Baseball season is gearing up, so I figured this is as good a time as any for this CD. Ken Burns is a master filmmaker and I've enjoyed all his work that I've seen. But I didn't buy this as a souvenir of the Baseball series. This CD was purchased solely because it has Branford Marsalis and Bruce Hornsby performing our national anthem. I prefer the Star-Spangled Banner to be performed in a straight ahead manner with little ornamentation, which has become more and more rare. But for unconventional performances, it doesn't get any better than the Marsalis/Hornsby version. If only they'd had mp3 purchases back in '94.
Tracks: 31 tracks including 6 versions of Take Me Out To The Ballgame, 3 versions of the Star-Spangled Banner, 8 spoken word tracks (quotes and famous radio calls), and numerous period pieces from the early and middle parts of the 20th century. Other than the Marsalis/Hornsby track, the only piece that makes me want to listen to it more than once is a wonderful solo piano rendition of The Minstrel Boy performed by Jacqueline Schwab.
Personal Memory Associated with this CD: When my sons were very young (maybe ages 9 & 5), they put together a baseball field in our front yard complete with bases, pitcher's mound, and a very complex set of ground rules. They played out there all the time. One day, I walked out the front door and they had a game going with some of the neighborhood boys. On a nearby bench, they had placed a CD boom box and this CD was providing background music for their games. Adorable stuff like you've never seen. Disney screenwriters couldn't have drawn it up better.
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