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Terrance Simien The Tribute Sessions 2001, AIM Trading Group This is the finest disc to come across my desk in ages. It is honest and straight from the heart. Normally I do not like discs that have narration about the songs and will pass over the spoken word. That is not the case here, due to Terrance’s voice and his obvious love and veneration for these artists. The sincerity of these emotions comes through as his vignettes draw wonderful pictures. Most important is the material, presented with the energy and feeling for which this artist is known. He takes songs from those whom have inspired and helped him, but are no longer with us. There are many surprises, some in his choice of artists (I never would have guessed he would include a song by A.P. Carter). Some involve his choices of songs, some which are not the best known of the particular artists. However, there is no surprise as to the quality of the music presented. He does such a fantastic job on Sam Cooke’s, “Rome Wasn’t Built In A Day,” that I initially didn't want to get past it in on the disc—then I discovered the gems following it. There is not a weak song here. I played this record for some friends who don’t like zydeco because “it all sounds the same,” and they were stunned, and then annoyed that they couldn’t get a copy the next day. This is a rare disc that transcends all genres of music and stands up to repeated playing. It is music from the heart and, if anything, only sounds better and better the more you play it. —Bob Gottlieb