Ben Harper Contest Winner

Thanks for all the great entries for the CD and poster. Lots of different songs and reasons to choose from, but here is your winner from Jihan Mandilawi....

My favorite Ben Harper cover is John Lennon's "Beautiful Boy." When I
first heard this cover (which was released quite recently), I was
overwhelmed with emotion. Ben's voice in the song is painstakingly
genuine and honest. There are times when you know he is smiling
because you can hear it in his voice: "Every day in every way it's
getting beter and better." But at the same time, there are moments in
the song where his voice is overwhelmed with emotion, creating a
melancholy tone: "Life is what happens to you when you're making other
plans."

Ben has a multifaceted, versatile voice that is whimsical and romantic
in some ballads such as "She's only Happy in the Sun," or "Happily
ever after in Your Eyes.", while powerful and demanding in more
political tunes such as "Black Rain" and "Like a King."

What I find so brilliant about the "Beautiful Boy" cover is the fresh
sound of the recording. It is as if Ben is sitting right in front of
a small, intimate audience playing the song live.

In addition, the work is a creation of John Lennon, one of the most
meaningful songwriters of all time. Finally, this cover is of special
significance because it was created and produced for such a needed
cause, the conflict in Darfur.