Six Picks: Recommendations from the Monitor staff
Knight life
Martial-arts expert Mark Dacascos tracks the life and story of Miyamoto Musashi, Japan鈥檚 most famous warrior, in 鈥淪amurai,鈥� debuting on History, March 16 at 8 p.m. Dacascos, a modern-day fighter and son of two martial-arts teachers, explores both the brutality and appeal of a life devoted to rigorous discipline, technical brilliance, and, above all, honor.
Keeping jazz alive
No jazz ensemble is more storied than the in the heart of New Orleans. Generations of players have rotated through, keeping the city鈥檚 classic songs alive. 鈥淧reservation鈥� (Preservation Hall), a benefit recording for the band鈥檚 outreach program, is a special treat. Over 20 guest vocalists take turns on these time-honored songs, such as Tom Waits romping through a Mardi Gras classic (鈥淭ootie Ma Is a Big Fine Thing鈥�) and Merle Haggard smoothly delivering the standard 鈥淏asin Street Blues.鈥� A must-have for anyone needing a primer on this rich chapter of American music.
Shearer laughs
Headline news may not normally make you want to sing, but you might change your tune when you hear satirist Harry Shearer鈥檚 take on recent events. His new album, 鈥淕reed and Fear,鈥� a compilation of 12 songs, lampoons everything from the GM, bank, and brokerage bailouts to troubled assets and the values that created the market collapse. Available as a digital download at .
Max Bohm & company
A small Boston gallery is honoring the influential American painter Max Bohm (1868-1923) in an unusual tribute that pairs his evocative work with that of his granddaughter, whom he never met. 鈥淓n Mer: Anne Packard and Max Bohm, an exhibition of works by granddaughter and grandfather鈥� will be at the Walker-Cunningham Fine Art Gallery from March 5 to 27. For more details: .
Arts scoop
For culture vultures, a new guide to the best of the arts in 20 of America鈥檚 largest cities could become a staple. 鈥淎rts America鈥� (Huntington Press, $24.95), edited by Jeffrey Compton, pulls together all the gritty details on hundreds of arts organizations from fees, hours, and discounts to major festivals, along with arts information on another 40 cities at the book鈥檚 accompanying website: .
Walk on the wild side
The Oprah Winfrey-narrated extravaganza, 鈥淟ife,鈥� an 11-part documentary series capturing some of the most exotic, sensationally filmed moments of our planet鈥檚 natural history, launches March 21 on Discovery Channel. Tune in to see tiny Hawaiian gobies climbing 400-foot waterfalls to lay eggs in safe pools, dolphins filmed from the air as they go 鈥渕udringing鈥� 鈥� trapping fish in circles of mud 鈥� komodo dragons hunting water buffalo 10 times their size, and a basilisk lizard walking on water.
