As things stand, this is certainly not the strangest adaptation of the Bard; in fact, it could be argued that Gnomeo & Juliet is rather conventional, especially for kiddie 3-D fare, when a few creative sparks (and a richer use of the extra dimension) might have been able to woo a few more hearts. Just be thankful Shakespeare never came up with a sequel. Grade: C  

Elton John honors fellow piano vet Leon Russell on this new album, not by performing his old songs in tribute but by bringing him in as full creative partner with longtime co-writer Bernie Taupin. Together, they return to their signature styles, which complement each other amazingly well, perhaps because of their mutual love of Gospel.  

It's only taken a month, but I think I'm catching up after the onslaught that was the 2010 MidPoint Music Festival. In some ways, the reduced number of releases and shows over the next couple of months is something of a blessing as it allows time for reflection on the year gone by in the runup to 2010-in-review coverage. This week I check out new work from some veteran musicians: Elton John, Leon Russell, Marshall Chapman, Liz Phair, Bryan Ferry, Iggy Pop, James Williamson and Johnny Clegg.