Life gets in the way sometimes, doesn’t it? Some of you have asked in comments about where I’m at and what I’m doing, and while I’m not quite there to reveal all (trust me, it’s not that exciting), I’ve got multiple posts that I want to update that are kicking around my head, screaming to get out.

Over the weekend, I had the pleasure of being introduced to the Cast Recording of “In the Heights”, which won the Grammy for Best Cast Recording last week. Now, let me clarify one thing: I am not a musical guy. Never have been, and I doubt I ever truly will be. Having said that, there have been certain musicals that have resonated with me, in part because they embrace more contemporary styles of music. My first was Dreamgirls (melding my love of R&B music and divas, apparently), and then Chess (“One Night In Bangkok” hooked me, “I Know Him So Well” locked it in for life), followed by Rent (front row balcony, I was spellbound).

“In the Heights” follows in that tradition of pop-influenced scores, with more Latin and Hip-Hop melodies stepping to the forefront. Wikipedia describes it as “the story (of) three days in the characters’ lives in the New York City Dominican-American neighborhood of Washington Heights.” While the story itself follows a similar arc of many musicals, it’s the music that really causes this show to stand out. Killer hooks, grooving melodies, and soaring ballads all suck you into the story, and don’t let you go until the closing number. While some of you may never listen to a cast recording as long as you live, for those of you open to it, I highly recommend it.