Simple Minds Sparkle in The Rain

Just sometimes an album pierces your consciousness, embedding itself like an arrow propelled into a bale of hay. Paul Jost's Simple Life is one of that rare breed, a welcome intrusion into the grey matter where emotion and language spark axons. Jost is an expert at both. And a master at unifying diverse and eclectic material. The CD includes two Jost originals and a playlist that runs from classic jazz to contemporary. What brings it all together, in addition to five musical minds in perfect harmony, is the advice of Jost's father that life "is about common sense," keeping it simple and doing the right thing. Take the opener, Lennon and McCartney's "Blackbird," introduced by the heartbeat of the group, Dean Johnson on bass.