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Pop
and Contemporary Music
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Ben
Harper and the Innocent Criminals - Burn to shine
724384855110 Reviewed
by JH
Going by the cover you could be forgiven for thinking Ben Harper produces
whiny whistling soundtracks for spaghetti westerns, but you'd be wrong.
The opening track might be appropriate, but the rest of this album draws
on wider influences, right back across 20th century music. Whilst most
of the album could be described as good honest rocky grunge, don't miss
not on the shades of blues, country and even twenties swing that crop
up on the acoustic ballads. Songs vary in complexity, simple and stripped
through to many layered recordings, but it is the consistently high quality
of the recordings and arrangements that pulls it all together and creates
a wonderful listen. Lyrics may not be uplifting, but are satisfying and
honest, while Mr. Harper's voice is also a strong attribute. Expressive
and capable of real emotion, he frequently pushes it to the limit. Ben
Harper it also an excellent guitarist, adept with both the acoustic and
electric forms, and the music is a great showcase for his talents. The
guitar rests centre stage while the rest of the band (bassist, drummer
and percussionist) jack it up with some fine, engaging rhythms. This is
an album that deserves great success. If you are only going to buy one
LP this month, make it this one.
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Various
- Buffy The Vampire Slayer
COLUMBIA 496 633-2 Reviewed
by RP
Teen idol and object of desire for middle-aged men around the planet,
Sarah Michelle Geller, (Buffy), begins her fourth season as our eponymous
High School slayer of the undead in this Stylish Emmy Award winning series,
that has reached cult viewing status through solid characterisation and
a gradual darkening of its mood. A suitably red-blooded soundtrack was
a natural commercial spin-off. Track beyond the show's high-kicking signature
tune by Nerf Herder, and the obligatory injection of some crucial cuts
including Garbage, Temptation Waits'. Hepburn's catchy 'Quit', and a pulsating
'Transylvanian Concubine' from Rasputina, has its rewards. There's a fashionably
fast n loose feel to the West Coast sound, with a rocking 'Devil You Know'
(Face to Face), and colourful transfusions of acoustic-pop from bands
like Alison Krauss & Union Station on 'It Doesn't Matter' and the brilliantly-named
Bif Naked's performance of 'Lucky'. Deep and meaningful its not. But that's
the beauty of glossy Trans-Atlantic entertainment - you don't need to
think to enjoy it! Thematically, Patricia Joseph's steadying hand holds
this production together, while an above-average digital recording never
leaves any unsightly blemishes, even when electronic instruments and edgy
vocals bite down hard.
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The
Charlatans - Us and Us Only
MCA60069 Reviewed
by JH
If you are a Charlatans fan, buy and enjoy. If you aren't: buy, enjoy
and you will be a fan afterwards! The Charlatans prove with this release
that they can write some excellent songs. It has taken them a fair time
to reach this level, but like fine wine age has improved the hand. Never
the biggest or most hyped group in the world, they have been protected
from the worst excesses of the marketing driven 90's music scene, and
this has allowed them to plough their own furrow. They're still wearing
their influences on their sleeves (very Stones, quite Beatles, Dylan in
places, especially the tracks with a mouth organ!). Vocal delivery varies
with the songs, shifting with each influence, and you can almost imagine
a gigantic shadowy images of the appropriate mentor(s) looming behind
the band, like a back-projected image behind a stage set. The album is
just the right length at a time where overkill is the norm. There are
no fillers here, and each track is there for a reason, standing on its
own merits. The new keyboardist has gelled with the rest of the band,
preserving the tight feel, while Inc production is very good, making the
album sound direct and intimate, almost like listening in on a jam session.
Fabulous melodies, good tuneful sing-along tracks, and probably the nest
Charlatans album yet.
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Various
Artists - Pillows & Prayers
Cherry Red Records CD MRED 41 Reviewed
by RP
Famously proclaiming "Pay No More Than 99p" on its jacket, Cherry Red's
ground-breaking compilation of its 1984 roster has resurfaced as a mid-price
CD. Originally released on ER picture disc and cassette, Mike Always'
impressive collection of leftfield signings features electro pop acts
like Thomas Leer and The Passage, alongside club bands five Or Six and
Eyeless In Gaza. Together with the singer/songwriter based groups Marine
Girls and Everything But The Girl (solo numbers by Ben Watt and Tracey
Thorn included) as well as songs by Kevin Coyne and The Misunderstood
(who were plucked from a previous age), they create a unique atmosphere.
Its strength is its diversity. Post-punk influenced talent on the very
verge of success, but, as yet, untainted by the inevitable make over.
Improbably low production values - fresh-faced lyrics - honest arrangements
- rough-edged musicianship and an element of weirdness chemically combine
to create a caustic solution that cuts to the core on tracks like the
acoustic simplicity and haunted vocals of My face Is On Fire' (Felt).
Ben and Tracey's early collaboration, 'On My Mind' offers a memorable
insight for the new generation of ERG fans. Pillows and Prayers, though
often imitated, remains an unconquered bastion of that Independent music
era.
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Quasi
- Field Studies
Domino Records WIGLP 69 Reviewed
by JH
Put simply, Quasi are Ben folds five meets Elliot Smith with beards. They
have Ben Folds five's astonishment at the disappointing world, and a similar
style of melody and percussive piano, added to a hint of the apathetic
and melancholy feel in Elliot Smiths work. But to all of this Quasi add
in a hefty slug of grunge. I'm not saying that they aren't original, rather
that they have their own take on existing styles. The melodies are their
own, and very beautiful. They are more wistful than Smith and less cynical
than Ben Folds five. Their lyrics give the impression that a small change
could really make things better. The songs arc crafted with strength and
integrity, and built on simple layers of drums, keyboards and guitars.
The complexity comes from the lyrics which arc poetic and allegorical
whilst remaining emotionally deadpan. Things get rockier as the album
progresses and for my money this music is their best. It plays a pleasing
counterpoint to the steady state lyrics. Recording is basic and the most
charitable thing I can say is that it gets it into the room! If you like
the guys mentioned above you will like this. If Quasi translates as "sort
of", then I think you'll get the picture. Well worth a look.
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Tom
Ovans - The Beat Trade
FLOATING WORLD FW004 Reviewed
by RP
Casting a jaundiced eye across a dark American underbelly, The Beat Trade
draws blood from Tom Ovans' own genuine working-class credentials to frame
a tactile, unsavoury series of despair-soaked images. Those growling vocal
chords chisel out austere, unsentimental lyrics, as his bone-bleached
acoustic guitar and bluesy harmonica eerily pick over a dozen emotionally-taught
songs. Make no mistake, Ovans' folk / 8 ft B style is not easy listening
- even a tender ballad, 'just To Be With You' has the warmth of its mandolin
and guitar accompaniment leached by a contrastingly sombre delivery of
lines like, "I've been through these cities / You know I've been working
so hard / But I ain't looking for no pity / Just sonic wings for my Heart".
And that's as optimistic as it gets! The recording, made at Congress House
n Austin, Texas, benefits front superb clarity. At the outset, Mark Hallman
spotlights Ovans. He's in your face and at you with a cracked voice, sparse
acoustic playing, and soundbox beat, that's shadowed by the immaculate
bass and guitar chord sequences of Randy McCullough and Rob McEntee. 'The
Monkey's Have Landed', 'Salvation' and 'Tell Me Babe' are great examples
of an intense song and pure sound combining to mete out all loneliness.
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Anthony
Gomes Band - Blues in Technicolor
Urban Electric UE 1109 Reviewed
by DH
Gomes won the 'Best unsigned blues act in Chicago' which
resulted in him signing a contract with Urban Electric Records, and Blues
in Technicolor his debut album. And a fine piece of work it is too. Opener
' Blues in Technicolor' showcases Games' Freddie King style playing to
great effect, although traces of Clapton can be heard later on in the
song. ' Gonna Have a Party' sees him really letting rip with some ferocious
rock-tinged soloing, whilst Bad Luck Child' powers along on a heavy Texas
shuffle. 'Outta the Cathouse' cuts a mean funky groove, but the real standout
track has to be 'Misery for Company', a gorgeous slow blues number with
the sweetest of playing and particularly fine vocals, Games' singing at
times reminiscent of Andrew Strong from The Commitments. Although he displays
plenty of blues authenticity, Gomes definitely leans towards a rock feel,
espec-ially on 'Wolf in my Henhouse', where the ghost of Hendrix pays
a visit to his stratocaster. There's plenty of evidence on Blues in Technicolor
to suggest that Anthony Games can become one of the next generation of
blues superstars. He's got talent in abundance and is easily as good as
Jonny Lang and Kenny Wayne Shepherd - let's hope he gets the breaks his
talent so richly deserves. |
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Tom
Cochrane - Mad Mad World
Pablo Nevada CDP 7 97723 Reviewed
by AH
Tom Cochrane is a rocker in the vein of Bob Seger and Bryan Adams who
has a following of fanatical proportions in his native Canada. A more
global success was achieved with the release of this album, the insanely
catchy 'Life is a Highway' becoming a massive hit in the USA. Mad Mad
World is a fine balance of commercial rock and harder edged songs, along
with some tender acoustic moments, like the beautiful ' The Secret is
to Know When to Stop' and the string laden 'All the King's men'. However,
the best song is the tragic 'Get Back Up', an all too familiar story of
the destructive powers of narcotics, with Cochranes lyrics harrowing and
very poignant ("I put you is tile tub babe/with five big pounds of ice/if
you don't get back up/I don't know what I'll do"). The guitar solo on
'Get Back Up' attacks toe senses with a ferocity and fury befitting the
tragedy of the situation and introduces the world to a new guitar god
in Inn shape of the unusually named Mladen. The album also features Mickey
Curry and Keith Scott from Bryan Adams' band, ailing with sterling production
from Joe Hardy. If Bryan Adams circa Reckless is your kind of rock, then
go and track this little gem down - you can't fail to be impressed.
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Cathy
Bonner - Letter to America
Rideout Records RDEPR 097 Reviewed
by AH
I know very little about Cathy Bonner apart from the fact that she comes
from Ireland and went to Memphis to record Letter to America, which is
her second album. However, what becomes abundantly clear after listening
to this fine record is now supremely gifted a songwriter and singer she
is. Equal parts folk and country, Banner writes songs about loving, leaving
and self -discovery, singing them in a voice of quite dazzling purity.
Highlights are plenty. 'Gasoline' kicks in on moody, bluesy slide guitar,
followed by gently strummed acoustics, with Bonner's startling voice unfolding
the story of a man on the run from a broken romance who gets in his car
and stops for nothing but gasoline. The acoustic 'Strong Love' is a simple
song about the uplifting powers of being in love, Bonners voice soaring
above the lyrics with delicious ease, whilst 'Magazine' observes how the
Press have made us more interested in image rather than content, describing
in fine detail the lengths that some people will go to achieve their 15
minutes of fame. "Laura takes her clothes off, what more can she do I
a photograph can make her famous, so how could she refuse"). Letter to
America contains 10 beatifully penned moving observations on everyday
life and heralds the arrival of a fresh and exciting new talent on the
folk/country scene - it's well worthy of your attention.
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Jimmy
Thackery and the Drivers - Empty Arms Motel
Blind Pig BPCD 5001 Reviewed
by AH
For 13 years Jimmy Thackery plied his trade with Washington DC's Nighthawks
- one of America's hardest working and toughest blues bands. He left to
form his own band The Assassins, where he stayed for a further 6 years.
Empty Arms Motel marked his debut as a solo artist and still stands today
as a defining moment in contemporary electric blues. It has some of the
most incendiary guitar playing ever heard, prosing without doubt that
Thaceery is 'up there' with any of the world's greatest names, past and
present. Jimmy's version of BB King's 'Paying the Cost to be the Boss'
is so good you'll end up playing it 6 times Before moving on to track
2, an absolutely smoking and superfast cover of Stevie Ray's 'Rude Mood'.
Texas shuffles like 'Getting Tired of Waiting' (one of two originals)
sit comfortably alongside harder edged numbers like Lowell Fulson's 'Honey
Hush' and Hendrix' 'Red House', Thackerys playing on the latter being
particularly impressive. Jimmy Thackery has released 5 solo albums for
US blues label Blind Pig now and they nave all been of a high standard,
but if you want to hear a defining moment in the history of electric blues
go out and buy this album - it's quite simply 45 minutes of the finest
blues ever made.
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Captain
Beefheart & His Magic Band - The Mirror Man Sessions
BMG/BUDDHA RECORDS 74321 691742 Reviewed
by JM
Rereleased, resequenced, amended and generally enlarged upon, this is
an educated guess by the "new" Buddha Records as to now the Captain's
troubled second LP - originally intended as a double might have been had
the "old" Buddha Records not ballsed it up in 1968. Mirror Man was arguably
the second least commercial - after the ineffable Trout Mask Replica -
of the great man's works. It consisted of three long semi-improvisations
recorded live in the studio, and one song proper, the eight-minute 'Kandy
Korn'. 'Tarotplane' (19 minutes), '25tn Century Quaker' (10 minutes) and
'Mirror Man' (16 minutes) each seem to be a variation on the equation,
"Howlin' Wolf and The House Rockers + LSD = Captain Becfheart & His Magic
Band". They take an amped-up country blues riff, repeat it endlessly through
subtle rhythmic and harmonic shifts while Beefheart extemporises cacophonous
honk'n'-squeal free-jazz on something called a shinei (which sounds like
a soprano sax), distorted blues harp and dense neo-beat poetry. The musicianship
- with the possible exceptjon of Beefheart's primitivist/expressionist
blowing - is superb. The best of the fine added material, including a
new version of 'Beatle Bones and Smokin Stones', is 'Gimme Dat Harp Boy'
which takes the above M.O. and distils it into an intense blast of howling
psychedelic blues. Godlike.
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The
Flying Burrito Brothers - The Guilded Place Of Sin & Burrito DeLuxe
A&M ReMasterpeices 540 704-2 Reviewed
by JM
It may be hard, but try not to allow the fact that they invented the rightly
much-abused genre 'country-rock' to put you off. (You can hardly blame
them for Shania Twain). These two LPs -gathered together for your convenience
and listening pleasure on the one CD - have much to recommend them, not
least an object lesson in quality song writing. The late Gram Parsons
- troubled alcoholic genius and drug-buddy of Keith Richards - is the
guiding light here, and it was with the Burritos he did much of his best
work. The Gilded Palace of Sin is the one which really stands out. Its
an album of visionary depth which melds torch song, R'n'B/gospel, and
old school C&W into a sound which was then unique, even if it has long
since been dissipated by The Eagles, Poco and the usual suspects. Classic
cuts include the exquisite 'Sin City', an apocalyptic ballad in which
"A gold plated door on the 31st floor/Won't keep out the Lord's burnin'
rain" the lachrymose 'Dark End of the Street' and the frankly weird talking
country blues 'Hippie Boy'. Burrito Deluxe is weaker and features much
up tempo country boogie. It is, however, worthwhile for its gloriously
maudlin cover of the Jagger/Richards weepie 'Wild Horses'.
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Paula
Cole Band - Amen
IMAGO / WARNER BROS 93B2-47490-2 Reviewed
by RP
Recorded over a three month period last year at Globe Studios in New York,
Coles keenly awaited follow up to This Fire has nine heart-felt songs,
each breathing deeply with the fervour of a zealot, rather than the temperate
lip serving acquiescence of the acolyte suggested by the album's title.
Yes, Amen is a more spiritual examination of the demons that plague urban
existence - be they drive-by killings, 'Be Somebody', or a grubby descent
into ghetto-life for 'La Tonya' - but significantly Cole draws optimism
from these bleakest of moments. Her message (in an age that's overcrowded
with ideology) is reinforced, contrasted and complemented by mood-setting
arrangements and clever orchestration. A great pop opener, 'I Believe
in Love', is not the usual chocolate-box tale of romance that sweetens
the hard realities amongst some soft-centres. Nor is the concluding, 'God
is Watching', conventional. It could have been an interventionist plea,
but instead stresses a need for humanity to recognise and heal wounds
that have divided individuals, communities and nations. The "Higher Presence"
is a neutral, detached observer. Superb band members Jay Bellerose (drums),
Tony Levin (bass), and Kevin Barry (electric and acoustic guitar), rally
to these powerfully seductive vocals that continually fire surprises.
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Captain
Beetheart & His Magic Band - Safe As Milk
BMG/Buddha 74321 691752 Reviewed
by JM
Hats off to the "new" Buddha Records for the long overdue re-release of
Beefheart's first two albums, Mirror Man (reviewed elsewhere in these
pages) and this, his outstanding debut. The last couple of years have
seen an upsurge in what, for want of a better term, might be called art-blues.
The founding father of this approach was of course the Captain. On Safe
As Milk ('67) he was abetted for the first and only time by the 20 year
old prodigy Ry Cooder whose role, apart from his excellent guitar work,
was "to translate the Captain's wilder notions to the rest of the band
and generally act as musical director". The result is a surprisingly accessible
series of psychedelic RnB tunes laden with hook lines to the point where
they are almost, but not quite, pop songs. Lighter works like the eccentric
doo-wop stylings of 'I'm Glad' and 'Call On Me' provide relief between
intense, densely arranged, exotic art-rock masterpieces such as 'Zig Zag
Wanderer', 'Dropout Boogie' and the amazing 'Electricity'. Hypnotic bottleneck
guitar lines and strange, lurching tempos form the basis for that massive,
unearthly roar to vent its surreal spleen. Highly influential, Safe As
Milk remains a fine, breathtakIngly original album.
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Whistler
- Whistler
WIJLP1087 Reviewed
by JH
Whistler, the artist, painted dreamy views of the Thames which somehow
always manage to remind you that there's something unpleasant lurking
behind the fog, or floating just under the surface. The Whistler sound
is dominated (if that's the right word) by the female vocalist. She has
one of those soft and dreamy voices which gets close to sending me into
palpitations. The other two band members provide the musical support,
although given the simplicity of the songs, often just voice and guitar,
they must take it in turns. A light touch that contrasts with distinctly
heavy lyrical subject matter. Everything from the frustration of the retarded
and attempted suicides, through to the general malaise of 90's life. This
album feels like an easy listen at first, but it's the juxta-position
of the light music with those lyrics that keep you intrigued. It's maturity
highlights the differences between bubble-gum Pop and serious music. With
a Whistler song the participants in the drama are located firmly in the
real world, with all of the trouble and problems that entails. Production
further emphasises the vocal performance, and with such small forces on
show, the overall results are excellent. If Granny still sends you record
tokens, win her approval by redeeming them against this. She'd love it.
You can understand every word.
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Howlin'
Wolf - His Best
CHESS 329 375-2 MCD 09375 32 bit digitally re-mastered Reviewed
by JM
A collection of Chester "Howlin' Wolf" Burnett's singles from 1951-64,
His Best is the apt title even though he was never known to have made
a bad record. Broadly speaking, the Wolf was part of a roots movement
- embodied by Chess Records - which sought to wrest post war African-American
music away from the smooth operators; so-called Sepia Sinatras like Nat
King Cole, whose urbane supper club blues then prevailed. These twenty
tracks, just over half of them written by Willie Dixon, the remainder
by Burnett himself, have a deep significance in the history of rock'n'roll.
Covered by and an influence on both the mainstream - Elvis, The Stones,
The Beatles, Clapton et al - and more rarefied talents like Captain Beefheart
and Tom Waits, this was the kind of music which, among its many other
feats, jump-started the 1960s and the English invasion of America. The
voice, THAT voice, a bestial roar, a force of nature, bellowing and moaning
out lyrics of paranoia, lust, violence and lost-love over clanking, minimal,
guitar riffs and a lunging, swaying beat. "An' Fish-heads fill the air/
Be slug-juice everywhere/We gonna pitch a Wang-Dang-Doodle/All night long".
And so, in all likelihood, will you.
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Tori
Amos - To Venus And Back
7567-63242-2 Reviewed
by JH
To Venus And Back is the latest album from Tori Amos. A double disc, the
second CD is a "bonus" live collection. I am an unashamed Tori Amos fan
and would have bought this whatever a review said, but how good is it?
Inevitably with a record like this, you can't help but compare it with
the artist's previous work and in Tori Amos' case it had a pretty hard
act to follow. If you don't know (where have you been?) Amos is capable
of writing haunting lyrical work and amazingly catchy songs in her own
style, (and what a style it is, Kate Bush-esque with an extra side order
of weird). She usually uses a piano as an accompaniment to her strong,
sometimes piercing, voice. The weirdness was particularly prevalent in
her last album Boys for Pele, where unfortunately her talents were submerged
in new ideas including strong rhythms that resulted in a disjointed whole.
This album is darker but benefits from some superb melody and an integration
of those ideas. Indeed I am happy to report that it is an excellent outing,
good for Tori Amos fans and those yet to discover her work. Indeed, with
the bonus CD this could be the best way to try her music.
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Jazz
Music
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The
Ginger Baker Trio - Going Back Home
Atlantic 82652-2 Reviewed
by DD
I make no apology for including this '94 release -its taken me a while
to track it down. I finally found it at Amazon.com. The trio includes
Charlie Haden on bass and the great Bill Frissell on electric guitar and
what a noise they make. Three virtuosos having a great time. Baker's rock
solid, shall we say 'forceful' drumming holds things together with Frissell's
amazingly inventive guitar work soaring above Haden's dancing bass lines.
It's an album that'll have you turning the volume control 'til you can
feel the percussion, then sitting back with an inane grin on your face.
It's such a good-time experience that it provides an instant lift whenever
I play it and whatever mood I start listening in. Right now with oncoming
flu symptoms, it's got me smiling and tapping my feet, There's not a weak
track on the album. The energy levels throughout are extraordinary from
the open 'Rambler' through to Baker's closing number 'East Timor'. The
latter politically charged piece is the one sombre note and is particularly
powerful. It also has the added bene-fit of re-introducing Baker's spoken
vocals. 'Pressed Rat & Warthog' anyone? Superb, warm full blooded recording
with lots of impact, air and clarity, I can't recommend this release highly
enough. To quote the sleeve notes: 'Rarely do improvising musicians of
this quality get the opportunity to share a real musical adventure together.'
Track it down now!
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Ted
Sirota's Rebel Souls - Propaganda
Naim CD 036 Reviewed
by DD
I came across this hand on the recent Naim sampler and wanted to hear
more. That track, 'Geronimo's Free' is a heady mix of reggae, ska and
jazz influences the like of which I hadn't heard before. What could the
rest of the album be like? Well, nothing has quite the sprightly bounce
of that number. The remaining tracks are more 'straight-ahead' jazz influenced.
Appropriately given that it's his band, Sirota drives each piece with
particularly crisp and effective drumming. It's his work coupled with
some nice free ranging horns that give the album its distinctive edge
and flavour. There's nothing too demanding here, just a very nicely played
set from a talented bunch of musicians. If that feels unduly derogatory,
I don't intend it. Just because it's undemanding doesn't mean that it's
not highly enjoyable. Although the feel is pretty laid back throughout,
the band do catch fire on at least one more occasion: the percussion driven
'La Danse de Janvier' where they all have a chance to stretch out, and
sound all the better for it. I certainly feel that this band is strongest
when the pace is hotter. More tracks like 'Geronimo's Free' and 'La Danse'
please!
Supplier: Naim Audio - www.naim-audio.com
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Shirley
Horn - Shirley Horn With Horn
Alto / Mercury SR 60835 Reviewed
by DD
Subtitled 'Shirley Horn at the piano with four trumpets, four trombones
and four French horns', this album pairs Horn with The Quincy Jones Orchestra.
It's a collection of fine standards ranging from 'On The Street Where
You Live' to 'Wee Small Hours'. Arrangements are shared between Quincy
Jones, Billy Byers, Thad Jones and Don Sebesky. Like Ella Fitzgerald,
although I wouldn't pretend that the two are of quite the same calibre,
Horn is a great emotional interpreter of songs. She is particularly strong
in slower ballads, the first evidence of which comes with 'That Old Black
Magic' which with its gentle Bossa Nova arrangement re-defines 'seductive'.
On more up-beat numbers she's also no slouch, 'The Great City' where she's
backed by weighty brass from the tuba section and a propulsive bass line
really kicks home. 'Let Me Love You' has a fine Billy Byers arrangement
that is redolent of '60's New York. At least the '60's New York I'm familiar
with from film and TV. Highly evocative stuff and again a great, sexy
vocal from Horn. 'Wee Small Hours' closes the album and almost watches
Sinatra's performance in its indigo intensity. Slow, burning and soulful
with mournful, breathy vocals it's easily the album's standout number.
A fine album, and a fine introduction to Shirley Horn. Oh, and a good
sleeve design too. What are you waiting for?
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Kenny
Burrell with Coleman Hawkins - Bluesy Burrell
Alto AA019 Reviewed
by DD
Originally issued on the splendidly named 'Moodsville' label, the band
features the great Coleman Hawkins on four of its seven cuts. Ray Barretto
adds congas to four tracks including the opening Bossa Nova 'Tres Talbras'
and the remainder of the band are Hawkins regular rhythm section. The
album title is a little misleading in that this is much more than a collection
of blues themes, ranging further and wider with the blues as merely a
starting point. Taking in the aforementioned Bossa Nova, there are also
a couple of fine ballads, in particular 'I Thought About You' with some
ravishing breathy playing from Hawkins. 'Montano Blues' includes one of
my favorite Major Holey bowed bass and singing solos, and some fine interplay
between Hawkins and Burrell. Burrell is his usual fluid, cool and remarkably
consistent self, whether soloing or providing sympathetic support for
the other players. In fact the whole album reeks of 'cool' and is a solid
well played set that will bear much repeated listening. The recording
is fine, a tad lacking in depth but very natural, with each player well
captured. My pressing, unusually from Alto, had a few right channel clicks
and pops throughout which I hope is a one-off.
Supplier: Vivante - www.vivante.co.uk (44)(0)1293-822186
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Hobgood
/ Torff / Wertico - State of the Union
Naim CD 038 Reviewed
by DD
Another find from the recent Naim sampler, this trio impressed me with
the delicacy of their playing, coupled with great sound quality. The album
opens with gently brushed cymbals, sliding double bass lines and delicate
piano work before kicking into a gently rolling groove in 'Don't Look
Back'. The soft jazz mood is sustained through the second track but just
as you're being lulled into a pleasantly soporific state, 'State of the
Union' kicks in with some mighty discordant playing before again settling
back into a dreamy groove. There's some particularly beautiful piano playing
from Laurence Hobgood on this track, sounding at times a little like Keith
Jarrett, at others like Bill Evans, but mostly like himself(!). The same
pattern follows through the CD, lot's of delicate, and quite beautiful
playing interspersed with just enough discord to keep you alert. The first
really fast number doesn't appear 'til a particularly frantic take on
'How About You' where the band prove they're just as capable of handling
high-octane stuff as the late night music elsewhere. Mid way through the
album, the pace changes again with 'Calling Song' which features temple
bells, and an Airto like array of percussion from Paul Wertico. Fine playing
also from Brian Torff on bass: just listen to his tour de force in 'Willow
Weep For Me'. In fact very fine playing from all three throughout.
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Coleman
Hawkins - Hawkins Alive At The Village Gate
Verve V6-8509 (Classic Rocords reissue) Reviewed
by DD
Recorded in '62, Hawkins backed by Tommy Flanagan (piano), Major Holley
(Bass) and Ed Locke (drums), this is one of his very best live sets. Opening
with 'All The things You Are' at a fasten than usual tempo (Hawkins always
insisted that there is a right tempo for every ballad, but never implied
that there was just one tempo), his playing is incendiary from the outset.
My favourite of this set of four extended numbers is the band's interpretation
of the old spiritual 'Joshua Fit the Battle Of Jericho'. This is partly
because it's such an unusual choice for a jazz treatment, with its jerky
theme, but mostly because the band makes such a fine job of it. Hawkins'
second solo in particular, which includes an Arabic influenced flurry
of notes before returning more conventionally to the main theme, is superb.
Flanagan gives a fine solo but of particular note is Holley singing along
in accompaniment to his bowed bass. A strange but strangely wonderful
sound. Throughout it's never quite clear whether the band intends the
theme seriously or is enjoying a richly rewarding piss-take on the original.
But that doesn't stop it being highly enjoyable. Sound quality is good,
a little compressed at the top end but favouring the warm tones of Hawkins'
sax. The 180g pressing is exemplary.
Supplier: Vivante - www.vivante.co.uk (44)(0)1293-822186
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