What Are You Listening To?

[Botch]

I'm not 100% sure, but I think the "too funky" track has a killer bass line (if it's the song I'm thinking of). Some of his songs....I like a lot, and others....not so much.

"I want Your Sex" has one of the most driving lines I've ever experience, although I don't know if its just the bass line.

And, on my Bucket List: Perform/Record "Kissing a Fool" as an instrumental, with a tenor sax playing the melody. Just something in my head that Will Work; I know it. :music-rockout:

 

[Dennie]

Young Lions & Old Tigers -- 20 Bit CD

Dave Brubeck with Special Guests

1995 Telarc Jazz

To celebrate his 75th birthday, Dave Brubeck recorded one number apiece with quite a variety of top jazz stars, both young and old. Some of the performances (which alternate duets with quartets) work better than others (eight are recent Brubeck compositions) but all of the musicians display mutual respect, and it is obvious that the guests are all fans of the still-masterful pianist. Trumpeter Roy Hargrove plays beautifully on his lyrical feature but Jon Hendricks, who sings "How High the Moon" as a ballad, takes it at such a slow tempo as to be dreary. Tenor-saxophonist Michael Brecker is fine on "Michael Brecker Waltz," although he sounds a bit restrained, the wittily-titled "Here Comes McBride" is a good-humored romp with bassist Christian McBride; Joe Lovano (on tenor) works well with Brubeck, and particularly memorable is the first meeting on record between Brubeck and fellow pianist George Shearing, with a chance-taking interpretation of "In Your Own Sweet Way." Joshua Redman performs fine hard bop on one song, "Together," is a well-conceived duet for baritonist Gerry Mulligan and Brubeck, James Moody plays tenor, sings, and yodels on the minor blues "Moody," Mulligan returns for the contrapuntal "Gerry-Go-Round," and, although the obscure flugelhornist Ronnie Buttacavoli sounds very out of place on his boring feature, the set closes with one of the strongest performances, a solo piano showcase for Brubeck on "Deep in a Dream." Overall, this is quite a mixed bag but, even with its occasional misses, the CD is a must for Dave Brubeck fans, because the pianist is consistently inventive throughout the unusual set. ~ Scott Yanow

Track listing

1. Roy Hargrove
2. How High the Moon
3. Michael Brecker Waltz
4. Here Comes McBride
5. Joe Lovano Tango
6. In Your Own Sweet Way
7. Joshua Redman
8. Together
9. Moody
10. Gerry-Go-Round
11. Ronnie Buttacavoli
12. Deep In a Dream

Personnel: Dave Brubeck (piano); James Moody (vocals, tenor saxophone); Jon Hendricks (vocals); Michael Brecker, Joe Lovano, Joshua Redman (tenor saxophone); Gerry Mulligan (baritone saxophone); Roy Hargrove (trumpet); Ronnie Buttacavoli (flugelhorn); George Shearing (piano); Chris Brubeck (electric bass); Christian McBride, Jack Six (bass); Randy Jones (drums).

 

[Rope]

I believe this is the George Michael album you're speaking of? (Faith)

1. "I Want Your Sex" Released: 1 June 1987 2. "Faith" Released: 12 October 1987 3. "Father Figure" Released: 2 January 1988 4. "One More Try" Released: 11 April 1988 5. "Monkey" Released: 3 July 1988 6. "Kissing a Fool" Released: 21 November 1988

Rope

 

[Dennie]

Our Gang -- SACD

The Anthony Wilson Trio

2002 Groove Note Records

Composer-arranger-bandleader and guitarist Anthony Wilson, the 32-year old son of big band maestro Gerald Wilson, is one of the most brilliant musicians working in the US jazz scene today. A recipient ofthe IAJE's Gil Evans Fellowship Award, Wilson's rich, fluid and easy going style, with it's seductive references to Wes Montgomery and Kenny Burrell, is much in evidence on his latest CD, Our Gang from the Groove Note label out of Los Angeles. Playing with a much pared down structure of guitar trio with organ and drums (his previous recordingshave been with much larger outfits) gave Wilson the freedom to focus more on his own inventive and incomparable skills as soloist, and his close rapport with drummer Mark Ferber and organist Joe Bagg, with whom he has been playing with regularly for the last 2-3 years, pays off richly in this session.

This CD includes some stunning performances of standards like 'Chitlins Con Carne' (By Kenny Burrell), 'I Want You (She's So Heavy)' (from Abbey Road), and 'Prelude To A Kiss' (Strayhorn). The album also contains further evidence of Anthony Wilson's skill and talent as a composer as demonstrated by original compositions like 'Our Gang' and 'Britta's Blues.' The sterling back-up by Ferber and Bagg also deserves special mention with organist Bagg in particular exchanging great solos on the Hammond B-3 with Wilson.

Recorded by the A-list team of producer Joe Harley (ECM, Enja) and Mike Ross (engineer) at CelloStudios in Hollywood, this remarkable session will greatly extend Wilson's high profile position as one jazz's finest talents.

Track Listing:

Our Gang
Chitlins Con Carne
Britta's Blues
Time Flies
Road Trip
Luck be A Lady
I Want You (She's So Heavy)
Prelude To A Kiss

 

[Dennie]

Getz/Gilberto -- SACD

Stan Getz - Joao Gilberto with Antonio Carlos Jobim and Astrud Gilberto

1964/2002 Verve Records

Great SACD recording!, June 6, 2009
By C Hull (Atlanta, GA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Getz Gilberto (Audio CD)

The content speaks for itself, a must have, but it is the SACD recording that takes it over the top!
I have a decent collection of SACD's and DVD-A's, and I put this in the top of the list.

1. "The Girl from Ipanema" Antônio Carlos Jobim, Vinicius de Moraes, Norman Gimbel 5:24
2. "Doralice" Dorival Caymmi, Antonio Almeida 2:46
3. "Pra machucar meu coração" Ary Barroso 5:05
4. "Desafinado" Jobim, Newton Mendonça 4:15
5. "Corcovado" Jobim, Gene Lees 4:16
6. "Só danço samba" Jobim, de Moraes 3:45
7. "O grande amor" Jobim, de Moraes 5:27
8. "Vivo sonhando" Jobim 3:04
9. "The Girl from Ipanema" (45 rpm issue) Jobim, de Moraes, Gimbel 2:54
10. "Corcovado" (45 rpm issue) Jobim, Lees 2:20

 

[Dennie]

My last one for the evening....

Famous Blue Raincoat - The Songs of Leonard Cohen -- 24k Gold CD

Jennifer Warnes

1987/2010 Impex Records

Amazon.com

Since Ella Fitzgerald never produced a songbook of Leonard Cohen songs, Jennifer Warnes's plush 1986 tribute is the next best thing. The sleekly seductive "First We Take Manhattan" is gilded by the guitars of Stevie Ray Vaughan and Robben Ford. Warnes doesn't add much to an evergreen like "Bird on a Wire," but she lays claim to the noirish title song with a confidential vocal that complements the chamber-pop arrangement. "Song of Bernadette" is a ripened gem, and the selection where Warnes lets down her refined vocal technique to reveal deep emotions. More often, Warnes is as professionally accomplished on this well-chosen set as her band of studio pros. --John Milward

All songs written by Leonard Cohen except where noted.

"First We Take Manhattan" – 3:47
"Bird on a Wire" – 4:42
"Famous Blue Raincoat" – 5:33
"Joan of Arc" – 7:57
"Ain't No Cure for Love" – 3:21
"Coming Back to You" – 3:43
"Song of Bernadette" – 3:55 (Jennifer Warnes, Bill Elliott, Cohen)
"A Singer Must Die" – 4:52
"Came So Far for Beauty" – 3:37 (Cohen, John Lissauer)

Additional tracks on 20th anniversary reissue :handgestures-thumbup:

"Night Comes On"
"Ballad of the Runaway Horse"
"If It Be Your Will"
"Joan of Arc" (Live in Antwerp, Belgium, 1992)

 

[Dennie]

The Dream of the Blue Turtles -- CD

Sting

1985 A&M Records

Amazon.com essential recording

From one spin of The Dream of the Blue Turtles, Sting's first solo release, it's obvious that for him there would be life beyond the Police. Teamed with a band of top jazz players, he presents his musical visions that had gone unrealized while he was still constrained by his former ensemble. In style and subject matter, it's a decidedly diverse collection of songs and the playing is excellent throughout. The love songs are mostly focused on endings or escapes, and it's quite possible to interpret much of the imagery in reference to the bitter breakup of the Police. Sting's concern with history and politics is in evidence: he makes a father's plea for sanity and restraint in the nuclear age, takes up for the U.K.'s much-abused coal miners, and relates the savage stupidity of World War I to the destructive effects of adolescent heroin addiction. Songs that seem elaborately constructed and recorded contrast with others that are presented as one-take jams. Seen as a whole, The Dream of the Blue Turtles is eclectic, ambitious--sometimes pretentious--but altogether worth owning. --Al Massa

Side one

"If You Love Somebody Set Them Free" – 4:14
"Love Is the Seventh Wave" – 3:30
"Russians" (Prokofiev, Sting) – 3:57
"Children's Crusade" – 5:00
"Shadows in the Rain" – 4:56

Side two

"We Work the Black Seam" – 5:40
"Consider Me Gone" – 4:21
"The Dream of the Blue Turtles" – 1:15
"Moon over Bourbon Street" – 3:59
"Fortress Around Your Heart" – 4:48

 

[Dennie]

The Nightfly -- CD

Donald Fagen

1982 Warner Bros. Records
A must have, March 10, 2000
By A Customer
This review is from: The Nightfly (Audio CD)

I remember watching Night Tracks on TBS long before MTV made it to our cable service, and I was always intrigued when the New Frontier video came on. I didn't really know what to think of it, but I knew that it was much different from anything else playing at the time. Who would have thought that a mere 19 years later, the album would still hold a top spot in my collection?

This album represents perhaps the best work Donald Fagen has ever done. That's a pretty strong statement considering the excellent body of work he and Walter Becker put together (and continue to put together) as Steely Dan, but a mere listen supports the possibility. The lyrics and sounds blend together perfectly, creating a soundscape that never fails to mesmerize. The texture of each song is different from every other, but the album as a whole flows with incredible ease. No matter how many times you play it, it is a joy to hear from beginning to end.

In an era dominated by dated synth sounds and topical lyrics that don't survive beyond their own time, The Nightfly remains a timeless work that is as fresh today as it was the day it was recorded. You could do worse than this album; you would be hard-pressed to do better.

All songs by Donald Fagen, except where noted

"I.G.Y." – 6:03
"Green Flower Street" – 3:42
"Ruby Baby" (Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller), Arranged by Donald Fagen – 5:39
"Maxine" – 3:49
"New Frontier" – 6:21
"The Nightfly" – 5:47
"The Goodbye Look" – 4:50
"Walk Between Raindrops" – 2:38
"True Companion" (Bonus Track, from The Nightfly Trilogy MVI Boxed Set) - 5:09
"Green Flower Street (Live)" (Bonus Track, from The Nightfly Trilogy MVI Boxed Set) - 4:25
"Century's End" (Bonus Track, from The Nightfly Trilogy MVI Boxed Set) - 5:33

 

[Dennie]

At Last -- SACD

The Gene Harris/Scott Hamilton Quintet with Herb Ellis, Ray Brown and Harold Jones

1991 Concord Records

"Harris, Hamilton, Ellis, Brown & Jones a personal sound", February 2, 2001
By J. Lovins "Mr. Jim" (Missouri-USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 50 REVIEWER) (VINE VOICE) (REAL NAME)
This review is from: At Last (Audio CD)

What a lucky-break we have here in this Concord Jazz release - "At Last", although most are standards take on a new direction with each tune. There is a kind of deep, natural swing tempo, blending with rhythm waves flowing essence of jazz. And in the flow of this personal sound is Gene Harris (piano), Scott Hamilton (tenor sax), Herb Ellis (guitar), Ray Brown (bass) and Harold Jones (drums).

On the ballads, Scott Hamilton reveals again that he is a commanding romanticist unafraid of unabashed lyricism, he has such a good feeling on everything - even up-tempos, blues whatever. Gene Harris when he solos has a powerful presence, takes each song and makes it his own. Herb Ellis can move into any musical context and lift it into new and unexpected dimensions. Ray Brown, of course has been such an influential force in jazz, he has always been a big part of it, and Harold Jones (a Count Basie and Sarah Vaughan alumnus), was said he could even make the Congress of the United States swing.

Of course the highlights - "YOU ARE MY SUNSHINE" is an amazingly-bluesy arrangement you'll never forget..."AT LAST" not because it's the title tune, but the rich-inner-feeling each musician brings to this classic....and the Milt Jackson tune written especially for Gene Harris - "BLUES FOR GENE" is an outstanding and a great tribute to this wonderful man of JAZZ!

Total Time: 59:11 on 10 Tracks...Concord Jazz CCD-4434...(1990)

Track Listing

1. You Are My Sunshine
2. It Never Entered My Mind
3. After You've Gone
4. Lamp Is Low, The
5. At Last
6. Blues for Gene
7. I Fall in Love Too Easily
8. Some of These Days
9. Stairway to the Stars
10. Sittin' in the Sandtrap

 

[Dennie]

Sextet -- SACD

Cal Tjader - Stan Getz

1958/ 2004 Fantasy Records

Best of the Tjader SACDs, June 26, 2009
By Daniel P. Rimsa - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)
This review is from: Stan Getz with Cal Tjader (Audio CD)

Imaginative, vibrant and great SACD sound. The band includes Vince Guaraldi, Scott LeFaro, Billy Higgins and Eddie Duran. Recorded in 1958 when they were all at the top of their game. The SACD mastering is well done and this is a hybrid so you can play it anywhere. The compositions are imaginative and exciting. One of my favorite jazz discs and I play it often.

1 Ginza Samba (10:57)
2 Ive Grown Accustomed To Her Face (3:59)
3 For All We Know (5:45)
4 Crows Nest (8:18)
5 Liz-Anne (3:47)
6 Big Bear (4:33)
7 My Buddy (5:14)

 

[Rope]

Track 4 - I've Given Enough, albeit brief, has some astonishing saxophone play.

Rope

 

[Dennie]

When Regular Bass just won't do....... :music-rockout:

SuperBass - Live At Sculler's 20 Bit CD

Ray Brown with John Clayton & Christian McBride

1997 Telarc Jazz

A meeting of giants,
May 23, 2001
By Will Weidman
This review is from: Super Bass (Audio CD)

What can I say? These CD features two of my favorite bass players, Ray Brown and Christian McBride, and John Clayton, whom I haven't previously heard of but is definately deserving of sharing the stage with these two.

These guys are swinging throughout the recording, and you can tell that they're having a good time. Ray Brown is one of the best bass players alive. He unbelievably solid, knows his instrument inside out, and he has a very warm tone. McBride has a very fresh, energetic, and recognizable sound. He is very innovative with his bass lines, and his solos always blow me away. Clayton is also especially talented and is very skilled with the bow as well.

The CD also has a great mix of tunes. Blue Monk is a great tune and nicely features all three bassists. Brown Funk, composed by McBride for Ray, is always fun to listen to. The trio plays Mack the Knife, showing what they can do with a standard tune. There is even Lullabye of Birdland featuring some lyrical bowing.

This is an essential recording for any bass player, and I also highly recommend it for any jazz fan.

Track Listing

1. Superbass Theme
2. Blue Monk
3. Bye, Bye Blackbird
4. Lullaby of Birdland
5. Who Cares?
6. Mack the Knife
7. Centerpiece
8. Sculler Blues
9. Brown Funk
10. Superbass Theme

 

[Botch]

 

[Dennie]

Esperanza -- CD

Esperanza Spalding

2008 Heads Up Records

Huge New Talent turns Jazz World on Head!, August 2, 2008
By Brian Whistler (Forestville, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE) (REAL NAME)
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Esperanza (Audio CD)

She's young, gorgeous and immensely talented. Esperanza Spalding's second offering is a musical potpourri that is sure to please most jazz afficionados. A superb bass player, an already highly nuanced vocalist and a promising composer, Esperanza is a triple threat who may very well be one of the key figures in defining the direction jazz will be heading in the 21st century.

There's a ton of variety here, everything from the stunning opening arrangement of Milton Nascimento's folk tinged Ponta De Areia to the sassy smart brazilian funk of She Got to You, the unsentimental poppy sweetness of Precious, not to mention the balls out straight ahead hipness of If that's True, and the tour de force jazz samba, I Adore You. Her scat with bass solo on this tune simply has to heard to be believed. Did I mention that she's not half bad as a lyricist? Is there nothing that this young woman can't do? Apparently not. And the fact that she sings and plays simultaneously and this effortlessly puts her in a class by herself.

Check her out on youtube, especially her performance of Body and Soul at the Copenhagen Jazz Festival, not to mention her exuberant performance on Letterman, which prompted the usually cool David to comment, " You were right Paul: She IS the coolest guest we've ever had on this show". And he may very well have been right.

All songs written and composed by Esperanza Spalding, except where noted.

"Ponta de Areia" (Milton Nascimento) - 5:39
"I Know You Know" - 3:46
"Fall In" - 3:57
"I Adore You" - 7:27
"Cuerpo y Alma (Body & Soul)" (Edward Heyman, Robert Sour) - 8:01
"She Got to You" - 4:29
"Precious" - 4:24
"Mela" - 6:57
"Love in Time" - 5:47
"Espera" - 4:40
"If That's True" - 7:33
"Samba Em Preludio" (Vinícius de Moraes, Baden Powell) - 5:11

 

[Dennie]

The Look of Love -- CD

Diana Krall

2001 Verve Records

Amazon.com

The Look of Love doesn't tamper with Diana Krall's ongoing success, continuing the emphasis on romantic ballads and embracing them with lush string arrangements. At the core, of course, is Krall's voice. She's developing into one of the great torch singers, with an approach that's both direct and subtly nuanced, true to the song and yet deeply personal. There's a combination of restraint and drama here, as Krall ranges from the confident to the wistful, from loss to playful insinuation, as each song requires. "Cry Me a River" is bittersweet triumph, while "Love Letters" and "Maybe You'll Be There" maintain the most tenuous emotional hold, at once fragile and resilient. "Besame Mucho" and "Dancing in the Dark" are sultry romances wafted on light Latin beats. The songs develop their intimacy in the setting of Krall's quartet, which usually includes bassist Christian McBride and drummer Peter Erskine and several fine guitarists, most frequently Russell Malone. They're a superb complement to her voice and piano, and the close communication carries through the depth and sheen added by Claus Ogerman's rich orchestrations. --Stuart Broomer

"'S Wonderful" (George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin) – 4:29
"Love Letters" (Edward Heyman, Victor Young) – 4:56
"I Remember You" (Johnny Mercer, Victor Schertzinger) – 3:56
"Cry Me a River" (Arthur Hamilton) – 5:03
"Besame Mucho" (Sunny Skylar, Consuelo Velazquez) – 6:40
"The Night We Called It a Day" (Tom Adair, Matt Dennis) – 5:42
"Dancing in the Dark" (Howard Dietz, Arthur Schwartz) – 5:48
"I Get Along Without You Very Well (Except Sometimes)" (Hoagy Carmichael, Jane Brown Thompson) – 3:44
"The Look of Love" (Burt Bacharach, Hal David) – 4:41
"Maybe You'll Be There" (Rube Bloom, Sammy Gallop) – 5:31

 

[Dennie]

My last one for the evening....

Quiet Nights -- CD

Diana Krall

2009 Verve Records

Diana Krall's 12th album Quiet Nights is an intimate recording of ballads and bossa novas from the team that brought you her best-selling GRAMMY Award-winning CD The Look of Love. Accompanied by her quartet and orchestra, Diana turns her sensual vocals and consummate piano skills to "The Boy from Ipanema", "Walk on By"and other classic tunes. Quiet Nights is initially available as a limited edition CD including 2 bonus tracks - her stunning rendition of the Bee Gee's "How Can You Mend A Broken Heart" and the standard "Every Time We Say Goodbye". Also available on LP pressed on 180 Gram Vinyl.

"Where or When" (Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart) – 4:10
"Too Marvelous for Words" (Johnny Mercer, Richard A. Whiting) – 4:05
"I've Grown Accustomed to His Face" (Frederick Loewe, Alan Jay Lerner) – 4:48
"The Boy from Ipanema" (Antonio Carlos Jobim, Vinicius de Moraes, Norman Gimbel) – 4:54
"Walk On By" (Burt Bacharach, Hal David) – 5:03
"You're My Thrill" (Jay Gorney, Sidney Clare) – 5:47
"Este Seu Olhar" (Jobim) – 2:45
"So Nice" (Marcos Valle, Paulo Sérgio Valle, Gimbel) – 3:52
"Quiet Nights" (Jobim, Gene Lees) – 4:45
"Guess I'll Hang My Tears Out to Dry" (Jule Styne, Sammy Cahn) – 4:59
"How Can You Mend a Broken Heart" (Barry Gibb, Robin Gibb) – 4:30
"Everytime We Say Goodbye" (Cole Porter) – 5:18

 

[Dennie]

Breakfast In Bed -- CD

Joan Osborne

2007 Time Life Music

Amazon.com

On Breakfast in Bed, her first release on Time Life Records (yes, that Time Life) Joan Osborne tackles a crop of hand-picked soul and R&B favorites with equal parts sass and sensitivity. Long an underappreciated artist, Osborne is a performer with the wisdom to exercise vocal restraint for an effect that's more Dusty Springfield than Christina Aguilera. Her fine previous outing interpreting soul standards was aptly titled How Sweet It Is, and witness her contribution to the terrific 2002 film Standing in the Shadows of Motown, where Osborne's astute readings of "What Becomes of the Brokenhearted" and "Heatwave" outshone performers like Ben Harper and Gerald Levert (happily, both songs are included here). The title track and Hall and Oates' "Sara Smile" are both canny choices that play to her strengths in delivering credible blue-eyed soul, and six new Osborne-penned songs fit neatly into the record. If her compositions pale a bit next to the classics she covers (with the sultry and slithery exception of the excellent "Eliminate the Night"), give Osborne credit for bravely placing herself side-by-side with songwriting luminaries like Holland-Dozier-Holland and Bill Withers. Breakfast in Bed makes for a leisurely listen on a sunny Sunday morning, so put up your feet and stay awhile. --Ben Heege

Track listing

1. I've Got to Use My Imagination
2. Ain't No Sunshine
3. Midnight Train to Georgia
4. Baby Is a Butterfly
5. Breakfast in Bed
6. Cream Dream
7. Natural High
8. Heart of Stone
9. Sara Smile
10. Eliminate the Night
11. Break Up to Make Up
12. I Know What's Goin' On
13. Alone with You
14. Kiss and Say Goodbye
15. Heat Wave
16. What Becomes of the Brokenhearted [From Standing in the Shadows of Motown]

 

[Dennie]

Mingus -- CD

Joni Mitchell

1979/1990 Elektra Records

So good its criminal, July 15, 2001
By Damien Bjorn Ruud (Boulder, CO United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)
This review is from: Mingus (Audio CD)

Female artists (Laura Nyro, Joni, Rickie Lee) are always getting the short end of the stick. When this album was released it was generally deemed a failure and it got no airplay and fell off the charts. Listening to it 22 years later I can't believe how underrated it has become. If you thought Joni was just a flower-powered folk singer then you were wrong. This is some of the most spacey, haunting, and eccentric music out there. Oh, the instruments may seem familiar but the way they are used is just plain out there. Jaco Pastorius can make his bass sound like a trumpet, sax, piano, Fender Rhodes, synth and more. Joni's guitar playing had never been or never was again this powerful or primal. Highlights: everything. God Must Be a Boogie Man a duet between Joni's guitar and Jaco's bass combines her haunting vocals backed by a chorus of what sounds like escapees from a mental institution. The Wolf That Lives In Lindsey: with Joni's near perfect phrasing and a devil-may-care guitar strum. The Dry Cleaner from Des Moines: an uptempo jazz-tune which, in a just world, would have been a great single. Oh and one more thing, Joni's voice would never again be this perfect. She had trained her voice and it has never sounded better. It didn't have that high screechy, nails-on-the-chalkboard sound of her early days, nor the Tom Waits-gravel quality it has today. This is an essential part of Joni's oeuvre. Get it now.

All lyrics by Joni Mitchell; music by Mitchell, except where indicated

"Happy Birthday 1975" (Rap) – 0:57
"God Must Be a Boogie Man" – 4:35
"Funeral" (Rap) – 1:07
"A Chair in the Sky" (Charles Mingus) – 6:42
"The Wolf That Lives in Lindsey" – 6:35
"I's a Muggin'" (Rap) – 0:07
"Sweet Sucker Dance" – 8:04 (Mingus)
"Coin in the Pocket" (Rap) – 0:11
"The Dry Cleaner from Des Moines" (Mingus) – 3:21
"Lucky" (Rap) – 0:04
"Goodbye Pork Pie Hat" (Mingus) – 5:37

 

[Dennie]

Stones In The Road -- CD

Mary Chapin Carpenter

1994 Sony Music

Amazon.com essential recording

The 1994 sequel to her mainstream country breakthrough on Come on Come On further underscores Mary Chapin Carpenter's true identity, more Ivy League folk rocker than new country cowgirl. Her coolly delivered, deeply felt songs include meditations on family, community, and social injustice without rant or cant, never more so than on the gently incisive midlife reflections of the title song, which filters historic milestones and childhood lessons through its delicate verses. Elsewhere, she sketches a heart-breaking, restrained speculation on the inner life of a blind, deaf mystery man ("John Doe No. 24") with the economy and detail of good short story. The set's many love songs are no less intelligent, emotionally authentic, or moving. Chapin Carpenter's elegant yet earthy alto is beautifully framed in the settings, coproduced with longtime collaborator John Jennings, that balance jangling guitars, rippling piano, occasional fiddle and crisp rhythm sections closer to the best of L.A. country rock than what normally emanates from Nashville. --Sam Sutherland

1. Why Walk When You Can Fly
2. House of Cards
3. Stones in the Road
4. Keeper for Every Flame
5. Tender When I Want to Be
6. Shut Up and Kiss Me
7. Last Word
8. End of My Pirate Days
9. John Doe No. 24
10. Jubilee
11. Outside Looking In
12. Where Time Stands Still
13. This Is Love

 

[Dennie]

Belly of the Sun -- CD

Cassandra Wilson

2002 Blue Note Records

Amazon.com

By now, it's a moot point whether Cassandra Wilson is singing jazz or not. By unifying what were once considered disparate styles and song forms with her languorously rich vocals and offbeat instrumental textures, she has become the queen of her own genre. Largely recorded at a one-time train station in her native Mississippi, Belly of the Sun ranges from country-blues great Fred McDowell's gritty "You Gotta Move" (popularized by the Rolling Stones and here featuring acoustic-guitar wiz Richard Johnston) to Brazilian immortal Antonio Carlos Jobim's winsome "Waters of March" (featuring a children's choir) to a hauntingly feminized version of Jimmy Webb's "Wichita Lineman." Revealing her command of narrative material, Wilson draws seductive meaning from Bob Dylan's "Shelter from the Storm" and the Band's "The Weight." Featuring Kevin Breit and Marvin Sewell on all manner of guitars and related string instruments, Belly of the Sun also boasts three strong Wilson originals, including "Just Another Parade," a jazzy-soulful duet with India Arie, and "Show Me a Love." As her own producer, Wilson comes up with less compelling backgrounds than Craig Street, who produced her darker-tinged breakthrough albums. Still, this is her most seamless, smoothest-flowing, and most effortlessly expansive recording. "I need to feel some rich black soil that's moist between my toes," she sings. You can feel her Southern roots in the grooves as well. --Lloyd Sachs

"The Weight" (Robbie Robertson) – 6:05
"Justice" (Cassandra Wilson) – 5:27
"Darkness on the Delta" (Jay Livingston, Al J. Neiburg, Marty Symes) – 3:47
"Waters of March" (Antonio Carlos Jobim) – 4:26
"You Gotta Move" (Mississippi Fred McDowell) – 2:44
"Only a Dream in Rio" (James Taylor) – 4:32
"Just Another Parade" (Wilson) – 6:05 featuring India.Arie
"Wichita Lineman" (Jimmy Webb) – 5:48
"Shelter From the Storm" (Bob Dylan) – 5:17
"Drunk as Cooter Brown" (Wilson) – 4:58
"Show Me a Love" (Robinson, Wilson) – 3:49
"Road So Clear" (Richmond) – 5:22
"Hot Tamales" (Robert Johnson) – 1:43