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Issue 13, the reviews
Pop and Contemporary Music    
 

Johnny Cash - Cash
American C69691
Reviewed by RG
The elder statesman of American country proves conclusively that he's still got it. The stylish sleeve (Cash as icon?) provides the perfect visual metaphor for the musical content: stark, pared away and isolated. This isn't the schmaltzy story telling Cash of prime time TV. This is all about pain and longing, injustice and loss. Throw in covers from U2 and Nick Cave and this becomes a voyage of renewed musical discovery, the old-stager ranging the musical landscape, confident and comfortable with what he sees. Standout tracks are wonderful covers of 'I Won't Back Down' (backed by writer Tom Petty) and Neil Diamond's 'Solitary Man', and Cash's own contributions 'Before My Time' and 'Country Trash'. The recording quality has an appealing rawness and honesty, leaving players and songs with nowhere to hide, placing a premium on experience and musical understanding. The result is a powerful testament to Cash's enduring quality and chequered past, a past he has never forgotten or swept from view. Here it's present and correct, providing the continuity with his earlier work. If Johnny Cash has passed you by, now's the time to climb aboard. And if you've got the option, take the album over the CD. That cover needs to be at least 12" square.
Supplied by Vivante

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Recording=7, Music=9CD format180g VinylSuppied by Vivante, click to go buy it
       
 

Thea Gilmore - Rules For Jokers
Flying Sparks TDBCDO56
Reviewed by RG
How age mellows us. Three albums and 21 years old, Thea Gilmore adopts the more reflective, acoustic presentation of her spiritual fore bears. Gone are the dense, clashing chords of abrasive guitar, leaving her voice front and centre, secure in her developing lyrical maturity. Still intact is the innate balance of word and sense, the seriousness, the socio-political content and the occasional need to shock. That and the odd forced rhyme or metre are the last indicators of her tender years amidst a welter of songs that ooze an unlikely maturity. Musically this treads further the path first taken with her recent EP. The album shares the track 'This Girl Is Taking Bets' but the other 12 offerings are all new. Despite the mellower style, make no mistake, there's edge a plenty and this is a disc that responds to enthusiastic application of the volume control, taking on a directness and sense of purpose which brings out its passion. Whether it's the appropriately edgy drive of 'Benzadrine' or the sparse arrangement of 'Holding Your Hand' there's a security and confidence to the delivery that adds substance to the sentiment. If there's a weakness it's that there are too many ideas, some of which she could-carry even further. But all that and patience too? Buy, play loud and marvel at a prodigious talent as it blossoms in full view.
Artistes website: www.theagilmore.com

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Recording=7, Music=9CD format
       
 

Six By Seven - The Things We Make
Mantra Recordings MNTCD1011
Reviewed by MC

Six By Seven - The Closer You Get
Mantra Recordings MNTCD1017
Reviewed by JH
Six by seven are to music what German engineering is to the car industry. Their precision and clarity of purpose leaves the rest of the competition standing. With only two albums to date they may not yet have changed the face of music as we know it, but they represent probably the best and most influential band in the underground world of quality guitar music. Their first, landmark, album The Things We Make surfaced in the UK to critical acclaim in 1998, a dark year for independent music. Recorded over nine months the album was a labour of love for the band; they speak of re-recording tracks until their fingers bleed, and then of binding them to record yet again. The album is gripped by a sense of tension and instability, summed up when their singer Chris Olley declared "we play like men about to die'. The production reflects the attitude of the perfectionist producer; the sound is tight and clipped, each song a chant that builds slowly, drawing out the tension. Many bands since have tried to emulate Six by Seven's sound, but none quite capture the dark oppressive, industrial drone, or the breathtaking way they can explode out of a song in an instant. The obvious highlights of the album are the instantly gratifying 'A Beautiful Shape', 'Candlelight' and 'Oh! Dear but it's the less mainstream tracks that grow more slowly that make this album impossible to tire of. Last year's follow up, The Closer You Get, swapped the saxophone drones for a Hammond organ, kicked over the amps and got seriously angry where before they merely smouldered. An album entirely focussed on how uncaring and dirty our society has become, it's the sound of Six By Seven coming of age and realising they have something to say. The Closer You Get opens with their tribute to Britney Spears, 'Eat Junk Become Junk' a colossal riot of bass and drums, before stuttering through several more tracks in a quick succession of violence and distaste. The album is faultless, recorded by wunderkind John Leckie, he avoids stamping his mark on it, settling instead for simply pushing the band to new heights of excellence. Clearly recorded with vinyl in mind, the disc appears to end half way through, before starting up again with renewed vigour and bile with the aptly named 'Don't Wanna Stop'. The Closer You Get has introduced an entirely new set of sounds for Six By Seven, from the seriously epic 'New Year' to some uncharacteristic acoustic tracks. Six By Seven are easily the best band around at the moment, and these albums rate as all time classics: Huge, dark and confused, they make great bedtime listening.

 

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Recording=9, Music=10CD format120g Vinyl multiple

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Recording=10, Music=10CD format120g Vinyl multiple

       
 

Laura Cantrell - Not The Tremblin' Kind
Spit & Polish SPITCD001
Reviewed by RG
Face of an angel and voice to match is an over used aphorism, but not since the young Nanci Griffith has an artist managed to combine such a wholesome appearance, and such a wholesome sound, with songs that despite their apparent simplicity conceal that hard kernel of uncomfortable truth. Think about these lyrics and they bite. Originally out of Nashville, Laura Cantrell now hails from New York where as well as playing live she hosts a regular radio show on WFMU on which she features historical, roots and folk music, drawing out their links to contemporary genres. It's a background that has stood her in good stead as far as her own career goes. Here she runs the gamut of country influences with a collection of covers and original compositions, all delivered in her flawlessly beautiful voice. These are straightforward recordings that do nothing to obscure the maturity of the delivery or the hidden barbs in the lyrics. Here you'll find the stories of others lives that run awkward parallels with your own. You'll also find the outrageously catchy Tex/Mex confection that makes up 'Do You Ever Think Of Me?' With everything from bluegrass picking to folk blues, unerringly selected to suit the material, this is a high quality roller coaster ride through the best of American country/folk. Absolutely not to be missed!

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Recording=7, Music=10CD format
       
 

The White Stripes - White Blood Cells
Peppermint Stripe Music SFTRI 660
Reviewed by MC
Anyone flicking through a music magazine in the last three months cannot have failed to notice something interesting going on in New York. Current favourites, The Strokes, seem to be courting critical acclaim with their formula of old fashioned rock-and-roll combined with vocals recorded down a phone with the singers head in a bucket. However, from the same movement comes the lesser known The White Stripes. Brother and sister combo, they play all the instruments between them, and don't consider the fact that neither can play bass guitar a problem. White Blood Cells has the dubious honour of sounding even rougher than the Strokes, with most songs played at least partly live. Then there is the terrible guitar sound, which cannot have come out of anything larger than a battery powered practice amp, and the curiously deadened drums. In fact you can never quite get away from the conclusion that they sound like The Faces in their earliest recordings, which might be a compliment. It's an interesting record. There's no doubt it's exciting; it feels natural and live, with all the rough edges left in. Unfortunately it lacks the real, solid songwriting that could make it great. White Blood Cells is like the demo album produced by a band before they get signed to something major. But judging by this, it will definitely be worth looking out for their "real" debut album.

 

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Recording=1, Music=6CD format

       
 

Stewboss - Wanted A Girl
Flying Sparks IDBCDO55
Reviewed by RG
People keep trying to liken Stewboss frontman Greg Sarfaty to Bob Dylan. Me, I just can't see it. Now Springsteen... Songs of love and loss, the wrenching pain of the chance encounter with the one who broke your heart; these are familiar themes for the (often female) singer songwriter, the more angst ridden, mainly acoustic performer. What then are they doing, belted out in tandem with a sub-Stones rock sound track? It's not quite that simple of course, and musically it's much cleverer and more varied than that, but it's the powerful poetry of Sarfaty's lyrics that hold centre stage and bore into your consciousness. The folly of love, its joy and pain and inconvenience, that it never arrives when it should and too often leaves by the back door, these are the themes, and if they sound familiar then indulge yourself in Sarfaty's vision. It's a world that spans the breadth from the gentle Irish lilt of 'Heaven Of Mine' to the fuel fumed rock of 'Let's Go For A Ride' via the lyrical mastery of 'I Think She Wants Me Dead' - and that's just in the first three tracks! If this album doesn't affect you then you are either very lucky or very dead. Hear it and enjoy, in all its raw, untamed passion. American trailer park philosophy at its powerful best.

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Recording=5, Music=9CD format
       
 

Robbie McIntosh Band - Widescreen
Compass Records - 43092
Reviewed by AH
Robbie McIntosh has had a glittering career, guitar sideman to some of the biggest names in pop and rock music, including Rod Stewart, Eric Clapton, Mark Knopfler, Little Feat and Jackson Browne. He was also a member of the Paul McCartney touring band for 6 years and one of the members for Chrissie Hynde's band the Pretenders, so his musical pedigree is exceptionally high. What he is less well known for is his song writing and singing, both skills being well to the fore on his new album Widescreen. Like it's predecessor Emotional Bends, Widescreen blends the many musical styles which Robbie has no doubt been exposed to throughout his long career. Opener 'Rat in the hole' is a straight ahead poprocker with some rock solid drumming from Paul Beavis and a chorus hook that'll float around your head for day's. 'My Secret' has a John Martyn feel and features a lovely acoustic slide solo while 'Fire and Flame' finds McIntosh reunited with old boss Chrissie Hynde on harmony vocals. The band flex their muscles on solid rocker 'Gravity' before slipping into a jump jive groove on the Jaunty 'No Feeling For The Blues', McIntosh blending a sweet jazzy solo with Mark Feltham's stunning harmonica work. Widescreen is a thoroughly enjoyable album, well recorded with first class performances from an excellent bunch of musicians who clearly enjoy playing together.

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Recording=8, Music=8CD format
       
 

Nanci Griffith - Clock Without Hands
ELEKTRA 7559-62660-2
Reviewed by RP
Songs of memory and conscience. Some are sweet recollections of family: 'Shaking Out The Snow' and 'Last Song For Mother: Others share broader anecdotal moments like the first steps on the moon: 'Armstrong: Unexpectedly there are also those that draw out images of an event which still, decades later, haunts the American psyche. Vietnam. These songs: 'Travelling Through This part Of You', 'Pearl's Eye View', 'Roses On The 4th Of July' and 'Truly Something Fine', heartfelt and intelligently crafted, have pertinent lessons to impart. Nanci poignantly engages us through her unique ability to develop intimate, closely observed images that here deal with both the metaphorical minefields of the mind as well as engaging literally in the landmine debate. Perhaps the most telling track is 'Pearl's Eye View', which is subtitled 'The Life of Dickey Chapelle'. She was the photojournalist who in 1962 first revealed to the world that American troops were actually engaged in combat in Vietnam. In 1965, near the village of Chu Lai, Chapelle stepped on a landmine and was killed. The song title alludes to her legendary pearl earrings. This is definitely quite a different side of Nanci Griffith. One which is reflected in the serious vocal delivery of these songs, less twang and more body. A thoughtful and thought provoking album.

 

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Recording=8, Music=8CD format

       
 

Eric Bibb - Painting Signs
Hatman 2005
Reviewed by SG
After his last album, Just Like Love, this latest release is a disappointment, and is summed up by an inappropriate, live rendition of Don't Ever Let Your Spirit Down; being over-produced and lacking sentiment. There are a number of nice songs on the album, including I Heard the Angels Singin', but most are over-elaborate rather than the simple, yet expressively vibrant performances that Eric is best at. Even on the Hendrix penned Angel, Eric's voice is drowned out by Janne Petersson's piano, with the track mixed for impact, rather than natural sound. The more I listened, the more I thought of this CD as an album representing the production team, just fronted by Eric. The sound is obviously from a multi-channelled, too closely mica, digital recording, making it sound too bright and hard, and lacking the raw passion and relaxed sensitivity of Eric's previous albums. If this rather unremarkable CD and his latest, over-amplified tour are evidence, it sounds like Eric has come to a musical fork in the road. I just hope that he is not being influenced to take the wrong path. Remember Eric, "Keep your feet on the ground, an' hold on to your soul".
Artists Website: www.ericbibb.com

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Recording=5, Music=6CD format
       
 

Delbert McClinton - Nothing Personal
New West NW6024
Reviewed by AH
Loved and admired by his fellow musicians but not always receiving the recognition of the record buying public, Delbert McClinton's fortunes changed dramatically with a cover of Bobby Womack's 'Goodman, good woman, a duet he performed with Bonnie Raitt on her Grammy award winning album Luck of the Draw. 'Good Man..: deservedly raised his profile and also features on his own disc Never Been Rocked Enough, an album of considerable brilliance which also featured a fine version of Bob Marley's 'Stir It Up'. His last album, One Of The Fortunate Few was a star-laden affair featuring greats like B.B. King, Lyle Lovett, John Prine and Mavis Staples. Most of the album's tracks were written by McClinton and his long-time collaborator Gary Nicholson, and the pair have combined admirably again on Nothing Personal, probably his most rootsy and complete work to date. McClinton has crossed musical boundaries throughout his 40 years in the business and Nothing Personal continues that tradition with a gumbo stew of blues, country, rock 'n' roll and southern soul that continually hits all the high spots, leaving the listener desperate for more long after the brilliant closer 'Watching the Rain' has faded from the speakers. Some 40 years after teaching an unknown John Lennon how to play harmonica, Delbert McClinton is still at the top of his profession, which speaks volumes for the man's talent.

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Recording=8, Music=8CD format
       
 

Lloyd Cole - The Negatives
BIS RECORDS 155482 mu 792
Reviewed by RP
Having spent five years reminiscing about the powerfully literate songwriting of Lloyd Cole, I am glad to say that he has at last returned from the wilderness with a sardonic release which reaffirms his mastery of introspection. The Negatives, shorn of those overt allusions to film, philosophy, art and literature which typified his early work with the Commotions, instead picks up the threads from his previous album, the 1995 Love Story. Opening in an autobiographical vein, 'Past Imperfect', recalls those heady days back in 1984 when his critically acclaimed debut LP, Rattlesnakes, heralded a career which has never quite commercially capitalised on a rare talent. Much of this album, though, is concerned with relationships. However, its clear from the lyrics of a track like, 'Man on the Verge', that the ".... single melancholy male" is more than a hesitant lover. But then Cole has always possessed a wry, often self-deprecating, sense of humour and healthy fondness for masquerade. Musically, all this metaphorical manoeuvring is held together by a guitar based band - David Derby (bass), Michael Kotch and Jill Soubule (guitars), Rafa Maciejak (drums). While, in addition to his soulful vocals, Cole exercises his own guitar and synth skills. Very Commotion-esque.

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Recording=8, Music=8CD format
       
 

Bob Harris Presents - Volume II
Assembly Records ASEMCD 002
Reviewed by RG
The second broadside in Whispering Bob's personal war on inane pop music hits home with all the accuracy and force of his opening salvo (reviewed in Issue 10). Understandably dismayed at the quality of modern mainstream music offerings, this is his personal selection of the best alternatives from artists who aren't going to get the airplay they deserve. If thinking man's pop, often as not blended with an acoustic country influence sounds like your bag, then this disc is a must have purchase. 15 of the best, it contains hidden gems alongside the better known performers. Volume I led me to the fabulous Dolly Varden, an on-going love affair that shows no sign of weakening. This time round, alongside the likes of Slaid Cleaves, Thea Gilmore and Calexico, all of whom have received enthusiastic reviews in these pages, it's Stewboss and the hauntingly beautiful voice of Laura Cantrell that are the standouts. Well, at least as far as fm concerned. With the variety and quality on offer here there's going to be something to raise the heart rate of anybody with a musical pulse. Buy this and I can guarantee future beneficial visits to your local purveyor of musical software.

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Recording=variable, Music=8CD format
       
 

Joni Mitchell - Misses
REPRISE 9362-46358-2
Reviewed by RP
A tongue-in-cheek companion disc to the 1996 Hits album reviewed in issue 10, Misses confirms an artistic depth and lyrical consistency to be found in those songs which have perhaps received less airplay than they merited. A selection of tracks from releases as diverse as the chintzy Ladies of the Canyon ('The Arrangement'), to a gritty Turbulent Indigo ('Sex Kills' and 'The Magdalene Laundries'), chronicle a songwriter's craft through the natural innocence of the Sixties to the social depravity of the mid-nineties - where Mitchell's lower and huskier voice engages images of incest, drugs, prostitution, religious abuse and environmentalism. With these moments of insight it's possible to map the shifting emotional undercurrents of a generation - from youthful idealism to an often traumatic and weary sense of adult responsibility. Solid HDCD processing does justice to these sentiments. It also reveals in far better detail than before what an accomplished musician Joni Mitchell is in her own right. Because she is accompanied by players of the highest calibre we tend to take Joni's fine guitar work and keyboard skills for granted. This, like her lesser known compositions, deserves generous applause.

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Recording=8, Music=8HDCD format
       
 

Hopper - English and French
Factory too FACD2.10
Reviewed by MC
Once upon a time there were independent record labels, and greatest of these was "Factory Records". Then Factory Records produced a daughter label, "Factory too", the even-more-independent offshoot of the most fiercely independent label in Britain. And from this label came Hopper, a female fronted, indie power-pop outfit, whose one album English and French was produced by none other than indie god, and one time Suede guitarist Bernard Butler. So just how indie are Hopper? More than you could ever imagine. English and French is great fun. It's all guitars and bad drum rolls, mixed with the formidable, and quite unique, vocal talent of their bespectacled lead singer. With the addition of some pretty intelligent lyrical material, they squeeze new life out of the slightly tired four-piece format. In terms of recording, it's certainly not hi-fi, but it is what the material demands. Half the album sounds like it's been recorded in my shed, but is all the more energetic for it, whilst the other half is more delicately produced, with the singers perfectly naive vocals right in the front of the mix. It's a mixed bag then, a historical oddball, which deserves a listen. Whilst it may seem like a straight power pop excursion, the depth of emotion in a few of these songs will genuinely surprise. Rare when released, there are still some good quality vinyl pressings available for the persistent. If you like 90's indie, this could be for you.

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Recording=4, Music=7CD format180g Vinyl
       
 

Mary Chapin Carpenter - Time. Sex. Love
COLUMBIA 502354-2
Reviewed by RP
Mary Chapin Carpenter possesses a considerable musical appetite for a girl 'n' her guitar singer songwriter who is well known to suffer bouts of depression. Quality and quantity rarely go hand-in-hand but as a performer she is an exception to that rule. Unsurprisingly the focus of her subject matter has tended to be alcoholism, fractured relationships and isolation. This album is no different in that respect. Thematically all the old uncertainties are present with songs like, 'Slave to Beauty', 'in the name of Love', 'What was it Like' and 'Maybe World', raking over the autobiographical ashes. But there is a steeliness too, as the tracks, 'This is me Leaving You', 'Simple Life' and 'Alone But Not Lonely', show a willingness to overcome these hurdles and determine one's own life for the better. Though Carpenter shares much in common with folk rock musicians like Shawn Colvin, she still enjoys the continuing loyalty of country fans. This has not stopped her from gradually divesting herself of country's more obvious robes. Here, the highly polished production values iron out a few more remaining wrinkles to reveal an impressively smooth and rocking modern folk crossover album that brings fresh melodies to what is otherwise a frequently predictable and threadbare genre.

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Recording=7, Music=7CD format
       
Jazz Music    
 

Clark Tracey - Stability
Linn AKD 159
Reviewed by DD
Son of the renowned pianist, composer and arranger Stan Tracey, Clark began playing regularly with his father's bands as far back as 1978, and over the years has developed to become on of the UK's most experienced drummers. This HDCD recording sees him joined by a wealth of talent. The album opens with a paired down for 6 players, not the full 'big band' - Gil Evans arrangement of Gershwin's 'Gone' from Porgy and Bess. This works well, the number driving even harder than its full band ancestor and with players of the calibre of Andy Shepherd and Iain Ballamy on hand, it's little surprise that it works so well. 'Lounge Blues' highlights some superb piano work from Gareth Williams, also some great bass playing from Arnie Somogyi. Thelonius Monk's 'Ugly Beauty' sees Symogyi and Guy Barker on trumpet joined by the Locrian String Quartet. Fine atmospheric stuff. And so on: throughout the album Tracey has featured different soloists to take the lead on each track, assigned according to the mood of each piece. Good clean recording, sounding just fine on my HDCD equipped player. This is a well recorded, well judged CD.

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Recording=7, Music=7HDCD format
       
 

Eberhard Weber - Endless Days
ECM 1748 013420-2
Reviewed by DD
Regarded as something of a lightweight album when it was released (rather like Ella's Cole Porter Song Book reviewed in the audiophile section), this marked something of a departure for Holliday, and if it's not exactly upbeat, then neither does it plumb the depths of despair so often associated with this singer. Of course, since those days the notion of what constitutes "jazz singing" has broadened considerably (in no small part because of albums exactly like this), and songs like 'Violets for Your Furs' and 'I Get Along Without You Very Well' are now considered standards. So whilst this isn't a classic Holiday album, it's more accessible than most and constitutes an excellent starting point if you're new to this most distinctive of voices. The pressing is up to Classic's normal excellent standards, and if the recording doesn't match the warmth, detail and presence of Verve's best, then it's not too tar behind. Her familiar gravely rasp is slightly smoothed and distant, stepped back into a coherent soundstage, along with the orchestra. I like the arrangements, and the slightly contrived instrumental solos actually work rather well. Not strictly an album for purists then, but if you're so much of a purist that it prevents you enjoying this, then you need to lay off the scourge and ice-cold showers. Me, I'm perfectly happy thanks.

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Recording=9, Music=8CD format
       
 

Duke Ellington / Boston Pops / Arthur Fiedler - The Duke at Tanglewood
Classic Records/RCA LSC 2857
Reviewed by DD
If asked to name my top few jazz musicians Ellington would be right up there with Parker, Miles, and Monk. A genuine innovator, he's contributed some of the greatest music of the 20th century: The ground-breaking 30's and 40's sides, Black, Brown and Beige, At Newport, just about every one of the Suites, fine later albums like Blues in Orbit and Jazz Party in Stereo, the list goes on. I love the man. It was therefore with no small excitement that I spotted the title of this album as it appeared from the Ed's case. Then I spotted the small print the Duke was merely guesting with Fiedler and the Boston Pops. Why? Why? Why? The gig was for charitable purposes of a sort I suppose - it raised some $48,000 for the orchestra's pension fund - but it just hurts to read the sleeve notes and see quotes like 'the original soloist was Johnny Hodges' as yet more treacly strings ooze forth from the speakers. Unsurprisingly the Duke seems half-asleep throughout and only Louis Bellson's drums add some snap to the proceedings. A beautifully recorded syrupy disaster. Available in this months magazine
Supplier: Vivante - www.vivante.co.uk

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Recording=8, Music=2180g VinylSuppied by Vivante, click to go buy it
       
 

Charles Mingus - The Black Saint And The Sinner Lady
Speakers Corner/Impulse AS-35
Reviewed by DD
Much as I love Mingus Ah Um, this is my favourite of his albums. It contains his greatest long form piece, an extended suite that takes in multiple influences from Ellington (in both it's extended suite form and in some of the horn work), to classical composers like Debussy, 'though the overriding influence is of course Mingus himself. Mingus even re-named his band for this release to the Charles Mingus New Folk Band, prompting Impulse to change their usual slogan to 'The New Wave of Folk is on Impulse' and to classify the album as 'Ethnic Folk-Dance Music: However it's classified this is very fine music indeed. There's a focus and intensity throughout, whether in the faster paced sections or the lyrical piano led sections. The 11-piece band is so together that it's difficult to single anyone out for favour, but Charles Mariano's alto playing is superb, as is Dannie Richmond's drumming. This is an absolute classic, very well produced and engineered by Bob Thiele and Bob Simpson, with real 'you are there' presence and weight. If you don't own it already shame on you, rush out and buy it immediately!
Supplier: Vivante - www.vivante.co.uk

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Recording=8, Music=9180g VinylSuppied by Vivante, click to go buy it
       
 

Misha Alperin - At Home
ECM 1766 549670-2
Reviewed by DD
Recorded in February '98 at his home in 'a little wooden house on the coast of the Oslo Fjord in Norway nine metres of working space proved sufficient for me to feel alone and content. It is this quality of stillness and quiet contemplation that helps to set this solo piano recording apart. The CD comprises 12 short - some as short as 29 seconds -improvised pieces. Aside from the title track, 'Emptiness', 'Nostalgia', 'Nightfall' and 'Shadows' give a pretty good impression of the overall theme. Fortunately, despite the sombre, reflective themes the quality of the playing and overall lightness of touch prevent this from becoming the Nordic gloomfest it could so easily be. It may be released on ECM, but I wouldn't call it jazz. There are faint echoes of Satie throughout and if I had to categorise I'd file it under contemporary classical. An involving recording for all that.

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Recording=7, Music=6CD format
       
 

Ramon Ruiz, Anita La Maltesa - Flamenco Havana
Naim CD055
Reviewed by DD
Now here's an interesting world music stew... Ramon Ruiz and his partner of 10 years, Anita La Maltesa were seen in concert during last years Salisbury Festival by Paul Stephenson of Naim. This concert and meeting were the genesis of this album recorded by Naim in Seville. Ranging from all-out traditional flamenco pieces to much more Latin influenced pieces like the first track 'Ese Mal Amigo'. The pair are joined by a heady mix of Spanish and Cuban musicians. The preponderant feel is very much Flamenco, but the Cuban influence is never too far away. On paper it shouldn't work - two distinctive musical idioms should be too much - but thankfully the skill of Ruiz, his mastery of the guitar in both Flamenco and Latin styles makes it all hang together and whether you can see the 'join' or not, it simply doesn't matter. This is simply joyous music making born of three days and nights of intensive recording. A good clear, weighty recording with a real sense of fingers on strings and sliding across the fretboard. Thankfully too, the instruments are properly scaled - no eight foot wide guitars here - which does nothing but aid the 'you are there' feel of the fine recording.

  sleeve image
Recording=8, Music=7CD format
       

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