Rock, Blues, Electronic, Hip-Hop Beatbox, Folk, Folk Rock, Post-Modern Experimental, Roots, Modern Traditional There have been many tribute CDs over the last twenty years. Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen have been honored among many others. But, there has never been a CD tribute to the greatest poet of all time WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE! This CD is a result of bringing together various talented musicians, singers, and actors to interpret Shakespeare's songs and popular ballads of his day. A very succesful concert of Shakespeare's Greatest Hits was produced in Berkeley Ca. in 2005. In responce to audience demand we decided to produce the CD. Many of the artists involved in the show plus a few other performers donated their time and efforts in putting the CD together. Shakespeare could mention a title of a song or a line from a ballad and the populace know what he was referring to. He used lines of popular songs to help form many of his characters and how they were motivated. We came to the project with three different song models; songs from his plays, ballads of his time that informed his plays, and adaptations of some of his speeches and sonnets into a song form. We also wanted to bring a modern sensibility to the songs by using many contemporary styles of music. We left it up to the artists for their unique interpretations. Their are 17 songs. Some Highlights: THE MARK GROWDEN BAND - 19th SONNET - DEVOURING TIME Featuring members of Tom Waits stable of studio musicians. THE SERFS featuring ROBERT ERNST - LEAR'S BLUES The storm speech in a blues form. OPHELIA'S NIGHTMARE - Featuring CINDY WEYUCKER (Vocalist Punk Rock Orchestra) on vocals and musical saw TOMORROW IS ST. VALENTINE'S DAY from Hamlet. MICHAEL PEPPE - 129th SONNET OF WILLIAM SHATSPEARE The hilarious performance artist and member of the Church of the SubGenius brings humor and drama of William Shatner to William Shakespeare's love sick sonnet. Shatespeare if you Will. SUBTERRANEAN SHAKESPEARE'S house band THE RUDE MECHANICALS rock out on four songs, two of them YOU SPOTTED SNAKES from A Midsummer Nights Dream and OH DEATH, ROCK ME ASLEEP a ballad influence on Henry lV. A special musical collage VOICES FROM DISTANT STAGES with long lost but recently found speeches recorded 75 to 100 years ago. Featuring the voices of JOHN BARRYMORE, JOHN GIELGUD, ORSON WELLES, PAUL ROBESON, FLORA ROBSON, OTIS SKINNER, and SYBIL THORNDIKE from Hamlet, Macbeth, Merchant of Venice, and Othello accompanied on piano by CHETANA KAREL. And many more.