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Snout - Managing Good Looks
W-MINC WMINCD022 Reviewed by RP
Lead singer and wordsmith Ross McLennan fronts this leftfield guitar-based band in a role not dissimilar to that of a Lloyd Cole minus those trademark intellectual property rights. Allusionless, perhaps, but the wit and ear of a poet are unveiled for the Cole-like intonation in "'The Prince Of Plainsong' .... The heir of monotone". Other tracks such as 'Sloth' suggest that there is definitely a much harder (punkish) edge to McLennan's malcontent. His Commotions - Anthony Paine (bass guitar) and Ewan McCartney (drums) - are equally comfortable in both contemplative and combative roles. Penetrating and probing lyrics melodically scrape away at modern day gelt, which is that "... refuse at the tin edge of the ecosystem". (No Nine Savers). R.M. pushes his nose in where it's not wanted. He's an insider 'Kickin' Up A Racket' and the informer delivering a 'Little Brittle Sound'. As the closing 'Marginalia' suggests, these insights are as sandpaper rubbing away at the outer reaches of the status quo. Musically, these are attention grabbing killer grooves. Ideologically? Well, most will approve but do nothing. Is there hope for any of us?
Supplier: hotrecords@pavilion.co.uk

Van Morrison - Down The Road
Exile 589177-1 Reviewed by RP
Van "The Man" rolls back the years and taps into those earthy R&B roots for an extended metaphor on a singer/songwriting life. Whereas McCartney's journey was along and winding trip to your heart, Van drives rhythmically along through Chicago and New Orleans hotspots and opens a window on a blues musician's art in the process. Wearing out acres of shoe leather, learning in equal measure from the knock downs and adrenaline highs all invaluable experiences long ago cemented in Morrison performances -it's rekindled here within fifteen songs like 'Choppin' Wood' and 'What Makes The Irish Heart Beat', with their predominantly home spun themes. Lyrically, the mountainous landscapes of 'Steal My Heart', 'Man Has To Struggle' and 'The Beauty Of The Days Gone By' poetically mirror the toil, exertion and personal sense of fulfilment as these great edifices in our lives are traversed. All are sympathetically underscored with saxophone, flute, trumpet and even an Acker Bilk clarinet solo. Van's is a pensive, reflective and persuasive voice, whose refrain on 'Whatever Happened To PJ Proby?', abhors the meek acceptance of a mediocrity so commonplace in today's music when true artisans are still making their way down the highway with a monkey on their backs.
Supplier: The Cherished Record Company - www.cherished-record-company.co.uk (44)(0)1579 363603

Alan Tyler - Faithful
Littlefield Records Litlcd001 Reviewed by AH
In 1992, a lil' of country band called The Rockingbirds surfaced on the Heavenly/Columbia label and although they didn't change the face of popular music they did manage to attract a fiercely loyal band of followers who pushed their highly acclaimed debut album into the public eye. Unfortunately the band loved to drink and party to excess and this had a detrimental effect on the quality of their music, resulting in the poorly received second release Whatever Happened To The Rockingbirds? They split and lead singer Alan Tyler went on to form Famous Times with his fellow singing partner Sean Read. Again signed to heavenly, they cut two great singles but the album was shelved, leaving Tyler hurt and disillusioned with the music business. After a lengthy absence, Tyler's passion for making music returned and he linked up with Sean Read once more to complete Faithful at Reads own Cockerel Sound Studios in late 2001. Faithful consists of 11 acoustic based country flavoured songs and Tyler again shows a lovely feel for strong melodies and thoughtful lyrics. Forthcoming single 'Nickel In A Diamond Mine' is an absolute peach, Tyler's rich vocal blending sweetly with co-vocalist Hannah Reese to stunning effect. A folky edge surfaces on 'Ivanhoe' but country music's Tyler's lifeblood and Waylon Jennings his hero - as 'There's A Place In My Heart I Call Texas' and the photographic tribute in the booklet testifies.

Rebecca Hancock And The Prison Wives - Somewhere To Land
Hot Records HOT 108 Reviewed by RP
This strikingly original debut from an established four-piece Aussie outfit hangs on the elastic vocal strengths of Becky Hancock. She splices together eight self-penned songs and two covers that synthesize a variety of wholegrain musical textures to deliver her own authentic sound. A white noise intro for 'Moon Wants A Lover opens out into a rockin' showcase for the Wives, as Mark Bradridge rides guitar, John Sandow piano hops, and Nick Fisher beats some lively skin behind Hancock's big, composed phrasing. A coarsened and double-tracked mix working over these longing lyrics has plenty of snap. Contrastingly, play the title track which oozes classy folk-pop. Hold your breath, though, for a closing cover of Joy Division's post-punk anthem on a fragmented relationship, 'Love Will Tear Us Apart?' Can Hancock do punk? Probably - but not here. This is "broken-hearted" very much in the R&B style of Gladys Knight's 'Midnight Train To Georgia' and, even if the notes don't soar, it still works brilliantly -testimony indeed to the genius of Ian Curtis whose creativity was at a peak when he penned this haunting number.
Supplier: hotrecords@pavilion.co.uk

Tom Waits - Alice
Epitaph Records Anti 6632-1

Tom Waits - Blood Money
Epitaph Records Anti 6629-1 Reviewed by RP
Waits is a perplexing genius. An unbearable self imposed recording silence, maintained throughout most of the Nineteen Nineties and broken only by the astonishing Mule Variations, enhanced his cult status, but must have been hell for such a gifted lyricist. All those pent up words and chords have suddenly burst upon us - kicking out in an avalanche of terrific and terrifying music. In 2002 we've been gifted another twenty eight of these characteristically vivid Tom Waits/Kathleen Brennan word pictures, painted on a pair of independent Epitaph label canvases. Songs recorded and mixed at the In The Pocket Studio, California, were mastered by The Mastering Lab in Hollywood Gavin Lurssen crewing for Blood Money and Doug Sax, no less, on Alice. Alice- fifteen languidly paced and vividly observed vignettes. Dry, gravel-washed vocals as care worn and lived in as those chiselled features seen on these album sleeves would suggest. Effortless natural poetry, where a deliberation in phrasing and timing is sharply contrasted by certain and rapid shifts of meaning. Waits rarely breaks sweat here, but can twist and turn an image on a sixpence. A single evocative and purposeful line like "And all the worms they will climb The rugged ladder of your spine" (We're All Mad Here) can put any matter of love, loss, insanity or separation on its' head. Verbal excesses? Well, anyone even mildly familiar with big Tom will know of them. Rambling guttural German on 'Kommienezuspadt' is a minor indiscretion. Blood Money continues in much the same vein. Musical dogma (and our preconceptions) have been seriously messed with as jazz styles, folk singing and the salon form are redrawn. Holding a clarinet note until it's pulled out of shape, or playing off-key, knowingly recreates a haunting and theatrically dark world. Chanted lyrics do nothing to dispel a loathsome, grisly and mercenary place -one populated by "killers, thieves and lawyers" who, without a second thought, would "sell your heart to the junkman baby". (God's Away On Business). A backcloth to this pessimistic scene is established right from the outset when Waits intones, "There's nothing kind about man", for an opening 'Misery Is The River Of The World'. The scoring (which includes marimba, bells and gongs) summons forth images of a turn-of-the century vaudevillian freak show as part of his demonstration that man is an aberration when compared to nature. Even the soothing childhood cadences of 'Lullaby' are juxtaposed by the harsh reality of the refrain "if I die before you wake. Don't you cry; don't you weep". A set of bloody, disturbing, cautionary tales.
Supplier: The Cherished Record Company - www.cherished-record-company.co.uk (44)(0)1579 363603

Dolly Varden - Forgiven Now
Flying Sparks Records TDBCD 062 Reviewed by RG
More sardonic social observation from the slightly surreal house of Varden, with this, their fourth album. The Chicago based five piece serve up another collection of perfectly crafted pop vignettes. And if the direction is set by the vocal talents of husband and wife Stephan Dawson and Diane Christiensen, then the rainbow talents of Mark Balletto's guitar is no less central to the sound; Or the rock solid rhythm section of Michael Bradburn and Matt Thobe. Or the deft production and considered perspectives of producer Brad Jones, that allow the band both a firm foundation and room to stretch. It's a winning team that takes DV's country rock roots and builds them into something altogether different and contemporary. It's a place perhaps best summed up by the abstract wonder of Christensen's '7000 Men Like Cigarettes'. The fragile melody, underpinned by sparse drumming that slowly builds "7000 men like cigarettes put out side to side, I only meant to quit it long enough to catch my stride, you've never had a fat girl before, some voice from a well made bed, in time you'll be extinguished like the others, snuffed out head to head..." Dolly Varden writes incisively intelligent songs for a listening audience, and play them beautifully. Treat yourself to a slice of one of the great bands, they get my highest recommendation.

Robert Bradley's Blackwater Surprise - New Ground
Vanguard VCD 79597-2 Reviewed by RG
Forget your pre-conceptions, I can pretty much guarantee that you're going to be surprised by the content of this disc. Robert Bradley has enjoyed a long and colourful career; one in which he hasn't allowed genre concerns to limit his musical and artistic expression. Witness the anthemic, almost stadium rock of 'Profile', followed immediately by the feel-good spoken delivery of 'Lindy'. There's a multi-faceted patchwork ranging from the socially aware to the naively sentimental, the straight ahead love song to the modern blues of 'Willie Lee', but it's all bound together by the carefully crafted arrangements, great playing, and above all, Bradley's distinctive voice. Immediately recognisable, it's got a style, a melodic, almost nasal whine, all its own. Which might not sound like much of a recommendation but believe me, it's a powerfully expressive instrument, especially backed by such accomplished musicians, It makes for a quality trip through the disparate back waters of the modern pop world, intelligent, feeling and wry where so much else is simply vacuous. There's clearly still hope left and life after Britney. It's ironic that it's an old, blind trouper like Robert Bradley who is showing the way. This is the real thing.

Seaman Dan - Steady, Steady
Hot Records HOT 1079 Reviewed by RP
Carried by the currents from around the Great Barrier Reef these charming ballads, with their languid cross-cultural styles, draw deeply upon maritime song, hula, blues and a gently rhythmic jazz that percolates through Seaman Dan's Torres Strait home. This veteran boat skipper and ex-pearl diver is quite the enigma, not least because he has waited some seven decades before sharing these good natured, tuneful and above all sun drenched melodies amongst a much wider audience. This, only his second CD release, reveals a characteristically unhurried tempo for tracks like 'A Song For Leilani', 'Pearly Shells' and 'Somewhere There's An Island'. All mimic that typically subtropical pace of life as their richly Polynesian and Melanesian textures recall balmy atmospheric nights of bygone golden age which may or may well not have ever really existed. It is easy to lose oneself in an unapologetically soft focus production where violins, viola, mandolin, ukulele banjo and air brushed backing vocals lap alongside the lyrics as water against the keel of a coastal lugger. Only Dan's weathered and salt-caked voice contrastingly wrestles with those more painful lessons of love and life learned in Leilani's song. Sumptuous easy listening. Unique.
Supplier: hotrecords@pavilion.co.uk

Corey Harris - Downhome Sophisticate
Rounder Records RRCD3194 Reviewed by AH
Downhome Sophisticate is Corey Harris' first new recording since 2000's Vu Du Menz (A duet with jazz pianist Henry Butler) and to call it a variation of styles would be something of an understatement. Along with Chris Thomas King, Corey Harris is reshaping the whole face of 21st century blues and taking it to a fresh and exciting new dimension. A Colorado native, Harris started playing guitar at the age of 12. After graduating he decided to travel to enrich his knowledge of black history and culture. He visited Mali and Cameroon where he discovered a rich tapestry of unusual beats and rhythms which he decided to blend into the more orthodox blues structures used in the black American music he grew up with. Harris tackles more musical styles and patterns in this CD's 74 minutes than most artists manage in a lifetime's playing. There's the straight ahead blues stamper 'Keep your lamp trimmed and burning', experimentation with loops and hip hop beats on 'Downtown Sophisticate' and 'Santoro', rhumba and samba grooves on 'Sista Rose', 'Black Maria' and 'Money Eye', a heads down boogie shuffle simply called 'BB' and the eerie instrumental 'Chinook' amongst other delights. You might not like all of Downhome Sophisticate (especially if you are a blues purist), but I defy you to get bored while listening to it.

Eddie Martin & The Texas Blues Kings - Pillowcase Blues
Blueblood Records BB007 Reviewed by AH
In the '60's and'70's Britain produced great blues based artists almost at will; John Mayall, Eric Clapton, Peter Green, The Stones, Led Zepplin, Rory Gallagher etc. Then it all seemed to dry up in favour of new romanticism and all manner of electronic pap. It's therefore extremely pleasing to report that the British blues scene is still alive and well and in safe hands. Pillowcase Blues is Eddie Martin's sixth album and showcases his marvellous talent on the slide guitar- electric slide that is. Martin wears his influences on his sleeve, so what you get are affectionate nods towards great American players like Hound Dog Taylor and George Thorogood. It's a really earthy, gritty blues that comes tumbling out of the speakers and boy, does it rock! 'Down the Road' opens proceedings, almost 7 minutes of ear shredding slide over a wicked Bo Diddley beat. 'Pillowcase Blues' follows, the guitar highly reminiscent of Thorogood's classic 'Move It On Over' period. 'Underwater Woman' revisits the Bo Diddley groove whilst 'Natural Thing' slows the pace down, allowing Martin the chance to show off his considerable prowess on the harmonica. I could wax lyrical for pages, suffice to say Eddie Martin plays the blues with the same intensity and authenticity as the late, great Rory Gallagher, and I can't pay him a higher compliment than that.

Fiji - the glue hotel tapes
IMPCD 003 Impresario Reviewed by MC
The glue hotel tapes was an album born from the ashes of the deceased adrenaline-fueled three-piece 'Scarfo'. Singer, guitarist and self confessed control freak Jamie Hince grasped the reigns, set up his own label and proceeded to write, record, produce and distribute his own material under the moniker 'Fiji: The first surprise was just how different he could sound on his own, given the time and space. At six songs the glue hotel tapes barely counts as a full album, but as the only substantial output from a disappointingly brief career as solo artist, it never fails to impress. Jamie's voice remains as enigmatic as ever, over garage guitars and slick drum beats. For the most part the songs burn slowly, with strong rhythms and understated vocals, but just occasionally they explode with energy and life. The album is distinguished by its skillful use of sounds and instruments, injecting the kind of change into the songs structure more normally associated with dance music, and by inventive songwriting and composition. But the real excitement in the glue hotel tapes is its entirely raw sound. The glue hotel tapes is seriously hard to acquire, but worth the effort many times over. Stripped down to its essentials and allowed to develop, the sound of solitude was never better.

The Persuasions - Sing The Beatles
Chesky JD220 Reviewed by RG
You can see it going through someone's little brain and alight-bulb going off. Take an audiophile record label, an acappella group with impeccable audiophile credibility and you've got a sure fire hit. All you need is music that everybody loves... Which is when the light-bulb went off. Shame it didn't short out. Like a lot of projects that look good on paper, even a moment's reflection should have set the warning bells a ringing. The Persuasions have never included Beatles numbers on their previous releases (I wonder why?): You tinker with people's favourites, the ones they know note for note, at your peril: The majority of Beatles songs are built around close harmonies of their own. You don't have to be Einstein to see that the whole plan is fraught with danger. But the thing that really puts the tin-hat on proceedings is that the performers seem to realise that they're riding for a fall. This is the lamest, flattest and at times most downright tuneless performance I've heard in a long, long time. The clumsy arrangements don't help either. Aware that we normally only review discs we actively recommend and that I might be overstating the case, I've played this disc to everybody I can. They've been universally appalled or amused, but not one has approved. This recording should carry a government taste warning!

Idlewild - the remote part
Parlophone 7243 540243 Reviewed by MC
On my first listening to the remote part I feared Idlewild had lost it. Compared to the fierce emotional blast of their previous albums, this record might seem soulless and formulaic. And whilst it's true that remote part is less varied, less energetic, with that maturity comes subtlety and depth. The remote part is Idlewild for the masses, changing the way they deliver the message, but not the content. They have successfully changed the band they were, switching the focus from live intensity to recorded audio velvet, a fact convincingly demonstrated on the current single 'American English'. Gone are the howls of anguish, gone is the feedback and white noise, and in their place are huge anthemic rabble-rousers, with lush production and solid gold hooks. But if the first half of the album is home to the radio-friendly stadium-fillers that will win Idlewild the chart positions that they rightfully deserve, it is the second half that contains the true gems. , 'The remote part/Scottish fiction' and 'live in a hiding place' see them stepping away from the formula and making use of their fondness for non-rock genres. The remote part is the most coherent collection of songs the band have released, complex and intelligent but also accessible and professional. Idlewild may well have made their perfect album.

Liz Horsman - Roaming
The Red Club TRC001 Reviewed by AH
I was in music retail when EMI Parlphone were touting Liz Horsman as the music industry is latest superstar in the making. The amount of promotional material and badgering from record company reps was frightening and I imagine the pressure to succeed on a young woman new to such a cash hungry, instant for results mentality must have been enormous. Liz Horsman gives a broad hint as to the pressures at that time in the accompanying press release; "In my experience major labels throw hundreds of thousands of pounds at an artist to achieve instant commercial success. The pressure on the artist becomes greater and greater, I could not suffer that environment anymore". In truth the album in question, Heavy High wasn't really that good; the songs didn't linger in the memory and there wasn't an instant single that would have given the record company the return on their £125,000 investment that they wanted. Now she is free from corporate restraints Liz Horsman can express herself more openly, and it is pleasing to report that Roaming is a massive improvement. The songs have much more substance and there are at least two potential hit singles in Catch Yourself Crying' and the dreamily hypnotic 'Here Lies'. Recorded on a budget of £2,500, Roaming shows that Liz Horsman has come of age. The future looks very bright indeed.

Supernaturals - What we did last summer
Koch Records 343995 Reviewed by MC
Gosh, I didn't know they made records like this anymore, it's a pop record entirely without focus. Two or three years ago the Bluetones discovered that they didn't have to play the game anymore. Realizing that they were never going to be seriously big, but that their fan-base could keep them afloat, they stopped trying to keep up with the zeitgeist and instead relaxed to find their own niche. In doing so they transformed themselves from indie also-rans to whimsical pop supremos. At the same time The Supernaturals were floundering without direction (or record label) and were obviously watching with interest. What we did last summer attempts exactly the same trick, with mixed results. Discarding the guitar hooks and rock posing they have created a slice of pure pop, understated and dripping in sunshine chic. Gone are the attempts at big singles, and instead the album is left in limbo, never quite settling into a comfortable groove. The songs are familiar Supernatural material, but the handling is just as uncomfortable as previously it was forced. The album is still a seriously stylish nugget of feelgood pop, sounding like a night around the pool or the first flush of a holiday romance. For one night only The Supernaturals have transformed themselves into the Pet Shop Boys, but this turns out to be no bad thing.

Mike Harrison & The Hamburg Blues Band - Touch
RUF Records RUF107 Reviewed by AH
Mike Harrison was the lead singer with Spooky Tooth who disbanded in 1975. After a reunion in 1998 went nowhere, he was left wondering what direction to take next when Fate led him to Thomas Ruf, owner of the German blues label RUF Records, who introduced him to the Hamburg Blues Band, which judging from this album is a marriage made in heaven. Touch is a truly masterful piece of work and one that really allows Harrison the room to stretch out and prove what an excellent singer he is. His vocals ooze passion, power and true grit and the Hamburg Blues Band in beautifully behind him, creating a big muscular blues/rock sound. The twin guitars of Gert Lange and Alex Conti (ex Atlantis) are a delight throughout, ranging from all out assault on 'hold back' to bad company style riffling on 'Movin' on' and subtle restraint on the emotive ballad Try Me Again'. Mike Harrison is up there with the very best blues rock singers and Touch hasn't been out of my cd player for months. It's the biggest surprise of the year for me so far; It's a fabulous album and I just can't recommend it highly enough. Get down to your record store and purchase immediately.

Derrin Nauendorf - Live At The Boardwalk
Swing 6350 Reviewed by RG
Modern blues in a sparse and beautifully captured performance, and with a difference. Derrin Nauendorf sings and plays a mean guitar. He writes a mean song too. For help he brings along percussionist David Downing and little else. It's a minimalist mix that leaves the performers nowhere to hide. Fortunately they're up to the task There are nine tracks here (plus encore), all penned by the man himself with the sole exception of a nine minute tour de force, acoustic version of 'Voodoo Child'. If you're going to carry that off without sounding like some sad hippy then you need presence and a touch of panache. Guitar and vocals with attitude, underpinned by nicely judged percussion that fills the voids without getting intrusive or flashy. It's a nicely judged balance and the result is power beyond the scope of the instrumental forces involved. But power that's used sparingly, making it all the more effective, especially on the quieter tracks like the session closer 'Danielle: Add an excellent recording with decent dynamics and immediacy and you've got all the ingredients for a classic demo disc. For once the recording's virtues are more than matched by the musical merits, making this disc something of a treasure. Definitely worth seeking out.
Supplied by Swingout Prods. (44)(0)1246 857235
Artiste website: www.derrinnauendorf.com

Fischerspooner - #1
FS Studios / Ministry of Sound FSMOSCDI Reviewed by MC
Take two shameless self publicists, add a musical concept that has sat out of fashion for a decade and a half a truck load of cash, a handful of celebrity concerts, make-up artists and a myriad of costumes, add just a pinch of talent, and what do you get? An international sensation. Fischerspooner have become an overnight success, turning heads and gaining critical acclaim worldwide. But is it justified? Warren Fischer and Casey Spooner make up the electro-pop duo Fischerspooner. Although sold as future music, nothing on this album is a revolution. We can only assume Warren and Casey were asleep through the eighties, the only difference is that Fischerspooner have access to better samplers. But the real mystery is why they insist on surrounding themselves with the hype. The showy frills, the bold statements, the onstage antics and press baiting just stir up the mud, and manage to successfully cover the fact that they have actually made a superb album. Its not future music, its not world changing, but it is a bloody good stomp through bass lines and synthesizers. Debut single 'Emerge' may well be the best track on the album, but the rest aren't far behind. The album simply oozes sexual tension. If the album warrants criticism it is the fact that it fails to keep its pace through to the end.

Ashley Casselle - Response
Reviewed by MM
With dance music being so inundated with DJ mix CDs it's nearly impossible to navigate your way through the shelves at the local record shop and find what you're looking for. And when you think you've got a firm hold on the sound you're seeking another genre gets introduced, splitting your already fragmented brain into yet another ten categories. Well my friends, I hate to sound cliche but Ashley Casselle has delivered with Response. Call it progressive house, call it trance, whichever label you deem appropriate this CD is a fantastic looking glass into clubland (at Sam with the right crowd). In this digital day and age Wing is truly an art form, and I defy anyone who would argue the point. Ashley's musical selections coupled with his skillful mixing make for a masterful double disc set. His beat matching is engaging and precise. The introduction via Astroglyde's Oraphi (re-edit) gives you a glimpse of what you're in for. Cascading with synth infused 4/4 beats and bubbling melodies, this track goes for the gut straight out of the gate. The triggered blips and driving bass lines of Quirk's Soft Focus (Hyperion Remix) are enough to make any couch potatophile get up from the listening chair. Response definitely packs a punch when played through a system capable of being loud without distorting low-end frequencies. Don't blast this through your Mission bookshelves (hopefully you don't own them to begin with). The mid-range is exceptionally vibrant and clean. Hi hat hits and clicks are articulated well, without piercing the eardrums. Looking for an album to pump in the car on the way to a good night out? Pick this up, and support Casselle's noble efforts..

South - From Here On In
Reviewed by MM
South presents a tough case. This trio is undoubtedly talented and capable of carrying a tune. However, there's nothing particularly groundbreaking about this record, which makes it even more difficult to articulate just how damn good it is. Maybe it's the fact that there is no eye candy or over the top antics, and it's still a great record! Quite uncommon in the current musical landscape. The lyrical content is honest and simple, no political pandering or celebrity bashing. It's refreshing to listen to a band that concentrates more on connecting with their audience rather then separating themselves from the pack. Paint The Silence is the single (I believe) and the label made a wise decision here. It's got a hooky chorus and emotive melodies. The band sings well in unison and the engineer chose the right reverb for the vocal tracks. iLive Between The Linesi is a vibe-full track. Its upbeat chorus is just the thing one needs to deal with their long commute home from their daily grind. Most of the tracks mesh well. The moody arrangements combined with Joel Cadbury's vulnerability as a lead singer make From Here On In a great soundtrack to life. Sonically the record could be more defined. With such expressive vocals, it's a shame the spatial quality is lacking at certain points. Tones are pleasantly crisp but it's the air in-between that's missing. I suspect some of the more organic textures in the music were lost through the chosen mastering process. Despite it's audible faults From Here On In is a must own for any Charlatans fan or anyone looking for some wholesome non-pretentious rock/pop. If only I could keep up with the ever changing musical categories these days.

Sonny Rollins - Way Out West
VICJ-60088 Reviewed by DD
An all-time classic, from the slightly embarrassed looking sax totin' Rollins on the sleeve to the great music within, this is one of my favourite Rollin's albums. Following the great Saxophone Colossus this is where Rollin's started to demonstrate his fondness for unlikely material: 'I'm an Old Cowhand' and 'Wagon Wheels' far two. Whatever the raw material Rollin's, very ably supported by Ray Brown and Shelly Manne, make's it his own. The interplay between the three is superb throughout. The set features six numbers plus three alternate takes, including a 10 minute version of 'Old Cowhand: Recorded in '57, the stereo is very hard left (Rollin's) and right (just about everyone else), with not too much going on in the centre. Fortunately the content more than compensates for this. A quick trawl through the shelves revealed that I have two other CD versions of the album: the original OJC CD, and as part of the very fine Freelance Years set on Riverside. A quick spin of each in comparison quickly revealed that the OJC version is Oxfam bound. The XRCD is much fuller bodied, with much better detail. The Riverside version however beats both hands down sounding more full bodied still and much faster. However it is part of a set and I'm not sure if it's available separately. The XRCD is a commendable second and does the music credit.
Supplier: Vivante - www.vivante.co.uk (44)(0)1293-822186

Monty Alexander - Monty meets Sly and Robbie
Telarc SACD-63494 Reviewed by RG
This could have been an embarrassing experience for all involved, not least your reviewer. I mean, Monty Alexander's middle of the road piano style is hardly challenging, and the whole thing does smack of a run-of-the-mill payday for the Jamaican rhythm kings. Look at the track listing and it could almost be the soundtrack for a bad Hollywood re-make of some sixties hip movie. Happily, my fears were unfounded, and instead what you have here is a group of confident musicians having fun and giving each other the space to express themselves. The album opens with Herbie Hancock's 'Chameleon', before taking a spin through tracks like 'The In Crowd', 'Sidewinder' and Jo Zawinul's 'Mercy, Mercy'. It's a track listing that majors on easy familiarity, making the perfect playground for Dunbar and Alexander's playful sparring. But don't get the idea this is purely frivolous. There's plenty of musical purpose here, as well as an evolutionary strand that binds the album together into a slowly emerging reggae groove. It's a goodtime trip that manages to stay well the right side of the trivial schmaltz it threatened to be. Recording is fine, adding easy access to the musical appeal, and making the most of Robbie Shakespeare's subterreanean contributions.

Oscar Peterson / Dizzy Gillespie - Oscar Peterson & Dizzy Gillespie
JVCXR - 0219-2 Reviewed by DD
There is little disputing that this is one of Coltrane's finest albums and the first where his spirituality really came to the fore. A read of 'Trane's liner notes and poem are enough to tell you this. It consists of a 4-part suite: 'Acknowledgement', 'Resolution', 'Pursuance' and 'Psalm'. The first side builds from what has become one of the most familiar opening figures in jazz, through vocal chanting of the albums title, through to a tearing solo from 'Trane driven hard by fabulous percussion from Elvin Jones. The pace picks up immediately in the third part which opens with some great piano work from McCoy Tyner before the number takes off at even greater pace than 'resolution'. The whole thing is brought together in the final piece the very powerful ballad 'Psalm' which contains superb bass playing from Jimmy Garrison and some of Coltrane's most beautiful playing. At the close, Coltrane is briefly joined by another saxophonist (no one seems to know quite who but Archie Shepp is the front runner here), before restating the opening bars and closing the circle. This pressing is a vast improvement over the bog standard MCA CD I've been using 'til now, adding warmth and layers of subtlety to this essential recording.
Supplier: Vivante - www.vivante.co.uk (44)(0)1293-822186

Stan Getz / Cal Tjader - Stan Getz, Cal Tjader, etc.
JVCXR - 0218-2 Reviewed by DD
Tjader had admired Getz from the outset and Getz in turn had heard Tjader as part of Dave Brubeck's trio. Bringing together from Getz's band the then little known Scott LaFaro and Billy Higgins, and Tjader's regular pianist Vince Guaraldi, along with guitarist Eddie Duran, this had all the makings of a great album. The one-off '58 session was recorded in a single day in San Francisco. This is essentially a very pleasant and lightweight set. The opening number 'Ginza Samba' was prophetic, foreshadowing the boss-nova music that was to be Getz's biggest commercial break a few years later with 'Jazz Samba: This is one of the strongest, and fastest paced tracks here and the band really take flight with Tjader in particular shining. Other standout tracks include the charming waltz 'Liz Anne' and a particularly good take of 'l've Grown Accustomed to Her Face', where the band really gel as they languidly stroll through the number, both Tjader and Getz delivering outstanding solo's. The recording does this laid back set proud. A little hard left and hard right but that's not unusual for the period, and each instrument is nicely captured. Recommended for a lazy summer afternoon.
Supplier: Vivante - www.vivante.co.uk (44)(0)1293-822186

Ronu Majumdar-Bansuri / Ry Cooder /Jon Hassell / Abhijit Banerjee - Hollow Bamboo
Water Lily WLA-CS-71 -SACD Reviewed by DD
"Ronu is definitely the Dr Feelgood of Indian Flute," proclaims Ry Cooder on the sleeve. Who am I to argue? Recorded in Christ the King Chapel, in Santa Barbara in '97 immediately after the Fascinoma session, this is another Water Lily purist release and it shows. Every nuance of Ronu's expert playing is captured, the cool tones of his bamboo flute perfectly caught. The percussion and oh so subtle and sympathetic contributions from Cooder and Hassell are also well, just natural. You can almost see Banjeree's fingers hitting the tabla, and feel Ronu's breathe across the mouthpiece. I won't try and single out specific numbers since each flows seamlessly into the other, I'll just say that this is one of the most successful, and subtle, musical meetings of East and West yet. All is set in an appropriately spacious acoustic (well it is recorded in a chapel after all), and the entire set is a soul-soothing treat. Try it after a hellish day at work and it calms you faster than even the largest, coldest G&T can manage. I have no higher praise than that!
Supplier: Vivante - www.vivante.co.uk (44)(0)1293-822186

Jacintha - Lush Life
JVCXR - 0217-2 Reviewed by DD
When it comes to female jazz vocalists, Ella, Sarah and Billie remain unsurpassed, but it's not possible to dwelt solely in the past and whilst they are a million miles from these greats there are some excellent contemporary singers about. Jacintha is one such and this, her third release for Groove Note is her strongest yet. Moving from the jazz group backing used in her previous albums (Here's to Ben and Autumn Leaves - The Songs of Johnny Mercer), the sound here is fleshed out with the addition of a string section with arrangements from pianist Bill Cunlifte. Fortunately the strings are sensitively and sparingly used and add to rather than compromise the jazz feel. Just listen to 'Summertime' for a taste of this. Jacintha is on her best vocal form yet, injecting much more feeling into the lyrics. The best example is on the title track. This Strayhorn classic is never an easy number to deliver effectively. Jacintha however realises a near definitive performance which alone is worth the price of admission. Add a very sexy 'Mahna de Carneval' a great after-hours take of 'The Shadow of Your Smile', and a sultry languorous 'September Song' along with a great selection of other classic numbers, throw in a superb recording with real presence and we have a winner.
Supplier: Vivante - www.vivante.co.uk (44)(0)1293-822186

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