What Are You Listening To?

[Dennie]

Third Wish -- CD

Joyce Cooling

2001 GRP Records

(like Bob Dylan's "Love and Theft" album, this one was released on Sept. 11, 2001 also)

Amazon.com

One of the most refreshing guitar voices to come out of smooth jazz in the last five years, Joyce Cooling returns with her third album, her first for a major label. Cooling's instantly recognizable scat-guitar style is used prominently throughout: as a melody line on Brazilian-flavored "Tamba"; accompanying the bridge and second verse on the heavy groove "Jelly on My Jacket"; and to enhance her solo on the title track. Al Jarreau joins in on the wordless vocal fun with Cooling on the aptly titled "Mm-mm Good." The Grammy-winning singer is the only ringer on Third Wish. The guitarist and her partner, keyboardist-producer Jay Wagner, wisely continue to record with their working band, which adds to the cohesiveness of this upbeat 10-track effort. Guest trumpeter Bill Ovitz does give the lowdown and funky "East Side" a kind of Rick Braun-Jeff Golub collaborative vibe; otherwise, Third Wish shows the kind of originality and growth for Cooling and her band that is pretty rare in the derivative smooth-jazz world. --Mark Ruffin

Track listing

1. Third Wish
2. Tamba
3. MM-MM Good
4. Daddy-O
5. Don't Mind If I Do
6. Jelly on My Jacket
7. It'll Come Back to Me
8. East Side
9. Whenever the Rain Falls
10. It's All Because of Loving You

 

[Dennie]

Plays Jobim -- CD :text-bravo:

Eliane Elias

1990 Blue Note Records

Unique blend of jazz and Brazil, January 25, 2000
By bossa_nova (Kent)

I love this album and play it all the time. The material is great, and Elias has a unique approach which blends cool and vibrant jazz with a subtle Brazilian rhythmic flow. Her support too is excellent, with Eddie Gomez playing melodic bass lines that at times sound like a pizzicato 'cello or even a guitar! Both percussionists play with great subtlety and together they create a magical sound world, heard to best advantage on the elusive 'Sabia'. This track and 'Zingaro' are truly haunting. Jazz fans will love what Eliane does with 'One Note Samba' and 'Desafinado' and there is plenty of lively and witty soloing along with the ballads. Highly recommended.

Track listing

1. Waters of March :: Agua de Beber
2. Sabia
3. Passarim
4. Don't Ever Go Away
5. Desafinado
6. Angela
7. Children's Games
8. Dindi
9. Zingaro
10. One Note Samba
11. Don't Ever Go Away (Por Causa de Voce)

 

[Ronm1]

Shine on Brightly, A Salty Dog, Broken Barricades - Procol Harum jp K2HD's

 

[Dennie]

Pearls -- CD

David Sanborn

1995 Elektra Records

Alto saxophonist David Sanborn has been among the most recognizable solo voices in American popular music since his '70s breakthroughs with Stevie Wonder and David Bowie. Sanborn's big, garrulous tone and acidic attack recall some of the greatest players to walk the line between R&B and jazz, people like David "Fathead" Newman, Hank Crawford and Louis Jordan. But for all his considerable commercial success as a top session man and contemporary jazz star, Sanborn has never been content to simply tarry with the tried and true. In that spirit, his resume also includes such adventurous fare as his sideman work on Tim Berne's 1993 session, DIMINUTIVE MYSTERIES (MOSTLY HEMPHILL).

With PEARLS, Sanborn has stepped up in class to make the kind of elegant, lyrical saxophone recital his talent always promised he had in him. And as Christian McBride's huge acoustic bass and Steve Gadd's whispering drums emerge from the dark landscape of Johnny Mandel's sweeping romantic charts on "Willow Weep For Me," it's clear that Sanborn is at the top of his game. Each note is burnished in amber, as his expressive trademark vibrato shades his alto lines with taut vocal urgency, even as his piping tone ascends to places few vocalists dare to tread (as in the concluding passages to "Everything Must Change").

And on those tracks where Sanborn teams up with vocalists, the expressive timbre of his horn is set off in sharp relief. Jimmy Scott's halting, teardrop vibrato adds a note of lonely desperation to "For All We Know," as Sanborn answers with Bird-like phrases; and Oleta Adams teams up with the saxophonist to transform Carole Bayer Sager/Marvin Hamlisch's "Nobody Does It Better" into a fervent gospel testimony.

David Sanborn is joined on this CD by an orchestra arranged by Johnny Mandel for a set of music dominated by melodic versions of standards. Sanborn does not get all that far away from the themes (which include "Try a Little Tenderness," "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes," "For All We Know," "This Masquerade" and a very emotional "Everything Must Change" in addition to a few newer songs) but his sound is so soulful and full of passion that he does not really need to improvise much to make his point. It's a fine change of pace for the highly influential altoist. ~ Scott Yanow

Track listing

1. Willow Weep For Me
2. Try a Little Tenderness
3. Smoke Gets in Your Eyes
4. Pearls
5. For All We Know
6. Come Rain or Come Shine
7. This Masquerade
8. Everything Must Change
9. Superstar
10. Nobody Does It Better

 

[Dennie]

Thursday Night In San Francisco - Live At the Fillmore Auditorium -- CD

Albert King

1968/1990 STAX Records
They All Want To Be Albert!, July 5, 2002
By deepbluereview "deepbluereview" (SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)
This review is from: Thursday Night in San Francisco (Audio CD)

It's hard to believe that 34 years has passed since Albert King recorded this CD during a live performance one Thursday night at the Fillmore Auditorium in San Francisco on June 27, 1968. It's even harder to believe that Albert and his Gibson Flying V guitar sound as fresh today as they did back then. There is some fantastic playing on this CD as is evidenced by "Drifting Blues" and "I've Made Nights By Myself". Albert had such incredible guitar playing ability that it was, and remains, a standard by which all blues players seek to attain. While, a lot of new blues guitarists are often compared to the great Stevie Ray Vaughan, those comparisons overlook the individual that SRV idolized and emulated-Albert King. In fact, Albert influenced the playing of many of the greatest players including SRV, Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, Buddy Guy, Billy Gibbons and even Kenny Wayne Shepherd. On this CD you will experience what a consummate live performer Albert was. Some have described his playing as down right ferocious and sometimes scary. One thing is for sure, Albert is often imitated, but he will never be duplicated. The Wednesday Night makes a great companion to this disc so seek it out as well.

Track listing

1. "San-Ho-Zay" (King/Thompson) – 0:53
2. "You Upset Me Baby" (King/Taub) – 4:53
3. "Stormy Monday" (Walker) – 8:37
4. "Every Day I Have the Blues" (Chatman) – 4:17
5. "Drifting Blues" (Brown/Moore/Williams) – 8:05
6. "I've Made Nights By Myself" (King) – 6:44
7. "Crosscut Saw" (Ford) – 3:46
8. "I'm Gonna Move To The Outskirts Of Town" (Razaf/Weldon) – 7:41
9. "Ooh-Ee baby" (King) – 7:40

 

[Dennie]

Funkdamentals - Mind Blowing Funk Hits CD :dance:

Various Artists

1999 The Right Stuff/Capitol Records

Good Collection of Mainstream Funk, October 6, 2005
By Pablo Parks "Pablo" (Bayonet Point, Florida)

Almost every major name and contributor of funk is represented here with classic tracks spanning the early 70s to the mid 80s. Mainly all commercial funk. Favorites are the timeless "Movin" by Brass Construction", the jazz-funk "Dazz" from Brick, early Kool and the Gang "Hollywood Swinging", and possibly the best Funk song ever "Do It Till your Satisfied" by BT Express. Also many tracks more 70s pop-r&b-disco than funk like Cheryl Lynn, EW&F, The Whispers, and O'Bryan. Some rare stuff as well like Mass Production and Sun and some 80s funk represented as well from Cameo and George Clinton.

1. Atomic Dog - Clinton, George
2. Got to Be Real - Foster, D.
3. Boogie Wonderland - Lind, Jon
4. Give It to Me Baby - James, R.
5. And the Beat Goes On - Shelby, William
6. Fantastic Voyage - Alexander, F.
7. Word Up! - Blackmon, Larry
8. Fire - Bonner, L.
9. I'm Your Boogie Man - Casey, H.
10. Hollywood Swinging - Bell, Robert
11. Lovelite - Burnette, OBryan
12. Dazz - Hargis, R.
13. Sun Is Here - Byrd, B.
14. Do It ('Til You're Satisfied) - Nicholls, B.
15. Do You Wanna Get Funky with Me - Brown, P.
16. Movin' - Arthur
17. Live It Up, Pt. 1 - Isley, Ernie
18. Welcome to Our World (Of Merry Music) - Williams, T.

 

[Dennie]

A Night In San Francisco (recorded live at the Masonic Auditorium San Francisco) - 2 CD Set :handgestures-thumbup:

Van Morrison

1994 Exile/Polydor Records

Absolutely Amazing!, February 7, 2003
By jekyllnhyde "jekyllnhyde" (NJ) -

If you're new to Van, start with his GREATEST HITS, VOL.1. If you're an established Van fan & looking for a live album that's nothing but Van, go with IT'S TOO LATE TO STOP NOW. But if you're looking for a live album that's a collaborative effort with great guest artists & plenty of soloing by the band, this is the one. I was initially hesitant because I don't care for medleys or extended jams. I expected it to sound fragmented & disjointed, but the whole show flows naturally. Van does indeed prove himself to be a generous artist, allowing others plenty of time in the spotlight, & the show is all the more entertaining for it. The guest artists enhance the performance, rather than getting in the way. Brian Kennedy & Van's own daughter, Shana, are both amazing vocalists. Candy Dulfer is great on sax, as is Georgie Fame on organ. Van, himself, even seems to be enjoying the show, in contrast to his more straight-to-the-point approach on IT'S TOO LATE TO STOP NOW. The back of the CD pretty much sums it up; ballads, blues, soul, funk & jazz (and I would add gospel). If you like these varied styles of music and a performer who's great at every one of them, don't hesitate to get this one.
Disc one

1. "Did Ye Get Healed?" – 4:18
2. "It's All in the Game/Make It Real One More Time" (Charles Dawes, Carl Sigman) / (Morrison) – 4:19
3. "I've Been Working" – 3:24
4. "I Forgot That Love Existed/All Along the Watchtower" (Morrison) / (Bob Dylan) – 6:17
5. "Vanlose Stairway/Trans-Euro Train/A Fool for You" (Morrison) / (Morrison) / (Ray Charles) – 6:55
6. "You Make Me Feel So Free" – 3:14
7. "Beautiful Vision" – 4:11
8. "See Me Through/Soldier of Fortune/Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)" (Morrison) / (Morrison) / (Sylvester Stewart) – 10:18
9. "Ain't That Loving You Baby?" (Ivory Joe Hunter, Clyde Otis) – 4:44
10. "Stormy Monday/Have You Ever Loved a Woman?/No Rollin' Blues" (T-Bone Walker) / (Billy Myles) / (Jimmy Witherspoon) – 6:08
11. "Help Me" (Sonny Boy Williamson) – 6:10
Organ solo from "Green Onions" (Booker T. Jones, Steve Cropper, Lewie Steinberg, Al Jackson, Jr.)
12. "Good Morning Little Schoolgirl" (Sonny Boy Williamson) – 3:33
13. "Tupelo Honey" – 4:01
14. "Moondance/My Funny Valentine" (Morrison) / (Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart) – 9:09

Disc two

1. "Jumpin' With Symphony Sid" (King Pleasure, Lester Young) – 4:47
2. "It Fills You Up" – 4:43
3. "I'll Take Care of You/It's a Man's Man's Man's World" (Brook Benton) / (James Brown, Betty Newsome) – 16:23
4. "Lonely Avenue/Be-Bop-A-Lula/4 O'Clock in the Morning (Try for Sleep)/Family Affair/You Give Me Nothing but the Blues/When Will I Become A Man?/Sooner Or Later/Down the Line" (Doc Pomus) / (Gene Vincent, Bill Davis) / (Morrison, John Platania) / (Sylvester Stewart) / (Morrison) / (Erica Ehm, Tim Thorney) / (Vernon, Ross, Shaw) / (Roy Orbison) – 14:51
5. "So Quiet in Here/That's Where It's At" (Morrison) / (James Alexander, Sam Cooke) – 5:00
6. "In the Garden/Real Real Gone/You Send Me/Allegheny" (Morrison) / (Morrison) / (Sam Cooke) / (Bill Staines) – 9:41
7. "Have I Told You Lately" – 3:51
8. "Shakin' All Over/Gloria" (Johnny Kidd) / (Morrison) – 11:29

 

[Dennie]

Young Lions & Old Tigers -- 20 Bit CD

Dave Brubeck

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 ... Full Descriptioncompositions) 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

 

[Dennie]

Raising Sand -- CD

Robert Plant & Alison Krauss

2007 Rounder Records
Amazon.com

Perhaps only the fantasy duo of King Kong and Bambi could be a more bizarre pairing than Robert Plant and Alison Krauss. Yet on Raising Sand, their haunting and brilliant collaboration, the Led Zeppelin screamer and Nashville's most hypnotic song whisperer seem made for each other. This, however, is not the howling Plant of "Whole Lotta Love," but a far more precise and softer singer than even the one who emerged with Dreamland (2002). No matter that Plant seems so subdued as to be on downers, for that's one of the keys to this most improbable meeting of musical galaxies--almost all of it seems slowed down, out of time, otherworldly, and at times downright David Lynch-ian, the product of an altered consciousness. Yet probably the main reason it all works so well is the choice of producer T Bone Burnette, the third star of the album, who culled mostly lesser-known material from some of the great writers of blues, country, folk, gospel, and R&B, including Tom Waits, Townes Van Zandt, Milt Campbell, the Everly Brothers, Sam Phillips, and A.D. and Rosa Lee Watson. At times, Burnette's spare and deliberate soundscape--incisively crafted by guitarists Marc Ribot and Norman Blake, bassist Dennis Crouch, drummer Jay Bellerose, and multi-instrumentalist Mike Seeger, among others--is nearly as dreamy and subterranean as Daniel Lanois's work with Emmylou Harris (Wrecking Ball). Occasionally, Burnette opts for a fairly straightforward production while still reworking the original song (Plant's own "Please Read the Letter," Mel Tillis's "Stick with Me, Baby"). But much of the new flesh on these old bones is oddly unsettling, if not nightmarish. On the opening track of "Rich Woman," the soft-as-clouds vocals strike an optimistic mood, while the instrumental backing--loose snare, ominous bass line, and insinuating electric guitar lines--create a spooky, sinister undertow. Plant and Krauss trade out the solo and harmony vocals, and while they both venture into new waters here (Krauss as a mainstream blues mama, Plant as a gospel singer and honkytonker), she steals the show in Sam Phillips' new "Sister Rosetta Goes Before Us," where a dramatic violin and tremulous banjo strike a foreboding gypsy tone. When Krauss begins this strange, seductive song in a voice so ethereal that angels will take note, you may stop breathing. That, among other reasons, makes Raising Sand an album to die for. --Alanna Nash


1. "Rich Woman" Dorothy LaBostrie, McKinley Millet 4:04
2. "Killing the Blues" Roly Jon Salley 4:16
3. "Sister Rosetta Goes Before Us" Sam Phillips 3:26
4. "Polly Come Home" Gene Clark 5:36
5. "Gone Gone Gone (Done Moved On)" Don Everly, Phil Everly 3:33
6. "Through the Morning, Through the Night" Gene Clark 4:01
7. "Please Read the Letter" Charlie Jones, Michael Lee, Jimmy Page, Robert Plant 5:53
8. "Trampled Rose" Kathleen Brennan, Tom Waits 5:34
9. "Fortune Teller" Naomi Neville 4:30
10. "Stick With Me Baby" Mel Tillis 2:50
11. "Nothin'" Townes Van Zandt 5:33
12. "Let Your Loss Be Your Lesson" Milton Campbell 4:02
13. "Your Long Journey" Doc Watson, Rosa Lee Watson 3:55

 

[PaulyT]

I've got Raising Sand. I like most of the music. But the recording has some serious problems esp. in the bass... it's kinda weird for the caliber of these musicians.

 

[Ronm1]

Waiting for Columbus - Little Feat Mofi

 

[topper]

"Blues Deluxe" by Joe Bonamassa

if you just dropped in to see what condition your condition was in,
this cd will let ya know . . .

topper

 

[Dennie]

The Very Best Of -- CD

Burt Bacharach

2001 Rhino Records

Amazon.com
Just a one-disc sampling of Bacharach's definitive three-CD box The Look of Love, this collection nonetheless captures some of the most essential of his writing collaborations with lyricist Hal David. Among them are a half-dozen of the greatest singles the two conjured for Dionne Warwick in the '60s; from the sorrowful "Anyone Who Had a Heart" to the bittersweet "Do You Know the Way to San Jose" and the savvy "I'll Never Fall in Love Again," they're among the best examples of postwar pop. The A-1 quality only flags on the final three lugubrious tracks. The Very Best is a mostly appealing selection, but it's hard not to feel that the title should instead appear on a full platter of Warwick classics. --Rickey Wright

 

[Dennie]

I've got Raising Sand.

Ahhh, maybe talk to your wife? Or Doctor?? :text-imsorry:

Good luck with that Pauly!

Dennie :teasing-tease:

 

[Dennie]

am I not your girl? -- CD

Sinead O'Connor

1992 Ensign Records

Swing Sister Swing, December 30, 2005
By Leafsfan2028 (magnolia, tx, usa)

I had no idea what I was getting into when I purchased this CD. I was expecting more of the bitter, raw, politically driven music I have come to love. Boy was this a curve ball! But, behold, it is brilliant.

Sinead, in her oh so beautiful voice, provides a journey back to the swing era. Picture this fair lass in a smoky night club surrounded by a large band, playing music that congers up pictures of couples slow dancing, sipping scotch and wearing their Sunday best.

This CD offers a mix of slow and outright hopping tracks. I am thrilled I found this diamond in the rough.


1. Why Don't You Do Right
2. Bewitched Bothered And Bewildered
3. Secret Love
4. Black Coffee
5. Success Has Made A Failure Of Our Home
6. Don't Cry For Me Argentina
7. I Wanna Be Loved By You
8. Gloomy Sunday
9. Love Letters
10. How Insensitive
11. Don't Cry For Me Argentina (Insturmental)

 

[Dennie]

Duets CD

Emmylou Harris

1990 Reprise Records

This is a gorgeous album!, December 15, 1999
By Vincent E. Vizachero (Houston, TX United States)

I consider this album to be one of the most enjoyable Emmylou Harris albums in my collection. Emmylou has a wonderful voice, and I think it works so wonderfully in duets that music fans would be short-changing themselves if they missed out on this masterpiece.

Comprised primarily (perhaps entirely) of previously released material, "Duets" is a tribute to Harris' vocal beauty and skills at interpretation (and her skill at picking singing partners). Each song is strong in its own right,and yet the album is something more than the sum of its parts. The brilliance of Harris' performances and the variety of her partners is truly impressive.

What sets this CD apart from many of Emmylou Harris' solo efforts is that this is a collection of uniformly well-written songs performed by Harris in her vocal prime. With the exception of "Wrecking Ball," none of her solo albums resonate with me as deeply as this one. From the familiar classic cuts ("Love Hurts" and "That Lovin' You Feelin' Again") to the surprises (a great(? ) rousing John Denver song and a definitive version of Townes Van Zandt's "If I Needed You" with Don Williams), Emmylou shines brightly and consistently throughout this album. And here peformance with Willie Nelson on "Gulf Coast Highway" is truly fabulous.

The Amazon.com review notwithstanding, I think this is a fine introduction to Emmylou Harris (it certainly was for me). If you appreciate brilliant vocal harmonies, you'll appreciate this one.

1. "The Price I Pay" [with the Desert Rose Band] (Chris Hillman, Bill Wilds) - 2:58
2. "Love Hurts" [with Gram Parsons] (Boudleaux Bryant) - 3:40
3. "That Lovin' You Feelin' Again" [with Roy Orbison] (Roy Orbison, Chris Price) - 4:00
4. "We Believe in Happy Endings" [with Earl Thomas Conley] (Bob McDill) - 3:34
5. "Thing About You" [with Southern Pacific] (Tom Petty) - 3:51
6. "Star of Bethlehem" [with Neil Young] (Neil Young) - 2:43
7. "All Fall Down" [with George Jones] (Ron Peterson, Harlan Howard) - 3:19
8. "Wild Montana Skies" [with John Denver] (John Denver) - 4:02
9. "Green Pastures" [with Ricky Skaggs] (Van Hoose) - 3:08
10. "Gulf Coast Highway" [with Willie Nelson] (Nanci Griffith, Danny Flowers, James Hooker) - 3:09
11. "If I Needed You" [with Don Williams] (Townes Van Zandt) - 3:35
12. "Evangeline" [with The Band] (Robbie Robertson) - 3:10

 

[PaulyT]

I've got Raising Sand.

Ahhh, maybe talk to your wife? Or Doctor?? :text-imsorry:

Good luck with that Pauly!

Dennie :teasing-tease:

bscene-birdiedoublered:

Did give a good listen to Wes Montgomery's Smokin' at the Half Note today, that was awesome! Have a friend visiting who's a guitarist and very into Wes's stuff, he was thrilled when I pulled that one out!

 

[Dennie]

I've got Raising Sand.

Ahhh, maybe talk to your wife? Or Doctor?? :text-imsorry:

Good luck with that Pauly!

Dennie :teasing-tease:

bscene-birdiedoublered:

Did give a good listen to Wes Montgomery's Smokin' at the Half Note today, that was awesome! Have a friend visiting who's a guitarist and very into Wes's stuff, he was thrilled when I pulled that one out!

Isn't that a great album? I really enjoy it! :text-bravo:

I've not found a bad Wes Montgomery album yet! I don't have them all, but I'm working on it! :shhh:

Dennie

 

[Dennie]

Just Because I'm A Woman - Songs of Dolly Parton -- CD :handgestures-thumbup:

Various Artists

2003 Sugar Hill Records

Amazon.com

It’s Joan Osborne who sums it up best in the promotional material accompanying this tribute album: " Dolly Parton is a gifted artist cleverly disguised as a media superstar and sex bomb." Osborne’s got it right. Beyond and beneath Parton’s well-publicized and oft-caricatured curves and angles, lurks the heart and soul of one of modern country music’s very best songwriters--the best, perhaps, since the great Loretta Lynn. In fitting celebration of the 35th anniversary of the release of Just Because I’m A Woman, Parton’s very first solo album, contemporary leading ladies of country and pop, including Norah Jones, Alison Krauss, Shania Twain, Joan Osborne, Melissa Etheridge, Emmylou Harris, and Sinead O’Connor have offered up worthy new interpretations of some of Parton’s classic compositions. That said, some of the highlights here are from lesser-known singers: Mindy Smith’s haunting rendition of "Jolene," Kasey Chambers’ bitter-sweet take on "Little Sparrow," and Allison Moorer’s tender turn on "Light Of A Clear Blue Morning." --Bob Allen

1. "9 to 5" - Alison Krauss
2. "I Will Always Love You" - Melissa Etheridge
3. "The Grass Is Blue" - Norah Jones
4. "Do I Ever Cross Your Mind" - Joan Osborne
5. "The Seeker" - Shelby Lynne
6. "Jolene" - Mindy Smith
7. "To Daddy" - Emmylou Harris
8. "Coat of Many Colors" - Shania Twain and Alison Krauss
9. "Little Sparrow" - Kasey Chambers
10. "Dagger Through the Heart" - Sinéad O'Connor
11. "Light of a Clear Blue Morning" - Allison Moorer
12. "Two Doors Down" - Me'shell Ndegeocello
13. "Just Because I'm a Woman" - Dolly Parton

 

[Dennie]

Del Sol CD

Dave Samuels

1993 GRP Records

Fun in Del Sol, August 13, 2010
By AA Madonsela "Jazzanaire" (South Africa)

Only Dave Samuels knows how to tap great melodies out of those Vibraphone/Marimba sticks. The music moves from slow to fast-paced; frisky to haunting; obtrusive to subtle; creating a truly tropical holiday feel as hinted by the title "Del Sol". The opening track "Conquistador" is great start but I specifically like "Sand Castles" and Samuels' duet with Andy Narell on "Dance Class" a real gem on this album. The tile track is in a class of its own. This is an ecletic album for all seasons and will easily complement most any desired mood for the listener.

Arthur A. Madonsela >> South Africa

Track listing

1. Conquistador
2. Jamboree
3. Sand Castles
4. Sea Breeze
5. Dance Class
6. Del Sol
7. One Step Ahead
8. El Peregrino/The Pilgrim :: The Pilgrim
9. Long Way Home, The
10. Coastal Comfort