Music Recommendations

1. Dr. John: Live at Montreux 1995. It doesn't get any better than Dr. John when it comes to funky New Orleans piano, and this is a great live recording of Dr. John with a 7-piece band (New Orleans Social and Pleasure Club), at his best, performing at the Montreux Jazz Festival in 1995.

2. Sierra Leone's Refugee All-Stars: Living Like a Refugee

Amazon: This is a group of musicians who lived for years as refugees in the West African nation of Guinea. While living in a tent camp, they acquired a couple beat up guitars and a rusted out sound system and began playing. American documentary filmmakers made the band the focus of their movie, which received enthusiastic endorsements from the likes of Keith Richards, Paul McCartney, Joe Perry, and Ice Cube. The film's success has allowed the band to tour internationally to ecstatic audiences. Born in the midst of a violent, decade-long civil war, the group and its music celebrate our ability to sustain hope, inspiration, and creativity - the best in us - even in a climate of rage, loss, and madness.

3. Reverend Arthur T. Jones: Speak for Me OOP (out-of-print) and only available used on Amazon, but great gospel music from the executive director and producer of the Florida Mass Choir. You can really "get your praise on" with this CD.