Summer Love

Prairie Home Companion fans, rejoice. A new collection of Garrison Keillor ballads, duets, poetry, and tales is now available to you. However, if you're anticipating satisfying yarns, you may be disappointed by this mostly musical collection. The best performances from the summer tour of 2010 highlight Nickel Creek's Sara Watkins, the hilarious sound effects of Fred Newman, and Guy's All-Star Shoe Band. Keillor's firm, distinctive baritone renders the intermittent stories with his hallmark passion, salient emphasis, and gentle sensitivity. He describes human experience from the heart. Sound quality and volume occasionally waiver, but when the content is as humorous and meaningful as this, a few quirks don't hinder the listening enjoyment. A.W. (c) AudioFile 2011, Portland, Maine