Shanachie: Cool Urban Jazz
may not be what everyone thinks of as Urban Jazz, but it also isn't elevator music (as the only negative review accuses). It is an album that you can place on the Kindle and listen along while reading, without being too distracted (or worry about having others hear what you are playing, which is not the case with all the free songs you'll find out there).
Speaking of samplers, Amazon has really pulled out the stops on Free World Music Samplers
. They currently have an entire page of free albums, although it can be a bit confusing to get to the download page - first click on an album cover that looks interesting, such as the one shown here, Tuff Gong Worldwide World Music Sampler
, which is almost entirely Ziggy Marley & family performances. You'll first go to a page that features related albums from the same part of the world and in the same musical genre. Look around the top of the page or on the right margin and you should see the album a second time - click on it and you'll then see the Album Page where you can download the sampler for free (always verify the price before you one-click on Get MP3). What better way to read Three Cups of Tea than while listening to Music From The Middle East
?
Change Is Gonna Come
, by Bettye Lavette, is one of those samples that fulfills it's purpose perfectly: it leaves you wanting more. You can't go wrong getting the rest of the album (Change Is Gonna Come Sessions
, $4.95) or with any of the rest of her catalog
.
The next one isn't free, but is a bargain at $2.99. Amazon has put together what they consider to be The 99 Most Essential Pieces of the Romantic Era
, over thirteen and a half hours of music. I suspect the price will soon rise to $7.99, as their other Essential collections are priced (still a bargain at that price). Like the other Essential collections, this one is classical music. It contains several songs that everyone will recognize, even if they don't consider themselves classical music listeners (Also Sprach Zarathustra or The Valkyrie: Ride of the Valkyries, for example).
As a final selection, be sure to listen to Whitney Houston's new album, I Look To You
($9.99 MP3), courtesy of Oprah (if you miss it there, I've also found it as a free listen at rhapsody.com, last.fm, imeem.com and even QVC.COM (yes, the shopping network).Click HERE to listen now.
