The Christian Science Monitor
Into It: Jim Brickman
November 25, 2005
I love this new Bette Midler tribute to Peggy Lee [Bette Midler sings the Peggy Lee Songbook]. Icons like Peggy Lee are people who new generations don’t get to hear unless an artist like Bette Midler decides to do it, like she did with the Rosemary Clooney album. [Midler] is sort of an interpreter-type singer. One of the things I love about her is that she knows what she’s singing about. She’s acting the song. The performer has to be able to bring the song to life and connect the song material with the audience. [It’s] not how loud they can sing a note or how many riffs they can do. That’s what always frustrates me about the “American Idol” generation. Some of the pop music I like: Rob Thomas and Matchbox 20. It’s personal and inventive. I listen to some country. Keith Urban represents the ability to make country music accessible to everybody.
