Harkening to the beat poets of yesteryear like Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg and William Burroughs, poet and visionary James Crippa has assembled his thoughts in a though provoking, surreal manner - all filtered through the seductive lips of his vocal accomplice The Astonishment. The duo's debut spoken word CD is about to set the world of poetry on its ear!

So who is James Crippa and The Astonishment? "I am a British subject born in Tonbridge Wells, Kent and grew up in Rome Italy," James explains. "I am American educated, completing an MBA at Pepperdine University in 1994. My permanent residence is Los Angeles, CA and speak four languages; English, Italian, French and Spanish and am a fervent supporter of the American culture and way of life." His words reflect the streets of L.A., the common working man, and at times desperation and at times hope. "My message is one of love and I hope to trigger the listener with the subject material. I felt a spoken word CD would suit my modern prose poetry."

The Astonishment is actually Marianna Limno, a spoken word music artist and performer dedicated to reciting modern prose poems. "I strive to enable a unique music experience distinguished by fresh intelligent subject material and a captivating spoken English with a strong Russian accent", says Marianna. Born in Moscow, Russia, she grew up in Almaty, Kazakhstan, her father being a Major General in the Russian Army and her mother an orphan child survivor from WWII. As a child she competed as a gymnast and was an avid ice skater and student. "I attended Moscow University and graduated in 1994 receiving a bachelor of arts in Business Art. After a brief but reputable modeling career I came to the United States of America and settled in Los Angeles."

So how did these two diverse artists link up? "I met The Astonishment at a Los Angeles spa," recalled James. "I decided to use her photos on the cover since she is the reciting voice." The photos that grace the cover of the 'Banana Sandwhich' are nothing less than captivating. "We are now old friends," says The Astonishment. " I like his poetry very much. Great energy!" "Marianna Limno The Astonishment influences my writing for the love of a better world," adds James. "I consider myself a citizen of the world having traveled throughout the United States of America, Asia and Europe forming an eclectic taste for the beautiful in life and the appreciation of the varied," The Astonishment explains. "Fully engaged in the Los Angeles entertainment scene I pursue all opportunities life brings my way and cultivate these experiences in my work." The CD title 'Banana Sandwhich' was derrived by James: "I had a picture of a story my mother told me that during the war bananas were a luxury."

And what's in the future for James Crippa and The Astonishment? "The future for us will bring more compositions and possibly adding music to the compositions," says James. The Astonishment - Banana Sandwhich CD is available from CD Baby at: http://cdbaby.com/cd/astonishment as well as a download from iTunes.