Word Count: 78
Average Length: 4.74
Difficulty: 2.5/5
I’ve done puzzles about music and food, music and travel, and music and art, so the logical next step was music and horticulture, right? In the sage words of the Knights Who Say Ni, “Bring me a shrubbery … One that looks nice … And not too expensive!” (For any culturally bereft solvers, it’s a line from Monty Python and the Holy Grail.)
This one should be on the easy side, as long as you are somewhat musically omnivorous.
46A: I went with the baseball examples here, but other famous alums include astronaut Ellen Ochoa; actors Julie Davner, Gregory Peck, Marion Ross, Cleavon Little, Raquel Welch, and Carl Weathers; radio personality Art Linkletter; football’s Marshall Faulk and Joe Gibbs; and basketball superstar Kawhi Leonard. Impressive!
62A: A great band in the 60s and early 70s; other hits include Carrie Anne (written about Marianne Faithful), He Ain’t Heavy (He’s My Brother), The Air That I Breathe, On the Carousel, etc. etc.
23D: This one might be a bit obscure, but for a while in the 70s they had some very catchy hits, complete with great hooks and soaring harmonies.
Jeff's Puzzles 