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Dido - No Angel
Arista B0000506EC Reviewed by MC
Who is Dido? No Angel constantly sounds familiar, and a quick look at the sleeve notes tells us why. Quite simply, Dido is Rollo's sister. Rollo is the brain behind Faithless. So it's no surprise to find most of Faithless credited on her UK Debut. Dido herself was the backing vocalist for both previous Faithless albums. By now you should also know that this is the album that contains 'Thankyou' which, if you've been awake any time in the last six months, you will recognise as the rather catchy chorus sample from Eminem's 'Stan'. 'Thankyou' is pretty representative of the rest of the album, laying folk melodies over ambient dance soundscapes. So a good pedigree without a doubt. And the album is pretty good as well, lying as it does, somewhere between Beth Orton and Faithless. But alas between some superb tracks the album contains too much filler, and even the key tracks never quite hit home. The backing production is reasonable although pedestrian, but Dido's vocals have been criminally recorded, too high in the mix and frequently distorting. If you've heard the singles and are thinking of buying the album, go ahead, you won't regret it, although don't expect it to change your life. An album worth buying, even if only for the car, but Dido still remains Faithless-lite.
Available from Pentacone Tel/Fax: 01924 445039

Joni Mitchell - Hits
REPRISE 9 46326-2 Reviewed by RP
In '96 Joni's practised eye, without the hint of a squint or the need for corrective lenses, cast its wry ironic gaze back across her own career through a pair of laconically titled (as opposed to rose-tinted) CDs. Chronicling those commercial and less-commercial sides to her songwriting, Hits and Misses (released appropriately enough on the reprise label) are testaments to clear-sightedness. Hits also serves as a first rate introduction to one of the most influential of popular artists while the HDCD remastering by Joe Gastwirst is a (sonic) bonus. Classic material like 'California' and 'River', taken from the famously introspective Blue LP, or 'Big Yellow Taxi' - Ladies Of The Canyon -and memorable 'Help Me' and 'Raised On Robbery' lifted from a tightly arranged, yet luxuriantly textured Court And Spark, snap sharply into focus. Hours spent down in the Atlantic library vaults were prosperous ones. But don't get blindsided by the process. Retrieval and reinvigoration of these tapes have been an archivist and engineer's dream -such is the high esteem with which Joni Mitchell will always be held. However, for those that have 20/20 vision, it's the brilliantly conceived, written and executed songs that remain the true focal point.
Cherished Record Company Tel. 01579 363603

Obvious - Obvious
Tube Records 0002 Reviewed by DA
Tube records is a Pink Floyd connected label dealing exclusively through the internet and this CD is amongst their first batch of releases. Obvious is a pseudonym for Andy Jackson, who has engineered previous Pink Floyd albums, hence the connection. Following a well trodden path of Floyd engineers as recording artists, Jackson has gathered together a few friends, including Mike and the Mechanics drummer Gary Wallis, to record this fairly low key first CD. Despite the Floyd connections being heavily pushed, the album sounds more like one from The Alan Parsons Project, albeit on a smaller scale, which is ironic as Parsons is another ex-Floyd engineer. I have to say this is not necessarily a bad thing, as APP were very popular, and I must confess to owning quite a few of their albums myself. Unfortunately Jackson is not the producer that Parsons is, and so the CD lacks some discipline, making it a little unfocused. There some good ideas within fighting to get out and it will be interesting to see how Jackson progresses, but in the end this CD will end up in the occasional listen pile, thus warranting only a guarded recommendation.
I would suggest you try before you buy, especially a downloads are available from their website: www.tuberecords.com

Steve Hackett - Feedback 86
Steve Hackett Feedback 86 Reviewed by DA
A belated release at an approximate street price of £10.99 for Hackett's 'lost' album from 1986, recorded after the sadly underrated GTR album. Lost in the mire of contractual problems that is, for the guest artists here include Queen's Brian May, Manfred Mann's Earthband vocalist Chris Thompson, Bonnie Tyler, and Marillion's rhythm section. I was quite excited when I read the lineup in the press release, as I already own most of his other work, and the promise was that this would be a cracker. Unfortunately not. Whilst not a bad album per se, it ultimately disappoints, being for the most part a fairly straightforward 80's rock workout. When Hackett formed GTR with Steve Howe in answer to all the American big-hair bands, it was the little quirks that put the band musically ahead of the pack (and probably what held them back commercially). There is little of that here, and apart from the two vocalists, the guest artist contributions largely go unnoticed. Annoyingly, Feedback 86 would probably have sold better than its predecessor, had it been released immediately, but its time has passed, and so will mainly appeal to completists. If you are a newcomer, then I'd go for Spectral Mornings instead. The CD is enhanced, with an extra 20 MP3 tracks, a 15 minute video sample, and a few biographies etc. which gives you the chance to sample his other work, even if it isn't hi-fi.

Keb Mo - The Door
EPIC/SONY 501000 2 Reviewed by RP
Kevin Moore's fourth album, The Door, is another of those articulate and tuneful contemporary blues releases which successfully combines his own original compositions and strong collaborations with the lives of Mellissa Manchester, Bobby McFerrin and Leon Ware. Keb' remains, of course, a highly polished artist who has continued to expertly crisscross between genres. One minute there's a soulful pop song like 'Come On Back' - the next gospel spirituality can be heard in the refrain for 'Stand Up And Be Strong' - returning to a traditional blues man's roots when simply pickin' over his emotions in 'Loola Loo' and 'Anyway: It's a stylish and accessible blend which is working well for both Keb' Mo' and Sony Music. A fifth CD, Big Wide Grin, is promised for later this year. Mellow vocals and exceptionally tasteful slide work effortlessly eases the passage of this attractive and varied amalgam. The sidemen, too, including keyboardist Greg Philinganes, drummers Jim Keltner and Steve Jordan, bassist Reggie McBride and pedal steel guitarist Greg Leisz offer understated but effective backing that comfortably accommodates all these stylistic shifts. "Accommodating" can also be used to describe the sound engineered. Mark Johnson and Co. deliver a robust and pacey acoustic for the more complex textures, while reserving sufficient detail and subtlety for Keb's solo vocals and guitar when it's needed.

P.J. Harvey - Stories from the city, stories from the sea
Island 8099/548 145-2 Reviewed by MC
Stories from the city, stories from the sea builds on Harvey's 1998 album Is this desire? although, notably, John Parish is absent here. Perhaps because of this the album is slightly less adventurous than previous offerings, but what it lacks in imagination it more than compensates for in beauty. Instead this album, like many of recent months, relies heavily on emotionally intense, richly produced guitar music. Stories... treats us to some of PJ Harvey's smoothest vocals alongside some seriously blues-y guitar sounds. The mood of the album is distinctly more optimistic than her usual output, with the remorse replaced by anger on the stories from the city, and by contentment and serenity on the stories from the sea. The material here also moves away from her usual territory of assuming a character, becoming more personal so that the songs appear to be Harvey's own views and feelings. From the soaring opening track, through the recent single 'Good Fortune' to the (now obligatory) duet with Thom Yorke, 'The mess we're in', the album strides with deadly purpose. If there is to be any criticism it's that the last few songs lose pace and drag slightly. Her most focussed and mainstream offering to date Stories... comes highly recommended.

Alabama3 - La Peste
ELM053 Reviewed by JH
Suddenly famous (well they are compared to my usual favourites!) through their song 'Woke Up This Morning' being chosen for the theme of the gangster series The Sopranos, Alabama3 are an amazingly surprising (and large) group in an ocean of blandness. Firstly their style, a mix of club, biker and country chic also reflects their music, which fuses infectious dancy stuff with ... country!!! Country? Yep, country, coupled with heavy sarcasm concerning American style evangelists. Hell, one's alter ego is the Reverend Dr. D. Wayne Love. Its quite astonishing how successful this amalgam is. The band aren't afraid of delving into the darker side of their chosen influences, telling stories of drug abuse (most of this seems to be from personal experience, mostly bitter at that,) and they are never going to be a happy bunch of campers which is why it was strange that the first album, Exile on Coldharbour Lane always seemed to make me smile. This outing is more serious but still has its witty moments. They even dancify that old perennial 'Hotel California' which has to be better than what the Eagles did with it. I would expect nothing less from a band who have one member who's job is to simply stand at the front with tattoos, strange but true. I can only advise you to give it a whirl.

Brigitte Bader / Johnny Griffin - Passion, No Future, But Love
BB PRODUCTION BBCD00190 Reviewed by RP
Noted Europhile bebop tenor man, Johnny Griffin, and the accented Swiss chanteuse, Brigitte Bader, mix'n'match to good effect on half a dozen of these studio cuts that include Gershwin's 'How Long Has This Been Going On', 'Prelude To A Kiss' (Ellington/Mills) and the Mingus/Mitchell composed opener, 'Goodbye Pork Pie Hat: For the eight remaining songs Griffin and sax step aside, allowing a Pan-European sextet of musicians (together with the South African drummer, Makaya Ntshoko) to gently swing through standards like 'Sophisticated Lady' or Kurt Weil's, lovely, 'Speak Low: What comes across the most during a little over an hour's intimacy with Brigitte Bader is her rootsy jazz personality. She is certainly no sugary Swiss roll that requires washing down after each number. Her voice is a more complex mix of ingredients, and has something in common with the greats from the past - though elevating her to the status of a Vaughan or a Holiday is quite inappropriate. What she does offer, however, is a redolent alternative to the Holly Cole's and Jacintha's of this world. The only miss here on Passion, No Future, But Love is an insipid instrumental, 'Opus De Funk', which is of little account in the greater scheme of things.
Cherished Record Company Tel. 01579 363603

The Fall - Unutterable
Eagle EAGCD164 Reviewed by MC
The Fall return with this years LP, their 54th making them, surely, Britains most prolific group ever?
With the new band in place the sound is fine, the rhythm section grinding repetitively to perfectly complement Mark E. Smiths freestyle vocals. They seem to have absorbed elements of dance music like it was their own idea, without ever compromising their more gritty roots. Indeed dance music probably was their own idea, they invented and inspired so much else. Listening to the album is a little like listening to the influence behind every alternative album since 1995. Suddenly the concepts behind Elastica, Blur, Tiger and so many other bands seem to be laid bare. Look out for the fantastic 'Dr Buck's Letter', which kicks in with a fearsome blast of bass and filters with serious guitar stabs punctuating Smiths self confessional monologue, and 'Octo Realm/Katamine Sun' which stomps through mare progressive territory. However, it can start to jar as Smith performs like a man who has just discovered the Oxford English Dictionary, and is determined to fit in all those new found words, one per track. And the sound isn't always fresh; 'Hot Runes' sounds like a track the Shadows might have thrown out for sounding too cheap. It's an accessible album but should you buy it? Yes, if you enjoy late nineties alternative music and find yourself searching for the next step. It's in there somewhere!

K. D. Lang - Invincible Summer
WARNER BR0S9362-47605-2 Reviewed by RP
Kathryn Dawn Lang has come a long way from those rural Alberta roots. Her early records were a carefree passage through the leaner C Et W sound, which by the beginning of the Nineties had confirmed she was a torch bearer for Country's New Tradition. Ingenue (1992) marked a sudden shift in direction that coincided with the life-changing decision to "come out". Now, nearly a decade on, her latest CD again reveals what an assured pop-crossover artist she's become. This is reflected in those sophisticated and lusciously textured songs like, 'the consequences of falling' and 'it's happening with you', where arrangements involving violins, cellos and violas are artfully blended with drum programmes and studio mixes. Sharply cutting across these tactile images, Lang's rich vocals, (soulful and Dusty Springfield-like), with a hint of country twang tossed into her delivery, attractively explore any number of romantic nuances in 'suddenly', 'extraordinary thing' and 'curiosity: It's strong, accomplished songwriting supported by a decent mainstream recording out of the Conway Studios in Hollywood. Good string definition behind Lang too, whose beautiful voice (sometimes double-tracked) is wisely never overwritten in the mixing suite.

Gorky's Zygotic Mynci - The Blue Trees
Mantra MNTLP1023 Reviewed by JH
A very acoustic record, largely stripped to the bare essentials of voice and guitar, and reflecting the albums strongest influence, Gorky's have fused very early (pre-war) American folk music to their unusually excellent melodic capabilities. The sleeve with simple block printing is more an inner than an outer and this matches well to the bands unassuming manner, adding to an air of mystery built by the strange quote on the back which links to a song about foot and mouth disease (your guess is as good as mine!). This quiet manner could help to explain their marginalisation by too many people, myself included until recently. A very short album at just eight tracks it won't out stay its welcome. Indeed I wish it was a little longer as I was left longing for more. The range and variety of what's on offer is about right, but there's plenty of room for further exploration. Several instrumentals mix in between the harmony driven vocal tracks and whilst they can seem a little spare at first listen, it is the quality of their simplicity which starts to fascinate, weaving musical themes together to create a truly beautiful result.

High Fidelty - OST
EDEL0112181 HWR Reviewed by RP
Unceremoniously transplanted from its' London Cityscape origins to an unrecognisable "sweet home, Chicago", (no doubt with an American audience in mind), Nick Hornby's study on record collecting and relationships is redeemed through John Cusack. Eminently watchable in off-beat classics like The Grifters, Grosse Point BlanK and Being John Malkovich, Cusack takes a lead role o the screen and behind the scenes as a producer for both the movie and its' soundtrack. Essential reading for all hi-fi and music buffs, the ,soundtrack doesn't quite reach those dizzy heights, but it's worthwhile none the less. Fifteen crucial cuts here from The Velvet Underground, 'Who Loves The Sun', Dylan, 'Most Of The Time', Elvis Costello, 'Shipbuilding' and The Jam's, 'Town Called Malice', are rock-solid selections. Throw in the big sex machine, Barry White, for 'I'm Gonna Love You A Little More Babe' and soar alongside Aretha in 'Rock Steady', or even slum it with the "Low Fi" crowd as Smog recall, 'Cold Blooded Old Times', or South London's finest, Stereolab, cast a jaundiced eye over, 'Lo Boob Oscillator', and you have a variety of textures and tunes that are never less than entertaining. Of course the nature of this source material dictates a variable recording quality, but relatively short sides mean there is no deterioration towards the run out grooves.

Bill Malonee and The Vigilantes Of Love - Audible Sigh
Compass Records 7 4295 2 Reviewed by RG
More straight ahead, high octane country rock out of Austin, Texas, and a cracking example it is too. Rocky enough to rock, country enough to kick, this album treads the tightrope between individuality and commercial acceptability with consummate ease. Beautiful lyrics, a great voice and stellar support, hard guitar and a deft way with hooks, melodic patterns and rhythmic drive make for a captivating swirl of musical colour, light and shade: kind of like Steve Earle meets the Fairports on dodgy drugs, if you can imagine that. The recording tends to the digital dense (I'd love to hear this three piece outfit unsupported and uncluttered - live album please) but the sheer energy and purpose of the songs pushes through regardless. I've been listening to this for ages now without getting round to writing the review. Maybe I'm still hoping for a vinyl version. If ever a recording deserved the 12" black biscuit treatment then this is it - more colour and even more energy, and what a cover. In the meantime you'll have to make do with this CD, which still manages to get me going every time, despite its sonic shortcomings. An essential purchase.

King Crimson - Larks Tongues In Aspic
CD 24 bit remastered CDVKCX5 Reviewed by DA

King Crimson - Starless And Bible Black
CD 24 bit remastered CDVKCX6 Reviewed by DA

King Crimson - RED
CD 24 bit remastered CDVKCX7 Reviewed by DA
When King Crimson self-destructed on tour in 1972, founding member and guitarist Robert Fripp had to decide whether to create a new incarnation or to do something completely different. In the end there was too much mileage in the KC name to give it up, and so he recruited drummer Bill Bruford from Yes, bassist John Wetton from Family, violinist David Cross, and finally blood spitting percussionist Jamie Muir. Although the five piece line-up was only to last for Lark's Tongues, the musical die had been cast for the next three albums, each being a mix of pure improvisation, quiet melodic reflection, precision musical patterns and out and out blood and thunder.
Lark's Tongues In Aspic is the most accessible of the three, having the least free improvisation. The opening instrumental 'Lark's Tongues In Aspic Part I' quietly hovers above the noise floor with tuned percussion and scattered sounds until the violin motif sets in. Temptation at this point is to turn it up -lots - until the whole band crashes in with the dirtiest, fuzziest riff imaginable and sends you rushing back to the volume control. Oh yes, this time KC have attitude, and they want you to know all about it. After recovering with a couple of quiet songs, where Wetton's unusual husky voice counterpoints some exquisite violin/sustained guitar interplay, 'Easy Money' ups the pace, taking a basic rhythm and giving Muir the space to interject all manner of rubbed, scraped, and walloped contraptions in a manner that absolutely fascinates me. Galloping off towards the finish with The Talking Drum' takes us to the studied precision of the closing track, 'Lark's Tongues In Aspic Part II: Precision it may have, yet this is the real headbanger on the album, the one that'll have you playing your air guitar all round the room. What a finish, and with it Muir left to join a monastery, hmm.
Putting the LP of Starless And Bible Black on the turntable is sure to have you running for cover, as the painfully bright balance and incredibly fierce sustained guitar of the opening track The Great Deceiver' turns any but the dullest system into a long distance ear syringe. This CD reissue tones it down a bit, but not much, so once again KC are making their intentions clear right from the off. The frenetic pace soon calms down, however, as the band start to stretch their improvisational muscles and it becomes obvious that Bruford has learned much from Muir before he left Unfortunately most of the improvs meander a bit, but then again the fragile beauty of Trio' makes it all worthwhile. Closing again with an exercise in precision, 'Fracture' is less of a headbanger than 'LTIAII', but still a cracking finish.
The tour which followed produced the LP USA, and the much more interesting 4CD box set The Great Deceiver, both of which were released after RED. After the tour Cross left, and by the time RED was released Fripp had broken up the band. On the title track we are again presented with Fripp's fascination with repeating motifs, something that was taken to its peak a decade later on the Discipline album. This time though the mood is dark and sombre, the jangling guitars teetering on the brink of discord. For me however, the real standout track on the album is 'Starless', featuring founder member Ian McDonald on saxes. Just as it seems as if KC are going for a chill-out finish, time signatures fracture and then, once you're sufficiently disturbed, the band go hell for leather to the big finish. In swoops the big, Big, BIG sound of the mellotron, and you simply cannot hold up enough lighters. Exit album, exit band, and what a way to go.
As part of an ongoing re-release program for King Crimson, each of these CDs is beautifully presented in a replica gatefold sleeve with collectors booklet, which is somewhat ironic as two of the original albums didn't have gatefold sleeves in the first place. As far as the transfer to CD goes, this is about as close as you can get to the original, warts and all. Even though they are not touted as audiophile pressings, I would be very happy with these had I not got the original pressings. In fact, as my LTIA is badly damaged in places, I will be happily playing the CD in preference from now on.

Bill Evans - How My Heart Sings
JVC/Riverside VICJ-60373 Reviewed by DD
Recorded at the same time (May and June '62) and with the same trio members (Chuck Israels, bass and Paul Motian, drums), as Moonbeams, this is another fine Evans set. Israels and Motion provide superb, and subtle backing for Evans melodic invention throughout Mixing standards like 'Summertime' and 'Everything I Love' with Evan's originals and two takes on Brubeck's 'In Your Own Sweet Way there's a consistency of invention throughout, despite the slightly laid back feel of the set. This keeps it a cut above the competition and places it in the upper middle ground of Evan's releases. Favourite numbers include 'Summertime', a real standout track with an unusual rising bass line from Israels and for once a refreshingly different treatment, and both takes on the Brubeck tune. It's Evan's ability to get right inside a tune, and the sheer integrity (tightness) of his band that makes the set so rewarding. The recording, despite the XRCD treatment. is a little one-dimensional, lacking somewhat in stage depth and dynamic. Fortunately it's worth the price of entry for the music. Providing you've already invested in the Evans classics -Everybody Digs..., Waltz for Debby and Sunday at the tillage Vanguard in my book, but make your own list - a safe purchase.
Supplier: Vivante Tel: (44)(0)208-977-6600

John Coltrane and Paul Quinchette - 'Cattin' with Coltrane and Quinchette'
DCC Jazz GZS 1085 Reviewed by DD
Recorded in '57 and presented in living mono this dates from Trane's time with Prestige when he recorded a few blowing sessions with various tenors. This is amongst the best since Trane's power is nicely offset by the lighter more bluesy style of Quinchette. The set powers through five numbers, the uptempo title track being the most memorable of the lot, although 'Exactly Like You' is no slouch. The album features a bonus take on Tea for Two' which was left off of the original release along with three numbers from the Quinchette Quintet sans 'Trane. I really like the Tea for Two' track. Maybe because of the delicious contrast between the ultra corny original tune and 'Trans and Quinchette's fluid improvisations around it. Sure it's no 'My Favourite Things' - that was still to come some 4 years later - but it's highly enjoyable stuff nonetheless. The recording is OK - the bass lines are a little muffled and hollow and the percussion is set back in the mix missing out on some of the snap and drive - with plenty of juicy, breathy tone from the saxes.
Supplier: Vivante Tel: (44)(0)208-977-6600

Iain Ballamy - Pepper Street Interludes
Reviewed by DD
Inspired by music that Ballamy and producer Dave McKean heard in a little late- night club in Prague, this is an extraordinary album. You are grabbed from the opening cello piece 'Julienne', to the surprise of the introduction of the button accordion in a free-ranging interpretation of 'Cherokee' and on throughout the album. Although many numbers predominately feature button accordion and Bellamy's tenor, the range of sounds and emotional pull is very special. At one minute you feel like laughing at the ridiculousness of it all, the next you're responding to a curious emotional tug as memories of films, of different countries, of people and moments flash through your brain. The album moves seamlessly through the tenor/ accordion duets, expanding here and there to include vocals from Norma Winstone, percussion from Martin France and Matthew Sharp's cello. So seamless and beautifully played is the album that you barely notice the mix of standards and originals (Ballamy contributes three numbers). There's even an interpretation of 'White Horses'. The standard of musicianship is very fine throughout but I have to single out Stian Carstensen's work on button accordion: Before hearing this album I'd never have believed that an instrument I'd previously had so little (well, OK, no) affection for could be so expressive. Released in 2000, this is a top contender for my album of 2001!

Duke Robillard & Herb Ellis - Conversations in Swing Guitar
Grooveland GLS 107 Reviewed by DD
This is a real departure for Robillard who has previously been known for his blues and R&B work. Ellis has been on the jazz scene for decades and has played with many of the greats including Peterson, Ellington and Holiday. Despite the disparity in their ages and backgrounds, Robillard and Ellis take to this set like a pair of ducks (drakes?) to water. The title sets the agenda although it perhaps suggests a slightly more laid back approach than some of these frenetically paced conversations (take the opening 'Flying Home' which for speed of conversation could even teach my sister in law a thing or two) suggest. The beauty of the set is in the skill of the players: they never lose control, and inject warmth and personality into every note they play. After the opener the album takes in Coleman Hawkins' 'Stuffy', Ellington's 'Squeeze Me' and a good mix of original compositions. The high standard set by the opening number is maintained throughout. The recording quality is good, a little forward maybe, but that suits the music pretty well. The 180gram album includes a bonus 45rpm LP which repeats 'Flying Home' and 'Moten Swing' from the main album.
Supplier: Vivante - Tel: (44)(0)208 977 6600

Andra Sparks - 'People We Once Knew'
Verge 002 Reviewed by DD
Andra Sparks' background has been in more classical fare - the songs of Poulenc and Samuel Barber are examples -so it was with some trepidation that I bunged this disc into the Copland. Previous classical jazz crossovers just haven't worked for me: too much vibrato, too studied diction being common failings. I needn't have worried. This is a fine debut set. Backed by an excellent quartet featuring Nick Weldon on piano, lain Dixon on sax and clarinet, Jeff Clyne on bass and Trevor Tomkins on drums. Sparks has a beautiful, expressive voice. Her classical training is evident, but this time in a positive way, a standout example being the Coleman/ Leigh number 'You Fascinate Me So' where every word of the spiralling vocal lines is clear, but with no loss of feeling. The album comprises a mix of standards and contemporary compositions some of which, for example 'The People We Once Knew', verge a little nearer to show tunes in their treatment (no bad thing). That is until some very fine and well judged playing from Weldon and Clyne keep the jazz core in place. The recording is clean; nicely three dimensional with Sparks' vocals well projected stage front.

Niels-Henning ÿrsted Pedersen and Sam Jones - Double Bass
Steeplechase SCS 1055 Reviewed by DD
There's no arguing that you get just what it says on the sleeve: Two of the worlds best double bass players on a single album. Sensitively accompanied by Philip Catherine on guitar and Billy Higgins, percussion (replaced by Albert Heath on three of the albums eight tracks), the bassists have thankfully chosen favourite numbers on which they lead, ÿrsted Pedersen on the left channel, Jones on the right, and have avoided indulgence in unnecessary sparring. I hate all those Bottle of albums that appeared in the '50's and 60's. Standout numbers on this fine, enjoyable set include a lilting, Brazilian flavoured 'I Fall In Love Too Easily', Sam Jones leading his own composition 'Miss Morgan' (some lovely acoustic guitar work from Catherine here); and Yesterdays: The set closes with a rousing take on Villa Lobos' 'Little Train: This was never going to be an easy album to record and whilst not outstanding, Emile Eisen has done a pretty good job. The essential character of each player's technique and instrument is well caught, although a tittle more presence from the accompanying instruments would have been good since the percussion seems a bit lost in the mix. Recommended.
Supplier: Vivante - www.vivante.co.uk

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