What Are You Listening To?
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Dennie
Well-Known Member
Mas Canciones -- CD
Linda Ronstadt
1991 Elektra Records
Linda Ronstandt finds her roots, November 14, 2009
By Theresa Mata "Theresa" (Philadelphia, PA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Mas Canciones (Audio CD)
I bought 'Canciones de mi Padre' and 'Mas Canciones' when they first came out but I bought them on cassette tape. I recently realized I needed to have them on cd. I absolutely love them! If you thought Linda could sing in the 70s, you haven't heard anything. Those mariachi songs are difficult to sing and Linda did them proudly, greatly, and spiritually.
"Tata Dios" (Trejo) – 4:19
"El Toro Relajo" (Felipe Bermejo) – 2:32
"Mi Ranchito" (Felipe Valdes Leal) – 3:33
"La Mariquita" (Rubén Fuentes) – 2:59
"Gritenme Piedras del Campo" (Cuco Sanchez) – 3:27
"Siempre Hace Frio" (Cuco Sanchez) – 3:18
"El Crucifijo de Piedra" (Roberto Cantoral) – 3:16
"Palomita de Ojos Negros" (Tomas Mendez) – 3:30
"Pena de los Amores" (Jose Luis Almada) – 4:00
"El Camino" (Jesus Navarro, Jr.) – 3:29
"El Gustito" (Jose Lopez) – 2:36
"El Sueño" (Nicandro Castillo) – 3:41
Dennie
Well-Known Member
My last one for the evening...
Paper Airplane -- CD
Alison Krauss & Union Station
2011 Rounder Records
A truly breathtaking collection of 11 exquisite songs, Paper Airplane is Alison Krauss' 14th album and the band's follow-up to 2004's triple Grammy® winning Lonely Runs Both Ways (Rounder). It is Krauss' first release since her 2007 internationally acclaimed, multi-platinum collaboration with Robert Plant, Raising Sand, which won six Grammys including "Record Of The Year" and "Album Of The Year."
Alison Krauss and Union Station features the talents of Krauss (fiddle and lead vocals), Dan Tyminski (guitar, mandolin and lead vocals), Barry Bales (bass and harmony vocals), Ron Block (banjo, guitar and harmony vocals), and Jerry Douglas (Dobro and harmony vocals). Paper Airplane was produced by the band and recorded in Nashville with engineer Mike Shipley (Maroon 5, The Cars, Def Leppard, Joni Mitchell). As bluegrass virtuosos the members of Union Station are beyond compare, and the music they create together transcends all genres. Their work on films such as Cold Mountain and O Brother, Where Art Thou? has contributed immeasurably to a renaissance of American roots music.
Part of Alison Krauss' incontestable talent is how effortlessly she bridges the gap between roots music and country, rock and pop. A highly sought-after collaborator, Krauss has worked with some of the biggest names in popular music, including James Taylor, Phish, Dolly Parton, Yo Yo Ma & Bonnie Raitt. Since signing with Rounder Records at the age of 14 in 1985 Krauss has sold in excess of 12 million albums and garnered 26 Grammy® Awards, the most for any female and the third most of any recording artist in Grammy® history.
1. "Paper Airplane" Robert Lee Castleman 3:36
2. "Dustbowl Children" Peter Rowan 3:06
3. "Lie Awake" Viktor Krauss, Angel Snow 3:55
4. "Lay My Burden Down" Aoife O'Donovan 3:52
5. "My Love Follows You Where You Go" Barry Dean, Lori McKenna, Liz Rose 4:03
6. "Dimming of the Day" Richard Thompson 5:20
7. "On the Outside Looking In" Tim O'Brien 3:35
8. "Miles to Go" Barry Bales, Chris Stapleton 2:54
9. "Sinking Stone" Jeremy Lister 4:42
10. "Bonita and Bill Butler" Sidney Cox 4:03
11. "My Opening Farewell" Jackson Browne 4:08
Total length:
43:15
Paper Airplane -- CD
Alison Krauss & Union Station
2011 Rounder Records
A truly breathtaking collection of 11 exquisite songs, Paper Airplane is Alison Krauss' 14th album and the band's follow-up to 2004's triple Grammy® winning Lonely Runs Both Ways (Rounder). It is Krauss' first release since her 2007 internationally acclaimed, multi-platinum collaboration with Robert Plant, Raising Sand, which won six Grammys including "Record Of The Year" and "Album Of The Year."
Alison Krauss and Union Station features the talents of Krauss (fiddle and lead vocals), Dan Tyminski (guitar, mandolin and lead vocals), Barry Bales (bass and harmony vocals), Ron Block (banjo, guitar and harmony vocals), and Jerry Douglas (Dobro and harmony vocals). Paper Airplane was produced by the band and recorded in Nashville with engineer Mike Shipley (Maroon 5, The Cars, Def Leppard, Joni Mitchell). As bluegrass virtuosos the members of Union Station are beyond compare, and the music they create together transcends all genres. Their work on films such as Cold Mountain and O Brother, Where Art Thou? has contributed immeasurably to a renaissance of American roots music.
Part of Alison Krauss' incontestable talent is how effortlessly she bridges the gap between roots music and country, rock and pop. A highly sought-after collaborator, Krauss has worked with some of the biggest names in popular music, including James Taylor, Phish, Dolly Parton, Yo Yo Ma & Bonnie Raitt. Since signing with Rounder Records at the age of 14 in 1985 Krauss has sold in excess of 12 million albums and garnered 26 Grammy® Awards, the most for any female and the third most of any recording artist in Grammy® history.
1. "Paper Airplane" Robert Lee Castleman 3:36
2. "Dustbowl Children" Peter Rowan 3:06
3. "Lie Awake" Viktor Krauss, Angel Snow 3:55
4. "Lay My Burden Down" Aoife O'Donovan 3:52
5. "My Love Follows You Where You Go" Barry Dean, Lori McKenna, Liz Rose 4:03
6. "Dimming of the Day" Richard Thompson 5:20
7. "On the Outside Looking In" Tim O'Brien 3:35
8. "Miles to Go" Barry Bales, Chris Stapleton 2:54
9. "Sinking Stone" Jeremy Lister 4:42
10. "Bonita and Bill Butler" Sidney Cox 4:03
11. "My Opening Farewell" Jackson Browne 4:08
Total length:
43:15
Dennie
Well-Known Member
My Song -- 20 Bit CD
Joe Pass
1993 Telarc Jazz
"My Song" is Joe Pass at his Finest, May 10, 2000
By "takfam" - See all my reviews
This review is from: My Song (Audio CD)
I had this CD for several years and never listened to it-- guess I wasn't tuned in yet. Now, however, I play it often, and I'm struck by how brilliant Joe Pass was. I'm sure this was one of his last recordings. Now I understand what Carlos Santana meant when he said that Joe Pass' subtle, delicate jazz-playing is every bit as imaginative and powerful as Van Halen's ear-splitting pyrotechnics. Pass' playing on this CD is colorful, delicate, punchy, melodic, spontaneous. I love the way he selects excellent tunes as the basis for improvisation (rarely a bad idea!). He has the unique gift of being able to seemingly doodle for hours (but of course, "doodling" it ain't!), and captivate your ear all the while. Let's face it: Joe Pass plays the way every guitarist WISHES he/she could play! And you'll dig the liner notes, where Pass claims that he was never driven by music and never practices: "it's a gift from God." Well, get this CD. You'll enjoy the wonderful virtuosity and spirit with which he shares his gift to the world.
"Rockin' in Rhythm" (Duke Ellington, Irving Mills, Harry Carney) – 6:00
"Azure" (Ellington, Mills) – 7:17
"Keepin' Out of Mischief Now" (Fats Waller, Andy Razaf) – 7:39
"Ah Moore" (Al Cohn) – 4:08
"I Can't Kick" (Tom Ranier) – 6:11
"Rockin' Chair" (Hoagy Carmichael) – 3:52
"Song for Ellen" (Joe Pass) – 3:23
"Jitterbug Waltz" (Waller, Richard Maltby, Jr.) – 8:06
"The Duke" (Dave Brubeck) – 5:42
"Jo-Wes" (John Pisano) – 3:25
"Ain't Misbehavin''" (Harry Brooks, Razaf, Waller) – 6:12
Dennie
Well-Known Member
Kessel Plays Standards -- CD
Barney Kessel
1954/1987 Contemporary/ OJC Records
the late, great Barney Kessel, July 28, 2006
By Christoph K. Bennett (United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)
This review is from: Kessel Plays Standards (Audio CD)
This is really more on his body of work than this release alone. Get anything you can get your hands on by Barney. Everything he did was great and it was never about what he could do but about the music. I've been reading some webpages about him recently to find out more about him. First off, he may well have been the most recorded guitarist of all time. Like the guitar on the Beach Boys' "Pet Sounds?" It's Barney. Elvis' "Return to Sender?" Barney, too. He did work with the Beatles. In fact, "counted among his fans such superstars as the late Beatles John Lennon and George Harrison.
"Barney Kessel is incredible. He's just amazing . . . . Nobody can play guitar like that," Lennon said following a recording session in the 1970s.
Harrison was even more enthused, telling an interviewer in the 1960s: "Barney Kessel is definitely the best guitar player in this world, or any other world."
I'd always heard that he was very friendly to up-and-comers and everybody, really. What I didn't know is that he was a devoted Christian, acc. to his wife. That's really nice to know. There are very few great guitarists left. You have Herb Ellis, Bucky Pizzarelli from the days when there really was jazz. Barney was among the best. Seriously, get anything by him. My particular favorites are this one, "Easy Like," and "Solo." But they're all great. His albums are not your typical guitar as frontman shredding away but real group efforts. Very enjoyable. For Barney, it was always about the music first.
1. Speak Low
2. Love Is Here to Stay
3. On a Slow Boat to China
4. How Long Has This Been Going On?
5. My Old Flame
6. Jeepers Creepers
7. Barney's Blues
8. Prelude to a Kiss
9. A Foggy Day
10. You Stepped Out of a Dream
11. I Didn't Know What Time It Was
12. 64 Bars on Wilshire
13411
Dennie
Well-Known Member
Moonlight In Vermont -- CD
Johnny Smith featuring Stan Getz
1952/2004 Blue Note Records
Wow! What an album,
July 28, 2006
By Christoph K. Bennett
This review is from: Moonlight in Vermont (Audio CD)
I can point to a few albums that really got me into jazz and this is one. Johnny plays on this album with Stan Getz and others. It is a great album. The title song was the Downbeat song of the year for 1952. One knock on Johnny Smith is that he wasn't jazz mainly because his playing was so clean--it sounded too rehearsed, too clean. There are a few outtakes one the CD that will put that to rest. Johnny, himself, admitted he never really thought of himself as a "jazz" guitarist, but more of a session musician. He was on staff with the NBC orchestra back in the day. I think one thing is clear though and this CD bears it out is that Johnny is an important guitarist in the history of jazz guitar. He is the connection between Charlie Christian, and Django Reinhardt to more contemporary players. It's ironic how a man with such a common name made such beautiful music.
1. Where or When
2. Tabu
3. Moonlight in Vermont
4. Jaguar
5. Stars Fell on Alabama
6. Tenderly
7. (I Don't Stand A) Ghost of a Chance
8. Vilia
9. Cavu
10. I'll Be Around
11. Yesterdays
12. Cherokee
13. Sometimes I'm Happy
14. Nice Work If You Can Get It
15. Jaguar [Alternate Version]
16. My Funny Valentine
Dennie
Well-Known Member
Honky Tonk Angels -- CD
Dolly Parton, Loretta Lynn, Tammy Wynette
1993 Columbia Records
Amazon.com
Nearly 30 years after an unknown singer made the album Dolly Parton Sings Country Oldies, which for all practical purposes was a Kitty Wells record, Parton joined with Loretta Lynn and Tammy Wynette to revive the old-time, traditional female country sound, even hauling Miss Kitty along for a sparkling reprise of "It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels," the song that made Wells a star. This particular trio feels more at home with campy recitations than with hip, new songs, and doesn't dare get as harmonically ambitious as the one Parton enjoys with Emmylou Harris and Linda Ronstadt on Trio and Trio II. But as the queens of third-generation country, after Wells and Patsy Cline, they create a presence all their own, Lynn's plaintive urgency meeting Wynette's relaxed sensuality in the middle, and Parton mediating it all. No wonder Cline "drops by" for another round of "Lovesick Blues." Too much fun! --Alanna
1. "It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels" J. D. "Jay" Miller 2:51
2. "Put It Off Until Tomorrow" Dolly Parton, Bill Owens 2:38
3. "Silver Threads and Golden Needles" Jack Rhodes, Dick Reynolds 2:24
4. "Please Help Me I'm Falling (In Love with You)" Don Robertson, Hal Blair 2:35
5. "Sittin' on the Front Porch Swing" 2:34
6. "Wings of a Dove" Buddy Sheffield 2:54
7. "I Forgot More Than You'll Ever Know" Bob Ferguson 2:12
8. "Wouldn't It Be Great" Loretta Lynn 3:03
9. "That's the Way It Could Have Been" Tammy Wynette 2:55
10. "Let Her Fly" Parton 3:04
11. "Lovesick Blues" Cliff Friend, Irving Mills 2:18
12. "I Dreamed of a Hillbilly Heaven" Hal Sothern, Eddie Dean) 3:32
Dennie
Well-Known Member
Hillbilly Deluxe -- CD
Dwight Yoakam
1987 Reprise Records
Dwight Yoakam At His Best, May 20, 1999
By A Customer
This review is from: Hillbilly Deluxe (Audio CD)
Dwight Yoakam out-did-himself...I love this CD...Dwight is pure country...any fan of rockabilly...or Bluegrass...should try this CD...I believe Dwight enjoyed the songs he sung on "Hillbilly DeLuxe" that's what makes this album so natural...The words are heart-felt...and the music is just amazing...Dwight wrote a couple of the songs on this album fer family...which makes em special ta him as well as the fans...Dwight did an outstandin job on this one...I Love it !!!
"Little Ways" (Dwight Yoakam) - 3:18
"Smoke Along the Track" (Alan Rose/Don Helms) - 3:13
"Johnson's Love" (Dwight Yoakam) - 4:25
"Please, Please Baby" (Dwight Yoakam) - 3:36
"Readin', Rightin', Rt. 23" (Dwight Yoakam) - 3:32
"Always Late with Your Kisses" (Lefty Frizzell/Blackie Crawford) - 2:10
"1,000 Miles" (Dwight Yoakam) - 4:10
"Throughout All Time" (Dwight Yoakam) - 3:54
"Little Sister" (Doc Pomus/Mort Shuman) - 3:01
"This Drinkin' Will Kill Me" (Dwight Yoakam) - 2:35
13428
Dennie
Well-Known Member
Restless On The Farm -- CD
Jerry Douglas
1998 Sugar Hill Records
Amazon.com
Dobro wizard Jerry Douglas is well aware that less is more, that lyrical lines and harmonies can take a tune to the farthest shores. As a collaborator, he has brought out the best in fellow "newgrass" innovators from Sam Bush to Bela Fleck to Russ Barenberg, and, luckily, Douglas also knows when to let his slide take center stage. On his first solo album in six years, the Resophonic monster--rightly nicknamed "Flux"--ranges from breakdowns to bouncing blues to the exquisite longing of his own "For Those Who've Gone Clear." As always, he brings his instrument's vocal ability to the fore--take the great stoner song "Turkish Taffee" or the wide-open "TV Doctor," on which John Cowan contributes a surprisingly bombast-free vocal. And his interplay with Maura O'Connell on Paul Brady's "Follow On" is a classic bit of shivery Celtic eloquence. --Kerry Fried
"Things in Life" (Don Stover) – 3:04
"Turkish Taffee" (Jerry Douglas) – 3:53
"Passing the Bar" (Douglas) – 3:45
"Don't Take Your Guns to Town" (Johnny Cash) – 5:29
"A Tribute to Peader O'Donnell" (Dónal Lunny) – 3:13
"Takarasaka" (Douglas) – 3:49
"Follow On" (Paul Brady) – 5:19
"Like It Is" (Erroll Garner) – 3:40
"The Ride" (Douglas, Fleck) – 2:46
"TV Doctor" (Johnny Winter) – 5:04
"For Those Who've Gone Clear" (Douglas) – 4:35
Jerry Douglas – dobro
Sam Bush – mandolin
Béla Fleck – banjo
John Cowan – vocals
John Gardner – drums
Maura O'Connell – vocals
Viktor Krauss – vocals
Sonny Landreth – dobro, slide guitar
Edgar Meyer – bass
Russ Barenberg – guitar
Bryan Sutton – guitar
Tim O'Brien – vocals
Dennie
Well-Known Member
By the way...... Which one's Pink? :bow-blue:
Wish You Were Here -- CD
Pink Floyd
1975/1997 Columbia Records
Amazon.com Essential Recording
Wish You Were Here is a song cycle dedicated to Pink Floyd's original frontman, Syd Barrett, who'd flamed out years before: two grimly funny songs about the evils of the music business ("By the way, which one's Pink?"), and two long, touching ones about the band's vanished friend. The real star of the show, though, is the production: sparkling, convoluted, designed to sound deeply oh-wow under the influence--and pretty great sober too--with David Gilmour getting lots of space for his most lyrical guitar playing ever. And, though the album is big and ambitious, even bombastic, it somehow dodges being pretentious--the Barrett tributes are honest and heartfelt, beneath all the grand gestures and stereophonic trickery. --Douglas Wolk
Side one
No. Title Music Lead vocals Length
1. "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" (Parts I–V) Wright, Waters, Gilmour (Part I)
Gilmour, Waters, Wright (Part II)
Waters, Gilmour, Wright (Part III)
Gilmour, Wright, Waters (Part IV)
Waters, Gilmour, Wright (Part V) Waters 13:38
2. "Welcome to the Machine" Waters Gilmour 7:30
Side two
No. Title Music Lead vocals Length
1. "Have a Cigar" Waters Harper 5:24
2. "Wish You Were Here" Waters, Gilmour Gilmour 5:17
3. "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" (Parts VI–IX) Wright, Waters, Gilmour (Part VI)
Waters, Gilmour, Wright (Part VII)
Gilmour, Wright, Waters (Part VIII)
Wright (Part IX) Waters 12:29
Wish You Were Here -- CD
Pink Floyd
1975/1997 Columbia Records
Amazon.com Essential Recording
Wish You Were Here is a song cycle dedicated to Pink Floyd's original frontman, Syd Barrett, who'd flamed out years before: two grimly funny songs about the evils of the music business ("By the way, which one's Pink?"), and two long, touching ones about the band's vanished friend. The real star of the show, though, is the production: sparkling, convoluted, designed to sound deeply oh-wow under the influence--and pretty great sober too--with David Gilmour getting lots of space for his most lyrical guitar playing ever. And, though the album is big and ambitious, even bombastic, it somehow dodges being pretentious--the Barrett tributes are honest and heartfelt, beneath all the grand gestures and stereophonic trickery. --Douglas Wolk
Side one
No. Title Music Lead vocals Length
1. "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" (Parts I–V) Wright, Waters, Gilmour (Part I)
Gilmour, Waters, Wright (Part II)
Waters, Gilmour, Wright (Part III)
Gilmour, Wright, Waters (Part IV)
Waters, Gilmour, Wright (Part V) Waters 13:38
2. "Welcome to the Machine" Waters Gilmour 7:30
Side two
No. Title Music Lead vocals Length
1. "Have a Cigar" Waters Harper 5:24
2. "Wish You Were Here" Waters, Gilmour Gilmour 5:17
3. "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" (Parts VI–IX) Wright, Waters, Gilmour (Part VI)
Waters, Gilmour, Wright (Part VII)
Gilmour, Wright, Waters (Part VIII)
Wright (Part IX) Waters 12:29
Dennie
Well-Known Member
Graceland -- CD
Paul Simon
1986/1996 Columbia Records
Amazon.com essential recording
The melding of South African styles and Simon's trademark sensibility made for one of the most intriguing albums--not to mention commercial hits--of the '80s. At once lively, thoughtful, gorgeous, and tough, Graceland acknowledges splits both in South Africa's social fabric and in Simon's personal life (the title track is a clear descendant of the earlier "Hearts and Bones," a song about the singer-songwriter's brief marriage to Carrie Fisher). Humor is hardly absent from the mix, though; witness the addled "I Know What I Know" and the fable-like "You Can Call Me Al." --Rickey Wright
"The Boy in the Bubble" (Forere Motloheloa/Paul Simon) - 3:59
"Graceland" - 4:48
"I Know What I Know" (General MD Shirinda/Simon) - 3:13
"Gumboots" (Lulu Masilela/Jonhjon Mkhalali/Simon) - 2:44
"Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes" (Joseph Shabalala/Simon) - 5:45
"You Can Call Me Al" - 4:39
"Under African Skies" - 3:37
"Homeless" (Shabalala/Simon) - 3:48
"Crazy Love, Vol. II" - 4:18
"That Was Your Mother" - 2:52
"All Around the World or the Myth of Fingerprints" - 3:15
Dennie
Well-Known Member
My last one for the evening....
Half The Perfect World -- CD
Madeleine Peyroux
2006 Rounder Records
Amazon.com
Smokey-voiced chanteuse Madeleine Peyroux's third CD is a lovely collection of after-hours ruminations and should confirm her rise to fame. Credit producer Larry Klein for doing a bang-up job with the album's sound: the elegant, pared-down arrangements are all brushed drums, acoustic guitars, and cool organ licks. But of course it's Peyroux's voice that brings it all home--preferably one where the shades are drawn, embers are smoldering in the fireplace, and the white wine is kept dry. Two-thirds of the songs are well-chosen covers, including a duet with k.d. lang on Joni Mitchell's "River"; a relaxed version of Fred Neil's "Everybody's Talkin'," from Midnight Cowboy; a delicately lilting samba take on Leonard Cohen and Anjani Thomas's title track; Serge Gainsbourg's "La Javanaise," performed in the original French; and Charlie Chaplin's "Smile," from Modern Times. The four originals, all coauthored by Peyroux, easily keep up with such august company, especially "I'm All Right"--written with Klein and Walter Becker, it captures the easy sophistication of Becker's regular band, Steely Dan. Fans of Norah Jones (whose collaborator Jesse Harris cowrote three of the songs) should gobble up this album, but Peyroux is no mere imitator: She's her own, very real thing. --Elisabeth Vincentelli
"I'm All Right" (Walter Becker, Madeleine Peyroux, Larry Klein) – 3:27
"The Summer Wind" (Hans Bradtke, Henry Mayer, Johnny Mercer) – 3:55
"Blue Alert" (Leonard Cohen, Anjani Thomas) – 4:10
"Everybody's Talkin'" (Fred Neil) – 5:10
"River" featuring k.d. lang (Joni Mitchell) – 5:19
"All I Need is a Little Bit" – 4:02
"Once in a While" – 4:00
"(Looking for) The Heart of Saturday Night" (Tom Waits) – 3:27
"Half the Perfect World" (Leonard Cohen, Anjani Thomas) – 4:21
"La Javanaise" (Serge Gainsbourg) – 4:11
"California Rain" – 2:57
"Smile" (Charlie Chaplin, Geoffrey Parsons, John Turner) – 3:57
Half The Perfect World -- CD
Madeleine Peyroux
2006 Rounder Records
Amazon.com
Smokey-voiced chanteuse Madeleine Peyroux's third CD is a lovely collection of after-hours ruminations and should confirm her rise to fame. Credit producer Larry Klein for doing a bang-up job with the album's sound: the elegant, pared-down arrangements are all brushed drums, acoustic guitars, and cool organ licks. But of course it's Peyroux's voice that brings it all home--preferably one where the shades are drawn, embers are smoldering in the fireplace, and the white wine is kept dry. Two-thirds of the songs are well-chosen covers, including a duet with k.d. lang on Joni Mitchell's "River"; a relaxed version of Fred Neil's "Everybody's Talkin'," from Midnight Cowboy; a delicately lilting samba take on Leonard Cohen and Anjani Thomas's title track; Serge Gainsbourg's "La Javanaise," performed in the original French; and Charlie Chaplin's "Smile," from Modern Times. The four originals, all coauthored by Peyroux, easily keep up with such august company, especially "I'm All Right"--written with Klein and Walter Becker, it captures the easy sophistication of Becker's regular band, Steely Dan. Fans of Norah Jones (whose collaborator Jesse Harris cowrote three of the songs) should gobble up this album, but Peyroux is no mere imitator: She's her own, very real thing. --Elisabeth Vincentelli
"I'm All Right" (Walter Becker, Madeleine Peyroux, Larry Klein) – 3:27
"The Summer Wind" (Hans Bradtke, Henry Mayer, Johnny Mercer) – 3:55
"Blue Alert" (Leonard Cohen, Anjani Thomas) – 4:10
"Everybody's Talkin'" (Fred Neil) – 5:10
"River" featuring k.d. lang (Joni Mitchell) – 5:19
"All I Need is a Little Bit" – 4:02
"Once in a While" – 4:00
"(Looking for) The Heart of Saturday Night" (Tom Waits) – 3:27
"Half the Perfect World" (Leonard Cohen, Anjani Thomas) – 4:21
"La Javanaise" (Serge Gainsbourg) – 4:11
"California Rain" – 2:57
"Smile" (Charlie Chaplin, Geoffrey Parsons, John Turner) – 3:57
(rel. 2003)
a review ~
New York guitar phenom walks tall in the blues tradition with this third album, jettisoning fiery riffs inspired by John Lee Hooker, B.B. King, Elmore James, and Albert Collins into the future with furious playing, a hard-rock sensibility, and a grizzled voice that owes a debt to Gregg Allman. Equally inspired by the Delta blues and the mid-'60s British blues boom, the young firebrand--who titled this CD after a Rod Stewart song penned while in the Jeff Beck Group--is able to fuse those two schools together, creating edgy blues rock.
~ Jaan Uhelszki
.. ` ` . :handgestures-thumbup:
Dennie
Well-Known Member
~Magic Time~ -- CD
Van Morrison
2005 Geffen Records
Amazon.com
Like a human infusion of chamomile tea, hearing Van Morrison's voice has the effect of instantly soothing even the most stressed listener. That said, some of his releases have been so mellow that they muted the '60s soul influences that had been a part of Van's appeal. Not so with Magic Time, a wonderful balance of groove and smoothness, with a "live off the floor" feel evident throughout the disc. Right from the start "Stranded" shows Van at his crooner best--relaxed, present, and joyful. "Celtic New Year" comes next with a very Astral Weeks feel, leading one to believe that this disc might be sedentary through and through… until "Keep Mediocrity at Bay" kicks in, a feisty blues romp proving that though in his sixties, Morrison still has the sass of his best previous days. Morrison's cover of Sinatra's brassy "This Love of Mine" and Perry Como's "I'm Confessin'" are full of cheek and charm. Morrison-as-producer has chosen stellar horn sections that elevate the music from good to great and come from an obvious deep love of classic blues and soul. He's a lover and a fighter (the disc has two references to his disdain of the music industry: "They Sold Me Out" and "Carry On Regardless"), but ultimately true to his own musical vision. This destined-to-be-classic release will please a wide variety of his fans. --Denise Sheppard
"Stranded" – 5:34
"Celtic New Year" – 6:10
"Keep Mediocrity at Bay" – 3:44
"Evening Train" – 2:48
"This Love of Mine" (Sol Parker, Henry W. Sanicola, Frank Sinatra) – 2:42
"I'm Confessin'" (Doc Daughtery, Al Neiburg, Ellis Reynolds) – 4:29
"Just Like Greta" – 6:25
"Gypsy in My Soul" – 4:04
"Lonely and Blue" ("Black and Blue" with altered lyrics) (Harry Brooks, Andy Razaf, Fats Waller) – 3:41
"The Lion This Time" – 4:56
"Magic Time" – 5:06
"They Sold Me Out" – 3:11
"Carry On Regardless" – 5:54
Dennie
Well-Known Member
SWING -- CD
The Manhattan Transfer
1997 Atlantic Records
Amazon.com
All of the Manhattan Transfer's albums are laden with nostalgia, but few work as well as a time machine as Swing. This disc collects 13 classics from the swing era, from "A-Tisket, A-Tasket" to "Skyliner." All recall the past with the immediacy of a Burma Shave sign would. The Transfer felt the desire to recruit such talents as Ray Brown, Stephane Grappelli, Asleep at the Wheel, Ricky Skaggs, and Mark O'Connor this time out. The country contributions make these swing classics add interest to these covers, making this a Transfer CD that bears repeated listenings. --Charles R. Cross
13457
Dennie
Well-Known Member
The Spirit Of St. Louis -- CD
The Manhattan Transfer
2000 Atlantic Records
Amazon.com
Clichés have gotten something of a bad rap. Essentially, they're the most instantly recognizable attributes of any artistic endeavor. Louis Armstrong's were his sweetly gruff, speaking/singing voice and deceptively simple Dixieland jazz trumpet flourishes. The Manhattan Transfer's clichés are the group's slick jazz and harmonically perfect takes on the traditional vocal quartet. The common ground of this Manhattan Transfer tribute to Armstrong may not be entirely discernable at first listen, but that's the beauty of music--influences can sometimes reveal themselves in ways that surprise and delight the performer as much as the listener. Crucially, the veteran quartet wisely dispense with their sometimes predictable MO, allowing producer Craig Street (Me'Shell Ndegeocello, k.d. lang, Cassandra Wilson) to challenge them with a series of arrangements that wed vintage instrumentation to a distinctly non-vintage set of instrumentalists (including Los Lobos' Steve Berlin, modern jazz horn great Jon Hassell, Beck alumni Smokey Hormel, and adventuresome guitarist/loopist David Torn). The producer also allowed Transfer members to pick their own Armstrong favorites for interpretation, giving the band members unusually free solo spotlights (including Tim Hauser's one-take wonder "Blue Again," a deliciously lazy reading of "Sugar" by Cheryl Bentyne, Janis Siegel's "The Blues are Bewin'," and Alan Paul's playful "Gone Fishin'"). The result is arguably the Transfer's best album in a decade, one that fuses their impeccable vocal perfectionism to Armstrong's still vibrant and soulful legacy. The result is anything but a cliché. -- Jerry McCulley
1 Stompin' at Mahogany Hall Alan Paul, Spencer Williams 2:48
2 The Blues Are Brewin' Louis Alter, Eddie DeLange 6:18
3 Sugar E. Alexander, Sidney Mitchell, M Pinkard 3:28
4 A Kiss to Build a Dream on Oscar Hammerstein II, Bert Kalmar, Harry Ruby 4:30
5 Old Man Mose Louis Armstrong, Zilner Randolph, 3:16
6 Do You Know What It Means to Miss New Orleans? Eddie DeLange, Louis Alter, 5:29
7 Gone Fishin' Nick Kenny, Charles Kenny 4:11
8 Nothing Could Be Better Than That Lilian Armstrong 5:47
9 Blue Again Dorothy Fields, Jimmy McHugh 4:45
10 When You Wish upon a Star Leigh Harline, Ned Washington 5:46