Annie Dinerman
Broken Cookies
(Blue Bird)

Songwriters Hall of Fame award winner Annie Dinerman puts her skills and humor to work on Broken Cookies, produced flawlessly by Steve Addabbo, internationally known for his work with Suzanne Vega and Shawn Colvin. This singer/songwriter with a voice reminiscent of Carole King, she winds her way through 12 songs loaded with metaphors and clever quips, creating stories in the vein of Paul Simon and Wendy Waldman.

"One Planet at a Time" is a clever environmental piece that asks us to take care of our planet "before we try to run them all." As singer/songwriter Christine Lavin notes, "'One Planet At A Time' is a gem—imagine a Carole King song for the socially conscious: a catchy tune with a serious message for the 21st century." If that isn't enough, percussionist Rex Benincasa plays "garbage in the recording studio," including plastic bags, a pill bottle filled with pistachio shells, a pizza box, a Snapple® cap, tin can conga drums, pizza sauce can timbales, and a variety of bottles. Social consciousness with a sweet World Music groove.

Along with the serious thread that runs throughout, humor and wit abound. Lyrics like "I was using mama's rolling pin when I had a thought..." mix with melodious piano on "A King and a Hero" to blend beauty and laughs ("I can sing and I can bake good pies"). The remainder of the CD explores love and fun in hard times, losses in the wake of 9/11 and AIDS ("I'm walking all alone, talking to myself, talking with absent friends"), independence and intimacy. In the end, Broken Cookies is all about love.
—Gene Knapp