From a shameless dog lover: Spend some pleasant moments listening to Songs of the Cat

December 16th, 2013 by Peter · Uncategorized

Songs of the CatI have been listening to the old scout since I was a boomer kid. Prairie Home has been a part of my life. Well, a big part of my radio listening life. In the early 1970’s I listened to the King Biscuit Flour Hour and National Lampoon’s short-lived radio program. Then a family member told me about a new radio show coming down from the prairie, and the newly created public radio station in Minnesota. I tuned in and have been a fan ever since.  A popular theme on the Home on the Prairie show in the early days was: Cats, cats, and more cats. The mythical Bertha’s Kitty Boutique was an early sponsor of the program. Cat-themed skits were a weekly favorite. Humorous cat songs were plentiful.

As a fan, I collected many LPs of the show as well as early tape cassettes. A keeper from my collection is, Songs of the Cat by Garrison Keillor, with Frederica von Stade (20 songs, one hour and three minutes; lyrics and booklet included). It’s now available, of course, on compact disc, and via download from HighBridge Audio.  I don’t have a working turntable any longer. So, when I break out the milk crate full of Prairie Home cds, I always start with the early compilations. Songs of the Cat is a collection of some funny, heartwarming, and beautiful tunes that were good when they were first broadcast on Keillor’s show, and they continue to entertain me and my friends every time we listen in. 

Frederica Von Stade sings sweetly about ‘Oy Chuck and Katie’, GK brings back the humorous ‘My Grandmother’s Cat’, and tells the familiar tale of the ‘Cat that Came Back.’ Philip Brunelle conducts, Randall Davidson does sound effects. It’s a winner!

To be honest, I am a dog lover. I have never owned a cat. I have known some cats in my life who just don’t care for me, but I am amused and amazed by all things of cat culture. I own the NPR Driveway Moments Cat Tales (5 stars in my book), and I am a big fan of Minneapolis’ Walker Art Center and their Cat Film/Video Festival. I love the idea of people cherishing their cats, and cats, well, just being…. better than dogs. 

So, from a shameless dog lover, consider joining me and listen to Songs of the Cat. Sit back and enjoy Ms. Von Stade singing ‘Cats May Safely Sleep’. It’s a public radio treasure.

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47 Ronin: Serving a Cold Dish of Honorable Revenge

December 13th, 2013 by Josh Brown · HighBridge at the Movies

Now a major motion picture starring Keanu Reeves (release date December 25), John Allyn’s definitive telling of this unforgettable tale has been the gold standard of this story for almost 50 years. Allyn lived in Japan for a number of years studying Japanese literature and theater, later earing his PhD in theater history (with an emphasis on Japanese theater, of course) from UCLA upon his return to the United States.

A legendary story that exemplifies the definition of bushidō (a code of chivalry among the samurai class, stressing frugality, loyalty, martial arts mastery, and honor unto death), 47 Ronin is the story of a band of samurai who defied the Emperor to avenge the disgrace and death of their master, and faced certain death as a result. Believe it or not, the story of the revenge of the forty-seven rōnin (pronounced ROH-neen), has roots in reality. The event, which took place in Japan at the start of the 18th century, involved a somewhat minor feudal lord, Asano Naganori, who was sentenced to commit seppuku (ritual suicide) for assaulting a court official named Kira Yoshinaka.

No one will ever know the “real” story of what happened on the fateful day that Lord Asano assaulted the court official, but fictionalized accounts over the years make Kira out to be a greasy, weasely, corrupt official, who hurls continuous insults at Lord Asano. Finally, after Kira insults his wife, Lord Asano can simply take no more, and attacks him with a dagger. Unfortunately, violence of any kind, even simply drawing your blade, was strictly forbidden in Edo Castle (home of the Shogun). Thus, Asano is ordered to commit seppuku; his goods and lands confiscated; his family exiled; and his samurai retainers become rōnin (leaderless).

Lord Asano’s samurai vowed revenge, and led by Asano’s chief retainer, Ōishi, they take a secret oath to avenge their master by killing Kira, knowing full well knew that doing so would mean certain death.

47 ronin woodblock printKira was well guarded, so they knew they had to take their time and plot meticulously and accordingly. The rōnin assume new identities (teachers, tradesmen, etc.) and in essence go “undercover.” They bide their time, secretly planning their attack, and carry out their revenge almost two full years after Lord Asano had been ordered to commit suicide. I guess it’s true what they say: revenge is a dish best served cold. I won’t give away any details of the end, but I will say that the climatic and action-packed ending is one of the reasons that John Allyn’s masterful retelling of the story is considered the gold standard.

47_Ronin_GravesDon’t skip the foreword by Stephen Turnbull. He gives some acute and academic insights into what might have really taken place, and gives a brief overview how the story of the forty-seven rōnin has been portrayed and celebrated in Japan over the past four centuries, through oral tradition, writings, paintings, plays, film, etc.  Turnbull is a celebrated British academic, historian, and writer. He is a specialist in eastern military history, particularly in that of Japan. He has authored over thirty books on samurai and the history of Japanese warfare. He even served as a consultant on the Keanu Reeves movie.

David Shih’s narration truly brings life to this classic tale. His range is impeccable; from the strong gruff-voiced samurai Ōishi, to the cunning and villainous Kira, David Shih is the perfect choice for this audiobook. The audiobook is also a winner of the AudioFile Earphones Award.

While the upcoming movie version obviously takes quite a bit of liberties with the “true” story, anyone with interest in the real story of the 47 Ronin is encouraged to check out the definitive audio from HighBridge. It’s more than just a revenge tale packed with action (which, incidentally, is usually enough for me), it’s also a lesson in Japanese history and culture.

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Kim Mai Guest to Narrate The Axe Factor

December 11th, 2013 by Josh Brown · Author/Narrator News

HighBridge is pleased to announce that Kim Mai Guest will be reading The Axe Factor, the third and final installment in Colin Cotterill’s Jimm Juree series. The Axe Factor

With a major storm headed their way and a potential serial killer on the loose, it looks like journalist Jimm Juree, her eccentric family, and the whole town of Maprao is in for some major changes. Like the previous two in the series (Killed at the Whim of a Hat and Grandad, There’s a Head on the Beach), The Axe Factor is sure to take listeners on a whirlwind journey as Jimm Juree chases a bizarre crime with the help of her ex-cop grandfather.

Kim Mai GuestKim Mai Guest  is one of the most prolific voice actors in the industry. In addition to narrating scores of audiobooks, she has lent her voice to numerous high-profile video games and animation programs.

The Axe Factor will be available on CD and digital download in April.

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Billingham–and Tom Thorne–Back for More

December 10th, 2013 by Steve Lehman · Acquisition News

This just in, you crime fiction aficionados: HighBridge has acquired audio rights to the next Tom Thorne novel by celebrated British mystery writer Mark Billingham. It’s called The Bones Beneath (June, 2014), and it’s a rematch between Thorne and one of the most vile psychopaths he has ever faced (hint: it’s a villainous master manipulator from one of the early Tom Thorne novels that’s also available as a HighBridge audiobook).  The Bones Beneath is deliciously creepy, more than a little terrifying, and involves Thorne making the most gut-wrenching decision of his career. In other words, you, Mr. and Ms. Detective Fiction Fanatic, definitely won’t want to miss it. It’s coming next June, which gives you plenty of time to listen to the previous four Billingham audiobooks from HighBridge: Sleepyhead, Scaredy Cat, From the Dead, and The Dying Hours. And while you’re in the midst of doing that, take a moment to check out the cover story on Billingham in the Fall 2013 issue of Mystery Scene magazine.

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Billingham’s Sleepyhead: A First-in-Series That Will Keep You Awake

December 9th, 2013 by Kay Weiss · Uncategorized

SleepyheadHaving listened to Mark Billingham’s Sleepyhead, read by Simon Prebble, I believe I may have discovered the perfect way to determine whether you’ve come across a truly outstanding mystery: Try to explain what you like about it to someone. If you realize you can’t without the explanation being a spoiler of some kind, you’ve got a great mystery.

It can be assumed, as always, that narrator Simon Prebble—a true professional—delivers on every word, character, and plot twist, even if I’m having trouble deciding which if any of these I can tell you more about.

But—other than outstanding narration—since I can’t say simply, “trust me, you’ll like it,” (although perhaps telling you American crime writers like Lee Child, Karin Slaughter, and Michael Connelly also say you should trust them, you’ll like Billingham, would do it?), I’ll try to dance around the spoilers and give a sense of what you have to look forward to if you start with this first in Billingham’s Tom Thorne series.

I’ll start with Billingham first: A Brit, Billingham began work as an actor and stand-up comic, eventually contributing to scripts in shows in which he appeared. While even he assumed the natural leap to mystery writing would be in the “comic caper” mode Donald Westlake and others made famous, what came out instead was a dark mystery, more in the style of P. D. James, although Billingham’s Tom Thorne is a more rumpled character than the suave Dagliesh, much more just-off-the-beat and seemingly ordinary—and consequently more relatable.

Thorne comes with a backstory: A case that haunts him for his self-assessed failure in preventing the horrific outcome to which he himself was the unlucky first witness. Thorne is known for having a seemingly intuitive sense of who the culprit is on cases, but that sense hasn’t always helped him (as in the aforementioned case) and it also can set him at odds with colleagues and superiors who tend to prefer to have a little more hard evidence before drawing conclusions.

Thorne’s adversary in Sleepyhead, as we learn early on, has two irregular characteristics for most murderers: First, he is not actually trying to kill his victims; he just wants to leave them in a state known by the name “locked-in syndrome,” where the mind appears to be completely conscious and active but the body cannot communicate except, in some instances, through the eyes. Second, he appears to want Thorne to catch him.

I will admit that, although being a P. D. James fan and many of her criminals are sadistic to say the least, I was somewhat put off listening to the Sleepyhead audiobook at first by the darkness of the criminal mind described in the book jacket copy and thus the potential gruesomeness of the novel. But Billingham is far, far too interested in the humanness of his characters to let the story degrade from a crime novel to a horror story. In fact I can say that in Sleepyhead I have encountered the first novel where my favorite character is actually the murder victim (kudos as well to Prebble, who gives her the sass and sauce Billingham clearly intends) and possibly also the first mystery novel that made me cry.

Scaredy CatAnd Billingham also fooled me—not just with the criminal reveal but with the novel’s ultimate conclusion. It devolves in keeping with his apparent philosophy of keeping the story human: You can disagree with it, but you can’t say it rings false. It’s an ending that sticks with you and plays over in your mind. In fact, the only way to get it out might be to pick up the next Tom Thorne novel, Scaredy Cat, which fortunately for you and me both HighBridge also has available.

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The Unforgettable Tom Keith: Sound Effects Man

December 2nd, 2013 by Frank Randall · Uncategorized

With the second anniversary of Tom Keith’s unexpected passing retreating all too quietly as winter approaches, I’m reminded there’s one CD in our home that keeps both my eight year old son and my sixty-nine year old mother-in-law in stitches, consistently, and on any given listen. And by “in stitches” I mean unbridled laughter – the kind that makes you tap a headphoned individual on the shoulder and ask “What’s that you’re listening to?” It’s a lovingly curated collection of highlights from public radio’s A Prairie Home Companion called, simply, Tom Keith: Sound Effects Man.

A quick review of the contents suggests a delightful hour of APHC skits culled from the extensive archives: Tom busting out of the gate on track one, valiantly chasing Garrison Keillor’s evocative audio fantasy around the Gunflint Trail. The confounding Maurice, maître d’ of the Cafe Boeuf, exacting his revenge on the very same Mr. Keillor, the universal martyr of restaurant patrons everywhere. The kilt-wearing tenor celebrating St. Andrew’s Day. Every piece is charming, nuanced, and downright funny.

But the signature that Tom Keith leaves on each of these performances, and on his body of work in general, is that every sound he created wasn’t just a sound that filled a specific cue in a script that called for an audio effect. The sounds he created – no matter how fleeting or seemingly trivial to the comedic ensemble in question – had, surprisingly, a personality of its own. The noises he made had heart. They revealed character where character would not normally be found. This was his magic. The distressed caribou. The relentless water-drip. The underachieving automobile. The sober Swede. The deadly lutefisk. The carnivorous snow-bat. The bad loon. His work was delightful, and may be revisited at will and with great pleasure thanks to this terrific collection.

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Narrators Tap Into Their Darker Side for A Darker Shade of Sweden

November 27th, 2013 by Josh Brown · Author/Narrator News

HighBridge is excited to announce that the highly anticipated audio short-story collection, A Darker Shade of Sweden, will be read by a thrilling and impressive array of talent: Carol Monda, Scott Brick, Adam Grupper, Maggi-Meg Reed, Erik Bergmann, and Tavia Gilbert.

A Darker Shade of SwedenContaining seventeen stories, all never before published in English, A Darker Shade of Sweden illuminates the shadow side of this beguiling country as never before, and promises to be among the most highly anticipated crime fiction of the season.

The anthology includes short fiction from Sweden’s greatest crime writers, including Henning Mankell, Håkan Nesser, Åsa Larsson, Maj Sjöwall, Per Wahlöö, Sara Stridsberg, and many more. But the big news is that it includes a never-before-published story by a seventeen-year-old Stieg Larsson, late author of The Millennium Trilogy.

To have these exciting stories paired with this caliber of narrators is certainly a recipe for an electrifying audiobook. Carol Monda is a two-time Audie Award-winner and recipient of the Audio Publishers Association Earphones Award; she has narrated over 100 audiobooks to date. Scott Brick has narrated more than 600 audiobooks, won over 50 Earphone Awards, two Audie Awards, and has been nominated for a Grammy Award. In addition to audiobook narration, Adam Grupper’s on-screen credits include appearances on Law and Order and The Sopranos and the film Music and Lyrics. Maggi-Meg Reed has a number of audiobooks to her credit, and also has an accomplished theater career in New York including stage, musical theater, and opera. Erik Bergmann began acting at an early age, and for nearly fifteen years now, he has built a thriving voice-over and audiobook career. Tavia Gilbert is an award-winning narrator with more than 150 audiobooks under her belt.

A Darker Shade of Sweden is edited and translated by John-Henri Holmberg, an Edgar-nominated co-author of the 2011 book Secrets of the Tattooed Girl, a book about the Millennium novels and their author, Stieg Larsson, who was a personal friend. For more than fifteen years, Holmberg reviewed crime fiction for southern Sweden’s largest daily newspaper, which gained him the Jan Broberg Excellence in Criticism award as well as election to the Swedish Crime Fiction Academy. He now works full-time as a writer, translator, and editor in Sweden.

A Darker Shade of Sweden will be available February.

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Artist-autographed copies of Star Wars: A New Hope Radio Drama auctioned for charity

November 15th, 2013 by Josh Brown · Uncategorized

HighBridge has teamed up with Knights’ Archive to offer a set of the new Star Wars: A New Hope – The Original Radio Drama Topps Collector’s Editions signed by the artists, Matt Busch and Randy Martinez. All proceeds from the auction will go to the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

To view the auction or make a bid, please visit the eBay auction page. The auction ends November 21.

Star Wars: A New Hope - The Original Radio Drama Topps Collector’s Editions signed by the artists

Each edition includes an exclusive Topps Star Wars Illustrated: A New Hope card that corresponds to the package cover art; 6 hours of the Star Wars Original Radio drama, plus 35 minutes of rare bonus audio: “The Making of the Radio Drama” audio documentary, interviews, and promo spots created for the original radio broadcast; and a 12-page booklet featuring images from the recording sessions and the Star Wars: A New Hope movie.

Each edition is signed by artists Matt Busch (Light Side edition) and Randy Martinez (Dark Side edition). 100% of the proceeds from the auction will go to the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

For more information on Star Wars: A New Hope – The Original Radio Drama Topps Collector’s Editions, please visit starwarsradiodrama.com.

Please note that HighBridge Company and Knights’ Archive have arranged this auction. This auction is completely independent of Lucasfilm® and Topps®. Matt Busch and Randy Martinez have graciously signed these audios, but bear no responsibility for the outcome of this auction.

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Scott Brick to Narrate The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry

November 13th, 2013 by Josh Brown · Author/Narrator News

HighBridge is proud to announce that award-winning narrator Scott Brick will be reading The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry, a highly anticipated new title by author Gabrielle Zevin.

The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry follows irascible A. J. Fikry, the owner of independent book store Island Books. Fikry has already lost his wife, but now his most prized possession, a rare book, has been stolen from right under his nose. Things are turned even more upside-down when upon closing one night,  he discovers an abandoned toddler in his children’s section. A search for the little girl’s mother, his rare book, and good childcare advice ensues, and soon the locals notice a transformation of both bookstore and owner.

Scott BrickScott Brick is one of the most accomplished and celebrated narrators in the audiobook industry. He has narrated more than 600 audiobooks, won over 50 Earphone Awards, two Audie Awards, and has been nominated for a Grammy Award. His previous credits for HighBridge include Rendezvous and History Decoded.

The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry will be available on CD and digital download in April. Read more about Scott Brick at his website, Scott Brick Presents, or follow his Twitter at @ScottBrick.

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Survival Lessons: A little gem…wise, witty and wonderful.

November 11th, 2013 by Gladys · Uncategorized

Survival LessonsI was drawn to Survival Lessons, the little gem of a book by celebrated fiction author Alice Hoffman, as family members and friends of mine endured  trauma and health challenges this past year.  A cancer survivor herself, Hoffman’s impulse for writing this book was her need for a “guidebook” to help cope with long-term illness, to help see the “beauty of life…all too easy to overlook during the crisis of illness or loss…And to remind myself that, despite everything that was happening to me, there were still some choices I could make.”

Survival Lessons is beautifully and gracefully narrated by Xe Sands, who seems to channel Hoffman’s spirit in this reading. I was hooked after the first sentence. It is full of down-to-earth advice, endearing stories, and practical lessons for making choices that enrich one’s life and make each day an opportunity to thrive, not just survive; to experience beauty and joy along with the sorrow and pain. Hoffman says, “I forgot that our lives are made up of equal parts of sorrow and joy, and that it is impossible to have one without the other.”

Alice HoffmanAlice Hoffman‘s many suggestions are found in a series of short essays or lessons, beginning with Choose your Heroes, Choose to Enjoy Yourself, Choose Your Friends, and she encourages us to make the best brownies, boil the perfect egg, make time for an old friend, plan an interesting trip, carry on the work that we adore—these can all bring love into and enormously enrich our lives as we endure illness.

Although short in length, Survival Lessons is a generous road map that I will turn to again and again. I will share it with others in my life who could benefit from the gifts that it generously shares—caregivers, friends, co-workers, neighbors—anyone, really, who feels the impact of illness in their lives and want to thrive, not just survive.

“Love is complicated, love can be hidden, love, above all else, is loyalty.” ~AH

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