Elementary...

Sherlock Holmes. Dr. John Watson. One of the original dynamic duos. And now, a modernized television series on BBC.

Left, we have Benedict Cumberbatch, and right, Martin Freeman.

And I love this show.

As is probably easily inferred, this Sherlock is a modern re-telling of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's classic tales of the super-observant consulting detective. Resoundingly stellar in the lead role, Benedict Cumberbatch (weird name, right? well, they ARE British...) brings an amazingly human emphasis to Sherlock. Benedict is also remembered as Paul Marshall in Atonement, and as William Pitt in Amazing Grace. Here is an interview with the man himself:

http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi4279408921/

Not only does he do complete justice to the original character, he (along with the writers, of course) adds modern bits. For instance, Sherlock loves to text. And I don't mean he's a teenage girl and always has a phone in his hands. For Sherlock, texting and mobile internet use make up a significant portion of his work. He isn't an antiquated piece of curio; he is a character well-adapted to modern day society.

At his side, in a typical loyal fashion, is Dr. John Watson, portrayed wonderfully by Martin Freeman. Martin Freeman is known more recently as Arthur in Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, and as Bilbo Baggins in the upcoming epic "The Hobbit". (Interesting side note - Benedict Cumberbatch is being cast as the voice of Smaug, the greedy, usurping dragon in "The Hobbit".) As Dr. John Watson, viewers are given the stability needed to keep up with Holmes, and to marvel at his genius from afar. In the original stories, Watson was narrator, as the good doctor chronicled through writing the adventures and mishaps of Sherlock Holmes. In the modern version, Watson keeps a blog, meant to help him overcome post-war skeletons in the closet. Watson provides, as stated, a grounding not only for the viewer, but also for Holmes himself.

Directing is great, and the music is spectacular in setting moods and aiding the story. Everyone in the cast does very well in their roles, with an interesting take on Moriarty being performed by Doug Allen. The real genius is behind the writing. The majority of the episodes are heavily based on the original writings of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. And they are communicated brilliantly.

The show is currently on a hiatus, and is scheduled to begin airing again in 2012 on BBC. The second episode is entitled "The Hound of Baskerville". I'm so stinkin' excited, it's not even funny.

The game is afoot...

Song Up In Her Head/Follow Me Down

I think I'm in love.

I've never really been one for bluegrass. Honest, cross my heart. At least, I would cross it, if I still had it. I gave it away.

To bluegrass.

Well, bluegrass/folk.

It started innocently enough with Pandora. Ironic, no? Pandora, the mythical woman that unleashed all suffering, devastation, sickness, etc. on earth, was involved (if in name only) in unleashing the finger-pickin' fury of bluegrass upon me.

So far I have a few favorites. Gregory Alan Isakov. Crooked Still. Nickel Creek. The Wailin' Jennys. And, my subject for the day... Sarah Jarosz. And no, I don't know how to pronounce her last name correctly.

That's her. She's still just a kid, as you can see. Kid being a relative term. I'm a kid. She's my age.

The reason Sarah has captured my attention is her fresh, yet classic take on bluegrass itself. Her instrument of choice is the mandolin, an instrument I would hesitate to pick up. Anything with more or less than six strings seems an abomination.

On her official website, Sarah attributes her musical influences to “... the older, and the contemporary, and the new.” Clear as mud, and twice as bright.

Her fresh feel and versatility can be found across all her works. Two of my favorites come from her two different albums. One, from her first album "Song Up In Her Head", exemplifies the instrumental talent she exhibits. Here's a clip of said song, "Mansinneedof":



Most of her work is original work, showcasing a great songwriting capability beyond her years. Here's another original work that is more vocally focused:



This girl has, very nearly singlehandedly, changed my musical tastes, hopefully for the better. Chewing on bluegrass doesn't leave as bitter a taste in my mouth as I thought, but it's still too early to certify anything.