ELLINGTON WAS NOT A STREET

"It hasn't always been this way/ Ellington was not a street." To the backdrop of Ellington's "Mood Indigo," with all the static of a record on a record player, the listener is treated to the poetry of visitors through the author's house. Rashad's voice is gentle, yet firm. Her drawn-out pauses heighten the mysteriousness and import of each guest. Now, open the book and listen along while Kadir Nelson's majestic artwork expands the experience. An additional expansion comes when reading the end notes which, unfortunately, are not included in the recording. A.R. © AudioFile 2006, Portland, Maine [Published: FEB/ MAR 06]