What Are You Listening To?
- Thread starter Rope
- Start date
Dennie
Well-Known Member
Time Squared -- CD
Yellowjackets
2003 Heads Up Records
Unexpected brilliance from a venerable fusion outfit July 10, 2003
By Jan P. Dennis VINE™ VOICE
Format:Audio CD
A hard group to figure, the Yellowjackets are equally at home in funk, fusion, post-bop, Latin-jazz, and world-jazz, sometimes, it seems, all at once. A big factor separating them from other fusion outfits is the looming presence of Bob Mintzer. With a solid grounding in mainstream jazz (as the leader of his own big band, e.g., he's recorded 11 discs), he adds grit, weight, and depth to this band, where other, similar outfits often opt for the smooth approach from the saxophone chair.
When he wants to, Russ Ferrante can also rip on piano in a straight-ahead mode. Indeed, that's his preferred instrument on this outing, unusual for a fusion band. Newcomer Marcus Baylor on drums and percussion brings a hard-driving jazz sensibility. Coming out of the Gene Jackson school of highly sophisticated funk-jazz, he also seems to have a bit of Tain in him. Even Jimmy Haslip, the least likely straight jazzer here, seems to have caught the vibe.
This strikes me as not only a huge advance for the 'Jackets, but also as one of the smartest, hippest jazz recordings of what must be regarded as a standout year for brilliant jazz.
Track Listing
1. Go Go
2. Monk's Habit
3. Smithtown
4. Healing Waters
5. Time Squared
6. Gabriela Rose
7. Sea Folk
8. V
9. Claire @ 18
10. Village Gait
11. My 1st Best Friend
Dennie
Well-Known Member
My last one for the evening...
Smooth Africa -- CD
Various Artists
2000 Heads Up Records
Amazon.com
Over 100 years ago, Joe Brown & the Brothers Band, a minstrel group from New York, performed in Cape Town, South Africa. To this day, a festival honoring their performance is celebrated there, and ever since that day, South African culture has, more than any African nation, mirrored American culture. So it should come as no surprise that there's a vibrant smooth-jazz scene emerging in the re-building nation. This compilation's marquee talent comes in two of South Africa's most well-known contemporary jazz musicians, Hugh Masekela and Jonathan Butler. In addition, two of the most distinct soloists on the Heads Up roster, keyboardist Joe McBride and the magnificent steel drum player Andy Narell, join with a host of rising South African musicians to deliver a radio friendly American product that could've just as easily been recorded in Los Angeles as in South Africa. The CD's 12 tracks are heavy on the "smooth" and light on the "Africa." In fact, it's not until Jimmy Dludlu starts his haunting scat-guitar vocal on track three, "Point of View," before any true South African music is heard. The middle sections of the album make this record a keeper, including Narell's gem "Mpule," Butler's rendition of "Manenberg"-- written by the famed South African pianist Abdullah Ibrahim (formerly Dollar Brand)--and "Tazara Express." The latter tune features trumpeter Ian Smith, who surprisingly comes off sounding better on brass than Masekela. But Masakela--not Smith--beckons smooth-jazz lovers to go back and discover his more authentic South African jazz recordings. --Mark Ruffin
Track Listing
1. Soweto - Wessel Van Rensberg
2. 11 K's to Freedom - Joe McBride
3. Point of View - Jimmy Dludlu
4. Meeting of the Women - Paul Hanmer
5. Manenberg - Abdullah Ibrahim
6. Mpule - Andy Narell
7. Smoothe Africa - Dave Love
8. Cape Vibes Got'em? - Gito Baloi/Martin Walters
9. Gumba in Durban - Sipho Gumede/Martin Walters
10. Tazara Express - Martin Walters
11. When Days Are Dark Friends Are Few - Sipho Gumede
Smooth Africa -- CD
Various Artists
2000 Heads Up Records
Amazon.com
Over 100 years ago, Joe Brown & the Brothers Band, a minstrel group from New York, performed in Cape Town, South Africa. To this day, a festival honoring their performance is celebrated there, and ever since that day, South African culture has, more than any African nation, mirrored American culture. So it should come as no surprise that there's a vibrant smooth-jazz scene emerging in the re-building nation. This compilation's marquee talent comes in two of South Africa's most well-known contemporary jazz musicians, Hugh Masekela and Jonathan Butler. In addition, two of the most distinct soloists on the Heads Up roster, keyboardist Joe McBride and the magnificent steel drum player Andy Narell, join with a host of rising South African musicians to deliver a radio friendly American product that could've just as easily been recorded in Los Angeles as in South Africa. The CD's 12 tracks are heavy on the "smooth" and light on the "Africa." In fact, it's not until Jimmy Dludlu starts his haunting scat-guitar vocal on track three, "Point of View," before any true South African music is heard. The middle sections of the album make this record a keeper, including Narell's gem "Mpule," Butler's rendition of "Manenberg"-- written by the famed South African pianist Abdullah Ibrahim (formerly Dollar Brand)--and "Tazara Express." The latter tune features trumpeter Ian Smith, who surprisingly comes off sounding better on brass than Masekela. But Masakela--not Smith--beckons smooth-jazz lovers to go back and discover his more authentic South African jazz recordings. --Mark Ruffin
Track Listing
1. Soweto - Wessel Van Rensberg
2. 11 K's to Freedom - Joe McBride
3. Point of View - Jimmy Dludlu
4. Meeting of the Women - Paul Hanmer
5. Manenberg - Abdullah Ibrahim
6. Mpule - Andy Narell
7. Smoothe Africa - Dave Love
8. Cape Vibes Got'em? - Gito Baloi/Martin Walters
9. Gumba in Durban - Sipho Gumede/Martin Walters
10. Tazara Express - Martin Walters
11. When Days Are Dark Friends Are Few - Sipho Gumede
Dennie
Well-Known Member
John and the "boys" have a new album out tomorrow -------> http://www.amazon.com/Suzie-Cracks-...keywords=blues+traveler+suzie+cracks+the+whip
Four -- CD
Blues Traveler
1994 A&M Records
Four for Four October 3, 2006
By My Uncle Stu VINE™ VOICE
Format:Audio CD
Four stars for an above-average studio album from an excellent live band. I tend not to listen much to the studio albums of bands that are known for their live shows, but recently rediscovered this one in my archives and enjoyed it. Not too many Blues Traveler songs are catchy, but certainly "Run Around" is and to some extent "Hook." When "Hook" first started getting radio time in the mid-nineties, I noticed it sounded very familiar but was not sure why. Then it came to: It is Pachelbel's Canon in D. It is. Same exact chords, slightly different melody. I made this observation once at work, when it first struck me, back in my file clerking days (KBCO on softly in the background), and- I swear- my boss said: "Well they better watch out, Pachelbel is going to sue them." She wasn't trying to make a joke. I had to bite the inside of my cheek to keep it together.
But anyway.
This is a good album. Popper is a tremendous harp player so, for those of you that don't get the extended jamming thing, their studio albums may be the most palatable way to experience it. Thumbs up.
"Run-Around" (Popper) – 4:40
"Stand" (Popper) – 5:19
"Look Around" (Popper) – 5:42
"Fallible" (Kinchla/Popper) – 4:47
"The Mountains Win Again" (Sheehan) – 5:06
"Freedom" (Popper) – 4:01
"Crash & Burn" (Kinchla/Popper) – 2:59
"Price to Pay" (Kinchla/Popper) – 5:17
"Hook" (Popper) – 4:49
"The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" (Blues Traveler/Kinchla) – 1:55
"Just Wait" (Popper) – 5:34
"Brother John" (Kinchla/Popper/Sheehan) – 6:38
Four -- CD
Blues Traveler
1994 A&M Records
Four for Four October 3, 2006
By My Uncle Stu VINE™ VOICE
Format:Audio CD
Four stars for an above-average studio album from an excellent live band. I tend not to listen much to the studio albums of bands that are known for their live shows, but recently rediscovered this one in my archives and enjoyed it. Not too many Blues Traveler songs are catchy, but certainly "Run Around" is and to some extent "Hook." When "Hook" first started getting radio time in the mid-nineties, I noticed it sounded very familiar but was not sure why. Then it came to: It is Pachelbel's Canon in D. It is. Same exact chords, slightly different melody. I made this observation once at work, when it first struck me, back in my file clerking days (KBCO on softly in the background), and- I swear- my boss said: "Well they better watch out, Pachelbel is going to sue them." She wasn't trying to make a joke. I had to bite the inside of my cheek to keep it together.
But anyway.
This is a good album. Popper is a tremendous harp player so, for those of you that don't get the extended jamming thing, their studio albums may be the most palatable way to experience it. Thumbs up.
"Run-Around" (Popper) – 4:40
"Stand" (Popper) – 5:19
"Look Around" (Popper) – 5:42
"Fallible" (Kinchla/Popper) – 4:47
"The Mountains Win Again" (Sheehan) – 5:06
"Freedom" (Popper) – 4:01
"Crash & Burn" (Kinchla/Popper) – 2:59
"Price to Pay" (Kinchla/Popper) – 5:17
"Hook" (Popper) – 4:49
"The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" (Blues Traveler/Kinchla) – 1:55
"Just Wait" (Popper) – 5:34
"Brother John" (Kinchla/Popper/Sheehan) – 6:38
Dennie
Well-Known Member
Original Masters -- CD
Jethro Tull
1985 Chrysalis Records
This cd belongs in any classic rock collection, July 31, 2000
By "mr_comment_person" (Greenville, TX USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Original Masters (Audio CD)
This cd is where I first remembered hearing Aqualung, and ever since then I've liked practically every song on the cd. I have a friend who listened to my cd on a trip once and said that Aqualung just flat out scared him. I still tell him that maybe he would like Locomotive Breath. All of the songs on this cd are cool, but I especially like "Aqualung," "Locomotive Breath," "Bungle in the Jungle," and "Minstrel in the Gallery." I think a part of the reason that Jethro Tull is such an important classic rock figure is the eerily cool way that he regularly integrates flute, a instrument not usually associated with rock, into his songs. Also in the way that many of the songs will switch from electric guitar to acoustic or vice versa all of the sudden. I would have to say that this cd should be in every serious rock and roll fan's collection.
"Living in the Past" – 3:18
"Aqualung" – 6:34
"Too Old to Rock 'n' Roll, Too Young to Die" – 5:38
"Locomotive Breath" – 4:23
"Skating Away on the Thin Ice of the New Day" – 3:28
"Bungle in the Jungle" – 3:34
"Sweet Dream" – 4:01
"Songs from the Wood" – 4:52
"Witch's Promise" – 3:47
"Thick as a Brick" – 3:00
"Minstrel in the Gallery" – 7:47
"Life's a Long Song" – 3:16
Dennie
Well-Known Member
Raven -- CD
Don Grusin
1990 GRP Records
As he proved in his production of David Benoit's 1989 smash Urban Daydreams, the younger brother of Dave Grusin is a master at texturing various synth textures with the acoustic piano. On his solo debut Grusin once again does a remarkable job of this, mixing up his styles along the way to include bits and pieces of funk, Brazilian and mainstream jazz, along with healthy doses of the obligatory pop jazz formulas. Though the ballads here, such as "Oracle," are likable, Grusin the player is most at home on funky and frisky numbers like the stealthy "Catwalk," which features some tasty acoustic improvisations layered sparingly amidst a contagious synth groove. The best cut is another funkfest, "Graffiti Bird," which features the very punchy solo chops of saxman Eric Marienthal. The horns of Gary Herbig, Gary Grant, and Jerry Hey brass up this cut, as well as the softer line of "Light in the Window," while Sal Marquez's trumpet (which added so much to The Fabulous Baker Boys) adds a mainstream touch to songs like the title cut. The Brazilian vocalizing by Djavan makes "Two Lives" a memorable experience as well. And let's not forget kudos for the solid backbeat by bassist Flim Johnson and skinmaster Tommy Brechtlein. GRP was the smooth jazz mecca for many years, but once in a while the label released a project like this which added a lot of twists to the tried and true. ~ Jonathan Widran
Track listing
1. Flight of the Raven
2. Two Lives
3. Hip Hop Be Bop
4. Oracle
5. Outback Oasis
6. Light in the Window
7. Zuma Noon
8. Um Beijo (A Kiss)
9. Graffiti-Bird
10. Highline
11. Catwalk
Dennie
Well-Known Member
Dancing The Blues -- CD
Taj Mahal
1993 Private Music
Let's dance!, January 6, 2001
By booknblueslady (Woodland, CA United States) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Dancing the Blues (Audio CD)
Dancing the Blues is one of my very favorite CD's by one of my very favorite artists Taj Mahal. It's great to listen to, great to dance to and every song is a living thing.
I first saw Taj Mahal in 1972 and was blown away by his performance and command and knowledge of the music that he played and sang. since then I have been lucky enough to see him two other times, on each occasion I received an education in the music as well as having an all out good time.
Dancing the Blues represents the energy, love and respect which Taj has for music. There is a wide range of music from the motown sounds of Taj's excellent version of the four top's "Sugarpie Honeybunch" (oh no I'm in junior high again)to Chester (the wolf) Burnett' "Sitting on Top of the World". I love Taj's version of Mockingbird, with the help of Etta James - there is nothing like it - I could listen to it again and again.
This is an album I strongly recommend for anyone who loves the blues.
"Blues Ain't Nothin'" (Taj Mahal) – 4:12
"Hard Way" (Grover McDaniel, T-Bone Walker) – 2:51
"Strut" (Mahal) – 3:39
"Going to the River" (Dave Bartholomew, Fats Domino) – 6:30
"Mockingbird" (Charlie Foxx, Inez Foxx) – 3:54
"Blue Light Boogie" (Jessie Mae Robinson) – 4:03
"The Hoochi Coochi Coo" (Hank Ballard, Billy Myles) – 2:54
"That's How Strong My Love Is" (Roosevelt Jamison) – 3:07
"Down Home Girl" (Arthur Butler, Jerry Leiber) – 3:40
"Stranger in My Own Home Town" (Percy Mayfield) – 2:42
"Sitting on Top of the World" (Lonnie Chatmon, Walter Vinson) – 3:28
"I'm Ready" (Sylvester Bradford, Fats Domino) – 3:53
CD Bonus Track
"I Can't Help Myself (Sugarpie Honeybunch)" (Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier & Edward Holland) – 2:43
Dennie
Well-Known Member
Living With War -- CD
Neil Young
2006 Reprise Records
Amazon.com
Even if you don't agree with Neil Young's politics, you can't help but be daunted by the intersection of his genius and ire on his second album in less than seven months. It is the very rare artist who is able to channel indignation and moral disgust in such a coherent and forceful way--without sacrificing any of the vivid imagery, passion, or the high level of musicality that we have come to expect from him over the past four decades. But that's not what elevates this album: it's his pure, naked, visceral reaction to the Bush administration's foreign policy, building on a canon of outrage that he began with 1970's "Ohio," penned in the wake of the Kent State student deaths. But here he goes one better, filling in the lines that he began to draw on 2003's Greendale about a family caught in changing times. But Young's done with musing about lost ideals. On Living with War, he demands much more from his audience, and himself. This is nothing less than a call for fearless action in extraordinarily fearful times. --Jaan Uhelszki
All songs written by Neil Young except where noted.
"After the Garden" – 3:23
"Living with War" – 5:04
"The Restless Consumer" – 5:47
"Shock and Awe" – 4:53
"Families" – 2:25
"Flags of Freedom" – 3:42
"Let's Impeach the President" – 5:10
"Lookin' for a Leader" – 4:03
"Roger and Out" – 4:25
"America the Beautiful" (lyrics: Katharine Lee Bates; music: Samuel A. Ward) – 2:57
Dennie
Well-Known Member
Marvin The Album -- CD
Frente!
1994 Mushroom Records
After years of morose grunge rock, dirgey guitars and hidden vocals, in skips Frente! to warm our hearts. Angie Hart's beaming, first-love vocals glide over Simon Austin's crisp, jazzy guitar interludes to create songs that sound like elegant dinner-party pop.
From their smooth adaptation of Barry White's "Can't Get Enough Of Your Love," to the coffee house sing-along of New Order's "Bizarre Love Triangle," Frente! have all pop bases covered.
The original material on MARVIN THE ALBUM is equally strong. The pensive "Labour Of Love" and the soaring "Ordinary Angels" meld pop's best elements. "Labour Of Love" finds Hart coy and charming, her vocals betraying the effort of her "labour," while the house beat and clean pop instrumentation in "Ordinary Angels" shows that Frente! can rock harder than their shoe-gazing image implies. MARVIN THE ALBUM is an exercise in concise pop.
1. Girl
2. Labour of Love
3. Ordinary Angels
4. Lonely
5. Most Beautiful
6. Cuscutian
7. Pretty Friend
8. No Time
9. Reflect
10. Explode
11. Accidently Kelly Street
12. See/Believe
13. Dangerous
14. Bizarre Love Triangle
Dennie
Well-Known Member
Shooting Rubberbands At The Stars -- CD
Edie Brickell & The New Bohemians
1988 Geffen Records
Amazon.com
"What I Am," the leadoff track on Shooting Rubberbands at the Stars, was a left-field hit off this Dallas band's debut album, and it remains about the only thing they're remembered for (excepting Brickell's eventual marriage to Paul Simon). But a good part of this album is quite listenable and stands up reasonably well to the years. "Love Like We Do," "Little Miss S." and "The Wheel" are basically equal to "What I Am" in their rhythmic and melodic pop appeal; "Air of December" and "She" allow the band's more jazz-oriented roots a little room to flourish, and the poignantly personal ballad "Circle" remains the best lyric Brickell has written. It was all downhill from here, but Shooting Rubberbands was an early peak worth revisiting. --Peter Blackstock
1. "What I Am" Edie Brickell, Kenny Withrow 4:54
2. "Little Miss S." Edie Brickell, Kenny Withrow, Brad Houser, Brandon Aly & John Bush 3:37
3. "Air Of December" Edie Brickell, Kenny Withrow, Brad Houser, Brandon Aly & John Bush 5:54
4. "The Wheel" Edie Brickell, Kenny Withrow, Brad Houser, Brandon Aly & John Bush 3:53
5. "Love Like We Do" Edie Brickell 3:13
6. "Circle" Edie Brickell, Kenny Withrow 3:11
7. "Beat The Time" Edie Brickell, Kenny Withrow 2:58
8. "She" Edie Brickell, Kenny Withrow, Brad Houser, Brandon Aly & John Bush 5:06
9. "Nothing" Edie Brickell, Kenny Withrow 4:49
10. "Now" Edie Brickell, Kenny Withrow, Brad Houser, Brandon Aly & John Bush 6:00
11. "Keep Coming Back" Edie Brickell 2:42
12. "I Do" Edie Brickell 2:00
Botch said:What'd you think of this one, Rope? The last BT album I bought was so "out there" its kind've hard to listen to (although I'm floored with the work/talent that went into it).Rope said:
Rope
All BT stuff is "out there", although very unique and creative. I thoroughly love This Binary Universe. This one will take several listens to make sense.
Rope
Dennie
Well-Known Member
My last one for the evening....
Acoustic -- CD
Everything But The Girl
1992 Atlantic Records
Not your typical "unplugged" release, February 28, 2002
By C. Brennan - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)
This review is from: Acoustic (Audio CD)
Ben Watt & Tracey Thorn spent quite a bit of time touring in the late 80s and early 90s, playing concerts to smaller audiences in theaters and similar venues all over Europe and the US. Most concerts included a purely acoustic set. By the time of this release, ebtg had quite the stable of lushly produced, beautifully orchestrated albums to their credit. The most beautiful instrument in Ben Watt's arrangements, of course, is the voice of Tracey Thorn. "Acoustic" is the prime showcase for her vocals, over and above every other ebtg release.
There is a poignancy to Thorn's vocals that demands yearning, aching, hope and solace from the listener. Her naked rendition of "Come On Home" can transmute hope to dispair or back again. Their treatment of "Tougher Than The Rest" reveals the vulnerability behind the lyric's bravado, which is nearly lost in Springsteen's own interpretation of this tune. And, of course, the album wouldn't be complete without this riveting rendition of "Fascination", one of their most-requested songs.
I will admit a bias since I've been an ebtg fan for well over ten years now, but even given that, "Acoustic" is a must-have for appreciating the musical - and emotional - chemistry between Ben & Tracey. It's what makes them work.
"Love Is Strange" (Ethel Smith, Sylvia Robinson, Mickey Baker)
"Tougher Than the Rest" (Bruce Springsteen)
"Time After Time" (Cyndi Lauper, Rob Hyman)
"Alison" (Elvis Costello)
"Downtown Train" (Tom Waits)
"Driving" (Ben Watt)
"One Place" (Tracey Thorn)
"Apron Strings" (Live) (Thorn, Watt)
"Me and Bobby D" (Thorn, Watt)
"Come On Home" (Thorn, Watt)
"Fascination" (Live) (Thorn)
Acoustic -- CD
Everything But The Girl
1992 Atlantic Records
Not your typical "unplugged" release, February 28, 2002
By C. Brennan - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)
This review is from: Acoustic (Audio CD)
Ben Watt & Tracey Thorn spent quite a bit of time touring in the late 80s and early 90s, playing concerts to smaller audiences in theaters and similar venues all over Europe and the US. Most concerts included a purely acoustic set. By the time of this release, ebtg had quite the stable of lushly produced, beautifully orchestrated albums to their credit. The most beautiful instrument in Ben Watt's arrangements, of course, is the voice of Tracey Thorn. "Acoustic" is the prime showcase for her vocals, over and above every other ebtg release.
There is a poignancy to Thorn's vocals that demands yearning, aching, hope and solace from the listener. Her naked rendition of "Come On Home" can transmute hope to dispair or back again. Their treatment of "Tougher Than The Rest" reveals the vulnerability behind the lyric's bravado, which is nearly lost in Springsteen's own interpretation of this tune. And, of course, the album wouldn't be complete without this riveting rendition of "Fascination", one of their most-requested songs.
I will admit a bias since I've been an ebtg fan for well over ten years now, but even given that, "Acoustic" is a must-have for appreciating the musical - and emotional - chemistry between Ben & Tracey. It's what makes them work.
"Love Is Strange" (Ethel Smith, Sylvia Robinson, Mickey Baker)
"Tougher Than the Rest" (Bruce Springsteen)
"Time After Time" (Cyndi Lauper, Rob Hyman)
"Alison" (Elvis Costello)
"Downtown Train" (Tom Waits)
"Driving" (Ben Watt)
"One Place" (Tracey Thorn)
"Apron Strings" (Live) (Thorn, Watt)
"Me and Bobby D" (Thorn, Watt)
"Come On Home" (Thorn, Watt)
"Fascination" (Live) (Thorn)
Dennie
Well-Known Member
Today's work truck music....
Rockferry -- CD
Duffy
2008 Mercury Records
Amazon.co.uk
Rockferry, the Welsh singer's lovingly constructed debut album, has already succeeded beyond expectations, and although Duffy may not quite be the ingénue portrayed by a clever press campaign (she nearly won a local television talent show a few years back while a single credited to Aimee Duffy is still available on iTunes) she is surely the most appealing of the current flood of young soul sirens. The astonishing title track, co-written by Bernard Butler, sounded like a lost transmission that had taken decades to get through as soon as it hit radio last year. But the gently rolling soul ballad "Stepping Stone", that strapping, inescapable monster hit "Mercy", the ice cool "Serious" (the one time she really does channel the spirit of Dusty Springfield) and the wistful, elegant "Warwick Avenue" are similarly effective. Suggestions by some that Rockferry is little more than sixties pastiche are churlish. Butler's previous work with David McAlmont (featured here as a backing singer) showed his skill at writing and arranging the dramatic, while her other collaborators such as Steve Booker and the team of Jimmy Hogarth and Eg White are hardly lightweights. But despite some wonderful orchestral settings, it's Duffy's terrific voice that makes this so satisfying, even overpowering Butler's exquisitely underplayed guitar work on "Rockferry" itself. Growling the blues on "Syrup & Honey" or belting it out over his lovingly arranged wall of sound on "Distant Dreamer", she sets the tone throughout, several of her songs dealing with escape, both physical and romantic. The sound of someone singing herself to stardom, Rockferry is at times genuinely amazing. --Steve Jelbert
1. "Rockferry" Duffy, Bernard Butler 4:14
2. "Warwick Avenue" Duffy, Jimmy Hogarth, Eg White 3:46
3. "Serious" Duffy, Butler 4:10
4. "Stepping Stone" Duffy, Steve Booker 3:28
5. "Syrup & Honey" Duffy, Butler 3:18
6. "Hanging on Too Long" Duffy, Hogarth, White 3:56
7. "Mercy" Duffy, Booker 3:41
8. "Delayed Devotion" Duffy, Hogarth, White 2:57
9. "I'm Scared" Duffy, Hogarth 3:08
10. "Distant Dreamer" Duffy, Butler 5:05
Rockferry -- CD
Duffy
2008 Mercury Records
Amazon.co.uk
Rockferry, the Welsh singer's lovingly constructed debut album, has already succeeded beyond expectations, and although Duffy may not quite be the ingénue portrayed by a clever press campaign (she nearly won a local television talent show a few years back while a single credited to Aimee Duffy is still available on iTunes) she is surely the most appealing of the current flood of young soul sirens. The astonishing title track, co-written by Bernard Butler, sounded like a lost transmission that had taken decades to get through as soon as it hit radio last year. But the gently rolling soul ballad "Stepping Stone", that strapping, inescapable monster hit "Mercy", the ice cool "Serious" (the one time she really does channel the spirit of Dusty Springfield) and the wistful, elegant "Warwick Avenue" are similarly effective. Suggestions by some that Rockferry is little more than sixties pastiche are churlish. Butler's previous work with David McAlmont (featured here as a backing singer) showed his skill at writing and arranging the dramatic, while her other collaborators such as Steve Booker and the team of Jimmy Hogarth and Eg White are hardly lightweights. But despite some wonderful orchestral settings, it's Duffy's terrific voice that makes this so satisfying, even overpowering Butler's exquisitely underplayed guitar work on "Rockferry" itself. Growling the blues on "Syrup & Honey" or belting it out over his lovingly arranged wall of sound on "Distant Dreamer", she sets the tone throughout, several of her songs dealing with escape, both physical and romantic. The sound of someone singing herself to stardom, Rockferry is at times genuinely amazing. --Steve Jelbert
1. "Rockferry" Duffy, Bernard Butler 4:14
2. "Warwick Avenue" Duffy, Jimmy Hogarth, Eg White 3:46
3. "Serious" Duffy, Butler 4:10
4. "Stepping Stone" Duffy, Steve Booker 3:28
5. "Syrup & Honey" Duffy, Butler 3:18
6. "Hanging on Too Long" Duffy, Hogarth, White 3:56
7. "Mercy" Duffy, Booker 3:41
8. "Delayed Devotion" Duffy, Hogarth, White 2:57
9. "I'm Scared" Duffy, Hogarth 3:08
10. "Distant Dreamer" Duffy, Butler 5:05
Dennie
Well-Known Member
Two Men With The Blues -- CD
Willie Nelson / Wynton Marsalis
2008 Blue Note Records
Historic: American Masters at Play July 9, 2008
By Dr. Debra Jan Bibel TOP 500 REVIEWER
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase
Everyone knew that this summit of master musicians would be special. The session was recently broadcast on National Public Radio's Jazz at Lincoln Center, and as we already have an Amazon video excerpt of the event, we can expect to see the entire meeting on PBS, with DVD as pledge gift. The CD, however, has had the opportunity for further electronic mixing and improvements by Delfeayo Marsalis and Jeff Jones. So what can we say about the quality of the music and the personalities? How many superlatives are there? But you first must be a Willie Nelson fan and you must be a jazz enthusiast who honors Wynton Marsalis and the Lincoln Jazz folk for their precision and urban sophisticated development of New Orleans roots. Thus if you are among that very large number of music lovers, you must own this recording. Even the insert notes and photos are nicely done. As for the selections, we have Nelson's own oft recorded theme song, Georgia on My Mind, and we also have Stardust, which was included in the album of the same title that demonstrated that Nelson was more than a country singer; indeed that album is his all-time best seller. I, however, enjoyed Rainy Day Blues and the other tunes that follow, which are what the album is supposed to be about: the blues. This album is simply fun. You will love it.
"Bright Lights Big City" – 5:20
"Night Life" – 5:44
"Caldonia" – 3:25
"Stardust" – 5:08
"Basin Street Blues" – 4:56
"Georgia On My Mind" – 4:40
"Rainy Day Blues" – 5:43
"My Bucket's Got a Hole In It" (Williams) – 4:56
"Ain't Nobody's Business" – 7:27
"That's All" (Merle Travis) – 6:08