Grammy Award winning South African a capella singing group.  I can only imagine what an impact that must have had on the audience!

I can tell you the impact Oa Na Mba has had on me, however.  I’ve listened numerous times and am happy to have discovered Bebey.  His style is relaxed, upbeat, and uplifting.  A truly enjoyable work filled with jazz  sounds both familiar and new; an unexpected pleasure on every track!

Listen to Patrick Bebey

Buy the MP3 Download

Buy the CD

The Kingmaking by Helen Hollick – Book Tour & Giveaway

24. February 2009 · 253 comments · Categories: Book Review and Giveaway, Fiction, Goldfish Award Books, historical novel · Tags: , , , ,

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If you’ve ever read a book based on the story of King Arthur, you probably have a pretty good idea on the story line.  Perhaps you remember the sword in the stone, his love Guinevere, or the magical Merlin.  Helen Hollick gives readers a fresh new look at a magnificent tale that has fascinated many for generations.  The Kingmaking strips away everything you thought you knew about Arthur’s life.  

The first part of a trilogy, The Kingmaking gives us a rather realistic look into what Arthur’s life may have been like before becoming a king (if indeed he did exist at all – no one’s sure!)  Gone are such fantastical elements as a small boy pulling the Excalibur from a stone; but what Hollick has replaced these scenes with will leave readers wondering if she’s known something of the truth all along. 

While The Kingmaking is a work of fiction, it reads as a well-researched historical dramatization.  Most certainly much research has gone into adding credibility and an amazing amount of detail to the book.  Anyone with the least bit of interest in such history (the book takes place in the mid 400′s AD) will thoroughly enjoy the rich and historical detail.  I closed the book feeling I’d learned a great deal about the time period, and in fact felt I’d not only read about, but visited Britain’s Dark Ages.

Most impressive of all is Hollick’s ability to lose the reader in her craft of storytelling.  Scenes come alive, jumping off the page and engaging the reader.  Many was the time during this 600-page novel when a battle scene had me so drawn in I was sure I could physically hear it.  I even remember one scene jumping and thinking, “I hope it doesn’t wake my son!”  No, he slept peacefully as I sat in the living room engaged in battle from my couch.  Fortunately I had a sword at the ready for protection.

Not once during The Kingmaking did I ever think, “My, what a long book!  I’m ready for something else.”  No, instead I finished with a sigh, wondering where the time went and hoping that Helen Hollick has that second of the Pendragon’s Banner Trilogy well underway.  Because I don’t know how long I’ll be able to wait to get back to old Britain.

I am happily bestowing carp(e) libris reviews’ Goldfish Award on The Kingmaking.  I dub it an award-winner most certainly!

Want to win your own copy of The Kingmaking?  I thought you would…

 

Rules for Entry:

1.) Just Leave a Comment telling me why you’d be interested in reading The Kingmaking.   (You may enter once a day – following entries don’t require you to answer the question.) Remember, leave an interesting comment.  If I cannot contact the winner, you might be chosen instead based on your comment.

2.) Email subscribers get an extra entry for as long as their subscription is active.

     Already a subscriber?  Leave me a separate comment on this post to let me know you’re interested in this giveaway.

     Want to subscribe?  Just enter your email address in the “Subscribe” box on the left. (Please make sure to verify your Feedburner subscription by responding to the email they send you. If you do not receive it, check your junk mail. Only verified subscriptions are entered for all the giveaways.)

3.) Blog about this giveaway on your blog with a link back to this post.  Come back and leave me a Comment with a link to your blog post. (If your comment doesn’t show up right away, don’t worry – I may have to approve it first.  My blog might think it’s spam but gosh darn, I certainly don’t!)

4.) I’m feeling Twittery.  If you Twitter a link to this giveaway, come back and comment here to let me know your Twitter name for another entry! (I’m dkmommy if you want to follow me.)

Feel free to do all four to gain several entries to win! You have until midnight EST on Tuesday, March 3, 2009, to enter.

Follow the booktour for The Kingmaking and find some great new book blogs:

http://harrietdevine.typepad.com/ 2/20

http://lazyhabits.wordpress.com/ 2/21 and interview 2/27

http://carpelibrisreviews.com/ 2/23

http://www.historicalnovels.info/BookReviews.html 2/23

http://www.bibliophilemusings.com/ 2/23

http://lilly-readingextravaganza.blogspot.com/ 2/23 and guest blog 2/25

http://booksaremyonlyfriends.blogspot.com/ 2/25

http://peekingbetweenthepages.blogspot.com/ 2/26 and guest blog 2/27

http://webereading.blogspot.com/ 2/26

http://www.caramellunacy.blogspot.com 2/26

http://www.chikune.com/blog/ 2/27

http://bookthoughtsbylisa.blogspot.com/ 3/1

http://www.skrishnasbooks.com/ 3/1

http://jennifersrandommusings.wordpress.com/ 3/1

http://rhireading.blogspot.com/ 3/1

http://passagestothepast.blogspot.com/ 3/2

http://thetometraveller.blogspot.com/ 3/2

http://steventill.com/ 3/2

http://savvyverseandwit.blogspot.com/ 3/2 and interview 3/3

http://astripedarmchair.wordpress.com/ 3/3

http://www.CarlaNayland.org 3/3

http://readersrespite.blogspot.com/ 3/3 and interview on 3/5

http://libraryqueue.blogspot.com/ 3/4

http://thebookworm07.blogspot.com/ 3/4

http://www.myfriendamysblog.com/ 3/5

http://samsbookblog.blogspot.com 3/5

http://goodbooksbrightside.blogspot.com/ 3/5

http://teddyrose.blogspot.com/ 3/6

http://sculpturepdx.blogspot.com 3/6

Check out all current giveaways for both my blogs here.

Mug Heaven Ceramic Handmade Mug Giveaway

23. February 2009 · 350 comments · Categories: Creature Comforts for Bookworms, Giveaways · Tags: , , ,

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This Giveaway is Closed – Thank You!

Whether you’re a book lover, a music lover, or both, chances are you like to indulge in your appreciation of either with a hot cup of your favorite coffee or tea by your side.  I prefer having a favorite mug to fill; something that’s mine and mine alone.  For years now I’ve used the same old tired yellow mug that sports a faded cartoon of the Chicago skyline.  I overpaid for it in the Hancock Tower gift shop, and although it represents a very pleasant day, it was time to replace it with something not so worn.  Mug Heaven has such a large selection of handmade ceramic mugs that choosing one to replace my old standby was an enjoyably difficult task.  Animal mugs, personalized mugs, beautifully glazed pottery pieces that looked more like art – and that’s where I stopped.

See the photo above?  It’s the mug I chose, my new sidekick while I blog, read, listen to music.  It’s sitting next to me right now, filled with my favorite cappuccino.  A beautiful piece which came wrapped with extreme care, so it looked simply brilliant when I received it.  There’s something about a good mug that makes drinking coffee and tea seem more satisfying, like a little indulgence in the midst of my usually busy day.  If you’ve ever used a good pottery mug, you probably noticed its tendency to hold onto the heat a little more than the average mass-produced, thin walled piece.  That and, darn, cappuccino just looks better surrounded by a mug called “Golden Toffee and Raspberry“.  

This is where it gets fun:  Mug Heaven is giving away a mug to one carp(e) libris reviews reader.  The winner gets to select the perfect mug to fit their personality; up to a $20 selection! 

Rules for Entry:

1.) Just visit Mug Heaven and tell me what mug fits your personality and why.  (You may enter once a day – following entries don’t require you to answer the question.) Remember, leave an interesting comment.  If I cannot contact the winner, you might be chosen instead based on your comment.

2.) Email subscribers get an extra entry for as long as their subscription is active.

     Already a subscriber?  Leave me a separate comment on this post to let me know you’re interested in this giveaway.

     Want to subscribe?  Just enter your email address in the “Subscribe” box on the left. (Please make sure to verify your Feedburner subscription by responding to the email they send you. If you do not receive it, check your junk mail. Only verified subscriptions are entered for all the giveaways.)

3.) Blog about this giveaway on your blog with a link back to this post.  Come back and leave me a Comment with a link to your blog post. (If your comment doesn’t show up right away, don’t worry – I may have to approve it first.  My blog might think it’s spam but gosh darn, I certainly don’t!)

4.) I’m feeling Twittery.  If you Twitter a link to this giveaway, come back and comment here to let me know your Twitter name for another entry! (I’m dkmommy if you want to follow me.)

Feel free to do all four to gain several entries to win! You have until midnight EST on Monday, March 2, 2009, to enter.

Check out all current giveaways for both my blogs here.

Down to a Sunless Sea by Mathias B. Freese – Book Giveaway

19. February 2009 · 185 comments · Categories: Book Review and Giveaway, Short Stories · Tags: , , ,

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Real enough to make you wonder how the author could have lived so many lives, sad enough to hope he didn’t, Down to a Sunless Sea is a collection of short stories in varied shades of humanity.  Author Mathias B. Freese writes in a wide range of convincing voices.  One thing I like to see in a short story collection is an array of different voices.  As a character actor shapeshifts and reinvents himself from one part to the next, every one of Freese’s stories has a completely different perspective.  It’s as if the bus stops and the reader gets off and hails a taxi for the next “ride” on another point of view.  Much more enticing to a reader, I believe, than feeding the same tone over and over, changing only a scenario, as oftentimes happens in the short story collection.

The one common thread throughout the book is a sort of psychological look into each main character and a darkness that seems to permeate each life.  It wasn’t until I’d finished the book that I read on the back cover that Mathias Freese is in fact a clinical social worker and psychotherapist.  His 25 years experience in these fields has richly added to his fine capacity to tell a riveting short story; the overall impression is one of well-written human observation.

Want to win your own copy of this award-winning collection?  We’ve got one to give away!

Rules for Entry:

1.) Just tell me why you’d like to read Down to a Sunless Sea.  (You may enter once a day – following entries don’t require you to answer the question.) Remember, leave an interesting comment.  If I cannot contact the winner, you might be chosen instead based on your comment.

2.) Email subscribers get an extra entry for as long as their subscription is active.

     Already a subscriber?  Leave me a separate comment on this post to let me know you’re interested in this giveaway.

     Want to subscribe?  Just enter your email address in the “Subscribe” box on the left. (Please make sure to verify your Feedburner subscription by responding to the email they send you. If you do not receive it, check your junk mail. Only verified subscriptions are entered for all the giveaways.)

3.) Blog about this giveaway on your blog with a link back to this post.  Come back and leave me a Comment with a link to your blog post. (If your comment doesn’t show up right away, don’t worry – I may have to approve it first.  My blog might think it’s spam but gosh darn, I certainly don’t!)

4.) I’m feeling Twittery.  If you Twitter a link to this giveaway, come back and comment here to let me know your Twitter name for another entry! (I’m dkmommy if you want to follow me.)

Feel free to do all four to gain several entries to win! You have until midnight EST on Wednesday, February 25, 2009, to enter.

Check out all current giveaways for both my blogs here.

The Pickle Jar by Lesley Kernochan – CD Giveaway

16. February 2009 · 74 comments · Categories: CD Giveaway, Eclectic Music · Tags: , , ,

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If you were to blend the eclectic musical stylings of Nellie McKay add the incredible voice range of Kate Bush, you may begin to understand the wild ride Lesley Kernochan’s “The Pickle Jar” will take you on.  No need to try and pigeonhole Ms. Kernochan – that’s virtually impossible, and while it may be a frustration for many reviewers and music buffs, it’s a breath of fresh air to me.  I have listened to this CD countless times over the past few weeks, enjoying it more every time.  

Imagine being pulled and whirled through a series of musical stylings – staccato violins, banging pianos, musical saws, trombones.  Various key changes, tempo changes, timing; and that could be all in one song!  How it moves so effortlessly from mandolins and a little honky-tonk piano in one piece into a romp worthy of a stageful of dancing Roaring 20′s flappers I’m not sure, but every listen I give to it leaves me smiling and laughing at discovering some new piece of brilliance.  

Do I love The Pickle Jar?  Absolutely.  Will I look for more Leslie Kernochan in the future?  You bet your eclectic butt.  Due to this CD, I figured I’d better give special music finds the same carp(e) libris accolades bestowed upon my favorite reads, known around here as The Goldfish Award.  A humble award, yes.  I have no gleaming trophy to toss Leslie’s way, but I will offer up a virtual goldfish.  It is well earned in my opinion, and if you’re tired of the same old same old, I suggest you snag yourself a copy of The Pickle Jar and be prepared for a rollercoaster ride on a musical kaleidoscope.

Thank you to Lesley Kernochan for providing a free copy to one carp(e) libris reviews reader!  

Rules for Entry:

1.) Just visit Lesley Kernochan’s MySpace page and give her songs a listen.  Come back here to tell me what you like about it.  (You may enter once a day – following entries don’t require you to answer the question.) Remember, leave an interesting comment.  If I cannot contact the winner, you might be chosen instead based on your comment.

2.) Email subscribers get an extra entry for as long as their subscription is active.

     Already a subscriber?  Leave me a separate comment on this post to let me know you’re interested in this giveaway.

     Want to subscribe?  Just enter your email address in the “Subscribe” box on the left. (Please make sure to verify your Feedburner subscription by responding to the email they send you. If you do not receive it, check your junk mail. Only verified subscriptions are entered for all the giveaways.)

3.) Blog about this giveaway on your blog with a link back to this post.  Come back and leave me a Comment with a link to your blog post. (If your comment doesn’t show up right away, don’t worry – I may have to approve it first.  My blog might think it’s spam but gosh darn, I certainly don’t!)

4.) I’m feeling Twittery.  If you Twitter a link to this giveaway, come back and comment here to let me know your Twitter name for another entry! (I’m dkmommy if you want to follow me.)

Feel free to do all four to gain several entries to win! You have until midnight EST on Sunday, February 22, 2009, to enter.

Check out all current giveaways for both my blogs here.

Tax-Free Retirement by Patrick Kelly – Book Giveaway

12. February 2009 · 120 comments · Categories: Financial Non-Fiction, Non-Fiction · Tags: , ,

Click Here for Giveaways & Coupon Codes

Tax-Free Retirement by Patrick Kelly is reviewed by our guest writer Dan Ruger. 

What could I possibly stay away from, given my pretty busy day, to read about retirement? Tax-Free Retirement seemed like a boring lecture at first glance, but given the shroud of laudatory snippets that haloed the book I opened it and went with it to the end. An emotional roller coaster, an eye-opener, and far away from a novel, the numbers the book gives are daunting as is the realization of financial ignorance. I would look at it as a confrontation between Goliath and David, and David’s not winning. Not now, not ever. However, there’s a way to make David survive and keeps Goliath at peace as long as there is tribute.

And there’s where Patrick Kelly comes in with his book and shows us, the Davids, how to keep most if not all of our tribute from being hoarded by Goliath, the mask that hides Uncle Sam. That being said, you have a pitch for life insurance beautifully laid in front of you. Nothing wrong with that; even more, it is presented as an investment due to the generally unknown tax benefits of a well written life insurance policy. The author – who drew policies of this sort in his career – fairly cautions the reader on getting advice from reputable firms and agents in order to have a well put together plan and not just satisfy the sale figures of some avid business.

How appropriate this is, given today’s economic quagmire. And although the interest rates cited in this book are just memories of a better past, we still have to think of our financial future. All in all, “Tax-Free Retirement” needs to be read; it helps paint the big picture and gives a unique and viable perspective on your financial past, present and future.

Want to win your own copy of the National Best-Seller “Tax-Free Retirement”?  Carp(e) libris reviews is giving one away! 

Rules for Entry:

1.) Just visit the Tax-Free Retirement site and tell me something you learned about Patrick Kelley’s book.  (You may enter once a day – following entries don’t require you to answer the question.) Remember, leave an interesting comment.  If I cannot contact the winner, you might be chosen instead based on your comment.

2.) Email subscribers get an extra entry for as long as their subscription is active.

     Already a subscriber?  Leave me a separate comment on this post to let me know you’re interested in this giveaway.

     Want to subscribe?  Just enter your email address in the “Subscribe” box on the left. (Please make sure to verify your Feedburner subscription by responding to the email they send you. If you do not receive it, check your junk mail. Only verified subscriptions are entered for all the giveaways.)

3.) Blog about this giveaway on your blog with a link back to this post.  Come back and leave me a Comment with a link to your blog post. (If your comment doesn’t show up right away, don’t worry – I may have to approve it first.  My blog might think it’s spam but gosh darn, I certainly don’t!)

4.) I’m feeling Twittery.  If you Twitter a link to this giveaway, come back and comment here to let me know your Twitter name for another entry! (I’m dkmommy if you want to follow me.)

Feel free to do all four to gain several entries to win! You have until midnight EST on Wednesday, February 18, 2009, to enter.

Check out all current giveaways for both my blogs here.

Numi Magnolia Puerh Tea Giveaway

11. February 2009 · 231 comments · Categories: Creature Comforts for Bookworms, Giveaways · Tags: , ,

Click Here for Giveaways & Coupon Codes

Numi Teas have quickly become one of my favorites.  Organic and smooth, fair trade and fresh.  The varieties are endless, and one of their new additions to the Numi Tea family is Puerh tea.  Puerh has a unique history behind it, one that adds to the enjoyment of drinking in its smooth flavor.  Numi tells the story of Puerh:

 

Puerh’s ancient history, filled with secrecy and mystery, dates back before the Han Dynasty to over 2000 years ago. During that time, tea was transported by mule and horse caravans along five main routes known as the ‘Tea Horse Roads’. The first and most traveled road started in the village of Pu Erh (pronounced ‘pu-err’), in the high mountains of the Yunnan Province, China’s most Southwest region near the border of Laos and Vietnam.

Merchants on the trading roads compressed tea for easier travel and to maximize their load. These long journeys from western to eastern China (the size of the U.S.) led to a mysterious but extraordinary process. To the tea traders’ surprise, the tea tasted better at journey’s end then the beginning and yielded additional health benefits. It is said the Last Emperor’s mother, known as the ‘Beautiful Countenance’, was cured of her gout from drinking this amazing tea named Puerh.

The secrets of processing Puerh have been guarded for generations and still remain a treasured tradition. Although all teas come from the same plant, Camellia Sinensis, Puerh is made from a different variety that grows on wild, old, tea trees or bushes, known as ‘broad leaf’, found in the cool, crisp, pristine Yunnan Mountains. Numi obtains its Puerh tea leaves from rare 200-500 year-old wild-harvested tea tree varieties, not the pruned bushes that are 40-50 years.

 

Although Numi’s Puerh tea won’t travel to you via mule mail, they do provide wonderful Puerh teas in a few different flavors:  Emperor’s Puerh (black tea); Mint Puerh; Chocolate Puerh; and today’s giveaway, Magnolia Puerh.  The Magnolia Puerh is an organic green tea blend with a hint of magnolia.  Between my husband and myself, we managed to drink a box in a matter of a few weeks!  It’s mellow and smooth, no bitterness as I’ve found the case to be with Numi, and wonderfully uplifting without the jitters.  This quickly became a preferred green tea here at the house.

Now it’s time to enter to win your own box.  Numi is giving away one box of Magnolia Puerh tea to a carp(e) libris reviews reader.  Enjoy!

Rules for Entry:

1.) Just visit the Numi Tea site and tell me what you liked or learned there.  (You may enter once a day – following entries don’t require you to answer the question.) Remember, leave an interesting comment.  If I cannot contact the winner, you might be chosen instead based on your comment.

2.) Email subscribers get an extra entry for as long as their subscription is active.

     Already a subscriber?  Leave me a separate comment on this post to let me know you’re interested in this giveaway.

     Want to subscribe?  Just enter your email address in the “Subscribe” box on the left. (Please make sure to verify your Feedburner subscription by responding to the email they send you. If you do not receive it, check your junk mail. Only verified subscriptions are entered for all the giveaways.)

3.) Blog about this giveaway on your blog with a link back to this post.  Come back and leave me a Comment with a link to your blog post. (If your comment doesn’t show up right away, don’t worry – I may have to approve it first.  My blog might think it’s spam but gosh darn, I certainly don’t!)

4.) I’m feeling Twittery.  If you Twitter a link to this giveaway, come back and comment here to let me know your Twitter name for another entry! (I’m dkmommy if you want to follow me.)

Feel free to do all four to gain several entries to win! You have until midnight EST on Tuesday, February 17, 2009, to enter.

Check out all current giveaways for both my blogs here.

Italian Leather Journal Giveaway from JournalShelf

09. February 2009 · 367 comments · Categories: Creature Comforts for Bookworms, Giveaways, Journals · Tags: , ,

Click Here for Giveaways & Coupon Codes

Katharina, it’s time to start journaling again – you won! Look for the winning email and respond right away to claim your prize.

Journaling has been an important part of my daily life for many years, and while I have written in less-than-impressive journals, tablets, and even hotel notepads when in a pinch, there is nothing like being able to write my thoughts in a journal that inspires me to write every time I look at it.  As my writing becomes more important to me, so does my choice of journal.  I have recently started keeping my everyday writings in an Italian Leather Travel Journal from JournalShelf, and I’ve found writing in it to be completely enjoyable.

This JournalShelf journal is actually designed for travel with its belted cover and practical 4 x 5.5-inch size, but I’ve found it’s also perfect for everyday use.  I have never really taken to using the large desk sized journals because I so rarely write while sitting at a desk or table.  Most times it’s a lap thing.  A big bulky tome just won’t do.  Add to the convenient size the fine Italian leather craftsmanship with hand tooling, the warm scent of smooth quality leather, and 240 wonderful hand-cut Amalfi paper pages in an easy-on-the-eyes cream color, and the journal is a writer’s dream.  This would make a fantastic gift for the writer or writer-to-be.  Mine came wrapped beautifully in fine paper making the experience one of quality from the get-go.

JournalShelf is generously giving away one Italian Leather Travel Journal to a carp(e) libris reviews reader.  

 

Rules for Entry:

1.) Just visit the JournalShelf site and tell me what other item appeals to you.  (You may enter once a day – following entries don’t require you to answer the question.) Remember, leave an interesting comment.  If I cannot contact the winner, you might be chosen instead based on your comment.

2.) Email subscribers get an extra entry for as long as their subscription is active.

     Already a subscriber?  Leave me a separate comment on this post to let me know you’re interested in this giveaway.

     Want to subscribe?  Just enter your email address in the “Subscribe” box on the left. (Please make sure to verify your Feedburner subscription by responding to the email they send you. If you do not receive it, check your junk mail. Only verified subscriptions are entered for all the giveaways.)

3.) Blog about this giveaway on your blog with a link back to this post.  Come back and leave me a Comment with a link to your blog post. (If your comment doesn’t show up right away, don’t worry – I may have to approve it first.  My blog might think it’s spam but gosh darn, I certainly don’t!)

4.) I’m feeling Twittery.  If you Twitter a link to this giveaway, come back and comment here to let me know your Twitter name for another entry! (I’m dkmommy if you want to follow me.)

Feel free to do all four to gain several entries to win! You have until midnight EST on Sunday, February 15, 2009, to enter.

Check out all current giveaways for both my blogs here.

T Bird and the Breaks CD Giveaway

03. February 2009 · 106 comments · Categories: Blues Music, CD Giveaway · Tags: , ,

Click Here for Giveaways & Coupon Codes

When I was a kid, I begged my mom until she ordered me an R&B cassette tape advertised on television with a 1-800 number.  I didn’t know any of the singers before then, but this compilation tape got me hooked on greats like Otis Redding, Van Morrison, and Sly & the Family Stone.  T Bird and the Breaks brings in all the funk I got hooked on way back when.

This here’s strutting music.  Get in your car, crank up your T Bird and the Breaks CD, and roll the windows down because you’re about to become the coolest cat on the freeway.  There’s no way you’ll be able to sit still during this R&B groove inspired recording.  T Bird and the Breaks is an 11-piece band from Austin, Texas and the self-titled CD is their first.  The band includes fantastic lead, rhythm and bass guitars; a trombone and wailing tenor and baritone saxophones; amazing percussion; and three backup singers.  Lead singer Tim Crane (T Bird) has a voice born for R&B:  Edgy with occasional gravel, his style has a commanding presence.  My biggest regret is not being able to see the band live; one can only imagine the party that must ensue every time these guys take the stage.  

Good news is, T Bird and the Breaks are giving away a copy of their self-titled CD to one very lucky, always hip carp(e) libris reviews reader.  And if you don’t win?  No need to dial a 1-800 number for ordering.  You can get it here through CDBaby.

Rules for Entry:

1.) Just visit the T Bird and the Breaks MySpace page and tell me why their music appeals to you. You’ll find links in the sidebar to videos and music clips.  (You may enter once a day – following entries don’t require you to answer the question.) Remember, leave an interesting comment.  If I cannot contact the winner, you might be chosen instead based on your comment.

2.) Email subscribers get an extra entry for as long as their subscription is active.

     Already a subscriber?  Leave me a separate comment on this post to let me know you’re interested in this giveaway.

     Want to subscribe?  Just enter your email address in the “Subscribe” box on the left. (Please make sure to verify your Feedburner subscription by responding to the email they send you. If you do not receive it, check your junk mail. Only verified subscriptions are entered for all the giveaways.)

3.) Blog about this giveaway on your blog with a link back to this post.  Come back and leave me a Comment with a link to your blog post. (If your comment doesn’t show up right away, don’t worry – I may have to approve it first.  My blog might think it’s spam but gosh darn, I certainly don’t!)

4.) I’m feeling Twittery.  If you Twitter a link to this giveaway, come back and comment here to let me know your Twitter name for another entry! (I’m dkmommy if you want to follow me.)

Feel free to do all four to gain several entries to win! You have until midnight EST on Monday, February 16, 2009, to enter.

Check out all current giveaways for both my blogs here.