Top Picks: Wolfgang Muthspiel's 'Rising Grace,' 'The History of English Podcast,' and more
Jazz gem
Like much of Europe鈥檚 fine art, some gems are well worth hunting for. Case in point: Austria鈥檚 renaissance man Wolfgang Muthspiel. No, he鈥檚 not a painter 鈥� he鈥檚 a multitalented composer, guitarist, and singer most often found in the jazz world, sitting in with the greats. His latest quintet album, Rising Grace, features pianist Brad Mehldau and drummer extraordinaire Brian Blade, and it鈥檚 well worth the search. See a taste of their artistry at .
Resilient windmills
Do you think that if you built something, it would still be working 1,000 years from now? Windmills located in Nashtifan, Iran, are believed to have been created between AD 500 and 900 and are still operational today. Check out National Geographic鈥檚 video about the history of these structures at .
Return to 鈥楳ary鈥�
Looking to revisit a favorite episode of following the recent death of the star? If you need a streaming option, installments of the 1970s hit TV program are available via multiple companies. Amazon customers can buy all the episodes, as can users of iTunes, while Hulu has early seasons. Just one episode may take a nothing day and suddenly make it all seem worthwhile.聽
English past
Kevin Stroud鈥檚 The History of English Podcast looks at not only how English came to be what it is today but also at the history of England and how these two subjects often intersect. Episodes of the podcast are available at .
Peculiar school
In the film adaptation of Ransom Riggs鈥檚 young adult novel , modern-day teenager Jacob (Asa Butterfield) becomes involved with the students of the titular school, who have various unusual powers but must be protected by their headmistress, Miss Peregrine, from disaster during World War II. The movie is directed by 鈥淏ig Eyes鈥� helmer Tim Burton, and Monitor film critic Peter Rainer writes that Eva Green portrays Miss Peregrine 鈥渨ith divaesque triumphalism.鈥� The movie is available on DVD and Blu-ray.
