I first became a fan of Mark Knopfler when he was fronting Dire Straits back in the ’70s, ’80s and early ’90s.  I was always impressed with his extraordinary guitar skills and his songwriting ability.  Even in the ’80s, he was branching out into other musical pursuits like composing soundtracks for movies.  Local Hero, The Princess Bride, Last Exit to Brooklyn and Wag the Dog are among his better known cinematic scores.  Knopfler has collaborated with numerous other artists, ranging from Classic Rockers to several notables in country music.  He recorded an album with the late, legendary musician Chet Atkins and more recently with Emmylou Harris.

Mark Knopfler has continued to release solo works since the disbanding of Dire Straits in the mid-90s.  Sailing to Philadelphia, released in 2000, is probably my favorite.  2001 was a very trying and challenging year for me, and I found a lot of comfort and “escape” in that cd which features duets with James Taylor and Van Morrison.  Knopfler has a great way of communicating stories in his songs and composing them in an impressive variety of genres and styles. 

Since I mostly listen to “old” music, I typically don’t anticipate new releases.  However, I was excited to learn a few months ago that Mark Knopfler was completing work on a new album.  Get Lucky was released in the U.S. yesterday.  You can listen to the title track above.  Kim and I got to see Knopfler perform at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville in 2005.  It was one the most enjoyable concerts I have ever attended.  We are planning to see him again when he tours the U.S. next spring!

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