What Are You Listening To?

[Dennie]

Time Passages -- Remastered CD

Al Stewart

1978/2000 Arista Records

MR. ALAN PARSONS, PLEASE STEP FORWARD AND TAKE A BOW..., June 7, 2005
By Wayne Racine (Ottawa ON) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)
This review is from: Time Passages (Audio CD)

Sigh... if only Al Stewart and Alan Parsons were working together again - they were perfect musical soulmates not unlike Lennon/McCartney. When you get right down to it, Al is really a folkie troubadour; as such, I'm convinced that these tunes wouldn't be anywhere near as fleshed out if it weren't for Alan Parsons' musical guidance and sound expertise - and the end result is a sonic masterpiece. If you were to get only two Al Stewart CDs, it would have to be the ones where AP was working the soundboard - "Year Of The Cat" and this one. Highly recommended.

1. Time Passages
2. Valentina Way
3. Life in Dark Water
4. Man for All Seasons
5. Almost Lucy
6. Palace of Versailles
7. Timeless Skies
8. Song on the Radio
9. End of the Day

 

[Dennie]

Oops! I forgot to post this one.....

Young Americans -- CD

David Bowie

1975/1981 EMI/Capitol Records

A Rare Album Of Consistency, July 20, 2005
By Martin A Hogan "Marty From SF" (San Francisco, CA. (Hercules)) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE) (TOP 100 REVIEWER) (2008 HOLIDAY TEAM) (REAL NAME)
This review is from: Young Americans (Audio CD)

After "Diamond Dogs", the world was thrown off balance again with Bowie's rumors of hanging out in a Philadelphia studio with fans sleeping at the stage door. It was the same city he recorded the "Diamond Dogs" tour - the `City of Brotherly Love'. Black/White Soul Love music from Bowie? No way. Yes way. Although it was a strong departure, "Young Americans" has become one of those Bowie albums that are so unique and distinct in its character that you either love it or hate it. It's all true soul funk with the magical backup of the late Luther Vandross's voice. "Young Americans" made it as a modest single, but it was the collaborative effort of "Fame" with John Lennon that is the song of choice here. There is nothing like it anywhere in the world. Bowie's rendering of "Across The Universe" is an uninspired tribute to Lennon and "Can You Hear Me" is bland. However, "Somebody Up There Like Me" is a true funky bass driven number that completely satisfies. At the very least, this album is consistent and Bowie proves he truly has some serious soul.

Side one

"Young Americans" – 5:10
"Win" – 4:44
"Fascination" (Bowie, Luther Vandross) – 5:43
"Right" – 4:13

Side two

"Somebody Up There Likes Me" – 6:30
"Across the Universe" (John Lennon, Paul McCartney) – 4:30
"Can You Hear Me" – 5:04
"Fame" (Bowie, Carlos Alomar, Lennon) – 4:12


Reissue bonus tracks

"Who Can I Be Now?" – 4:35
"It's Gonna Be Me" – 6:29
"John, I'm Only Dancing (Again)" – 6:58

 

[Dennie]

Now, I've really been looking forward to this one...... :bow-blue:

Forever -- 2 CD Set

Corea, Clarke & White

2011 Concord Records

Editorial Reviews

Pianist Chick Corea, bassist Stanley Clarke and drummer Lenny White - each a powerful force of nature in his own right - have done more in recent decades to redefine jazz-rock fusion and push the limits of its potential than any other musicians today. Together they formed the core of the classic, most popular and successful lineup of Return to Forever, the legendary seminal electric jazz fusion band. After reclaiming the jazz-rock world in 2008 with the triumphant return of Return to Forever, Corea, Clarke and White decided to revisit where it all began, to get back to basics and the soul of their relationship.

The result is Forever, a two-CD set of 18 quintessential tunes. Recorded live, disc one of Forever is a best-of sampler from Corea, Clarke and White's "RTF-Unplugged" world tour in 2009. Highlights include jazz standards "On Green Dolphin Street," "Waltz for Debby" and "Hackensack," exquisite Corea-classics "Bud Powell" and "Windows," Clarke's beautiful new "La Canción de Sofia" and even RTF pieces "Señor Mouse" and "No Mystery." Disc two is a bonus CD with its own story.

"The sets we played were basically jam sessions of the standards we knew from the songbooks of Monk, Bill Evans, Miles and others," says Corea, an NEA Jazz Master, 17-time GRAMMY® winner, prolific composer and undisputed keyboard virtuoso. "Also included are some pieces from the Return to Forever songbook reworked in this acoustic setting." "This acoustic trio had not been documented up to this point," explains White, an innovative and versatile drummer/producer/composer. "It was important to document this because that's how we started. On the last day of our Keystone Korner gig in 1973 in San Francisco, we had two guitarists sit in, and it became electric. But we come from playing in the jazz tradition. RTF had a real jazz rhythm section, and I think that's what distinguishes RTF from all the other groups."

Forever is clearly an extension of the long-term relationships that were established in the 1970s with Return to Forever. According to Clarke, another electric RTF tour is in the works, featuring Corea, Clarke, White, Connors and Ponty. "This is actually the fourth version of Return to Forever," Clarke says. "It's come full circle with Bill coming back and the addition of Jean-Luc. After release, we're doing an RTF IV tour to go out and support the new CD. It's a total update, and it's going to be a lot of fun."

Disc 1/2

1 On Green Dolphin Street 8:41
2 Waltz For Debby 9:55
3 Bud Powell 7:10
4 La Cancion de Sofia 7:38
5 Windows 8:55
6 Hackensack 7:30
7 No Mystery 10:55
8 Senor Mouse 12:06

Disc 2/2

1 Captain Marvel 4:13
2 Senor Mouse 10:06
3 Crescent 1:45
4 Armando's Rhumba 5:12
5 Renaissance 6:29
6 High Wire - The Aerialist 3:41
7 I Love You Porgy 5:13
8 After The Cosmic Rain 10:38
9 Space Circus 6:07
10 500 Miles High 12:45

 

[Dennie]

My last one for the evening...

Follow Me Down -- CD

Sarah Jarosz

2011 Sugar Hill Records

A Beautiful Album, May 18, 2011
By James Johnson (Wasco, Ca. USA) - See all my reviews
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Follow Me Down (Audio CD)

FOLLOW ME DOWN is a beautiful album. I loved every cut. I'm a basic roots guy and normally indie rock and young woman singer-songwriter fare make me think about organizing my sock drawer, but Jarosz's soulful singing, fluid musicality and surprising twists make everything interesting. This CD is going to be riding in my pickup for a long time.

SONG UP IN HER HEAD was one of my favorite albums of 2009 but I think FOLLOW ME DOWN represents growth across the board. Her music has become more sophisticated, more expansive and richer without losing that mystic, bluesy, old-timey, "mountain soul" sound that makes Jarosz so special. She's changed the bathwater but the baby's still there.

FOLLOW ME DOWN is the third wonderful "roots +" album that I've purchased recently, joining Crooked Still's SOME STRANGE COUNTRY and Abigail Washburn's CITY OF REFUGE. These are exciting times for roots based acoustic music.

One last note. Sarah Jarosz is touring heavily this summer. If you get a chance to see her trio perform, do so. Alex Hargreaves on fiddle and Nathaniel Smith on cello are awesome musicians, truly A-list players. Even playing together sporadically, Jarosz, Hargreaves & Smith have been making amazing music. Playing together on a daily basis should only make their music better. I haven't mentioned age in this review because the music stands on its own merits, but their ages become pertinent in discussing a live performance. Jarosz turns 20 in late May, Hargreaves recently turned 19 and Smith is 17. Seeing these young kids play this incredible music with such skill, taste and verve is a jaw dropping, not to be missed experience.

1. Run Away
2. Come Around
3. Annabelle Lee
4. Ring Them Bells
5. My Muse
6. Floating In The Balance
7. Old Smitty
8. The Tourist
9. Here Nor There
10. Gypsy
11. Peace

 

[Towen7]

This one has been sitting on my kitchen table for over a month now, I finally slipped 'er in the Oppo. w00t!!! Great show, great band, great guests, and great photography/sound!

I'm sitting in my HT enjoying this right now. Could have done without Garth Brooks though. Still, glad to have it.

I need more concert discs and more time to listen/watch them.

 

[Dennie]

Light My Fire -- CD

Eliane Elias

2011 Concord Picante

Editorial Reviews

Since the mid-1980s, pianist/vocalist Eliane Elias has grafted various elements of jazz, pop, soul and other styles to her deep Brazilian roots to create a hybrid groove that exists comfortably on any hemisphere. Borrowing from an array of sources and singing in a variety of languages, Elias consistently forges a sound that appeals to listeners of every geographic locale and cultural persuasion. Her new album, Light My Fire - wields this universal sound to explore the various corners of the human heart - from romance and passion to the shared joy of being alive and embracing everyone into the dance of life. Along with four compositions written or co-written by Elias herself, the album also includes covers of familiar works by songwriters as diverse as Jim Morrison and the Doors, pop icon Stevie Wonder and jazz saxophonist Paul Desmond. Elias weaves it all together into a cohesive whole by injecting each of the twelve songs with distinctly Brazilian grooves that alternate effortlessly between the fiery and passionate to the cool and sophisticated.

"Some of the tunes are cool and laid back, but others are quite rhythmic and joyful," says Elias. "And they have some different grooves. I tend to gravitate toward romance - beautiful melodies, beautiful harmonies and rhythms with a great feel. But more than anything else, I'm singing about love on this record in its different aspects and dimensions. I've made more than 20 records in my career. I'm proud of all of them, but I'm especially excited about this one. It feels like it has a life and an energy all its own. With very few exceptions, nearly all of the songs were first takes. Everybody in the studio was so focused, and it was such a fun record to make. The music was really flowing, and we all felt very relaxed. From the very first day, not a note was wasted by anyone. It was an amazing experience."

Backing Elias on Light My Fire is a crew of twelve high-caliber players, including special guests guitarist/vocalist Gilberto Gil and trumpeter Randy Brecker. The rhythm section - which has accompanied Elias on several of her most recent recordings - includes guitarist Oscar Castro-Neves, bassist Marc Johnson and drummer Paulo Braga. Also on hand to sing with Elias and Gil on "Toda Menina Baiana" is Elias' daughter, singer-songwriter Amanda Brecker. New to Elias' team is percussionist Marivaldo dos Santos, drummer Rafael Barata, guitarists Romero Lubambo and Ross Traut, and flutist Lawrence Feldman.

Tracklist:

01 – Rosa Morena
02 – Stay Cool
03 – Aquele Abraco
04 – Light My Fire
05 – Isto Aqui O Que E (Silver Sandal)
06 – My Cherie Amour
07 – Toda Menina Baiana
08 – Bananeira
09 – Made In Moonlight
10 – Turn To Me (Samba Maracatu)
11 – Take Five
12 – What About The Heart (Bate Bate)

 

[heeman]

This was a lot harder rock than I thought that it would be? I need to give it a couple more listenings............Thanks Paul!

 

[heeman]

 

[PaulyT]

This was a lot harder rock than I thought that it would be? I need to give it a couple more listenings............Thanks Paul!

Yeah, first few tracks especially. But it mellows some later on... Botch, did you ever get this one?

 

[Botch]

It's added to my "Cart" but not ordered yet, guess now that I'm a "Prime" member I don't have to let the cart build up before placing an order anymore. Want to add the new Flecktones CD too.

 

[Dennie]

Time for a second spin..... :handgestures-thumbup:

Rocket Science -- CD

Bela Fleck & The Flecktones

2011 e-one Records

Bela Fleck is the only musician to be nominated for Grammys® in jazz, bluegrass, pop, country, spoken word, christian, composition and world music categories. His total count is 11 Grammys® won, and 27 total nominations. Groundbreaking banjoist/composer/bandleader Béla Fleck has reconvened the original Béla Fleck & The Flecktones, the extraordinary initial line-up of his incredible combo. Rocket Science marks the first recording by the first fab four Flecktones in almost two decades, with pianist/harmonica player Howard Levy back in the fold alongside Fleck, bassist Victor Wooten, and percussionist/ drumitarist Roy Futureman Wooten.

Far from being a wistful trip back in time, the album sees the Grammy® Award-winning quartet creating some of the most forward thinking music of their long, storied career. While all manner of genres come into play from classical and jazz to bluegrass and African music to electric blues and Eastern European folk dances the result is an impossible to pigeonhole sound all their own, a meeting of musical minds that remains, as ever, utterly indescribable. Simply put, it is The Flecktones, the music made only when these four individuals come together.

I didn t want to just get together to play the old music, Fleck says. That's not what the Flecktones are about. Everybody s full of life and ideas and creativity. I was intrigued by what we could do that we had never done before. Visionary and vibrant as anything in their already rich canon, Rocket Science feels more like a new beginning than simply the culmination of an early chapter. The band now embarks on an extensive tour, and there s no telling how this new music will further develop in performance. We're going to have to have this experience together and see how everybody likes it, Fleck says. I know that we haven't even come close to exhausting the possibilities with this record, but we sure went deeper than we ever had before.

"Gravity Lane" (Béla Fleck) - 5:58
"Prickly Pear" (Fleck) - 3:49
"Joyful Spring" (Howard Levy) - 2:39
"Life In Eleven" (Levy, Fleck) - 5:25
"Falling Forward" (Fleck) - 5:08
"Storm Warning" (Fleck) - 7:57
"Like Water" (Victor Lemonte Wooten, Fleck) - 4:42
"Earthling Parade" (Fleck) - 7:58
"The Secret Drawer" (Future Man) - 2:12
"Sweet Pomegranates" (Levy) - 5:55
"Falani" (Fleck) - 6:50
"Bottle Rocket" (Fleck) - 5:53

13376

 

[Dennie]

Nothin' like a little "Ice Water" on a warm summer afternoon.......

Ice Water -- CD

Leo Kottke

1974/1996 Capitol Records

The essential Leo Kottke..., February 13, 2000
By "pearlthegirl" (Pittsburgh, PA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Ice Water (Audio CD)

From the self-deprecating liner notes to the extraordinary guitar work to the unique gravelly vocals, this album, and the cassette I bought for my car, became a near-obsession as my intro to Leo Kottke back in '74 and remains so today on CD. With all his great work since, this still stands, I think, as his best example of guitar and vocals together. A must-have for anyone with an interest in this national treasure... There's no one like Leo Kottke, and this surely stands as proof, providing insight into not only his talent but his somewhat quirky personality. Fantastic.
Side one

"Morning is the Long Way Home" – 6:26
"Pamela Brown" (Tom T. Hall) – 4:03
"A Good Egg" – 3:10
"Tilt Billings and the Student Prince" (Leo Kottke, Ron Nagle) – 4:56
"All Through the Night" (trad.) – 1:30

Side two

"Short Stories" (Leo Kottke/Cal Hand) – 3:01
"You Tell Me Why" (Ron Elliot) – 3:58
"You Know I Know You Know" – 4:08
"Born to Be With You" (Don Robertson) – 3:02
"A Child Should be a Fish" – 3:45

All songs by Leo Kottke except as noted.

 

[heeman]

 

[heeman]

 

[Dennie]

Spyboy -- CD

Emmylou Harris

1998 Eminent Records

Emmylou and Spyboy-- country with soul, September 12, 1998
By Frederick Rudofsky (East Greenbush, NY USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Spyboy (Audio CD)

SPYBOY is a tremendous document of Emmylou Harris's musical journey with Buddy Miller, Daryl Johnson, and Brady Blade in the past two years on the momentum of her beautifully realized WRECKING BALL. She performs songs from throughout her career, the aching "Love Hurts" (a poignant duet with Miller) to the mad reverie of "Deeper Well." Of special note is Julie Miler's appearance on her own "All My Tears," a powerful gospel song with a drum beat that echoes the Cherokee tradition. Emmylou sounds wonderful, singing in her distinctive voice the pangs and joys of life. Buddy Miller, who produced this album and is a tremendous solo artist in his own right plays simply magificent guitar (I think only Richard Thompson would be able to show such range) and provides great harmonies to each song. And the rhythm section of Johnson and Blade is dynamic in the true sense of the word, bringing imagination and energy to each song-- Daniel Lanois' "The Maker" is a great example of their genius. In short, this is Emmylou at the heght of her powers, with a telepathic and exciting band playing memorable songs and having fun. For new fans and die-hard fans of this classy woman and her maverick sensibilities, this album is a must.

"My Songbird" (Jesse Winchester) – 3:30
Studio version on Quarter Moon in a Ten Cent Town
"Where Will I Be" (Daniel Lanois) – 4:21
From Wrecking Ball
"I Ain't Living Long Like This" (Rodney Crowell) – 4:20
Studio version on Quarter Moon in a Ten Cent Town
"Love Hurts" (Boudleaux Bryant) – 2:55
First performed by Harris with Gram Parsons on Grievous Angel
"Green Pastures" (Traditional) – 3:05
First performed by Harris on Roses in the Snow
"Deeper Well" (Harris, Lanois, David Olney) – 7:16
From Wrecking Ball
"Prayer in Open D" (Harris) – 4:01
From Cowgirl's Prayer
"Calling My Children Home" (Doyle Lawson, Charles Waller, Robert Yates) – 3:02
First performed by Harris with the Nash Ramblers on At the Ryman
"Tulsa Queen" (Crowell, Harris) – 4:30
From Luxury Liner
"Wheels" (Chris Hillman, Gram Parsons) – 3:04
A Flying Burrito Brothers' song, Harris first recorded it for Elite Hotel
"Born to Run" (Paul Kennerley) – 4:44
From Cimarron
"Boulder to Birmingham" (Bill Danoff, Harris) 3:21
First recorded on Pieces of the Sky
"All My Tears (Be Washed Away)" (Julie Miller) – 5:06
From Wrecking Ball
"The Maker" (Lanois) – 8:40
Also recorded with Willie Nelson on Teatro

 

[Dennie]

Oh Little Fire -- CD

Sarah Harmer

2010 Zoe Records

With a sound reminiscent of her acclaimed album You Were Here (which Time Magazine hailed as "The year's best debut"), but also showcasing a bit of her folk and country side, oh little fire may be the strongest batch of songs Sarah Harmer has ever released. Co-produced by Sarah and Gavin Brown (Metric, Sarah's All of Our Names), oh little fire is Sarah's first new album in 4 years and is full of the same hooky melodies, insightful lyrics, and lovely, plaintive singing which attracted so many fans to her music from the start of her career. Featuring a duet with Neko Case on "Silverado."

1. The Thief
2. Captive
3. New Loneliness
4. One Match
5. Careless
6. Washington
7. Late Bloomer
8. The City
9. Silverado
10. The Marble in Your Eye
11. It Will Sail

 

[heeman]

:text-bravo:

 

[Dennie]

Live 1975 - The Rolling Thunder Revue -- 2 CD - DVD Box Set

Bob Dylan

2002 Columbia Legacy

Amazon.com

One of the many oddities of Bob Dylan's long and unruly career has been the rather cursory recording treatment given his stint as ringleader of the Rolling Thunder Revue. It's a shortcoming that's rectified with the release of Live 1975. Prior to the appearance of this two-disc collection, Rolling Thunder's eclectic road show was chronicled only in the infrequently screened, Dylan-directed Renaldo & Clara film and the bafflingly brief and one-note 1976 live set, Hard Rain. In contrast to its predecessor, this set, culled from four appearances made in November and December of '75, captures the breadth and subtleties of Dylan's Rolling Thunder performances. "Tonight I'll Be Staying Here with You," formerly a coda from Nashville Skyline, is given a rather incongruous bite here, while "It Ain't Me, Babe" is colored brightly by multi-instrumentalist David Mansfield along with erstwhile David Bowie guitarist Mick Ronson, the sparkplug of the gratifyingly ragtag group that coalesced on short notice. Solo acoustic performances weave through caterwauling full-band treatments of songs old ("The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll) and new ("Hurricane" and four other selections from Desire, which wouldn't hit the racks until early '76). While the contributions of a number of caravan cohorts and guests are left out, Joan Baez shares the spotlight with Dylan on four numbers, most notably on the rarity "Mama, You Been on My Mind" and the traditional "The Water Is Wide." But despite its cavalcade trappings, it was Dylan's show, and this collection demonstrates finally just how close to his '60s peak the '70s Dylan was. --Steven Stolder

Disc: 1

1. Tonight I'll Be Staying Here With You
2. It Ain't Me, Babe
3. A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall
4. The Lonesome Death Of Hattie Carroll
5. Romance In Durango
6. Isis
7. Mr. Tambourine Man
8. Simple Twist Of Fate
9. Blowin' In The Wind
10. Mama, You Been On My Mind
11. I Shall Be Released

Disc: 2

1. It's All Over Now, Baby Blue
2. Love Minus Zero/No Limit
3. Tangled Up In Blue
4. The Water Is Wide
5. It Takes A Lot To Laugh, It Takes A Train To Cry
6. Oh, Sister
7. Hurricane
8. One More Cup Of Coffee (Valley Below)
9. Sara
10. Just Like A Woman
11. Knockin' On Heaven's Door

 

[Dennie]

Irreplaceable -- CD

George Benson

2004 GRP Records

Thank God I Have My Own Mind!!!!!!!!!!!!!, June 16, 2004
By Raider Jack "Jackie D Gray-Romeyn" (San Francisco, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)
This review is from: Irreplaceable (Audio CD)

The latest effort by George Benson is a welcome addition after too long an absence. I am so glad I decided not to rely solely on the reviews of others. I actually cannot imagine what was expected here. This is vintage George Benson - tight vocals (and sterling additional vocals from some female vocalists who, while are unkown to me right now, certainly will not stay that way), excellent guitar work, smooth senusal mood, in other words, vintage George Benson.

George Benson has been blending jazz and R&B for decades. When I think hip-hop, I think R&B vocals with additional rap - that is not the case here, thank god....just good singing and excellent playing. If you are a real George Benson fan, you will not be disappointed in the least. His version of Luther's "Take You Out" is festive and while he could certainly have handled vocal chores here, he wisely decided not to but instead transformed this into a wonderful instrumental.

From the sound of some reviewers, it appears this is a futile attempt at meshing hip-hop and jazz...I submit these listeners have not been listening to George since "This Masquerade." If they had, they would have known that there is no departure whatsoever from the formula that brought George to national prominence. But everyone has the right to their opinion. That being said, you should rely totally on your own tastes.

This is quite simply an excellent project and well worth the wait. In my humble estimation, Mr. Benson has not sacrificed his art one iota and presents a clean, fresh, long-overdue smooth jazz project that will be a worthy addition to any smooth jazz collection.

1. Six Play
2. Whole Man
3. Irreplaceable
4. Loving Is Better Than Leaving
5. Strings Of Love
6. Cell Phone
7. Black Rose
8. Stairway To Love
9. Reason For Breathing
10. Missing You



13397

 

[Dennie]

Nothing Serious -- CD

Roy Hargrove

2006 Verve Records

Amazon.com

Despite the title, this disc--simultaneously released with Distractions, a CD by his neo-soul group, RH Factor--is trumpeter Roy Hargrove's first acoustic jazz recording since 2000 release, Moment to Moment. The leader's full-bodied, bravura tones are as bright and bold as ever, edging more into the stylistic atmosphere once occupied by the former trumpet god, Freddie Hubbard. Hargrove is backed by a quintet featuring ex-Jazz Messenger, pianist Ronnie Matthews, bassist Dwayne Burno, drummer Willie Jones IIII, and alto saxophonist/flutist Justin Robinson. They pull no punches on these no-nonsense tunes, like the Latin-tinged title track, and the John Coltrane/Ornette Coleman-coded "Camaraderie." Special guest Slide Hampton makes his elegant trombone presence felt on his soaring tune, "A Day in Vienna," on the waltzy "Salima's Dance," and the standard, "Invitation." So much for the myth that jazz musicians like Hargrove can't play funk and swing at the same time. --Eugene Holley, Jr.

Track Listing

1. Nothing Serious
2. Day in Vienna, A
3. Trust
4. Camaraderie
5. Devil Eyes
6. Gift, The
7. Salima's Dance
8. Invitation