What Are You Listening To?

[Dennie]

Old Ways -- 24k Gold CD

Neil Young

1985 Geffen/ MFSL Ultradisc II

There has always been a strong country element to Neil Young's music and OLD WAYS is perhaps the ultimate manifestation of Young's love of that style. Songs like "Get Back To The Country" (a stomping track on which fiddles and a Jew's harp are the lead instruments) and "California Sunset" are indeed pure country. Other songs--including "The Wayward Kind," "Misfits" and "Old Ways"--boast poignant melodies and straightforward performances that would not be out of place on classic Young albums like HARVEST and COMES A TIME. Labeled a "country album" when it was released in 1985, OLD WAYS is a lot less country than Garth Brooks or Dwight Yoakam, though with guests spots from Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson, it's not your typical Neil Young album either. OLD WAYS is an enthusiastic, well-played exploration of country music by a rock artist who is never afraid to try something new.

Neil Goes Country With Bela Fleck And Others.

Side one

"The Wayward Wind" – (Herb Newman, Stan Lebowsky) 3:12
"Get Back to the Country" – 2:50
"Are There Any More Real Cowboys?" – 3:03
"Once an Angel" – 3:55
"Misfits" – 5:07

Side two

"California Sunset" – 2:56
"Old Ways" – 3:08
"My Boy" – 3:37
"Bound for Glory" – 5:48
"Where Is the Highway Tonight?" – 3:02

 

[Dennie]

This Side -- SACD

Nickel Creek

2002 Sugarhill Records

Simply awesome..., March 20, 2003
By The Lizard Queen (Topeka, KS United States) - See all my reviews
This review is from: This Side (Audio CD)

To begin with, I'm not really a country or bluegrass devotee. I think Nickel Creek's debut album was the first bluegrass album I ever listened to, but I loved it, and I think the time that passed between NC's two albums only strengthened their skills, both individually and a group. I've read the more negative reviews of this album, and I seriously don't know what they're talking about. As an amateur musician and music lover, I think this is a fabulous album. It's all over the map, both stylistically and emotionally: "Smoothie Song" was nominated for the Best Country Instrumental Grammy (I believe), and fits the "newgrass" mold very well, while "Spit On a Stranger" is pretty much rock, and "Should Have Known Better" has the beat and bass licks of a coffeehouse jazz tune; the climax of "This Side" makes me want to jump for joy, while "The House Carpenter" makes me want to crawl under the covers and weep. The diversity of the album doesn't make it feel disjointed, though -- the vocals and instrumentation tie everything together quite nicely. I would recommend this to pretty much anyone -- bluegrass, rock, or Celtic music fans who are looking to expand their tastes; folk fans (it won the Grammy for Best Contemporary Folk Album); people who don't like having their music tastes boxed in... Simply put, I love this album, and you just might love it, too.

"Smoothie Song" (instrumental) (Chris Thile) – 3:20
"Spit on a Stranger" (Stephen Malkmus) – 2:34
"Speak" (Sean Watkins) – 4:01
"Hanging by a Thread" (Gordon Kennedy, Wayne Kirkpatrick) – 4:06
"I Should've Known Better" (Carrie Newcomer) – 4:27
"This Side" (Watkins) – 3:33
"Green and Gray" (Thile) – 3:36
"Seven Wonders" (Watkins, David Puckett) – 4:10
"House Carpenter" (Traditional; version of "The Daemon Lover") – 5:30
"Beauty and the Mess" (Thile, Luke Bulla) – 2:52
"Sabra Girl" (Andy Irvine) – 4:04
"Young" (Thile) – 3:29
"Brand New Sidewalk" (Thile) – 4:16

 

[Dennie]

Follow Me Down CD

Sarah Jarosz

2011 Sugarhill 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.

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

 

[heeman]

:banana-dance: :banana-rock:

 

[Dennie]

Drive -- SACD

Bela Fleck

2005 Mobile Fidelity Sound Labs

5.0 out of 5 stars Listen at Your Own Risk, February 14, 2005
By Wayfaring Stranger (Portland, OR) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Drive (Audio CD)

My brother and I popped this CD into the deck of a rented truck as we headed from Jackson, WY, out toward the Wind River Range. About three tracks into it, we realized we were going nearly 90 miles an hour. Our recognition of this fact perfectly coincided with a state trooper's recognition of us. All we could tell the guy was that we were blasting some incredible bluegrass and that its hypnotic power sort of caught us off guard. Sorry, officer. The cop looked at us for a minute, smiled, and gave us a firm warning to slow it down, and strolled back to his cruiser. We exhaled in relief. Then, the cop spun around just as he was about to get into his car and yelled, "I suggest you boys try some Perry Como!"

"Drive" is the tightest, most frenetic, river-water-rolling, sleekest, greatest frikkin' 'grass disc out there. Please listen responsibly.

All tracks written by Béla Fleck

"Whitewater"
"Slipstream"
"Up and Around the Bend"
"Natchez Trace"
"See Rock City"
"The Legend"
"The Lights of Home"
"Down in the Swamp"
"Sanctuary"
"The Open Road"
"Crucial Country Breakdown"

Personnel

Béla Fleck - banjo
Tony Rice - guitar
Sam Bush - mandolin
Stuart Duncan - fiddle
Mark O'Connor - fiddle
Jerry Douglas - Dobro
Pete Rowan - vocals (7)

 

[Dennie]

Foggy Mountain Jamboree -- CD

Lester Flatt & Earl Scruggs

1957/2008 Columbia Legacy

The Holy Grail of Bluegrass, March 26, 2007
By Karl Fehrenbach - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Foggy Mountain Jamboree (Reis) (Audio CD)

There are two Flatt and Scruggs albums that sum up all you really have to know about bluegrass music. The first is the album "Foggy Mountain Banjo" and the second is "Foggy Mountain Jamboree". Here you have Flatt and Scruggs, two of the icons of the genre, at their peak vocally and instrumentally. The bluegrass classics of "Flinthill Special" and "Earl's Breakdown" are recorded here and are two standards every 5-string banjo player wants to master in order to become worthy to be known as a bluegrass player. The vocals, especially "Blue Ridge Cabin Home" and "Jimmy Brown the Newsboy" are classics that mark a certain era in the development of bluegrass music and define the way it should be done. If you are beginning to build a bluegrass library, this is the cornerstone for your collection. One listen and you'll understand why Flatt and Scruggs were revered the way they were by lovers of this style of music.

1. Flint Hill Special
2. Some Old Day
3. Earl's Breakdown
4. Jimmie Brown, The Newsboy
5. Foggy Mountain Special
6. It Won't Be Long
7. Shuckin' the Corn
8. Blue Ridge Cabin Home
9. Randy Lynn Rag
10. Your Love Is Like a Flower
11. Foggy Mountain Chimes
12. On My Mind
13. Dear Old Dixie
14. Pray for the Boys
15. Reunion in Heaven

 

[Dennie]

This is a Fun Disc...

Rare Bird Alert -- Deluxe Edition CD

Steve Martin and the Steep Canyon Rangers

2011 Rounder Records

Product Description

Renaissance man Steve Martin returns to his musical passion - bluegrass - with a new album of all original songs, backed by the Steep Canyon Rangers. Rare Bird Alert is the follow up to 2009's GRAMMY® Award-winning The Crow and features precise picking, delightful melodies, and well constructed lyrics , the hallmarks of Martin's musical pursuits. Special guests, Paul McCartney and the Dixie Chicks lend their vocal talents, respectively, to "Best Love" and "You". This deluxe version comes with collectible Rare Bird Trading Cards.

1. Rare Bird Alert
2. Yellow-Backed Fly
3. Best Love
4. Northern Island
5. Go Away, Stop, Turn Around, Come Back
6. Jubilation Day
7. More Bad Weather On The Way
8. You
9. The Great Remember (for Nancy)
10. Women Like To Slow Dance
11. Hide Behind A Rock
12. Atheists Don't Have No Songs
13. King Tut

 

[Randy]

 

[Dennie]

Highwayman -- CD

Waylon Jennings - Willie Nelson - Johnny Cash - Kris Kristofferson

1985/1990 Columbia Records

Amazon.com

The myth of the American West--lawless lands, resolute heroes--takes on a grave, elegiac quality on this first, and best, collaboration from Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash, and Kris Kristofferson. There's little bravado here, just a sense of ticking time, of frontiers lost, cowboys singing their last songs. In the end, Highwayman works because it fuses mythic, serious material with the artists' own legendary personas and well-aged voices. Lesser lights would be lucky to muddle through Jimmy Webb's epic title track; these four cagey desperados make every fantastic image believable. If Chips Moman surrounds them with less than subtle layers of guitars, keyboards, and drums, he does update vintage progressive country in a suitably cosmic but rugged fashion. Romantic legends and production values notwithstanding, it's the tough, wise singing here that's the real draw. --Roy Kasten

"Highwayman" (Jimmy Webb) – 3:00
"The Last Cowboy Song" (Ed Bruce) – 3:08
"Jim, I Wore a Tie Today" (Cindy Walker) – 3:20
"Big River" (Johnny Cash) – 2:45
"Committed to Parkview" (Cash) – 3:18
"Desperados Waiting for a Train" (Guy Clark) – 4:34
"Deportee (Plane Wreck at Los Gatos)" (Woody Guthrie) – 3:45
"Welfare Line" (Paul Kennerley) – 2:34
"Against the Wind" (Bob Seger) – 3:46
"The Twentieth Century Is Almost Over" (Steve Goodman, John Prine) – 3:33

 

[Dennie]

Searchin' For A Rainbow -- CD

The Marshall Tucker Band

1975/1990 AJK Music

One of My All Time Faves, March 8, 2003
By G. J Wiener (Westchester, NY USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER) (REAL NAME)
This review is from: Searchin for a Rainbow (Audio CD)

A definite five star recording. Eight songs and all of them classics to my ears. Love the poignant opening track, Fire On The Mountain with a stunning acoustic guitar arrangement. Numbers like Walking' And Talkin' and Bob Away My Blues have a soothing jazz feel. During my college days I can recall a die hard Motown/Soul fan liking these two tunes. It probably was one of his few forays into rock and country music. Can't You See is just brimming with a rock n roll spirit as Toy Caldwell's vocal and guitar solo are both just super in a live setting. The Marshall Tucker Band certainly cover a lot of ground on this fine release. The instrumental arrangments just captivate my ear. Pick it up at once as I feel its their best work.

Side One

"Fire on the Mountain" - 3:53 (George McCorkle)
"Searchin' for a Rainbow" - 3:48
"Walkin' and Talkin'" - 2:25
"Virginia" - 4:54

Side Two

"Bob Away My Blues" - 2:42
"Keeps Me from All Wrong" - 4:13
"Bound and Determined" - 4:20
"Can't You See" (Live) - 6:25 --------> :music-rockout:

 

[Dennie]

Diamonds & Rust -- CD

Joan Baez

1975/1988 A&M Records

Amazon.com essential recording

Perhaps the most outstanding folk album of the 1970s, this collection represents Baez's blossoming from a girlish folk icon into a mature interpreter of folk music. The title track (and, to a much lesser degree, "Dida" and "Children and All That Jazz") showcases her songwriting, but the intimate spin she puts on the music of others is what makes this the remarkable work it is. On Jackson Browne's "Fountain of Sorrow," Dylan's "Simple Twist of Fate" and John Prine's "Hello in There," the purity of Baez's clear soprano (deeper and mellower than on her early albums) expresses the gentle pains of nostalgia and what-might-have-been. The medley of "Jeannie with the Light Brown Hair/Danny Boy" reminds us that no matter what other directions she moves in, Baez will always be a masterful singer of traditional folk music. --Barrie Trinkle --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

"Diamonds & Rust" (Joan Baez)
"Fountain of Sorrow" (Jackson Browne)
"Never Dreamed You'd Leave in Summer" (Stevie Wonder, Syreeta Wright)
"Children and All That Jazz" (Joan Baez)
"Simple Twist of Fate" (Bob Dylan)
"Blue Sky" (Dickey Betts)
"Hello in There" (John Prine)
"Jesse" (Janis Ian)
"Winds of the Old Days" (Joan Baez)
"Dida" (duet with Joni Mitchell) (Joan Baez)
Medley: "I Dream of Jeannie" (Stephen Foster) / "Danny Boy"[3] (Frederick Weatherly)

 

[Dennie]

Tracy Chapman -- CD

Tracy Chapman

1988 Elektra/Asylum Records

Absolute perfection, May 27, 2002
By Ms Diva "cycworker" (Nanaimo, B.C. Canada) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Tracy Chapman (Audio CD)

I genuinely don't think this disk could be any better. There is not a single song on here that isn't a work of art. I owned this on tape initially, but I had to get the CD because the tape was getting worn out, because I listened to it constantly - particulary to Baby Can I Hold You, Why, and Talking About A Revolution.

Chapman's voice is stunning, particularly on the a capella Behind The Wall, which never ceases to bring a chill down my spine. I always thought I didn't like folk music, but Chapman has made me reconsider that belief. Her lyrics are meaningful, and the collection of songs come together to form an overall feel, a mood, that is extremely moving and empowering. She exemplifies how music can bring people together and be an impetus to change, ala the greats like Bob Dylan. Make no mistake -- this is a political album and Chapman wears her left wing leanings like a badge of honour. If you can't tolerate her political views, you probably won't like the album as much as her core fans. That said, her voice and the music itself may make it possible for you to give it at least an intial listen. Chapman is more than a singer and musician - she's a poet, and her message is one that I believe we all need to heed.

I highly reccommend this album to everyone. Even if you don't agree with her politics, hopefully she'll make you think. At the very least, you'll be listening to one of the purest, best voices in modern folk/r&b/soul around today.

All songs were written by Tracy Chapman.

"Talkin' Bout a Revolution" – 2:39
"Fast Car" – 4:56
"Across the Lines" – 3:24
"Behind the Wall" – 1:49
"Baby Can I Hold You" – 3:14
"Mountains o' Things" – 4:39
"She's Got Her Ticket" – 3:56
"Why?" – 2:06
"For My Lover" – 3:12
"If Not Now..." – 3:01
"For You" – 3:09

 

[Dennie]

Joan Armatrading -- CD

Joan Armatrading

1976/1990 A&M Records

Amazon.com

There weren't many female singer-songwriters on the radio (and especially the charts) in the 1970s--you could count them pretty much on two hands. That said, it's only mildly surprising that this LP made it about halfway up the U.S. charts (and did much better in the U.K.). The songs are so well written, the style so warm and appealing that radio just had a hard time ignoring them. "Down to Zero," "Love and Affection," and "Help Yourself" are witty, smart observations of human relations, showcasing Armatrading's sure vocal style and adventurous folk-pop sensibilities. Like Roberta Flack's "The First Time," Armatrading's "Somebody Who Loves You" is a deeply-felt and moving love song, and "Save Me" is a painful and private moment the listener almost feels guilty for overhearing. This is a milestone album in Armatrading's oeuvre. --Lorry Fleming

All tracks composed by Joan Armatrading

"Down to Zero" – 3:51
"Help Yourself" – 4:04
"Water With the Wine" – 2:48
"Love and Affection" – 4:28
"Save Me" – 3:35
"Join the Boys" – 4:48
"People" – 3:30
"Somebody Who Loves You" – 3:33
"Like Fire" – 5:12
"Tall in the Saddle" – 5:43

 

[Dennie]

Here's To Life -- CD

Shirley Horn with Strings

1992 Verve Records

The sweetest sounds I've ever heard., April 23, 2000
By Samuel Chell (Kenosha,, WI United States) -
(TOP 50 REVIEWER) (REAL NAME)

Simply put, the best jazz vocalist recording of the last 20 years. I've purchased numerous copies to give to people whose musical and aesthetic sensibilities I trust. If depression comes from the inability to find in nature beauty commensurate with that in the human psyche, this album is guaranteed to administer a cure. The choice of songs, the re-visioning of each song, the piano accompaniments of Horn herself, the trumpet work of Wynton Marsalis (who filled in at the last minute after Miles' untimely death), the transcendent arrangements of Johnny Mandel, and the sublime readings of Ms. Horn cannot account for this "miracle" of a recording whose meaning is far greater than the sum of the parts. Not since late Bill Evans have I heard anything this beautiful on record. It fact, it would be hard to leave it off of any list of five best jazz recordings ever.

"Here's to Life" (Artie Butler, Phyllis Molinary) – 5:37
"Come a Little Closer"/"Wild Is the Wind" (John Wallowitch)/(Dimitri Tiomkin, Ned Washington) – 7:27
"How Am I to Know?" (Jack King, Dorothy Parker) – 3:23
"A Time for Love" (Johnny Mandel, Paul Francis Webster) – 6:45
"Where Do You Start?" (Alan Bergman, Marilyn Bergman, Johnny Mandel) – 4:36
"You're Nearer" (Lorenz Hart, Richard Rodgers) – 3:32
"Return to Paradise" (Tiomkin, Washington) – 5:09
"Isn't It a Pity?" (George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin) – 5:47
"Quietly There" (Morgan Ames, Mandel) – 6:09
"If You Love Me" (Marguerite Monnot, Geoff Parsons) – 6:02
"Summer (Estaté)" (Bruno Brighetti, Bruno Martino, Joel E. Siegel) – 7:38

 

[Dennie]

Songs of New York -- CD

Mel Torme

1983 Atlantic Records

among his best, June 1, 2005
By J. Hankiewicz - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)
This review is from: Songs of New York (Audio CD)

Even though I'm a big Torme fan, I resisted buying this cd for a while, because I assumed his Atlantic recordings weren't as superb as the earlier stuff on Bethlehem and Verve, and because the concept of "songs of New York" didn't grab me. But this is an exceptional album, one of Torme's best. Though there are several arrangers, the songs flow together nicely, and every chart is bright and sharp. Torme is in great voice, improvising effortlessly without drowning the lyric; listen to how he subtly alters the refrain of the phrase "autumn in New York" or works in a very exciting scat before the instrumental break of "Let Me off Uptown." Get the Bethlehem cd of "Mel Torme and the Marty Paich Dek-Tette," and you can compare his earlier version of "Lullaby of Birdland" to the one here; both are unique and terrific.

Even if you wouldn't live in New York for a million dollars, this is an indispensable cd from one of the immortal singers.

1. Sunday In New York
2. Autumn In New York
3. Lullaby Of Birdland
4. Broadway
5. The Brooklyn Bridge
6. Let Me Off Uptown
7. 42nd Street
8. Sidewalks Of New York
9. Harlem Nocturne
10. New York, New York
11. There's A Broken Heart For Every Light On Broadway
12. Manhattan
13. My Time Of Day

 

[Dennie]

Melancholy Baby -- CD

Jaimee Paul

2011 Green Hill Records

What a voice!, January 25, 2011
By Song Collector (KY) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Melancholy Baby [+Digital Booklet] (MP3 Download)

I recently discovered Jaimee Paul and I was eagerly anticipating this new CD. Several of the songs appeared on a recently released EP but the fullness of her delivery is showcased in the width and breadth of the songs presented here. In particular I can listen to her recording of Smile over and over, Buy this Cd or download it soon. It will be well worth your investment.
Track Listing

1. Don't Cry Baby
2. Ain't No Sunshine
3. Come Rain Or Come Shine
4. I Want A Little Sugar In My Bowl
5. You've Changed
6. I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For
7. A Sunday Kind Of Love
8. Big Spender
9. Don't Explain
10. What'll I Do
11. People Get Ready
12. Smile
13. My Melancholy Baby

 

[Dennie]

My last one for the evening....

Light My Fire -- CD

Eliane Elias

2011 Concord Picante

BEAUTIFUL, SMOOTH AND SWINGING: ELIANE AT HER BEST!, May 31, 2011
By RBSProds "rbsprods" (Deep in the heart of Texas) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER) (VINE VOICE)
This review is from: Light My Fire (MP3 Download)

Five BEAUTIFUL Stars! Brazil's Eliane Elias' latest CD combines all of the talents that have made the composer, arranger, singer, and pianist a musical giant for over 20 years on the worldwide jazz and Brazilian popular music (MPB) stages. The music is quite diverse coming from the rock, soul, MPB, and jazz worlds, but her velvety voice singing in English and Portuguese and her hard-swinging piano solos make it all flow beautifully from song to song in a mesmerizing total musical experience. I remember seeing her twice on her first nationwide USA tour many years ago in LA at Catalina's and later that year at DC's Blues Alley and the lady, who brought Herbie Hancock to tears the first time he heard her, was already her own musical force and an instant star. And now with over 20 recordings to her discography, this CD shows her artistry is as strong and fresh as ever. Eliane's hip version of Dorival Caymmi's "Rosa Morena" (Dark Rose) kicks off the recording and swings harder than Nana Caymmi's original take. "Light My Fire", "Take Five" (with Randy Brecker on trumpet), and "My Cherie Amor" become romantic ballads sung with a soft sizzle accentuated by her outstanding keyboard solos. "Toda Menina Baiana" (All Bahian Girl) with special guest Gilberto Gil and Gil's "Bananeira" (Banana Tree) with a great piano solo are swinging and marvelous MPB. And, my favorite, Eliane's own beguiling ballad "Made in Moonlight" becomes over five minutes of pure, jazzy wonder. The other musicians include her husband-bassist Marc Johnson (of Bill Evans Trio fame), the esteemed Brazilians Oscar Castro-Neves on acoustical guitar and Paula Braga on drums, Ross Traut on electric guitar, Elaine's daughter Amanda Brecker also on vocals, Randy Brecker on trumpet and flugelhorn, and as noted, the legendary Gilberto Gil makes several appearances. Eliane's latest CD is a must-have addition to her discography and gets my Highest Recommendation. Five SAUDADE Stars. (This review is based on an iTunes download with digital booklet. 12 songs on the CD)

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)



Bonus Picture......

 

[heeman]

1."Black and White America" – 4:35 (Kravitz, Craig Ross)
2."Come On Get It" – 4:26 (Kravitz, Ross)
3."In the Black" – 3:24
4."Liquid Jesus" – 3:28
5."Rock Star City Life" – 3:24 (Kravitz, Ross)
6."Boongie Drop" (featuring Jay-Z and DJ Military) – 3:49
7."Stand" – 3:20
8."Superlove" – 3:29 (Kravitz, Ross)
9."Everything" – 3:38
10."I Can't Be Without You" – 4:48
11."Looking Back on Love" – 5:36
12."Life Ain't Ever Been Better Than It Is Now" – 4:17
13."The Faith of a Child" – 4:06
14."Sunflower" (featuring Drake) – 4:14 (Kravitz, Swizz Beatz)
15."Dream" – 5:11
16."Push" – 4:23

 

[Dennie]

View So Tender: Wonder Revisited Vol. 1 -- CD

The Joe Gilman Trio with Joe Sanders (Bass) Justin Brown (Drums)

2006 Capri Records

The Joe Gilman Trio, which had recently interpreted a set of music by Dave Brubeck, recorded 28 Stevie Wonder tunes in a 13-hour period during June 10 and 11, 2004. Wonder's music is mostly pretty adaptable to jazz, particularly the nine selections included on this first volume. "Don't You Worry 'Bout a Thing" has become a minor jazz standard, although most of the other songs have rarely been heard in this context. Alternating moods, tempos, and grooves, the trio makes it sound as if Stevie Wonder had written these songs for this setting, successfully transforming Wonder's music into creative jazz. Well worth checking out. ~ Scott Yanow

Track Listing
1. I Wish
2. Don't You Worry 'Bout a Thing
3. Smile Please
4. That Girl
5. Sir Duke
6. Taboo
7. Send One Your Love
8. Love Light in Flight
9. Go Home

 

[Dennie]

Mr. Fantasy -- CD

Traffic

1968/1990 Island Records

Amazon.com

In 1967, when still teenaged keyboardist Steve Winwood left the Spencer Davis Group (for whom he'd sung lead on hits like "Gimme Some Lovin'" and "I'm a Man") to start a new band with guitarist Dave Mason, few observers thought their idea of blending pop, rock, and jazz would work. Immediately, though, Traffic scored giant UK hits with Winwood's east-meets-west "Paper Sun" and Mason's acid-jazzy "Hole in My Shoe." Between those songs, the smoking-guitar driven title track, the swinging instrumental "Giving to You" and the haunting ballad, "No Face, No Name, No Number," Traffic's debut established both players as elite members of the new guard of late 60s British rock. --Billy Altman

"Heaven Is in Your Mind" (Jim Capaldi, Steve Winwood, Chris Wood) – 4:16
"Berkshire Poppies" (Capaldi, Winwood, Wood) – 2:55
"House for Everyone" (Dave Mason) – 2:05
"No Face, No Name, No Number" (Capaldi, Winwood) – 3:35
"Dear Mr. Fantasy" (Capaldi, Winwood, Wood) – 5:44
"Dealer" (Capaldi, Winwood) – 3:34
"Utterly Simple" (Mason) – 3:16
"Coloured Rain" (Capaldi, Winwood, Wood) – 2:43
"Hope I Never Find Me There" (Mason) – 2:12
"Giving to You" (Capaldi, Mason, Winwood, Wood) – 4:20 (album version)