ALBUMS

THEN:

Ellington at Newport 1956 (Complete) – Duke Ellington

It’s one thing to know a few Duke Ellington songs – it’s another entirely to hear the man and his band in front of a crowd. The original Ellington at Newport included a combination of studio performances and dubbed crowd noise; the Complete release provides, in stereo, the actual audio from the live performance; you can hear the great man and his band rewriting their legend status on stage.

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NOW:

The Duke – Joe Jackson

Eclectic singer-songwriter Joe Jackson has never picked a style and stuck to it, so it should come as no surprise that Jackson interpreted the Duke Ellington Songbook. Backed up by artists like Steve Vai, Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson and Captain Kirk Douglas of The Roots, plus Iggy Pop and Sharon Jones of Dap Kings, Jackson lovingly makes Ellington’s classics his own…without stealing any credit from the great man.

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BOOKS

THEN:

The Stranger Beside Me by Ann Rule

Serial killer books rarely come with an element so chillingly personal. Here, author Ann Rule relates the story of her years spent volunteering alongside Ted Bundy at a crisis hotline, while never once suspecting that 36 savage murders lay beneath this innocent friendship. This is a story that puts the phrase “hiding in plain sight” into stark relief.

NOW:

Cemetery John: The Undiscovered Mastermind of the Lindbergh Kidnapping  by Robert Zorn

True crime is a sensationalistic genre and few mysteries define sensationalism like the Lindbergh kidnapping. Author Robert Zorn’s father spent his life convinced that his Bronx neighbor was responsible for the kidnapping. Zorn’s connection is not to the astounding scandal or a lifelong obsession with the mystery, but in trying to prove his father right. It’s an approach both unique and refreshing, adding new light to a mystery decades old.

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DVDs

THEN:

The Fly

A monster movie on the surface, but beneath see a tragedy of all-too-human proportions. The titular fly is no mere monster; he is, or was, a man (Jeff Goldblum). His condition is the sad result of a simple mistake. As he deteriorates, so too does his relationship with his girlfriend (Geena Davis), and it’s their bond – with all of its flaws – that draws us into their horrific, tragic world. David Cronenberg’s interpretation of the 1958 classic is at once graphic, terrifying and frighteningly real.

NOW:

Jaws (Universal’s 100th Anniversary Edition)

Thirty-seven years after its massive debut, Steven Spielberg’s Jaws remains a classic in horror history, and a high watermark (no pun intended) of the “monster movie” genre. Now released on Blu-ray as part of Universal’s 100th anniversary celebration, you can show your kids why you’re still a little skittish about swimming in the ocean.