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Music Reviews from Issue 45

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In The Country - This Was The Pace of My Heartbeat
Rune Grammofon RCD2045 Reviewed by JK
In The Country is a Norwegian jazz trio formed by pianist and musical tour de force Morten Qvenlid, who seems to have a finger in all that is good on the Norwegian music scene. In the Country was formed two years ago and features bass player Roger Arntzen and drummer Pål Hulsken both of whom met up with Morten at the Norwegian Academy of Music. ITC is a band that likes to improvise. It keeps things calm most of the time despite influences which include Olivier Messian and Morton Feldman, but there is plenty of density and you are never sure which way they will twist the tune. The album starts out in serene style, some might say typically Scandinavian in its sparseness, but by the second track this peace is broken by deviations from the norm that undermine certainty. Stand out tracks here are the anthemic ‘How To Get Acquainted’ and the following ‘In My Time Of Need’. The Ryan Adams tune is very straight and pure, just Qvenlid and his piano with no improvisation or apparent twisting of what he considers to be a remarkable melody. The way he plays it, that is certainly the case.
If you are beginning to find EST’s take on Scanjazz trios a bit too predictable this makes a refreshing and soulful change.

John Brown’s Body - Pressure Points
Easy Star Records ES-1013 Reviewed by RP
John Brown’s Body are an upstate New York reggae outfit who while obviously indebted to and inspired by a Jamaican tradition also possess enough nous to musically draw upon English beat movement sources of the late Seventies and early Eighties like The Specials, UB 40 and the Special AKA. Song structures are poppy, accessible and atmospheric, with a catchy resonant reggae groove that daringly stretches into the realms of
sampling, programmes and electronica. Through this process they prove that they are not a band that is completely enslaved to the successful mediums of the past. These efforts to move significantly forward will probably offend the Marley purists, but this is still a rhythmically strong album, vocally built around the funky
voices of Elliot Martin and guitarist Kevin Kinsella.
Their firm grip on proceedings and a precise and deft handling of production values can be heard in progressive tracks like ‘Bread’, ‘New Blood’, ‘Full Control’ and the closing and quite rebellious ‘Pressure Points’. The song writing, throughout, has a freshness and relevance about it. On top of this there is the synergy, assurance and unity one would expect from a group of musicians who have worked together for over a decade, bringing a real sense of security and purpose to the fore.
Supplier: www.hotrecords.uk.com

Nouvelle Vague - Nouvelle Vague
Peace Frog Records PFG051CD Reviewed by RP
Is it sheer madness, or does it take a brilliantly insane and outrageously ambitious vision to score some of the darkest and most unsettling lyricism of the post punk era and place it within a cool, bossa nova styled salon setting? You decide. But this is exactly what two French musicians Marc Collin and Oliver Libaux have done to thirteen cover versions which include songs like The Undertones’ ‘Teenage Kicks’ and the Cure’s ‘A
Forest’. Amazingly, the mysterious yearnings and painfully desperate images in these songs are underpinned with shaker and bass rhythms and sung by Melanie Pain and Marina Celeste in an accented, most knowing and sexually charged of Gallic ways. The bold and sharp-edged lyrics heard in ‘This Is Not A Love Song’ (Melanie Pain), ‘Love Will Tear Us Apart’ (Eloisia) and The Dead Kennedy’s’ ‘Too Drunk To F**k’ (Camille) left me wide eyed and speechless. In each instance the smouldering vocal threads are mischievously disorientating. Ironic, playful and compositionally just about as unfaithful to the originals as you can get - these are crazy yet truly affectionate covers that work really well because they appear to be so far removed from the originals. Beneath the surface, though, their intensity and passion remains. Stunning!

Linda Ronstadt - Hummin’ To Myself
Verve Records 0602498605219 Reviewed by RP
Linda Ronstadt’s return to the Great American Songbook has been long awaited. Her recordings during the 1980s with Nelson Riddle were nothing less than delectable and that degree of unforced elegance, poignancy and the perfectly assured delivery of a beautifully and sensitively produced song is repeated here. Praise too for pianist and composer Alan Broadbent’s arrangements and those telling contributions from accompanying Alist jazz musicians like Christian McBride, David “Fathead” Newman and Lewis Nash simply cannot be underestimated. Well-known Cole Porter favourites ‘Miss Otis Regrets’ and ‘Get Out Of
Town’, Duke Ellington’s ‘Day Dream’ and Frank Loesser gems ‘I’ve Never Been In Love Before’ and ‘Never Will I Marry’ are superbly realised. Genuine affection for this material allied to a wonderfully pretty voice that teases out piquant flavours and the last ounce of intimacy from these scores are not the only reasons to get excited about this CD. George Massenburg’s high-resolution 96/24bit recording is equally articulate. Accurate throughout, its levels of transparency, the depth, texture and timing of the varied instrumental and
vocal timbres successfully reveals all the interpretative delicacy that Linda and her sidemen bring to this music. It makes for an immensely satisfying programme.

Jaga Jazzist - What We Must
Ninja Tune ZEN103 Reviewed by JK
Jaga Jazzist are a ten piece Norwegian band that has been in action for ten years and taken almost as many different musical paths over that time, however none of them have been well beaten. Their last and most successful album A Livingroom Hush had a strong electronica feel but one that made little impression on this reviewer. With What We Must the band has produced a much more interesting and powerfulpiece, one that showcases their ability to pull cohesive and energised tunes out of a dense fusion of sounds. The
instrumentation gives some idea of what to expect, amongst others Jaga play vibes, trumpet, trombone and even tuba backing up guitars, keyboards/synths and some of the most ferocious drumming outside of heavy metal. Half the band members are adept at picking up another instrument and their live performances feature at least twice as many instruments as musicians.
This album manages to capture much of the power of the live event if not quite the dynamic range. This is a band that likes contrasts and one that’s so well honed that it can stop and start on the proverbial dime. The strongest track on the album for my money is ‘Oslo Skyline’, which builds into a maelstrom of glorious proportions and intensity.

Sherman Robertson - Guitar Man Live!
Reviewed by AH
I caught Sherman Robertson at the Wedgewood Rooms in Southsea about ten years ago, an experience still well and truly embedded in my memory banks. The venue wasn’t full but those who did turn up were treated to an explosive display of powerful singing and stinging guitar from a top notch performer. Unfortunately the two albums Sherman cut for Mike Vernon’s Code Blue label failed in their attempt to capture the rawness of his live shows, and instead of becoming the superstar he surely deserved to be, Sherman all but disappeared from the radar. So, when ... Live dropped on the mat a little tingle of anticipation swept through my body. Could they have possibly captured that magnificent roar of a voice, and had they managed to replicate the full bodied rasp of his guitar playing as I remembered it at the Wedgie Rooms all those years ago? You bet they did... and then some!
From the opening notes of `Out Of Sight, Out Of Mind’ Sherman and his band Blues Move treat us to some of the tastiest music this side of the Texas border. He calls his particular brand of blues ‘Loutex’, a fusion of Louisiana gumbo and raw Texan strut, and it’s potent, foot-tapping stuff guaranteed to put a smile on the most jaded of blues fans’ faces. Yep, this is how I remember it - all kickass and rockin’! Blistering stuff.

Stereolab - Fab Four Suture
Too Pure 190CD Reviewed by RC
Stereolab have a knack of producing new albums seemingly from thin air. In reality, Fab Four Suture is the result of hard graft between tours, and this is reflected in the immediacy of the arrangements. It’s a studio production, but sounds very much like the band were trying to capture something of their live presentation on disc. In this respect the album succeeds: the sound is upfront enough to create the illusion that Stereolab are right there, in the room.
The downside to the live feel is the impression, on first playing, that the band’s experimental urge has been in held in check. There is less ornamentation than on previous albums, fewer cosmic burbles and vocoded beatboxes. When these elements are present, in ‘Vodiak’ and ‘Excursions Into “Oh, aoh”’, they serve mainly to add a touch of Raymond Scott sonic dressing. Yet repeated listening brings out the new twists in the Stereolab approach, with the framing tracks ‘Kybernetica Babicka Pt.s 1 and 2’ making the strongest impression. This is systems music delivered via rock ensemble; huge blocks of sound, repeating, shifting and turning back on each other. Finding such uncompromising yet rewarding music on any album in 2006 is
strangely comforting.

James Harries - The Straight Street Session
Dekkor Records DRCD007 Reviewed by AH
It seems you can’t pick up a music magazine these days without some writer raving about the `new’ Jeff Buckley. Since we lost him we have been desperate to find a suitable replacement for a man who became an icon in his tragically short life. It’s unfair to label James Harries the new Jeff Buckley but you’d have to be deaf not to hear the similarities in his music. Harries has that torture in his voice, and although he doesn’t have the range Buckley had, he does display like-minded traits which make it hard not to draw comparisons.
Harries has played saxophone in jazz bands, fronted garage rock bands and sung in two US country blues bands, so diversity is no stranger to him. For The Straight Street Session he employed Celebrated Czech pianist/composer Emil Vicklicky and respected bassist Petr Dvorsky as back up, playing all the guitar parts himself. Given the musicians’ background it’s unsurprising that the results have the feel of a jazz trio, albeit one with a contemporary rock singer at the helm. Harries resides in the Czech Republic and has amassed a large following in Eastern Europe where he recently achieved platinum sales for a soundtrack for a Czech comedy, something he has every chance of repeating on these shores with this album, especially if he can get the necessary exposure.

Tiny Idols - Transmissions From The Indie Underground, 1991-1995
Snowglobe Records SG10 Reviewed by RP
Tiny Idols is a twenty-track compendium of unique sub-genres that showcases a rich and diverse body of barely known U.S. talent. It spans navel gazing indie pop, alternative country, avantgarde psyche and grunge rock styles. These obscure, outrageous and sometimes under cooked grooves which might have remained as little more than distant memories for some Stateside music lovers, have been resurrected as a pertinent antidote to the bland and unappetising musical diet normally associated with much of the American scene in the early 1990s. These bands, like The Sneetchers, Uncle Wiggly and The Lettuceheads cut their singles and produced albums for the smaller labels, enjoyed their fifteen minutes of fame, but for most the major record deal remained an elusive pipedream. Freedom of expression, vibrant primitivism and certain lack of self-control are all good and well, but these are characteristics not always limited to the performances alone - though ninety percent of these transfers were taken from original master tapes, inevitably they are inconsistent sources from which to work. Perhaps that is the price of creative independence. It’s certainly one worth paying for a CD that is so much more than just a time capsule.
Supplier: www.hotrecords.uk.com

Bernard Allison - Energized ( Live In Europe )
Ruf Records RUF 1113 Reviewed by AH
Bernard Allison is the son of the late, great Luther Allison, one of the blues world’s most vociferous performers. Luther tragically succumbed to cancer a few years ago, but he left behind a sumptuous back catalogue of incredibly powerful recordings for us to savour. Just before he died he entrusted his beloved guitar to Bernard so he could carry the torch and his son has responded well with a cluster of fine releases, this being his latest. A double CD recorded in Germany with his fabulous touring band, Energized proves that Bernard is a chip off the old block, not just in the way he attacks the guitar with the same ferocity as his father, but also in the way he sings. He’s not afraid to dip into his father’s vast repertoire either; he covers four of the great man’s tunes with the same kind of spooky intensity that must have Allison Snr. roaring with approval up there in blues guitar heaven. Bernard’s own `Don’t Be Confused’ marks him out as a pretty good tunesmith too, although a couple of the lengthy instrumentals definitely outstay their welcome and are just an excuse to show off his prowess on the guitar.
Still, it’s a wildly exciting romp and comes to the punter at a single CD price, representing sterling value for anyone’s pound notes.

Idgy Vaughn - Origin Story
CD5170 Reviewed by AH
With a name like Vaughn and coming from Texas one might be forgiven for thinking that Idgy Vaughn is a new hotshot guitarist destined to take the blues world by storm. Er, no. Idgy (a nickname that stuck when her little sister couldn’t say Audrey) is more in the Lucinda Williams mould, a storyteller par excellence with an authentic voice who sees the world in all its varied shades and textures. She is a sublime lyricist too.
Idgy’s packed a lot of living into her tender years and on her debut album she’s decided to share some of those experiences with the listener.
Subjects covered range from the rejection of a mother’s love ( the autobiographical `Good Enough’ ) and the joys of motherhood (`Pearl Of Georgia’ ) to murder ( the menacing `Dragging The River’ ) and the unbelievable tragedy that unfolds in `Saint Francis Fire’, a true story about 12 little girls burnt to death during a Christmas play at a Catholic school in 1899. If all this sounds a little bleak don’t despair, Idgy still finds time to have a little fun. `Mister Wrong’ is a fine piece of twanging country rock and `Small Time Girls’ is a saucy little number too. It took a few plays but I’m rather taken with this wonderful little record. I think she’s going to be big.

Max Roach - We Insist! – Freedom Now Suite
Pure Pleasure Records Candid 9002 Reviewed by DDD
Abbey Lincoln joins Max Roach in her most intense vocal performance on record. Like John Lennon’s Plastic Ono Band and Marianne Faithful’s Broken English, Lincoln’s performance is gut wrenching and emotionally raw. Unlike them, Lincoln is not responding to personal wounds such as maternal or sexual rejection. Roach and Lincoln, who were married for part of their career, were both activists of the first degree, and this powerful statement about black history and racism is their most articulate expression of the effects of oppression. They are joined by Walter Benton and the great Coleman Hawkins on tenor sax, Babatunde Olatunji on conga, Booker Little on trumpet, Julian Priester on trombone, James Schenk on bass and Thomas Du Vall and Ray Mantilla on percussion. Hawkins, Little and Priester provide outstanding backing and solos. This is an indispensable album. Pure Pleasure has been mining the Candid catalog to good effect, and this is one of the gems. This re-issue was mastered from the original tapes by Graeme Durham at The Exchange and pressed by Pallas on 180-gram vinyl.
I’m used to listening to the original in mono, but this stereo issue does not make pine for mono sound. It’s an excellent disc with only a faint trace of tape bleed-through in a few places. My highest recommendation for this classic.

Lister / Lyytinen / Parker - Pilgrimage
Ruf Records RUF 1113 Reviewed by AH
Ian Parker and Aynsley Lister are at the forefront of British blues, and here they join forces with Finland’s Erja Lyytinen for a magnificent album packed to the rafters with great tunes and some of the tastiest playing this side of the Mississippi delta.
Ruf Records’ head honcho Thomas Ruf flew our three heroes out to America’s deep south to capture the mood. There, under the watchful eye of Jimbo Mathius in Mississippi they cut the majority of Pilgrimage, the rest being recorded with legendary producer Jim Gaines in Memphis. The results speak volumes for this gifted trio. Pilgrimage is a rich contrast in styles; Lister’s earthy vocals and rockier guitar approach, Lyytinen’s gospel wail and authentic slide and Parker’s majestic voice and emotionally supercharged playing. Together they breeze their way through 11 originals and one cover with a youthful exuberance befitting their considerable talents. Every track positively sizzles with energy and it’s difficult to pick out the highlights, but if pushed I’d plump for Erja’s smoky ballad `Last Love Song’, `You Don’t Know’ for the way it swings, ‘10 10’ for the sheer grit and `Twinkle Toes Willie’for it’s sunny disposition. It’s rare to get three distinctly different talents to blend so effortlessly, I hope that the three of them get to repeat the exercise again in the not too distant future. Miss this one at your peril.

Mike Plume - Rock `n’ Roll Recordings Vol. 1
Clann Records CLAIVNMP0103 Reviewed by AH
Mike Plume hails from Alberta, Canada and has been releasing tasty heartland rock `n’ roll records for a number of years now. He favours a sound steeped in the Springsteen, Mellencamp, Petty and Earle traditions, and although not as strong lyrically as those artists he makes up for it with sheer infectious enthusiasm and a really good understanding of what makes a song crawl right under the skin. His latest release finds him resting his normal touring band and hooking up with some old friends to kick a little ass - Canadian style. There’s little sign of rock `n’ roll in its purest form here; these are road songs, plain and simple.
`Birmingham 3am’ gets proceedings underway in slightly subdued fashion before making way for a full tilt slab of driving rock by the name of `One Of Those Days’, straight to the point and clocking in at all of two and a half minutes. He does a pretty good job of emulating Springsteen with `Somewhere Over The Rainbow’, a mid-paced rocker that New Jersey’s finest would be proud to call his own, but for this listener the highlights are two beautiful ballads, the sad lament `Lock It Up’ and the gorgeous `Dancing On The Wind’, an ode to the joys of harmonious love.
`Rock `n’ Roll Recordings’ is an honest little record, heartily recommended for anyone with a penchant for guitar driven Americana.

Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band - Hammersmith Odeon London 75
Columbia 82876 77996 2 Reviewed by DDD
This is a marvelous release. It’s about time Bruce Springsteen’s audiences started getting access to live recordings from the vault. There can be little doubt that Springsteen is one of the greatest – if not the greatest – live rock performers of his generation.The extraordinary number of offerings on the bootleg market has long made it plain that there continues to be great demand for documents of his performances, notwithstanding the 5 LP/3 CD compilation Live 1975-85, released 20 years ago.
Hammersmith Odeon London 75 documents a complete show from Springsteen’s first visit to England, an early performance by the definitive edition of Springsteen’s E Street Band (with drummer Max Weinberg and keyboardist Roy Bittan). The album captures a previously under-appreciated artist coming off the recording of a modern masterpiece (Born to Run). He had a magnificent band rehearsed to the teeth, and big things to prove. Springsteen was still growing to maturity. As a lyricist he talked a bit too much, and that dilutes the musical force of ‘Lost in the Flood’ and ‘Kitty’s Back’ from his debut album.
Yet throughout the performance captured here, his soul and dedication carries the day. And when Springsteen is in the sweet spot of newly minted classics such as ‘10th Avenue Freeze-Out’, ‘Born to Run’, ‘Backstreets’ or ‘Jungleland’ there is simply no stopping him.
This album also captures fine performances of the encore oldies that helped make this band a road legend – Gary U.S. Bonds’ ‘Quarter to Three’ and Springsteen’s storied ‘Detroit Medley’ of Mitch Ryder numbers.
As live concert recordings go the sound here, mastered by Bob Clearmountain, is exceptionally good. The presentation strikes an effective balance between the clarity of the studio and an authentic representation of theatre ambience. The sound is so good, in fact, that it could be argued that the Born to Run tracks
come off better here than on the studio album.
That record is a musical masterpiece, but hardly a sonic one. Hopefully Springsteen will follow the path of his mentor Bob Dylan and release more such performances from his archives – a choice show from the tour for The River, or from the period of the under-appreciated Tunnel of Love would be nice. Whether or not that happens, get this one.

Shelby Lynne - Suit Yourself
EMI 094631205729 Reviewed by AH
Shelby Lynne’s has had her fair share of record company moguls attempting to mould her into `the next big thing’. The Nashville money making machine tried it with the early albums and as good as they were they hardly gave any indication to Shelby’s true identity. The direction changed with 2000’s I Am, a fine stab at Southern Soul that received many accolades from the world’s press and made her a lot of new fans, and although the next two albums had their moments they didn’t quite hit the spot. Suit Yourself is a much more personal record. She’s been left to her own devices with this one and as such has come up with her best ever album. Half of this record began life in her home studio with just her and her guitar, the rest coming together at the house of bass player Brian `Brains’ Harrison. Everyone sounds like they’re having a blast and you can almost hear the crickets and the rocking chair creaking on the back porch on a hot, sticky evening, such is the atmosphere. Tony Joe White pops his head round the door and lends a hand with some trademark swampy guitar, the rest of the band are dynamite and the song writing is never less than
exhilarating. Let’s hope that Shelby gets many more opportunities to suit herself because it certainly suits her. Cracking.

Super Furry Animals - LoveKraft
Sony BMG 5205016 Reviewed by RC
First things first: if you’re a multi-channel maven seeking another disc to wow neighbours and friends, this one’s not for you. LoveKraft makes for impressive listening alright, but not for its spatial effects. The Super Furries and Sam Wetmore have spun something more subtle; a living, breathing surround mix that draws you into the music, and doesn’t pummel your noggin with spinning guitars, OTT sub-bass and slap-back echo ad nauseam. If you’re a newcomer to SFA, this album makes for a pretty decent introduction. This is rock with an experimental twist, laced with the anarchic humour of chief Furry, Gruff Rhys. Standouts include ‘Zoom!’ with its threatening choir, the frazzled ‘Oi Frango’ and the come-down closer, ‘Cabin Fever’. ‘Lazer
Beam’ is a shout-out to hardcore SFA fans, quite literally, with Gruff rapping over a topsy-turvy groove. Arranger Sean O’Hagan makes a welcome return (is this man capable of writing anything bad?) and the traditional SFA electronic fizzes and twangs are all present and correct.
One listen should be enough to reveal the album for what it is: intelligent, well-produced rock. It also makes a strong case for multi-channel SACD, something which can’t be taken for granted with 5.1 music.

Tom Russell - Love And Fear
Hightone Records HCD8190 Reviewed by RP
Following hard on the heels of a splendid retrospective and the well received Hotwalker, comes Tom Russell’s brand new release Love And Fear. Unlike Hotwalker, which was very much a concept album, Russell returns to what in my opinion he does best; writing some of the most intellectually challenging and thought provoking music one would expect from someone with a degree in criminology and who, in his spare time, is a more than capable artist and author. Ably assisted by his long time musical partner Andrew Hardin, and with a band including Lucinda’s ex-guitarist Gurf Morlix and Gretchen Peters on bass and background vocals respectively, Russell tears into 11 pristinely written snapshots from deep within his psyche which allow the listener the chance to understand what it means to be an American in the USA today. Song dissection is almost pointless but one deserving a special mention is `Four Chambered Heart’, a snarling, spoken diatribe containing the immortal lines: “We pay out millions of dollars to defend paedophile priests... meanwhile, people are living in the gutters, holding signs that say `have you hugged your kid today’?” Right now, in a world that seems to continually get its wires crossed, Tom Russell stands as a true visionary, and for any music fan wondering who will fill the void left behind by Johnny Cash, I say look no further than this man.

Maucha Adnet - The Jobim Songbook
Kind of Blue KOB 10003 Reviewed by DD
‘Oh No’, I can almost hear you saying, ‘not another bland set of Bossa Nova covers - how much can one
self respecting audiophile take?!’ Well, take heart, this is a very classy production indeed, and are more
than strong enough to stand repeated listening. Another CD from the new Swiss based label, Kind of Blue, this is from their initial batch of releases.
Maucha Adnet is very popular in Brazil and has gained an international reputation. Jobim credits her as ‘A marvellous singer. Her voice is deep rich and mysterious…She is a great artist’. He’s right you know. Accompanied here by a stellar cast of musicians including Randy Brecker and Joe Lovano, whilst taking a conventional approach she casts a fresh light on these lovely songs. Try ‘Insensatez’ for a definition of languorous sultriness. Even the hoariest chestnut ‘Garota de Ipanema’ comes up like new with her vocals dancing lightly over Lovano’s tenor sax. As ever, English language vocals such as the treatment here in the first part of ‘Desefinado’ don’t come over as strongly as the original Portugese – but maybe that’s just me. This is a very classy and nicely recorded set. Just the thing to get you into the Summer. Go on, you know you need it!

Mina Agossi - Well You Needn’t
Candid CCD 79841 Reviewed by DD
This is the second album from the talented French-Beninoise singer. Recorded “one-take” in the studio and supported by just bass (Alex Heile) and drums (Ichiro Onoe) fleshed out on a few tracks with trumpet (Rob Henke) and sax (Archie Shepp), this is a riveting full-blooded set. Opening with her version of the Peggy Lee classic ‘Why Don’t You Do Right?’ the tone is immediately set by her languid, half spoken vocals over against a hypnotic groove from Heile and Onoe. Her treatment of Thelonious Monk’s title track quickly makes it her own, her staccato half-spoken vocals interspersed with distorted spoken French. Sounds crazy but it works and whilst nothing will supersede Monk’s original, Agossi makes a valid case for her own very individual and very engaging approach.
A particular favourite track is the gentle, laid-back ’May I Sit At Your Table?’ With its African Rhythms
and walking bass line it’s totally hypnotic. She also takes on Hendrix’ ‘Voodoo Chile’ in a way that both
shows respect to the man himself whilst casting her own stamp on the song. This is a very fine set and is strongly recommended. Apparently Mina is also electrifying in live performance (She is! Ed.). Catch her if you can. Something tells me this girl is going far.
Supplier: www.candidrecords.com

Jaco Pastorius Big Band - The Word Is Out
Heads Up HUSA 9110 Reviewed by DD
Following their splendid 2003 debut release Word of Mouth Revisited (HUSA 9078), this set features an even wider selection of guest artists to complement the roster of bassists on call. Naturally it’s the bass payers that are showcased here, but what a setting they get. Led by Peter Graves this is extremely proficient and impressive ensemble playing, a fine platform to allow some of the world’s finest contemporary bass players to shine. Standouts include the opening ‘Dania’ powered by Gerald Veasley’s bass and featuring a high-octane tenor solo from Bob Mintzer. The funky ‘Beaver Patrol’, frequently featured by Pastorius in live gigs but never recorded by him, showcases the great Victor Wooton (of Bela Fleck’s band) on bass and a
tasty solo from guitarist Hiram Bullock. This workout is offset by the tender, lyrical treatment of ‘Cannonball’ penned by Pastorius for his friend and mentor. This features in addition to Richard Bona’s fretless bass, a searing sax solo from Mike Stern and a fine keyboard solo from Mike Levine including a sly reference to ‘Teen Town’. Pastorius is featured in ‘Reza’ his bass extracted from a mid ‘80’s live performance with the whole band recording around it. This works very successfully and fits right into a well-recorded set
that will help keep the Pastorius flame burning for many years ahead.
Supplier: www.headsup.com

Hiromi - Spiral
Telarc SACD-63631 Reviewed by DD
This follows Hiromi’s 2004 album Brain - a tall order since that was a very fine set indeed. The opening title track draws you immediately into the music with a subtly changing percussive theme that evolves and repeats through the course of the piece: “Some things seem to change but actually always keep coming back. One tries to let go, but cannot; when one forgets about it, it always comes back to haunt you. Life is like a spiral” to quote Hiromi.
This is followed by the centrepiece of the album; a four-piece suite entitled ‘Music For Three Piece Orchestra’. With elements of almost classical playing amongst the edgier stuff, this subtle engrossing music will reward repeated listening. Hiromi’s band members are no slouches either Tony Gray’s bass keeping pace and subtly underpinning the most complex themes, and Martin Valihora equally impressive on drums.
The album closes with a delightfully insane counterblast to ‘Kung-Fu Champion’, a track originally on the previous album: ‘Return of the Kung-Fu World Champion’. With crazed electronic keyboards, piano, powerful drumming and loping bass a series of totally nutty themes are delivered with panache to provide a refreshing contrast to the subtleties of all that has gone before. Play this piece in particular loud! A finely weighty recording from Telarc brings the best from this powerful set.
Supplier: www.telarc.com

Hamilton de Holanda - Samba do Avi
Kind of Blue KOB10002 Reviewed by DD
Now here’s something a little different: An album of largely solo mandolin with the occasional accompaniment of an accordion, that is packed with invention and brimming with jazz, classical and Brazilian popular music influences. Hamilton de Holanda is regarded as one of the world’s most accomplished mandolin players and a master of traditional Brazilian street music or ‘choro’. He has toured regularly in Europe. Strictly speaking he plays a ‘bandolim’ (simply the Brazilian name for a mandolin), although his instrument has gained a fifth double string.
The set comprises five original compositions along with pieces by the likes of Jobim and Hermeto Pascoal. Three numbers see him joined by the equally accomplished Richard Galliano on accordion. A musician who was mentored by the great Astor Piazzolla and has played with the likes of Joe Zawinul and Charlie Haden, earning a global reputation as a true master of his instrument. This is a set that immediately engages, the mandolin seems a little more full- toned than usual, maybe it’s the addition of that extra double string but it’s the extraordinary versatility and invention that grab you from the very first number. When in the last three numbers he is joined by Galliano the experience becomes richer still, with sinuous notes exploding across the soundstage. Refreshingly different, nicely recorded and recommended.

Taj Mahal - Recycling The Blues & Other Related Stuff
Pure Pleasure/ Columbia 31605 Reviewed by DD
Here’s an old favourite dating back to ’72 when I was but an art student. I can vaguely remember donating £1.50 of my not so hard earned grant on my original copy, which has remained in my collection to this day. Whilst not the very best of Mahal’s releases – I’ve always held a particular affection for Giant Step/ De Old Folks at Home – it’s a hugely enjoyable set. Side one is a live recording from the Winterland Ballroom ranging from a gentle kalimba instrumental through to a rousing ‘A Free Song (Wake Up Children Shake The Devil Out of Your Soul)’, and the old favourite ‘Corinna’. But the fun really starts on side two with
the studio stuff. The boisterous tuba rich ‘Cakewalk Into Town’ spreads a silly grin across your face.
The good feelings are sustained through ‘Sweet Home Chicago’ graced with raunchy vocals from The Pointer Sisters, and a jazzy ‘Texas Woman Blues’ before easing out with a gentle instrumental piece ‘Gitano Negro’. Pure Pleasure have done a great job in bringing renewed life to this album; bass is fuller and tighter than the original and the whole thing is more solid and ‘in the room’.
Looks like I’m set for the next 30 years.
Supplier: www.purepleasurerecords.com

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