GREAT READS

Paper Airplane

Alison Krauss

I am a fan of country music. As a child my parents took the family to Sunset Park for all the country music one could absorb on a Sunday afternoon and evening. As a teenager I went the Pop route, only to return to my country roots as a young adult. WXCY is my number one radio choice at home and when I'm driving with my husband and can't listen to my CD books.

Today, when I arrived at work, I went out into the main library to browse. Ending up in the CD section with its new shelving, I easily found the country CDs. Alison Krauss just jumped out at me. I love to listen to her and Union Station with their harmony and fantastic musicality. They are five very distinct musicians who come together to form a very unique sound.

Unfortunately, the only thing Alison and I share is the spelling of our last name. Her voice is so pure and soft, yet strong. When her voice combines with the musical quality of Union Station, bluegrass music never sounded so good. I also love the fact that the band members do lead vocals. You can also listen to a few performances by them on the soundtrack of "O Brother Where Art Thou" and one song on "Cold Mountain."

The CD I chose was "Paper Airplane," which has 11 songs. One of the songs is titled "Dust Bowl Children," which is an era of US history that the media has recently been bringing to our attention. Check out more at the library with "The Dust Bowl" in DVD format; "The Dust Bowl: An Illustrated History" by Dayton Duncan (978) in our nonfiction section, or "Rainwater" by Sandra Brown (Fic BRO) for the adult fiction reader.

Well, time to go listen to more of Cousin Alison and "Paper Airplane" with the last song, "My Opening Farewell."

Recommended by Linda Krauss