THE JANUARY 6 REPORT

MSNBC host Ari Melber delivers the foreword he wrote for this impressive production with young-lawyer enthusiasm and a palpable desire to educate listeners. His accessible writing and the familiarity of his appealing voice serve as a preemptive salve to the report's legalistic construction and unsettling contents. His approach and the additional reporting and analyses by the NEW YORK TIMES help bridge the gap between the Select Committee's esoteric findings and the interests of ordinary citizens. Joe Knezevich performs the committee's report and the TIMES contributions with vocal warmth that softens the listening but stays in character with the gravity of this content. His brisk pacing and nuanced phrasing simplify the more complicated ideas. This and his likable vocal personality make this important historical information easy, if not comforting, to absorb. T.W. © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine [Published: FEBRUARY 2023]