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Pop
and Contemporary Music |
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Bobby
Purify - Better To Have It
Proper Records PRPCDO22 Reviewed by AH
In 1975 James and Bobby Purify had a huge hit with the Dan Penn song ‘I'm
Your Puppet’, a southern soul nugget of some considerable quality.
The duo parted company not long after and although Bobby resurfaced in
1979 with the album Purified, nothing has been heard of the great man
since.
He lost his sight in 1998 and officially ‘retired’ but was
persuaded to return to the music business by old friend Ray Charles, who
knows a thing or two about great soul singers. And let's make no mistake,
Bobby Purify is a great singer; he's up there with the Percy Sledges and
the Otis Reddings and any other classic soul singer you care to mention.
Linking up once again with Dan Penn as producer and principal songwriter,
Purify has unleashed one of the great soul records of recent years. Parts
of his body might be showing signs of the ravages of time but that can't
be said of his voice, which has remained 100 percent intact. It's a honey-and
molasses-with-a-touch-of-Bourbon voice, and it was created to sing Dan
Penn's beautiful songs to the world. Featuring the cream of southern soul
musicians, including long-standing Penn sideman Spooner Oldham, Better
To Have It is without doubt a masterpiece, an album that will go down
in history as one of the great comebacks of all time.
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The
52nd Street Blues Project - Blues & Grass
Chesky JD279 Reviewed by DD
A real curiosity this. The 52nd Street Blues Project comprises a mixed
bag of musicians. James ‘Blood’ Ulmer (vocals, guitar), Queen
Esther (vocals), Mark Peterson (bass), Charlie Burnham (vocals, mandolin,
fiddle), and Aubrey Dale (drums) are captured here in a live set from
April ’04. The collective vision is to fuse blues and backwoods
roots music, bringing together the Mississippi Delta and the Appalachian
Mountains in a way that’s truer to these roots than many other more
sophisticated modern interpretations. Does it work? For me, yes. There’s
so much slick beautifully played stuff out there that the relative rawness
of the fiddle playing and guitar here are a refreshing change. You’re
quickly captured by Blood Ulmer’s rootsy blues in the opening ‘My
Favourite Thing’ and then captivated by the walking bass that introduces
Queen Esther’s jazzy take on ‘You Lied’, moving smoothly
into a Blood Ulmer instrumental ‘Recess’ and ‘My Prayer’
with earthy fiddle contributing to Ulmer’s heartfelt vocals. ‘Queen
Esther’s Blues’ deliver just what it says on the can: "I’m
looking for a man who’s never been in no white man’s jail…never
learned no white man’s rule…" ‘Watermark’
sees Burnham delivering a superb fiddle solo that pretty much defines
the set and is one of the best tracks here.I really like this CD.
It bothers to be different compared to so much modern material and retains
some real feeling to it.
Supplier: Vivante - www.vivante.co.uk (44)(0)1293-822186
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Holly
Williams - The Ones We Never Knew
Universal South 0602498623398 Reviewed by AH
Okay, let's get Holly Williams’ family tree out of the way before
we go any further. She is the granddaughter of Hank Williams and the daughter
of Hank Williams Jnr, and I'm sure she’s sick to death of people
reminding her of that.
This musical heritage would be particularly daunting for most 23 year
olds, but Holly is at pains to point out that she is her own woman. Listening
to The Ones We Never Knew offers absolutely no clues to her background,
as it is more rooted in the acoustic singer/songwriter and country folk
genres, rather than the more traditional Nashville country sound. A late
starter, Holly didn’t didn't pick up a guitar until she was 18,
but it didn’t take her long to grasp the art of song-writing. For
a woman who confesses to a relatively trouble-free upbringing, she seems
to understand what it means to suffer. She’s an observational writer,
a sponge who absorbs other people’s failings and misgivings and
turns them into beautiful and touching narratives. These are haunting
and mellow songs with gorgeous, hidden melodies that have a way of meandering
into the listener’s subconscious with repeated plays. It's a slowburn
album with immense depth and maturity, one that marks Holly Williams out
as a name to watch out for - albeit on her terms.
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Coldplay
- X&Y
EMI 07243 474786 2 8 Reviewed by MC
I wasn’t going to review X&Y, I really wasn’t. There had
been so much press surrounding its creation and release I couldn’t
believe anyone could still be unaware it had come out. There had been
so many promotions on the radio I couldn’t imagine anyone could
have failed to have heard at least a representative sample of the record.
So I bought it, I listened to it a few times, and I put it down, having
come to the conclusion that it wasn’t as good as A rush of blood…
So what made X&Y worth reviewing? I suspect the truth of the matter
was that I was being stubborn – trying to not like it. This record
doesn’t have the initial punch of their last album. But after a
while I had to admit to myself that X&Y had crept under the radar
and embedded itself in my consciousness. And so I began to wonder: if
I had been avoiding it, how many others have been doing the same? X&Y
is worthy of a review not because it is great, because their last record
was great, or because every review so far has declared its greatness.
X&Y is worthy of a review because it is even better than could be
expected. It’s a perfectly formed album, full of songs with the
power to touch you, honestly sung and sympathetically produced. Sometimes
an album deserves the attention.
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Lucy
Kaplansky - The Red Thread
Red House Records RHR CD 166 Reviewed by RP
Occasionally it’s nice to sit back and listen to music that has
a complete absence of anger, bitterness or malice. The Red Thread is just
such an album.
Thematically each guitar-based Lucy Kaplansky song tells a story about
someone or something that has had a lasting effect upon her life. Family
and the adoption of an infant daughter bind tightly together these tracks
about love, belonging, connectivity and home. True, they are sometimes
tinged with hurt; a personal slight or a big reflective dose of melancholia
but there’s always that optimistic vocal warmth lying beneath them.
In ‘Love Song/New York’, ‘Brooklyn Train’ and
‘Land Of The Living’ Lucy pursues an East Coast urban accent,
and with her pleasant nasal delivery gives these scenes a contrastingly
sweet country twang reminiscent of that of her close friend and collaborator,
Shawn Colvin. Behind her the backing vocal guest spots are filled by Red
House bedfellows John Gorka and Eliza Gilkyson for ‘Line In The
Sand’, ‘This Is Home’ and ‘Off And Running’.
This diaphanous HDCD recording has a lovely tactile quality especially
in its presentation of the central vocal line and it excels when asked
to recreate the midrange textures of instruments like electric mandolin,
acoustic and twelve-string guitar.
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Grant
Campbell - Postcards From Nowhere
Luna Records GCCD000l Reviewed by AH
Glaswegian Grant Campbell's debut album on Luna Records is a solo effort
in every sense of the word. Recorded at home on a four track and composed,
written and mixed by himself, Postcards From Nowhere, not surprisingly
has a very sparse and intimate feel.
A multi-instrumentalist who grew up playing piano and saxophone, Campbell
switched to the guitar and set about raising awareness by supporting influential
American artists like Mary Gauthier and Alison Moorer. His sound compares
favourably with Bruce Springsteen in his ‘Nebraska/Ghost Of Tom
Joad’ period, as does his vocal style, which could easily pass for
the great man himself. Campbell possesses the same lived-in, dusty voice
and the songs compliment those qualities perfectly.
On first hearing I found the album a little one dimensional, but I think
it's important to be selective about when you play it. For instance, late
at night with the lights down low is the best time to pick up on its mood.
That’s when tracks like ‘Broken Jukebox King’ and the
forelorn, fingerpicked ‘Church House’ really come into their
own. It's hard to ignore the Springsteen comparisons as the likeness is
uncanny at times, especially on the album’s best track - the tender
‘Last Standing Renegade’, but there are far worse singers
to be compared with. Perhaps a call to the E-Street Band is in order.
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Madeline
Peyroux - Careless Love
Rounder Records 0602498235836 Reviewed by RP
Madeline’s Peyroux’s vocals consciously recall a mix of those
smoky textures and overflowing tonal warmth found in the recordings of
Billie Holiday and Bessie Smith, but crucially without all the suffering
or that sense of struggle against adversity heard from a musical style
so inexorably linked to the black socio-political identity. If you’ve
never listened to Smith or Holiday and are prepared to take Careless Love
at face value then you won’t be disappointed. However, if you’re
an adoring fan of those legendary singers then the motives here might
well leave a nagging doubt or two at the back of your mind. That said,
this is an impressively crafted album, right from the choice of material
in covers like the Leonard Cohen penned ‘Dance Me To The End Of
Love’, Dylan’s ‘You’re Gonna Make Lonesome When
You Go’ and a timeless Hank Williams number in ‘Weary Blues’,
to the superb Larry Klein production and the playing of the tight, six-piece
combo. Peyroux plays nice acoustic guitar and sings beautifully throughout,
and this certainly helps this CD fit comfortably into that Diana Krall-Norah
Jones category. Perhaps that’s its biggest problem?
Careless Love is polite, accessible, rose tinted and eminently likeable
but boy does it lack teeth!
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Otis
Taylor - Below The Fold
Telarc CD83627 Reviewed by AH
To call Otis Taylor a bluesman is not doing him an injustice, but the
reality is he’s so much more.Civil rights, racial injustice, the
murder of children, lesbianism; all flow caustically from his pen, some
pinned together using the banjo as lead, an instrument favoured by Taylor
for its African origins. He doesn’t pull punches either, the songs
have a knack of landing where it hurts. Taylor’s usual approach
is to layer the tunes with a stark, repetitive beat which he effectively
uses as a backdrop for his rich and brooding voice, but for the first
time he uses a drummer on some of the tracks presented here. It doesn’t
alter the mood an awful lot but it does fatten the sound out. On the liner
notes Taylor gives a brief introduction to each song, allowing a fascinating
insight into their origins. Many are steeped in historical fact, such
as ‘Government Lied’, a tale about the shameful way the US
government treated black soldiers in World War Two, and ‘Mama’s
Got A Friend’, Taylor’s recollection of his mother’s
sexual defection. It might not be easy listening but it is challenging
and worthy of investigation.
When it comes to protest songs Taylor’s got the business nailed;
he’s the Bob Dylan and Phil Ochs of the blues world – an important
voice for his generation.
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Tori
Amos - The Beekeeper
Epic EPC 519425 2 Reviewed by RP
Parenthood has blunted Tori’s song writing. All the emotional baggage
- her miscarriage, the pursuit by sexual predators and that stark sense
of exposure which accompanied and informed albums like Little Earthquakes
and Choirgirl Hotel - has been replaced with cooing platitudes and contentment.
She has become an earth-mother radiating radio friendly tunes that lack
real lyrical depth. The edge, those underlying threats and barbed observations
with their searing tracer-like trails have all but disappeared. Instead,
plush production values and syrupy vocals lure you into a pastoral idyll.
One in which tracks such as ‘Martha’s Foolish Ginger’,
‘Sleeps With Butterflies’ and ‘Ireland’ add very
little to our understanding of the human condition. She is no longer an
enigma whose songs demanded the closest attention and in the process devoured
the finest analysis so complex were their meanings. All that delicious
angst has been air brushed away. That said among the purveyors of pop
she could be queen. Unless I have missed something and this is in fact
an entirely ironic album, then I must conclude that Tori Amos has at last
accepted the path of least resistance and with it much of her mysteriousness
has disappeared. |
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Romney
Getty - Fill In Your Gray
Augustus Records AR7666391 Reviewed by AH
Blimey, we’ve got a hot one here. One of the joys of this job is
getting to hear new artists that you probably wouldn’t get exposed
to otherwise.
Canada’s Romney Getty is a really powerful new voice in the Blues
and Americana field. Fill In Your Gray, Romney’s debut release on
her family operated Augustus Records is an absolute belter, and if she
gets the right exposure this young woman has what it takes to go right
to the very top of her profession. Blessed with a voice of enormous power
and also a first rate songwriter, Romney is one of those singers who demands
your full attention. I don’t know what it is they put in the water
over there in Canada, but they really do produce some earthy female vocalists.
Romney’s up there with the likes of Amanda Marshall and Melissa
Etheridge, although it has to be said she’s much more of an authentic
blues singer than either of those fine ladies will ever be.
I’ve been listening to Fill In Your Gray solidly and I can tell
you there isn’t a clunker to be found; every track is brilliantly
written, sung and arranged and the band, including Romney’s brother
Jeff on electric guitar and bass, are as hot as it gets. Nothing else
needs to be added – just go out and buy!!
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The
Waifs - A Brief History… Live
Hot Records WAIFSCD00 Reviewed by AH
I was in a record shop in Freemantle a few years back having a conversation
with the guy behind the counter about the local music scene. Without further
prompting he headed off into the racks to pull out the latest Waifs studio
album. Impressed, I coughed up and took it back to dear old blighty, not
expecting them to cross my path again. Not the case. Brighton’s
Hot Records put faith in them and The Waifs duly obliged with their usual
round of relentless gigging, culminating in a sensational appearance at
the Cambridge Folk Festival where they overshadowed much bigger names
with their impassioned performances. Now they release A Brief History…,
a two CD live set recorded at various locations in their native Australia
and an opportunity for music lovers to find out what the fuss is all about.
For the uninitiated the Waifs are sisters Donna and Vikki Simpson and
Josh Cunningham, a guitarist of some considerable talent, and together
they produce a delightful blend of folky rock imbued with the true heart
of the master singer/songwriters. It’s easy to see where the appeal
lies with this bandon the live circuits. They have the ability to make
you feel they’re performing just for you. Dylan’s a fan, and
if that’s not a good enough endorsement of their talents, then I
don’t know what is.
Supplier: Hot Records - www.hotrecords.uk.com |
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Sons
and Daughters - The Repulsion Box
Domino Recording WIGCD155 Reviewed by MC
Sons and Daughters seem to have quickly built an enviable reputation,
almost entirely based on word of mouth. It seems everyone has heard of
them, knows they are supposed to be very good, and yet hasn’t actually
heard any of their songs. They’re Scottish, and proud of the fact.
Just as the softly spoken lead singer from Maximo Park suddenly goes all
Teeside the moment he steps in front of a microphone, Sons and Daughters
sing in their own accents. Whilst this is not a problem in itself, at
times I wonder if a softer approach might have covered the singer’s
shortcomings slightly better. The truth of the matter is that the female
lead can only just cover the complex songs. But once the guitarist joins
the vocal duties things get much, much better.
The Repulsion Box seems to owe a lot to Nick Cave and Murder Ballads.
Each song is a short story played out to music. But the key to Sons and
Daughters is the interplay between the band members. This album comes
across as a finely balanced drama, played out by the guitar and vocals.
Dark, evocative guitar lines blend with simple basslines, whilst dual
vocals play off against each other, all accented with some unusually well
recorded and produced percussion. This record is a fresh debut that sounds
stubbornly different. It’s not perfect, but it’s certainly
pretty good fun.
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Lucinda
Williams - Live @ The Fillmore
Lost Highway 8000236802 Reviewed by AH
In the past Lucinda Williams could be accused of a less than prolific
output. She's shifted gears in recent times, releasing albums once every
one to two years, but she hasn't succumbed to quantity over quality -
far from it. Car Wheels on a Gravel Road was the record that made the
world stand up and take notice of this amazingly talented and robust woman,
being swiftly followed by the sensuously low key Essence and then World
Without Tears, where she scored a lot of radio airplay (especially from
Johnnie Walker) with the sex-soaked ‘Righteously’. Now comes
her first live release Live @ the Fillmore, an album that confirms her
status as a top drawer concert puller.
This superbly produced double CD bristles with the kind of performances
that make you wish you had been there. Disc one concentrates more on Lucinda's
tender side, although there is an intensely sleazy version of ‘Changed
the Locks’, where guitarist Doug Pettibone contributes some of the
filthiest playing this side of Exile On Main Street. His input on both
discs is a constant delight: One minute tender and aching and the next
a wicked mixture of slide and pedal-induced fury. Live @ the Fillmore
has definitely got its mojo working, it stands as a majestic testament
to one of the world's greatest singer/songwriters.
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Willie
Nelson & Ray Price - Run That By Me One More Time
Lost Highway B0000616-01 Reviewed by RP
A couple of years ago these two old geezers with talent to burn put together
an eleven song album of confident and deliberately delivered country ballads
that was also smartly produced by them as well. Reassuringly nostalgic
in tempo and tone, these grooves take us back to a time when music of
this kind could pensively roam across the prairies to reflect upon fractured
hearts, broken promises, loss and those missed opportunities of ‘Deep
Water, Soft Rain’ and ‘I’ll Keep On Lovin’ You’.
There are harder edged nuggets too, which reveal a rich seam of vulnerability
in ‘I’m So Ashamed’, ‘I’ve Just Destroyed
The World I’m Living In’ and ‘I’m Still Not Over
You’. Yet, there is nothing antiquated about the presentation of
these timeless themes. Willie and Ray in their different vocal styles,
subtle interchanges, uncomplicated but cleverly compiled arrangements,
quality playing and sharp eyed observations create atmospheric vignettes
sometimes brooding and always compelling in their visions of rural life.
Lost Highway’s unaccredited "Audiophile" pressing offers
a nicely balanced and natural sound, good instrumental separation and
warmly robust vocal images.
Exceptional all round qualities across the board.
Supplier: Vivante - www.vivante.co.uk (44)(0)1293-822186 |
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Lack
- Be There Pulse
Undergroove UGCD021 Reviewed by MC
If you’re looking for a light summer pop album, you’d be better
off avoiding Be There Pulse. Lack may be a Scandinavian band, but you
can forget comparisons with Roxette and Abba. They create a heavy monotonous
drone that is very close in style to bands like And You Will Know Us By
The Trail Of Dead. Their music is rhythmic and repetitive, with violent
drum lines overlaid with dual chainsaw guitars. They then combine this
with, how shall I put it… an interesting approach to writing. Their
lyrics seem to contain a unique approach to rhyme and scan, with short,
convoluted phrases that wilfully span musical phrases. Lack then scream
these vocals with genuine pleading, clearly believing they have something
important to say.
Perhaps all this seems a little bleak and leaves you something short of
rushing out to buy the record. But Be There Pulse is well worth the effort
it requires. The record may be heavy and intense, but there are plenty
of hooks buried just beneath the surface. And whilst Lack may initially
sound pretty extreme, their music still swims close to the mainstream.
Indeed, any of the opening three tracks, a beautiful set piece in themselves,
could easily have been lifted for a single. Be There Pulse is a beast
of a record, loud and purposeful, it is intensely powerful and hugely
broad in scope.
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Waking
The Witch - Hands And Bridges
Witch Records Witch-01 Reviewed by AH
Patsy Matheson, Jools Parker, Becky Mills and Rachel Goodwin make up Waking
The Witch, a Leeds based band with massive potential who on the strength
of Hands And Bridges can take the art of four part harmonies to a level
not heard since Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young.
All the girls have had success as solo artists but when they teamed up
to write together they realised they had something special as a collective
unit. Hands And Bridges is their second release and everything from the
writing, playing and singing to the arranging and production has been
handled by themselves, and a credit it is to them too. Of the ten songs
my personal favourite is ‘Bluer Than This’, written and sung
by Jools Parker and literally overflowing with dreamy harmonies and the
deftest acoustic guitar work. It also contains a break where one of the
other girls soars skywards with a succession of ‘oohs’ and
‘yeahs’, one of those transcendental moments when music has
the power to smother your skin in goosebumps and raise the hairs on the
back of your neck.
The city of Leeds may no longer boast of a premiership football club but
at least Waking The Witch has given them a premier league band to be proud
of.
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Jazz
Music |
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Barb
Jungr - Love Me Tender
Linn AKD255 Reviewed by DD
Barb Jungr has gained a reputation as one of the world’s finest
cabaret singers, her previous releases for Linn having taken in the chansons
of Jacques Brel, Dylan and even the Kinks. Here she takes on a challenge
in re-interpreting songs made famous by Elvis. The sole exception to the
‘by Elvis’ rule is the Jungr/York composition ‘Looking
for Elvis’. Opening with ‘Love Letters’ in a sparse
arrangement, Jungr’s expressive voice is given full reign and adds
an emotional layer missing from the original. Not all tracks here are
equally successful: ‘Wooden Heart’ gets a brave attempt but
the tweeness of the song, the sophistication of Jungr’s voice and
the cleverness of the arrangement somehow never gel.
‘Are You Lonesome Tonight’ is much more like it with a very
slow arrangement bringing out all the yearning in the lyrics. Accompanied
by sparse piano chords, celeste notes like gentle raindrops and soundscape
effects suggesting a wide, barren plain this is one of the best numbers
in the set. Likewise her very lovely version of ‘Always On My Mind’.
Despite the occasional near-miss (‘In The Ghetto’ is so iconic
in the Elvis canon that although Jungr delivers a heroic interpretation
it can’t banish the power of the original), this is a really strong,
very well arranged and hugely enjoyable set.
Supplier: Vivante - www.vivante.co.uk (44)(0)1293-822186
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Diana
Krall - The Girl In The other Room
Verve 00602498630686
Reviewed by DD
Mentored originally by Jimmy Rowles and Ray Brown, Diana Krall is enjoying
huge international success after a long climb to the top. It’s worth
remembering that she’d spent a good decade playing small clubs before
gaining real attention and has thoroughly earned her spurs. This set sees
her featuring songs co-written with her hubby Elvis Costello along with
her interpretations of numbers by Mose Allison, Tom Waits, Joni Mitchell
and other assorted luminaries. Not all are equally successful; no one
does Waits like Waits and despite a noble effort ‘Temptation’
comes across as a little lightweight for my taste. Her reading of Mose
Allison’s ‘Stop The World’ however is much more like
it and much more suited to her smokey tones. Her take on Costello’s
‘Almost Blue’ is also a treat with Krall bringing a fresh
perspective to this familiar number. ‘I’m Pulling Through’
gets a slinky and sensuous reading and Krall’s take on Joni Mitchell’s
‘Black Crow’ whilst not surpassing the original is a valid
and very enjoyable interpretation. There are a few ‘ho-hum’
numbers here too, that are perfectly competent but feel like filler. Fortunately
they’re more than offset by the much stronger numbers that make
up the bulk of the set. Produced by Krall and Tommy Lipuma and mastered
by Doug Sax, the recording is solidly three-dimensional, dynamic and ‘in
the room’. A good clean pressing too.
Supplier: Vivante - www.vivante.co.uk (44)(0)1293-822186
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Orbert
Davis - Blue Notes
3 Sixteen Productions CD31603 Reviewed by DD
One of Chicago’s busiest musicians, trumpeter Orbert Davis has played
on stage with the likes of Monk, Ramsey Lewis and Dr John. Joined here
for two numbers with singer Dee Alexander the set largely comprises his
own compositions although Herbie Hancock and Wayne Shorter also get a
look in.
Opening with the album’s title track, a slow burning number with
lovely sultry singing from Alexander floating above Davis’ muted
trumpet, things pick up pace with the bands version of Shorter’s
‘Hammerhead’. It fairly races ahead with crisp brass and punchy
percussion driving Davis on to some excellent solo work. Shades of Hancocks
‘Watermelon Man’ lurk in the background of the conga driven
‘Back In The Day’ before the band moves on to the delicate,
ethereal ‘Dear L’Ana’ with Davis’ first outing
here on flugelhorn.
For sheer enjoyment the percussion and bass led opening of ‘Real
Deal’ before the brass kicks in, is hard to beat and so it goes
through an enormously enjoyable set. There’s no pretension here,
just punchy, solid and superbly played jazz with a funky twist. The bonus
is that it’s been captured in an appropriately weighty and dynamic
recording that does very full justice to the music. Orbert Davis and 3
Sixteen Productions were both new to me. I shall watch out for them both
with great interest in the future.
Supplier: www.3sixteenrecords.com
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Carlos
Franzetti, The Jazz Kamerata - Play the Music of …
Chesky JD283 Reviewed by DD
A classically trained pianist, singer and composer, Franzetti has assembled
a fine band to help realise this project. His aim was to take jazz standards
(not pop songs that later became jazz standards) such as Bill Evans’
‘Very Early’, or Miles Davis’ ‘Circle’ and
to arrange them for a chamber jazz ensemble comprising piano, sax, violins,
viola, flute, clarinet and bass. This could have been a disaster with
the classical forces outweighing the essential soul of this music. But
thankfully, Franzetti and the ensemble have pulled off the artful trick
of retaining the jazz flavour of each piece whilst laying down a remarkably
consistent, restrained, cool and melodic flow that carries throughout
the album. Standouts include their stately version of Wayne Shorter’s
‘Nerfertiti’ with Franzetti’s piano and Lawrence Feldman’s
sax to the fore. Steve Kuhn’s ‘Last Year’s Waltz’
gets a delicate, string-heavy version with Feldman’s sax floating
above it all. The effect is like a classy film soundtrack and that’s
no bad thing. Bill Evan’s ‘Very Early’ gets a particularly
fresh and airy reading and the set winds down with a low key and very
beautiful take on Klaus Ogerman’s ‘Elegia’ that for
me most evenly balances the jazz and classical sides within the set and
is the strongest number here. Another very good Chesky recording brings
the best from a laid-back album that just begs for a late-night listening
session.
Supplier: Vivante - www.vivante.co.uk (44)(0)1293-822186 |
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Various
- Showcase 2005
Opus 3 CD22050 Reviewed by DD
For anyone who hasn’t been lucky enough to have come across Opus
3 releases before (not a difficult thing to achieve should you rely on
purchasing from the increasingly useless high street retailers) you’re
in for a treat. Opus 3 have built a reputation over the years for an interesting
and wide-raging repertoire coupled with a very natural, full-bodied sound.
It’d be a very odd music lover indeed who didn’t find at least
a few nuggets to excite their interest within this compilation. What’s
more, although they built their reputation on stellar analogue recordings
and pressings, their skills have transferred equally well to digital and
SACD in particular, where their DSD original tapes, both stereo and multi-channel,
are powerful advocates for the new format.
To take a few samples at random, The Erik Westberg Vocal Ensemble were
previously only known to me via a single track on an earlier compilation.
Here they positively shine in two (unseasonal I know) carols and est of
all in ‘Across The Bridge Of Hope’ from their album of the
same title, which is as perfect and perfectly recorded piece of modern
choral music as you could hope for. ‘Wino’s Dance’ from
an artist new to the label, slide-guitarist Peder af Ugglas, is a weighty,
funky workout with the smoothly captured guitar set against solid percussion,
double bass and fruity, full-bodied trombone. Perhaps the best known Opus
3 artist is Eric Bibb who doesn’t disappoint here with the gospel
influenced ‘I Want To Be Ready’ and the harmonica drenched
instrumental ‘Deep Sea Blues’.
The Global Percussion Network throw in a fascinating piece from their
album Rauk that is delicate, entrancing and superbly recorded (even better
I suspect in surround), making the seeking out and purchase of this album
an obligatory task. ‘Valse Mignonne’ is a delightful and delightfully
recorded organ piece that without resorting to histrionics a la Pictures
at an Exhibition will quickly sort out the men from the boys in the reproduction
of deep bass. And so it goes. The band Tiny Island contribute a lovely
instrumental recorded in a 13th Century church. There’s an ‘in
the room’ andantino from Brahms’ Clarinet Quintet, an ‘in
the club’ small jazz band piece, and much more. The album closes
with another Peder af Ugglas track with his guitar soaring majestically
over an organ accompaniment.
A fitting end to an outstanding and appetite whetting compilation.
Supplier: Vivante - www.vivante.co.uk (44)(0)1293-822186
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