What Are You Listening To?

[Dennie]

Super Jazz 1 -- CD

Al Hirt - Pete Fountain

1975/1990 Columbia Records

Party All Night Long, March 17, 2010
By Mr. Richard D. Coreno "Mr. C" (Berea, Ohio USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER) (VINE VOICE) (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Super Jazz (Audio CD)

The icons of Bourbon Street - Al Hirt and Pete Fountain - teamed up for a series of gigs in conjunction with the 1975 Super Bowl being played in Tulane Stadium, with the performances pulled from a number of the evenings.

The album mirrors the shows; opening with Hirt and his band, then Fountain and his group performing a set and the night culminating with a jam session featuring Hirt, Fountain and all the band members. The three numbers from Hirt are from the first evening and are worth the price of admission solely on his monolgues explaining the variety of parades in New Orleans, the history of traditional Creole music and his special friendship with Louis Armstrong. Fountain paves a pop path with "Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" and delivers a hot rendition of the classic "When the Saints Go Marching In."

The editing gets choppy for the jam session, as the hijinks from a later gig finds Fountain explaining to the audience the challenge of performing after having a few cocktails and Hirt amping things up to the point where certain words are "bleeped" out. But the dynamic duo delivers on "Basin Street Blues" and "Super Bowl Blues."

Though they owned clubs in the French Quarter and performed extensively in the city, the pair rarely played on the same stage once they became international stars. Hirt called the gigs "Super Jazz 1" and this is truly a legendary team on their home turf.

Track listing

1. South Rampart Street Parade
2. Jazz Funeral (Oh, Didn't He Ramble)
3. Salute to Satchmo: S-H-I-N-E / Coquette / C'est Si Bon / Mack The Knife / Beale Street Blues / Hello Dolly
4. Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree
5. Mood Indigo / It's Been A Long, Long Time
6. When the Saints Go Marching In
7. Closer Walk, A
8. Lazy River
9. Perdido
10. Basin Street Blues
11. Super Bowl Blues

 

[Dennie]

String Wizards -- CD

John McEuen

1991 Vanguard Records

Best known for his long tenure as a key member of the venerable Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, John "The String Wizard" McEuen was one of the most influential figures in contemporary American country, bluegrass, and even pop music. Credited with introducing both the banjo and the mandolin to pop, he was a master string player who developed a devoted fan base on the festival circuit.

Born and raised in Garden Grove, CA, McEuen began learning to play the banjo when he was 18. At that time he was attending college and earning extra money by working at nearby Disneyland; comedian Steve Martin was a co-worker, and McEuen taught him how to play banjo. (Much later, Martin and the NGDB would frequently appear together in concert.) McEuen decided to become a professional musician in 1964 after seeing the Dillards perform live; inspired by their energy and musicianship, he began to study the banjo in earnest. In 1965, he hooked up with Michael Martin Murphey for a year and subsequently performed on all five of Murphey's albums.

In 1966, he was visiting a guitar shop in Long Beach when he met the Illegitimate Jug Band, who had just lost member Jackson Browne and were deciding to regroup. McEuen joined and the group became the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. He remained with them for over two decades, singing and playing banjo, mandolin, fiddle, and other stringed instruments through the watershed period that produced such classic albums as Uncle Charlie and His Dog Teddy (1970) and the landmark compilation Will the Circle Be Unbroken (1972). McEuen was also there during the band's subsequent dry spells, as they struggled to reshape their style before again finding success in the mid-'80s. For reasons that remain unclear, McEuen abruptly left the Dirt Band in 1987.

During his years with the group, McEuen had played solos at every show and occasionally appeared as a solo act. He also made guest appearances on other albums and did session work for such artists as Bill Wyman, Marshall Tucker, and Hoyt Axton. McEuen also composed music for film and television soundtracks, including the scores for Paint Your Wagon (1969) and Samuel Beckett Is Coming Soon (1993). In 1989, he briefly rejoined the Dirt Band to perform on their Will the Circle Be Unbroken II album. The following year, he directed a concert video and produced an album for the Dillards. In 1992, he released the album String Wizards, an all-star venture featuring such illustrious artists as Earl Scruggs, Vassar Clements, and Byron Berline. A follow-up, String Wizards II, appeared in 1994, at about the same time McEuen founded his own label -- named, appropriately enough, String Wizard. Acoustic Traveller was released in 1996, followed three years later by Round Trip: Live in L.A.. He and former Nitty Gritty Dirt Band member Jimmy Ibbotson came together in March 1999 to record Stories and Songs. The traditional rock-bluegrass sound is combined with behind-the-scenes anecdotes and commentary. Stories and Songs was released in May 1999. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

01. Return to Dismal Swamp
02. Tall Timber
03. Blackberry Jam
04. Carolina Traveler
05. Fireball Mail
06. Friday Night at Maybelle's
07. Miner's Night Out
08. Spinning Wheel
09. Dixie Hoedown
10. Crippple Creek
11. Shuckin' the Corn
12. John's WSM Radio Blues
13. Stars and Stripes Forever

 

[Dennie]

In Concert -- 2 CD Set

Peter, Paul and Mary

1964/1990 Warner Bros. Records

Amazon.com

In a manner that their studio albums never could, Peter, Paul & Mary's live performances indicate much of what shot the trio to fame and influence during the folk revival. They were witty, sincere, and engaging entertainers, with strong, smooth voices and a smart sense of vocal dynamics. This record, originally released in 1964, and compiled from various venues, shows the trio at the top of their stylized game, both as individual performers and as a unit. Material includes the opener "Times They Are A-Changin'" and spirituals "Rock My Soul" and "Jesus Met the Woman," as well as the familiar "500 Miles" and "If I Had a Hammer." --Roy Francis Kasten

1. "The Times They Are A-Changin'" (Bob Dylan) – 3:16
2. "A'soalin'" ((Paul Stookey, Batteaste, Mezzetti) – 5:28
3. "500 Miles" (Hedy West) – 3:02
4. "Blue" (Stookey, Peter Yarrow) – 4:01
5. "Three Ravens" (Okun, Stookey, Travers, Yarrow) – 3:54
6. "One Kind Favor" (Stookey, Yarrow) – 3:12
7. "Blowin' in the Wind" (Dylan) – 3:36
8. "Riding in My Car (Car Song)" (Woody Guthrie) – 5:01
9. "Puff, the Magic Dragon" (Yarrow, Leonard Lipton) – 6:18
10. "Jesus Met the Woman" (Okun, Travers, Yarrow) – 4:24
11. "Le Déserteur" (Berg, Vian) – 4:32
12. "Oh, Rock My Soul" (Yarrow) – 5:47
13. "Paultalk" (Stookey) – 12:38
14. "Single Girl" (Stookey, Travers) – 2:31
15. "There Is a Ship" (Okun, Stookey, Travers, Yarrow) – 3:00
16. "It's Raining" (Stookey) – 5:23
17. "If I Had My Way" (Rev. Gary Davis) – 2:51
18. "If I Had a Hammer" (Pete Seeger, Lee Hays) – 2:35


* Peter Yarrow – vocals, guitar
* Noel "Paul" Stookey – vocals, guitar
* Mary Travers – vocals
* Richard Kniss – bass

 

[Dennie]

In His Hands -- CD

Gene Harris

1997 Concord Jazz

"The Devil's Music" meets the Lord's, September 16, 2000
By Tim Smith "Tim Smith" (Bonney Lake, WA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: In His Hands (Audio CD)
Is this a jazz or gospel CD? The answer is: yes. Nothing challenging here, just some praiseworthy good times. If you have been fortunate enough to attend church meetings with keyboardists like the late (and greatly-missed) Gene Harris or Jack McDuff, then you know what much of the shouting is about at those big revival meetings. I'm a big Gene Harris fan and he was in fine form here, swinging particularly hard on "Battle Hymn of the Republic", "This Little Light of Mine" and "Will the Circle Be Unbroken." It's obvious that Gene loved and was comfortable with this music and these songs. The two biggest surprises for me (both pleasant) were "Amazing Grace" and "(Jesus Keeps Me) Near the Cross". When I first heard"Amazing Grace", I was sure it was Ray Charles. Vocalist Curtis Stigers does a beautifully soulful job on this timeless classic while Gene plays some very bluesy piano. "(Jesus Keeps Me) Near the Cross" is a duet between McDuff and Harris that brought back memories of my childhood. I was taken back to the days when I would be home from school and my mother would listen to Gospel radio all morning while she did her chores. How I would have liked to haveheard Gene play "The Old Rugged Cross"!

When I first listened to this CD, I was slightly disappointed. I realized later, however, that the disappointment was due to my preconceived notions of what I thought the CD would be like. Once I accepted it for what Gene wanted it to be and not what I thought it would be, I grew to like it. Now, I listen to it quite often.

If you are under the impression thatGospel music is boring or that jazz can't be done reverently, give this a listen and be disabused of that impression. If you're a GeneHarris fan, you'll enjoy this effort.

Track listing

1. Lean On Me
2. Battle Hymn Of The Republic
3. Will The Circle Be Unbroken
4. Everyhting Must Change
5. Amazing Grace
6. Lord I've Tried
7. Jesus Keep Me Near The Cross
8. This Little Light Of Mine
9. Operator
10. His Eye Is On The Sparrow
11. He's Got The Whole World In His Hands
12. Granpa's Hands

...Harris dedicates himself to this, his 'dream' project, with his not inconsiderable powers of pianistic persuasions and the results are exceedingly joyous....a highly successful blend of blues, jazz and gospel that ought to clear out those cobwebs of the soul.
JazzTimes (10/01/1997)

 

[Dennie]

My last one for the evening....

Grand Piano Canyon -- CD

Bob James

1990 Warner Bros. Records

get keyed up in GRAND PIANO CANYON!, October 24, 2002
By James R. Prater (Cleveland Tn.) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Grand Piano Canyon (Audio CD)

There is so much to offer in this musical masterpiece! "Bare Bones" gets you shaking! There is a great horn arrangement here! "Restoration" marks the true beginning of Fourplay. "Wings For Sarah" is Bob's tribute to one of jazz's true divas, whom he accompanied and served as music director for from 1965-1968. "Svengali" is Bob's musical portrait of DuMaurier's sinister character. It features saxophonist Kirk Whalum, and is Bob's final performance with the late Eric Gale. "Worlds Apart" has a day-and night quality to it. "Stop That!" is Bob's tribute to the vinyl LP, which features the brass section again and Bob's protegee Max Risenhoover. "Xraxse" is Bob's musical telling of a story written at six by his daughter. Lee Ritenour's "Just Listen" is in the Jobim mold. We close with the smooth groove of "Far From Turtle" which is reminiscient of the "Taxi" theme. Overall, I'd say that GRAND PIANO CANYON is one of Bob's most outstanding releases.

1. Bare Bones
2. Restoration
3. Wings For Sarah (Tribute to Sarah Vaughan)
4. Svengali
5. World's Apart
6. Stop That
7. Xraxse
8. Just Listen
9. Far From Turtle

 

[Dennie]

Playin' Hooky -- CD

Bob James

1997 Warner Bros. Records

Take a breather! Try PLAYIN' HOOKY for a change!, October 12, 2002
By James R. Prater (Cleveland Tn.) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Playin Hooky (Audio CD)

Bob James treats us to a "musical vacation" on this CD, his solo follow-up to RESTLESS. "Playing With Fire" is a new twist on a familliar melody by Chopin. "Mind Games" is radio-ready, featuring Bob at the Rhodes with Boney James (no relation--his real name is James Oppenheim). "The River Returns" features vocalisation by Bob's daughter Hilary. It bleeds into "Organza", which reminds me an awful lot of "Lotus Leaves". Bob reels us in with the funky "Hook, Line, And Sinker", featuring Oppenheim and a great horn section out front. "Glass Hearts" is a poignant tune, embodying the musical spirit of Jobim and Chopin. "Night Sky" is worthy of musing. New talent Rasheeda puts an orgasmic spin on the Gershwins' "Do It Again". "Love Is Where" features the East brothers Marcel and Nathan, and Rick Braun. "Are You Ready" is a sexually charged tune with some ingenious modulations and chords. True Bob James in every sense of the word!

Track listing
1. Playing with Fire
2. Mind Games
3. River Returns, The
4. Organza
5. Hook, Line & Sinker
6. Glass Hearts
7. Night Sky
8. Do It Again
9. Love Is Where
10. Are You Ready

 

[Botch]

Flint's fault:

 

[topper]

(rel 2006)

:handgestures-thumbup:

 

[Botch]

 

[milpool]

 

[Botch]

 

[Yesfan70]

Some Peter King right now...........

 

[Dennie]

Dancing On The Water -- CD

Bob James

2001 Warner Bros. Records

Amazon.com

With just his piano, his tunes, and several duet partners on Dancing on the Water, Bob James's deftness with a hook is unmistakable. His smooth-jazz group Fourplay could easily buff up "Hum Drum" and "Bogie's Boogie" into bona fide hits. On the duets with pianists Joe Sample and Keiko Matsui, James submerges his style to go inside the musical worlds of his partners. He probably wrote "Altair & Vega" and "Duo Oto Subito" for the Japanese dynamo, as it is sometimes difficult to tell on these Asian-flavored tunes where Matsui ends and James begins. Even if Sample and James weren't set on each side of the mix, it's easy to tell who's who, because Sample's rhythmic playing and solo style are unique and dominating. James does his best soloing on the duets with bassist supreme Dave Holland, including a great reading of "Last Night When We Were Young." They're perfectly in sync on the gorgeous James original "Autumn Nocturne." Guitarist Chuck Loeb plays on the title track, and it's the only tune that's solidly identifiable as James, because it's a reminder of the pianist's gold-selling duets with Earl Klugh. As this set proves, Bob James isn't Keith Jarrett, but thankfully, he isn't George Winston either. --Mark Ruffin

1. Alone Together w/Joe Sample
2. The Green Hour
3. Bogie's Boogie
4. Altair & Vega w/ Keiko Matsui
5. Hum Drum
6. Last Night When We Were Young w/ Dave Holland
7. Dancing On The Water w/Chuck Loeb
8. Modesty
9. Tapawingo w/Joe Sample
10. Autumn Noctrune w/Dave Holland
11. Duo Oto Subito w/Keiko Matusi

 

[Dennie]

Going Home -- CD

Bill Mays Trio

2003 Palmetto Records

Lovely stuff from a veteran pianist, April 10, 2003
By N. Dorward "obsessive reviewer" (Toronto, ON Canada) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER) (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Going Home (Audio CD)

I'd be surprised if there were a more sheerly lovely piano trio disc released this year than Bill Mays' new disc. It's dedicated to the memories of Jimmy Rowles, Red Mitchell & Shelly Manne. That's a great pianist, a great bassist, & a great drummer, & so it's no surprise that the music here places just as much emphasis on the roles of bassist (Martin Wind) and drummer (the always-excellent Matt Wilson) as it does on Mays's own piano. The programming is loosely based around the theme of home & homecoming, which leads to a nice mix of originals, mostly very offbeat choices of covers (only "You'd Be So Nice to Come Home To" is a familiar standard; there's even a nicely judged version of Dvorak's "Going Home", which was a favourite vehicle of Art Tatum). Mays' piano has a pearly but very precise quality to it: he isn't a "look at me" player. He likes to insert quotations in his lines, & he's one of the few players who does this who doesn't irritate me, because one never feels that it's a form of exhibitionism or lazy space-filling: Mays simply has all these tunes stashed in the back of his head (much like Jimmy Rowles) & they come out naturally & as part of the flow. He's also an excellent composer, though the show is stolen by a Rowles tune, the wonderful "Nosey Neighbors", which really ought to be better known. -- The recording itself is almost eerily beautiful: not in-your-face closemiked, but instead with a kind of silkiness that pulls the listener in gently rather than jumps out at him or her. Recommended.

Judy (Mays)
You’d Be So Nice To Come Home To (Porter)
Shohola Song (Sommer)
Home (Clarkson/Van Steeden)
On The Road (Mays)
Shoho Love Song (Mays) - Free M3 Download (Right click to save)
Nosey Neighbors (Rowles)
In Her Arms (Mays)
Comin’ Home Baby (Dorough/Tucker)
Going Home (Dvorak)
I’m A Homebody (Mitchell)

Bill Mays, piano, (vocal on I’m A Homebody)
Matt Wilson, drums
Martin Wind, bass


The horrible events of September 11 occurred as I was thinking about material for this CD. With all the time I spend on the road, coming back home feels all the more meaningful and precious. I wrote four things that reflect this and there’re a couple of home standards; the title track is from Dvorak’s New World symphony and I sing Red Mitchell’s I’m A Homebody to close out the proceedings! The CD is dedicated to three of my heroes: Red, Shelly Manne and Jiimmy Rowles. As on “Summer Sketches” I really love the natural and warm sound Matt Balitsaris got on the Steinway piano and the trio. Great recorded sound--and in the CD booklet some beautiful scenic photography by Judy Kirtley!

 

[Dennie]

LIVE - 2 CD Set

Alison Krauss + Union Station

2002 Rounder Records

This two-CD, 25-song set, recorded in Louisville on two nights in the spring of 2002, finds bluegrass's most celebrated crossover band at the top of its game. Krauss's warm, feathery vocals, capable of conveying complex emotions in a single note, appear more full-bodied than in studio recordings, yet lose none of their sensual appeal or dramatic tension. She's perfect, for example, as the melancholy temptress on "Let Me Touch You for Awhile," coming across as both savior and seductress, while Jerry Douglas's Dobro echoes the searing strains of passion and pain. With banjoist-guitarist Ron Block, bassist Barry Bales, and guest drummer Larry Atamanuik anchoring the rhythm, the ensemble deftly blends bluegrass with jazz, rock, and folk, combining lightning speed (though rushing through "Forget About It") with sophisticated chops, tangible emotion, and thrilling vocal blends. The crowd, more spellbound with every note, doesn't even breathe on "Ghost in This House" and nearly tears the place down on Dan Tyminski's voice-of-George Clooney showcase, "I Am a Man of Constant Sorrow." But who could blame them? It's only one highlight on an album of uncommon artistry, a moving testament to how good live music can be in the hands of world-class players. --Alanna Nash

Disc one

1. "Let Me Touch You for Awhile" – 3:45
2. "Choctaw Hayride" – 3:25
3. "The Lucky One" – 3:40
4. "Baby, Now That I've Found You" – 5:02 (first performed by The Foundations)
5. "Bright Sunny South" – 3:07
6. "Every Time You Say Goodbye" – 3:04
7. "Tiny Broken Heart" – 3:08
8. "Cluck Old Hen" – 2:47
9. "Stay" – 3:16
10. "Broadway" – 3:57
11. "Ghost in This House" – 4:29
12. "Forget About It" – 3:18 (from Krauss' album Forget About It)
13. "Faraway Land" – 3:21

Disc two

1. "A Tribute to Peador O'Donnell/Monkey Let the Hogs Out" – 4:58
2. "The Boy Who Wouldn't Hoe Corn" – 5:58
3. "Take Me for Longing" – 2:47
4. "I Am a Man Of Constant Sorrow" – 4:12
5. "Maybe" – 4:25
6. "We Hide & Seek" – 5:41
7. "But You Know I Love You" – 3:39 (first performed by The First Edition)
8. "When You Say Nothing at All" – 4:21
9. "New Favorite" – 4:00 (from Krauss' album New Favorite)
10. "Oh, Atlanta" – 6:47
11. "Down to the River to Pray" – 2:10
12. "There Is a Reason" – 5:13

 

[Dennie]

Nickel Creek -- CD

Nickel Creek

2000 Sugarhill Records

Amazon.com

San Diego is not exactly known as a hotbed of contemporary bluegrass music, but then again, Nickel Creek are a far cry from most bluegrass bands you've ever heard. On their Alison Krauss-produced debut, they serve up a lilting, ethereal fusion of bluegrass, Celtic, modern folk, and even classical influences, offering exquisite harmonies that would be more at home at a Crosby, Stills & Nash tribute than at a musical salute to the late Bill Monroe. Yet it makes for delightful listening, all the same. The three principals (Sara Watkins on fiddle and vocals; her brother Sean Watkins on guitar, mandolin, and vocals; and Chris Thile on mandolin, banjo, bouzouki, and vocals) are either barely out of their teens or still in them. Individually and as a band, they've already won a slew of awards and notoriety on their respective instruments. The three prodigies (joined by Thile's dad, Scott, on bass) really strut their eclectic hot licks on a few soaring, skittering instrumentals, but even more impressive are Nickel Creek's graceful, heartfelt harmonies on the many lovely ballads. Hot licks, when you get right down to it, are a dime a dozen; this sort of pluperfect tunefulness is a much rarer thing. --Bob Allen

1 "Ode to a Butterfly" Chris Thile 4:10
2 "The Lighthouse's Tale" Thile, Adam McKenzie 5:03
3 "Out of the Woods" Sinéad Lohan 5:19
4 "House of Tom Bombadil" Thile 3:46
5 "Reasons Why" Sean Watkins, David Puckett 4:08
6 "When You Come Back Down" Tim O'Brien, Danny O'Keefe 3:49
7 "Sweet Afton" Robert Burns 5:37
8 "Cuckoo's Nest" Traditional 2:19
9 "The Hand Song" Watkins 4:26
10 "Robin and Marian" Watkins 4:34
11 "The Fox" Traditional 2:30
12 "Pastures New" Watkins 3:53

 

[Dennie]

Fair & Square -- CD

John Prine

2005 Oh Boy Records

Product Description

John Prine takes his own sweet time dancing with his muse -- and truly writes what's in his soul. So if it takes him a little longer to write the songs that capture moments and reveal the gently folded human truths that bind us all together. It's always worth the wait. Now, nearly nine years since the release of his Grammy-nominated Lost Dogs & Mixed Blessings, the iconic American writer has put the finishing touches on his latest offering, appropriately titled, Fair & Square. "It was just time," says Prine in his always understated way. "I had a bunch of songs. I'd started recording them, and it turns out, I liked them pretty well. So, now, I get to get them all just the way I like them - and then I get to let them go out to meet the world." With the occasional wheezing accordion, curlicue electric guitar parts, quick-wristed mandolins, billowing B-3 pads and puddles of pedal steel guitar, the rough-voiced singer/songwriter's first self-produced record is a homey affair that draws generously from the palette of traditional American music -- be it folk, bluegrass, shuffles, vintage rock & roll, torch, country -- for an amalgamation that would be at home on any Wurlitzer in a whiskey-soaked tavern with beer signs flickering from age and the walls stained deeper than sepia from the years of constant smoke.

With bluegrass queen Alison Krauss on the ode to his Irish refuge "My Darlin' Hometown", the street corner desolation of "The Moon Is Down" and alt-country princess Mindy Smith bringing allure and tartness to "Morning Train," "Long Monday" and the melted neon ponder of "Taking A Walk," Fair & Square is the work of a man at ease with his life, secure with his place in the world and willing to share the things that he sees. "It's been a while, so I'm pretty excited," Prine admits with that Oh Boy grin. "And that's a really good place to be."

1. "Glory of True Love" (Prine, Roger Cook) – 4:12
2. "Crazy as a Loon" (Prine, Pat McLaughlin) – 5:03
3. "Long Monday" (Prine, Keith Sykes) – 3:22
4. "Taking a Walk" (Prine, McLaughlin) – 6:09
5. "Some Humans Ain't Human" – 7:03
6. "My Darlin' Hometown" (Prine, Roger Cook) – 3:14
7. "Morning Train" (Prine, McLaughlin) – 4:02
8. "The Moon Is Down" – 3:47
9. "Clay Pigeons" (Blaze Foley) – 4:27
10. "She Is My Everything" – 4:25
11. "I Hate It When That Happens to Me" (Prine, Donnie Fritts) – 2:49
12. "Bear Creek Blues" (A.P. Carter) – 4:45
13. "Other Side of Town" (Live recording) – 4:53
14. "Safety Joe" – 3:58


* John Prine – vocals, guitar
* John Wilkes Booth – mandolin
* Shawn Camp – guitar
* Jerry Douglas – Weissenborn
* Dan Dugmore – pedal steel guitar
* Paul Griffith – drums
* Pat McLaughlin – guitar, mandolin, harmony vocals, Wurlitzer
* Phil Parlapiano – accordion, piano, Hammond B3
* Dave Jacques – bass
* Jason Wilber – guitar
* Kenny Malone – percussion
* Roger Cook – ukulele, background vocals
* David Gerguson – bass
* Alison Krauss – harmony vocals
* Mindy Smith – harmony vocals
* Dan Tyminski – harmony vocals

 

[Dennie]

I Am Shelby Lynne -- CD

Shelby Lynne

2000 Island Records

Amazon.com's Best of 2000

The boldly named I Am Shelby Lynne may serve as an introduction to a gifted vocalist for most, but the one-time Nashville phenom has more than a decade of recording experience under her belt. Still, in many ways this is an introduction to a new talent. This time out, the Alabama-reared singer-songwriter refused to live up to anyone's expectations but her own, expertly melding soul, rock, pop, and country strains into an eye-opening set that demands to be addressed on its own terms. --Steven Stolder

Amazon.com

Shelby Lynne is an anachronism in the best sense of the word. Alabama-born, this twentysomething singer is in love with classic pop and soul, the kind sung by Dusty in Memphis and Aretha in Muscle Shoals. Working here with producer Bill Bottrell, Lynne has fashioned a remarkable album of orchestral epics ("Your Lies"), lazy-afternoon dance music ("Thought It Would Be Easier"), and gorgeous, bluesy ballads ("Lookin' Up," "Black Light Blue"). Most of the album's 10 songs are firmly rooted in the '60s and '70s, but Bottrell's production and Lynne's still-wet-from-sex voice guarantee that the album sounds time-capsule fresh instead of past-expiration-date retro. While Lynne has made fine albums before--1993's big-band and Western-swing CD Temptation is particularly good--I Am Shelby Lynne is the best work yet by a singer as stubbornly committed to musical tradition, and as defiantly out of step with country music trends, as another former Nashville maverick, Lyle Lovett. --Keith Moerer

1. "Your Lies" (Bill Bottrell, Shelby Lynne) — 2:54
2. "Leavin'" (Lynne) — 3:11
3. "Life Is Bad" (Bottrell, Fritz, Lynne) — 3:18
4. "Thought It Would Be Easier" (Bottrell, Lynne) — 3:55
5. "Gotta Get Back" (Bottrell, Lynne, Overstreet) — 3:37
6. "Why Can't You Be?" (Bottrell, Lynne) — 4:19
7. "Lookin' Up" (Bottrell, Lynne) — 3:28
8. "Dream Some" (Joyce, Lynne, Overstreet) — 4:12
9. "Where I'm From" (Bottrell, Lynne) — 3:49
10. "Black Light Blue" (Bottrell, Lynne) — 3:23

 

[Dennie]

drag -- CD

K.D. Lang

1997 Warner Bros. Records

Amazon.com

Sensual, seductive, and above all smoky, the latest from k.d. lang is a collection of a dozen tunes that all have some connection to smoking--usually in the romantic, post-coital sense--done up in a lush, orchestrated fashion. Some of these tunes are standards, such as "Smoke Dreams" and "My Last Cigarette," while others are just plain strange selections given some of the oddest readings imaginable. Case in point: the cover of Steve Miller's "The Joker." lang's voice is an incredible instrument, and it's a treat to hear her vamping. But you have to wonder what she's up to, especially because she seems to just say no to tobacco herself, --Jim Derogatis

1. "Don't Smoke in Bed" (Willard Robison) – 3:22
2. "The Air That I Breathe" (Albert Hammond, Mike Hazelwood) – 5:58
3. "Smoke Dreams" (John Klenner, Lloyd Shaffer, Ted Steele) – 3:49
4. "My Last Cigarette" (Gary Clark, Boo Hewerdine, Neill MacColl) – 4:09
5. "The Joker" (Eddie Curtis, Ahmet Ertegün, Steve Miller) – 4:44
6. "Theme from the Valley of the Dolls" (Dory Langdon, Andre Previn) – 3:02
7. "Your Smoke Screen" (David Barbe) – 2:29
8. "My Old Addiction" (David Wilcox) – 6:39
9. "Till the Heart Caves In" (T-Bone Burnett, Bob Neuwirth, Roy Orbison) – 3:30
10. "Smoke Rings" (Gene Gifford, Ned Washington) – 3:36
11. "Hain't It Funny" (Jane Siberry) – 6:23
12. "Love Is Like a Cigarette" (Jerome Jerome, Walter Kent, Richard Byron) – 4:45


7085

 

[Botch]

drag -- CD

K.D. Lang

Killer. Absolutely Killer!! :handgestures-thumbup: :handgestures-thumbup: :handgestures-thumbup: