1. I have never been a big fan of Jewel, but I have always known that she can write a good song. The tune "Deep Water" proves that she can. When I came across her poetry, "A Night Without Armor" I picked it up, read through it a little bit, put it back down and never looked back. The only reason I mention this is that the lyrics to "Deep Water", in contrast to her standing-alone lyrics, are good and true, showing that her talent is indeed for the craft of writing and singing a song. This performance of "Deep Water" is live and solo, so we really get to the heart of her expression and it is a worthy and intimate experience.
2. Harry Connick Jr. has a new album out called "Come By Me" which returns to that great sound he had on earlier albums. We met him as the twenty-one year old kid who made the When Harry Met Sally soundtrack. He was out to make swing music relevant again, and he touched a nerve in the American public. Recently, swing has been all the rage again, but it seems to have had little to do with Harry, as his more recent albums have been directionless, bad mixtures of rock, funk, fusion and jazz. Perhaps he was questioning the relevance of his music, trying to come up with something more contemporary and avant-garde. The answer to that dilemma (and thank goodness the artist himself answered it rather than us dusty critics) is that one would never confuse Harry Connick, Jr.'s music with something from the era of Duke Ellington and Count Basie-it sounds different, has a present-day feel, and an unprecedented level of richness in the architecture of the sound, thanks to modern-day recording. The purpose of music is to make us feel good, and connect us to feelings that are not always readily available. This is exactly what Harry has done1x
3. Diana Krall's new album, "When I Look in Your Eyes". In the Music Store on the jazz page, there is a picture of her album and below it you can play bits of four songs. They are all quite silky and laid-back, using minimalist instrumentation. They have a very authentic sound and tone to them, and Krall's voice is cultivated but sincere.

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