What Are You Listening To?

[Dennie]

Signature -- CD

Charlie Musselwhite

1991 Alligator Records

Displays his sensational blues harp skills, February 5, 2006
By Tim Holek - See all my reviews
This review is from: Signature (Audio CD)

Charlie Musselwhite
Signature
Alligator ALCD 4801

Born in Kosciusko, Mississippi in 1944, Charlie Musselwhite grew up poor in Memphis where the city's rich musical heritage heavily influenced him. After a brush with the law at age 18, he headed to Chicago and began to sit in with the greats. Musselwhite broke onto the national scene with his 1967 debut album Stand Back! He ended up moving to California, but has spent most of his life on tour. Signature was his second of three Alligator albums. It was released in 1991 and received a Grammy nomination. On it, you'll hear his Deep South influences, probing jazz-influenced harmonica, and overall laid-back sensibility. Musselwhite's treasured musicianship is equaled on many tracks. Four of them were included on Deluxe Edition, which was released in 2005. Andrew Jones Jr. had also worked with Freddie King, Johnnie Taylor, and Katie Webster. His masterful guitar is heard throughout, while Tommy Hill's drums always deliver a blues backbeat. The astute core band is Musselwhite's touring four-piece. They are augmented by a stylish three-piece horn section that adds spunk on a couple numbers.

Musselwhite has lived a hard-life. You can hear evidence of it in his drawling vocals. He is more confident with his songwriting and signature harp/guitar playing. Musselwhite displays his sensational blues harp skills on "Make My Getaway", where he flies like a freewheeling piano man burning up the 88s. Hearing the guitar and harp play the same stormy notes, as part of the lead solo, is the song's highlight. For many, the album's highlight will be the ragged duo with John Lee Hooker. My pick for best song is "Hey! Miss Bessie" because the guitar is supreme while the bass tirades all over you. Using trills and full upper registry twirls, Musselwhite digs deep into the blues on ".38 Special". "Blues Got Me Again" has the lazy ambiance of a rainy afternoon. The song relaxes as much as it provokes. As if he is in deep conversation with his best friend, self-reflective lyrics like ("Blues don't care where you're going / don't care where you been / thinking about a wasted life of women, wine, and gin / looks like blues done got me again") are delivered. At times, during the instrumental "What's New?", the harp could pass for an accordion. Here, the leisure continues, but this time with the feeling of being in your favorite cozy neighborhood restaurant. Whether you are new to the blues or a converted supporter, you'll enjoy the contemporary energy on the instrumental "Catwalk". On it, Musselwhite's wistful Mississippi saxophone carries your troubles away. The full and brazen brass section features on "Mama Long Legs" and "Me And My Baby And The Blues". Since I cannot rate this 3.5 stars, I'm going with 3 stars.

--- Tim Holek
1 Make My Getaway See All 2
2 Blues Got Me Again See All 5
3 Mama Long Legs See All 2
4 38 Special
5 It's Gettin' Warm in Here See All 4
6 What's New?
7 Hey! Miss Bessie See All 7
8 Me and My Baby and the Blues
9 Catwalk
10 Cheatin' On Me (with John Lee Hooker)


13651

 

[Dennie]

The Will To Live -- CD

Ben Harper

1997 Virgin Records

How Can the Blues Sound So Good?, January 4, 2000
By Smokey (Washington) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Will to Live (Audio CD)

I bought the other three Ben Harper albums before this, so I was expecting a lot when I first listened to it. It by far blows Burn To Shine and Welcome to the Cruel World out of the water. I thought it would be impossible for Harper to produce an album to rival Fight For Your Mind, but he did it. This is the most impressive mix of acoustic folksy blues I have ever heard. If this album doesn't impress you, you need to poke youself with something sharp.

All songs written by Ben Harper except as noted.

"Faded" – 4:48
"Homeless Child" – 3:51
"Number Three" – 1:43
"Roses from My Friends" – 6:23
"Jah Work" – 4:54
"I Want to Be Ready" – 4:02
"The Will to Live" – 4:57
"Ashes" – 3:52
"Widow of a Living Man" – 4:10
"Glory & Consequence" – 5:40
"Mama's Trippin'" (Harper, Plunier) – 3:45
"I Shall Not Walk Alone" – 5:13

 

[jamhead]

 

[Dennie]

Switching gears for a little rest before dinner....

Jazz For The Quiet Times -- 32 Jazz Series CD

Various Artists

1998 32 Jazz Records

Amazon.com

This fine compilation sustains a mellow sultriness for its 61-minute duration, putting an emphasis on timeless ballads and reflective, romantic tunes. Highlights include a marvelous rendition of "Body and Soul," featuring the dual tenors of Zoot Sims and Al Cohn, and a beautiful, Coltrane-inspired "Estate" by the young tenor saxophonist Antoine Roney. The compilation also contains some slow blues from alto greats Sonny Criss and Sonny Stitt. It ends appropriately enough on a Milesian mode, with trumpet men Russell Gunn and Wallace Roney each delivering a lovely, candle-lit sound poem. This well-balanced disc equally rewards attentive listening as well as provides the perfect sonic atmosphere for those ever-valuable quiet times. --Wally Shoup

1. Blues in My Heart
2. My Romance
3. The Good Life
4. Lament
5. Whisper Not
6. Body and Soul
7. Estate
8. One for My Baby (And One More for the Road)
9. Send in the Clowns
10. You Don't Know What Love Is
11. Smooch

 

[Dennie]

Jazz For Those Peaceful Moments -- 32 Jazz Series CD

Various Artists

1999 32 Jazz Records

Amazon.com

There's nothing on this all-ballad compilation to disrupt a peaceful mood, and several tunes that are performed with sufficient grace to enhance it. The great saxophonist Sonny Stitt, a master of the serene, sounds equally good on tenor and alto, while there's a sequence of three generations of fine jazz pianists: Red Garland, Donald Brown, and Darrell Grant. The centerpieces of the CD are also the highlights, with tenor saxophonist Ricky Ford offering a perfectly Ducal rendering of Ellington's "I've Got It Bad" and trumpeter Woody Shaw demonstrating a rare talent for extended lyricism on "It Might as Well Be Spring." The CD is a commendable complement to a reflective frame of mind. --Adam Rains

1. I'll Be Seeinig You - Sonny Stitt
2. At Last - Sonny Stitt
3. Bronwyn - Russell Gunn
4. I Don't Stand A Ghost Of A Chance With You - Michael Carvin
5. I Got It Bad, And That Ain't Good - Ricky Ford
6. It Might As Well Be Spring - Woody Shaw
7. I Wish I Knew - Red Garland
8. Second Time Around - Donald Brown
9. My Old Flame - Darrell Grant
10. I'm A Fool To Want You - Cecil Brooks III

 

[Dennie]

Dinner Music....

Jazz For The Open Road -- 32 Jazz Series CD

Various Artists

1998 32 Jazz Records

Good groovin' jazz, October 17, 2001
By BangorBill (Bangor, ME United States) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Jazz for the Open Road (Audio CD)

The "Jazz for..." series by Jazz32 was one of the first influences to get me interested in jazz. Then I saw the Ken Burns jazz series on TV and it increased my interest still further. This cd, "Jazz for the Open Road," has a lot of groovin', upbeat numbers for when you are in a wide-awake mood. Or you want to be wide-awake, like when you are driving. This CD introduced me to Grant Green (guitar), Richard "Groove" Holmes (organ), David "Fathead" Newman (sax), and other great soul/groove performers. Of the first six releases in the "Jazz for..." series, this is the only one with a vocal track (Ernie Andrews, and it's a good one). All other tracks are purely instrumental, which I prefer most of the time for my jazz listening.

1. Iron City
2. Comin' Home Baby
3. Theme for Malcolm
4. Groove's Groove
5. Shana
6. All the Things You Are
7. When They Ask About You
8. Tetragon
9. Bloomdido
10. Red, Hot and Blue

 

[Dennie]

Chester & Lester -- Expanded Edition CD

Chet Atkins & Les Paul

1976/2007 RCA - Columbia Nashville Legacy

Classic meeting of the Greatest!, July 20, 2005
By P. Wagner "pwdog" (Long Beach, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)
This review is from: Chester & Lester (Audio CD)

If you don't get any other Chet and/or Les album/CD's, get this one.
It's a wonderful chance to hear two of the greatest electric guitarists together. The vastly different styles of these two are a perfect blend, and the meeting of two old pros is classic. It's a lot of fun and great music. I'm sure you'll enjoy it.

Side one

"It's Been a Long, Long Time" (Sammy Cahn, Jule Styne) – 3:33
"Medley: Moonglow/Picnic" – 4:44
"Caravan" (Duke Ellington, Irving Mills, Juan Tizol) – 3:21
"It Had to Be You" (Isham Jones, Gus Kahn) – 3:34
"Out of Nowhere" (Johnny Green, Edward Heyman) – 3:14

Side two

"Avalon" (Buddy DeSylva, Al Jolson, Vincent Rose) – 6:32
"The Birth of the Blues" (Lew Brown, Buddy G. DeSylva, Ray Henderson) – 3:07
"Someday, Sweetheart" (Spikes, Spikes) – 3:21
"'Deed I Do" (Walter Hirsch, Fred Rose) – 2:31
"Lover, Come Back to Me" (Oscar Hammerstein, Sigmund Romberg) – 2:44

Bonus tracks on Columbia Nashville CD re-release:

"The World is Waiting for the Sunrise" (previously unreleased, Bonus Tracks)
"You Brought a New Kind of Love to Me" (previously unreleased, Bonus Tracks)
"Caravan" (previously unreleased, alternate take, Bonus Tracks)
"Moonglow / Picnic (Theme From 'Picnic')" (previously unreleased, Bonus Tracks/Rehearsal Version)

 

[Botch]

 

[Dennie]

At the Grammy Awards of 1993, Sneakin' Around won the Grammy Award for Best Country Instrumental Performance. Chet was also nominated that year for his work with The Chieftains' "Tahitian Skies".

Sneakin' Around -- CD

Chet Atkins & Jerry Reed

1992 Columbia Records

One of Chet's Finest, June 3, 2009
By C. C. Black (Princeton, NJ USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE) (REAL NAME)
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Sneakin Around (Audio CD)

Why Columbia lets titles like this go OP is beyond me. Chet and Jerry Reed make an awesome duo, and "Sneakin' Around" boasts a dozen great charts with no filler that I can hear. I own well over a dozen Atkins albums, and probably none contains as many tracks with so many pleasures as this one. If you can find this rarity at a reasonable price, spring for it.

"Summertime" (George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin, DuBose Heyward)
"Cajun Stripper" (Kershaw)
"Vaudville Daze"
"Here We Are"
"The Claw" (Jerry Reed)
"First Born" (Lehman)
"Major Attempt At A Minor Thing"
"Gibson Girl"
"Sneakin' Around" (Kass)
"Nifty Fifties"
"Here Comes That Girl"


Chet Atkins - guitar
Jerry Reed - guitar
David Hungate - bass
Mark O'Connor - fiddle
Mark Knopfler - guitar
Suzy Bogguss - background vocals on "Nifty Fifties"
Amy Grant - background vocals on "Nifty Fifties"
Paul Yandell - guitar
Darryl Dybka - keyboards
Pat Bergeson – guitar
Johnny Gimble – fiddle
Terry McMillan – harmonica, percussion
Larrie Londin – drums, percussion
Gary Chapman – background vocals
Vicki Hampton – background vocals

 

[Dennie]

Neck and Neck -- CD

Chet Atkins - Mark Knopfler

1990 Columbia Records

Who Needs Picks?, October 13, 2004
By Robert I. Hedges - See all my reviews
(TOP 100 REVIEWER) (REAL NAME)
This review is from: Neck & Neck (Audio CD)

This album from these two masters of guitar fingerpicking will leave anyone who loves the guitar, country, blues, or melodic rock delighted. I have been a Mark Knopfler fan since early Dire Straits, and learned about Chet Atkins from Mark. Anybody Mark thinks is great is definitely worth a listen. I became a Chet Atkins fan a bit late in life, and this album was a big part of that.

This CD shines precisely because it is not flashy or showy; rather it is imbued with craftsmanship and quality musicianship in every bar. The whole album is strong, but I am especially fond of "There'll Be Some Changes Made" in which Chet and Mark trade good humored jabs about their musical heritage, "I'll See You in My Dreams", a mastercrafted classic, and the laid back "Tahitian Skies." Throughout the CD the vocals are relaxed and effortless, and although Knopfler has an appealing if somewhat gravelly voice, Atkins is a little more atonal and wavering in his singing style. Of course the focus here is not vocal performances, but guitar virtuosity, and that is abundant.

This is a CD that will be appreciated by all guitarists who grasp how truly difficult it is to produce a recording this melodious and synchronized, regardless of how easy these two masters make it look. "Neck & Neck" is highly recommended.

"Poor Boy Blues" (Paul Kennerley) – 4:03
"Sweet Dreams" (Don Gibson) – 3:25
"There'll Be Some Changes Made" (Billy Higgins, Benton Overstreet) – 6:28
Parody lyrics by Margaret Archer, Chet Atkins and Mark Knopfler
"Just One Time" (Gibson) – 4:12
"So Soft, Your Goodbye" (Randy Goodrum) – 3:18
"Yakety Axe" (Boots Randolph, James Rich) – 3:24
Lyrics by Merle Travis
"Tears" (Stéphane Grappelli, Django Reinhardt) – 3:54
"Tahitian Skies" (Ray Flacke) – 3:18
"I'll See You in My Dreams" (Isham Jones, Gus Kahn) – 2:58
"The Next Time I'm in Town" (Mark Knopfler) – 3:22


Chet Atkins – guitar, vocals
Mark Knopfler – guitar, vocals
Floyd Cramer – piano
Guy Fletcher – bass, drums, keyboards
Paul Franklin – dobro, steel guitar, pedabro
Vince Gill – vocals
Larrie Londin – drums
Mark O'Connor – fiddle, mandolin
Edgar Meyer – bass
Steve Wariner – guitar

 

[Dennie]

My last one for the evening...

Into White -- CD

Carly Simon

2007 Columbia Records

Amazon.com

For a CD with a lot of soft songs on it--"Scarborough Fair," "Over the Rainbow," "You Are My Sunshine"--Into White sends a loud message, that being: when you're as important an artist as Carly Simon, you can pretty much sing what you want, which accounts for this disc's genre confusion. Part kids' record, part under-the-covers project, Into White feels a little like it went for a toss in the Simon residence's salad spinner; "Oh! Susanna," which has rarely sounded sweeter, is followed by a beautiful reading of the Beatles' poetic "Blackbird," which segues into a family sing-along to ex-husband James Taylor's classic "You Can Close Your Eyes" (son and daughter Ben and Sally Taylor pitch in on harmonies). Deciding whether to play it on the way to morning kindergarten or during brunch for your mellow sweetheart, then, can be brutal. But the choice to buy it or bypass it shouldn't be. Simon, vocally sure-footed as ever, wicks the warmth out of every last track and directs it with pinpoint precision to her listeners--nobody does music as comfort food better. Perhaps nobody knows how to pluck from her own catalog better, either: closing this artful jumble of a late-career disc is the abominably under-appreciated but gorgeous "Love of My Life," from the largely forgotten 1992 film This is My Life. --Tammy La Gorce

"Into White" — 2:49
"Oh! Susanna" — 2:58
"Blackbird" — 2:30
"You Can Close Your Eyes" (with Sally Taylor) — 3:21
"Quiet Evening" — 4:22
"Manhã de Carnaval" — 2:22
"Jamaica Farewell" — 3:29
"You Are My Sunshine" — 2:36
"I Gave My Love a Cherry (The Riddle Song)" — 2:51
"Devoted to You/All I Have to Do Is Dream" — 2:58
"Scarborough Fair" — 3:38
"Over the Rainbow" — 2:24
"Love of My Life" — 2:54
"I'll Just Remember You" — 2:24

 

[Dennie]

I've added one more for the evening. It seems I can't get enough guitar music and this is a Great one....

Moonlight In Vermont -- CD

Johnny Smith featuring Stan Getz

1952/1991 Roost/Roulette Records

Just music, nothing more . . ., April 13, 2001
By Cletus R. Petus (Boise Idaho) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Moonlight in Vermont (Audio CD)

No heroin habit, no personal inconsistencies to make his life overly complicated and dramatic, no expatriation to Paris or religious fads to sell, no distinguishing anything. Johnny Smith lets his playing do the talking. No one ever played the guitar better. No album has ever been more about the music, and less about peripheral things. Now you know who Johnny Smith is, listen to him and hear the truth behind the myth which says "It's all about the music."

"Where or When" (Lorenz Hart, Richard Rodgers) – 2:24
"Tabú" (Margarita Lecuona, Sidney Keith Russell, Al Stillman) – 2:40
"Moonlight in Vermont" (John Blackburn, Karl Suessdorf) – 3:12
"Jaguar" (Johnny Smith) – 2:28
"Jaguar"* (alternate take) (Smith) – 2:28
"I Don't Stand a Ghost of a Chance With You" (Bing Crosby, Ned Washington, Victor Young) – 3:08
"Vilia" (Franz Lehar) – 2:40
"My Funny Valentine"* (Hart, Rodgers) – 2:37
"Sometimes I'm Happy"* (Irving Caesar, Clifford Grey, Vincent Youmans,) – 2:18
"Stars Fell on Alabama" (Mitchell Parish, Frank Perkins) – 3:03
"Nice Work If You Can Get It"* (George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin) – 2:24
"Tenderly" (Walter Lloyd Gross, Jack Lawrence) – 3:24
"Cavu" (Smith) – 2:12
"I'll Be Around" (Alec Wilder) – 2:44
"Yesterdays" (Otto Harbach, Jerome Kern) – 2:50
"Cherokee" (Ray Noble) – 2:46
"What's New?"* (Johnny Burke, Bob Haggart) – 3:04
"I'll Remember April"* (Gene De Paul, Patricia Johnston, Don Raye) – 2:46
"Lullaby of Birdland"* (George Shearing, David Weiss) – 3:03

 

[Dennie]

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

 

[jamhead]

 

[Srvy]

WKRP in Cincinnati? Martin Mull or was it Night Court?

 

[Srvy]

WKRP in Cincinnati? Martin Mull or was it Night Court?

Wrong again Mary Hartman, Fernwood Tonight and America Tonight also Roseann.

 

[Dennie]

:bow-blue:

Live At Newport 1958 -- CD :angelic-green: :angelic-green:

Mahalia Jackson

1958/1994 Columbia Legacy

The greatest gospel album ever recorded., June 3, 2000
By Simon Turner (Ft lauderdale Florida) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Live at Newport 1958 (Audio CD)

Epiphany, is the word that describes this disc best. The power, energy, and the conviction that Mahalia possesses has never been duplicated. If while listening to such outstanding cuts like, "The lord's Prayer, Didn't It Rain, When The Saints Go Marching In, On My Way, An Evening's Prayer, and A walk In Heaven, you are not moved, then may I suggest that you make an appointment with your doctor, to check for a pulse. :laughing-rolling:


1. Evening Prayer
2. A City Called Heaven
3. I'm on My Way
4. It Don't Cost Very Much
5. Didn't It Rain
6. He's Got the Whole World in His Hands
7. When the Saints Go Marching In
8. I'm Going to Live the Life I Sing About in My Song
9. Keep Your Hand on the Plow
10. The Lord's Prayer
11. Walk over God's Heaven
12. Joshua Fit the Battle of Jericho
13. Jesus Met the Woman at the Well
14. His Eye Is on the Sparrow

 

[Dennie]

WKRP in Cincinnati? Martin Mull or was it Night Court?

Wrong again Mary Hartman, Fernwood Tonight and America Tonight also Roseann.

I'm just not sure how to respond to this? :confusion-scratchheadyellow:

BOTCH!!! Srvy needs you! (QUICK) :handgestures-fingerscrossed:


Dennie :confusion-shrug:

 

[Dennie]

The Tattooed Heart -- CD

Aaron Neville

1995 A&M Records

Beautiful all the way around, July 6, 2007
By R. Kyle (USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER) (VINE VOICE) (REAL NAME)
This review is from: The Tattooed Heart (Audio CD)

Very few people were blessed with a voice like Aaron Neville's. I could probably listen to him singing a Denny's menu and be happy, but I like it best when he chooses songs with some serious emotion behind them. He's got several here from the opening "Rain Song" to the closing standard, "Crying in the Chapel." In between, there's "Muddy Waters" and a wonderful cover of Ray Price's "For the Good times." Overall, very well done.

Track Listing
1. Can't Stop My Heart from Loving You (The Rain Song)
2. Show Some Emotion
3. Everyday of My Life
4. Down into Muddy Water
5. Some Days Are Made for Rain
6. Try (A Little Harder)
7. Beautiful Night
8. My Precious Star
9. Why Should I Fall in Love
10. Use Me
11. For the Good Times
12. In Your Eyes
13. Crying in the Chapel

 

[Botch]

WKRP in Cincinnati? Martin Mull or was it Night Court?

Wrong again Mary Hartman, Fernwood Tonight and America Tonight also Roseann.

I'm just not sure how to respond to this? :confusion-scratchheadyellow:

BOTCH!!! Srvy needs you! (QUICK) :handgestures-fingerscrossed:


Dennie :confusion-shrug:

wat?