House, my favorite show ever, came back on tv last night! Mondays @ 8pm on Fox! It was a hilariously, good episode.

I absolutely love Hugh Laurie and admire his talents immensely. Besides masking his British accent while playing his role as Dr. House on the show, and actually producing a couple of the episodes, Hugh Laurie has just released a blues album where he sings and plays the piano. Let Them Talk – it’s an excellent album celebrating the New Orleans classics.

Among the things you will discover if you check out his Yahoo Interview is that music is where he loses himself (and you can’t lose a piano).

“You can’t lose a piano,” he jokes, “Where did I put the piano?”

He appreciates the instrument because it can give you sadness and joy, triumph and frustration.  While he respects the Beatles and the Rolling Stones, Hugh Laurie never bought Pop records. He was into Muddy Waters and the like. When he heard that type of music he realized, “Oh, this is for me, and it’s remained that way ever since.”

The humble Laurie says he’s “not a confident fellow.” Being a man of many talents, I was surprised by this statement. He worries about everything, and if he doesn’t have something to worry about, then he worries about that. What I got from this segment, is how grateful and respectful he is of the opportunity and the music. Hugh Laurie realizes that his dream to record a blues album with some of the greats was due, in part, because of his success as an actor. I appreciate this admission since it seems like most celebrities today either go on power trips or go to rehab. I’d recommend checking out the interview if you are a fellow fan to find out, for instance, why he doesn’t wear jeans to play the blues.

 

I got the Special Edition version that comes with a short book for Christmas and I love it. I haven’t had time to read the whole thing since I’m already reading The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest and I just started grad school, but I read the little intro and about him being out of place in the world of American blues, and it’s both comical and intriguing. I can’t wait to read the rest of it.

You can listen to samples on amazon. My favorite song to sing while I’m driving in my car is: You Don’t Know My Mind. It’s one of the more upbeat songs, but my other favorites are The Whale Has Swallowed Me and Let Them Talk. I like the melody in the beginning of Tipitina before it picks up because it reminds me of one of my favorite songs to play on the piano, and just in general, Baby Grand by Billy Joel and Ray Charles. The entire album is worth listening to though. I could keep naming my favorite songs (St. James Infirmary), but then this post would never end.

If you like the blues, then buy this album! You won’t be disappointed.

Let Them Talk – 5 stars