Rothbury begins this Thursday and runs until late Sunday night. It should be a thrilling festival featuring a variety of acts ranging from legendary musicians (such as Bob Dylan, The Dead, Willie Nelson, etc.) to fresher talent (Steppin' In It, The Ragbirds, G Love and the Special Sauce, etc.) However, even those of us that had planned on going may find the festival a little pricey for our Fourth of July plans. There are plenty of local activities that are cheap but still nearly as fun as Rothbury. Michigan will have many fireworks displays no matter what area you live in. You could also plan a weekend camping trip to one of the State's numerous campgrounds. Or you could stay in town and enjoy the Ann Arbor Summer Festival!

Michael Jackson, the brilliantly talented, deeply troubled, endlessly controversial, undisputed King of Pop, died yesterday in Los Angeles.

Jackson’s career began 45 years ago as the youngest of the Gary, Indiana, Jackson Five brothers whose career was managed by their father, Joe. When Motown signed them on, they were instantly hugely successful.

Jackson’s solo career, which he began in 1971, was enormous. Thriller, Billie Jean, Black or White – his list of hits which helped sell more than 750 million albums goes on and on. His stage presence, magical dancing feats, and stunning special lighting effects, mesmerized his audiences around the globe.

As his popularity soared, so did curiosity over his increasingly unusual behavior and troubling legal battles. He altered his physical appearance through countless plastic surgeries. His skin color changed. He was put on trial for child abuse. His finances were in disarray.

And yet, throughout all these difficulties, he remained the consummate, charming, inventive performer, who was weeks short of launching his This Is It, 50-concert, comeback tour in London.

Jackson, who was 50, is survived by his three children, eight siblings, and his parents.

It's been 12 years since Christopher Wallace, a.k.a. The Notorious B.I.G., was shot and killed in his escort SUV in Los Angeles, yet his killer and the reason for his murder remain a matter of speculation. So instead of focusing on the legendary rapper's death, director George Tillman Jr.'s 2009 biopic, Notorious, captures the multifarious challenges of Biggie Smalls' rise from Brooklyn crack dealer to superstar MC, along with his "everyday struggle" of trying to balance a personal life with staying on top of the game.

Played capably by Jamal Woolard -- an up and coming rapper in his own right -- Wallace is a young man searching for his identity through music and the high-risk chance at monetary success on the street corners of New York City. Some of the best scenes in the film are where Biggie realizes he can gain credibility as a rapper (and possibly get out of the drug trade) by challenging neighborhood emcees to improvised rap battles, and when he takes his nuanced flow to the mixtape, which eventually falls into the hands of Sean "Puffy" Combs.

The rest is the history of East Coast rap in the '90s, as Combs' Bad Boy records, with the help of multi-platinum Notorious B.I.G. releases, Ready to Die and Life After Death, becomes the most successful label in the industry. As troubling as it is inspirational, Notorious succeeds because Tillman remembers that the life of the individual is paramount to the story, not rumors of how or why he died.

Ms. Rachel did FROGGIES in Baby PlayGroup this week. Try some books and some songs from the following list:
Jump Frog Jump by Robert Kalan.
Sing "Five Green And Speckled Frogs" in Five Little Monkeys by Dennis Buck.
Sing "Five Little Frogs" with Raffi in Singable Songs For The Very Young.
Find other program songs we sing in With You by Gemini, our Local Artists.

What was that song on NPR? I'd know it if I heard it again! If you've ever been frustrated by that conversation, now you're in luck, for National Public Radio has begun releasing the music collection series, I Heard it on NPR, and the AADL owns several of these diverse box sets. Fill your house with the voices of Sarah Vaughan, Ella Fitzgerald, Diana Krall and others on these long, hot summer nights with Ladies Jazz It Up. Or for those looking for music from around the globe, check out One World Many Voices, featuring the Algerian folk-pop of Souad Massi and the Brazilian rhythms of Caetano Veloso, among others. Other sets in this collection include alternative country artists in Down to the Roots, stellar jazz standards in Jazz for Blue Nights, and premier singer-songwriters in Singers, Songs, and Sessions.

One of the questions the AADL often hears is whether we have downloadable books or audio books. We do! Still looking for more? We are happy to point you to a few more websites that also offer public domain materials in downloadable audio and text formats.

Ever genre-defying, The Ditty Bops, will play at The Ark this Friday, June 12 at 8pm. Their quirky, and often interactive, performances tend to be pretty playful and include skits, slideshows, puppet shows, and costumes. The Los Angeles duo’s music has been described as a mixture of blues, western swing, folk, ragtime, bluegrass, and musical theater, with sweet vocal harmonies. For a sampling check out their snappy self titled debut album, as well as Moon Over the Freeway.

On this day in 1888 in the San Francisco Examiner, the comic ballad, Casey at the Bat by Ernest L. Thayer appeared. It was originally submitted anonymously by Thayer who was a columnist for the newspaper. Since then, the poem has become almost as much of a tradition as "Take me out to the ballgame" sung during the seventh inning stretch.

The Library has several wonderful illustrated versions of the poem. Check one out to read with your kids before a Tigers game.

Compilation albums usually add up to one of two things: disposable cover songs from big name artists, or hit-or-miss tracks from artists on an adored small label, say Sub Pop or Drive Thru Records. The label makes money, the bands get heard, the buyer remorses. Bucking this trend, the Red Hot Organization made Dark Was the Night, a compilation so good that it needs two discs to hold all the great tunes. With album-worthy original material from the likes of The Decemberists, Bon Iver, Arcade Fire, and My Morning Jacket, this compilation has done everything right -- credible bands, great songs, and exclusive tracklisting.

Even the cover songs are intriguing. Antony Hegarty sings a pre-Freewheelin' Bob Dylan folk-tune, I Was Young When I Left Home, and Jose Gonzalez taps his '60s folk hero, singing Nick Drake's Cello Song. One of the AADL's hottest CDs right now, jump on the hold list for Dark Was the Night today.

Yes and much more. Come hear the Celtic influenced band, Enter the Haggis tomorrow, June 4, at a free concert sponsored by the Ann Arbor Chamber of Commerce as part of their series at Liberty Plaza. This popular Toronto quintet plays a rousing mix of Canadian and Scottish music with influences as far ranging as African, Bluegrass, Rock and Caribbean. Instruments include guitar, bagpipes, tin whistle, fiddle, keyboard and drums. Music starts at 12 and goes until 2.

Also check out the Library's great collection of Celtic music and keep those feet tapping.