What Are You Listening To?

[Dennie]

The Very Best of Dr. John -- CD

Dr. John

1995 Elektra Records
Don't miss this one!, May 1, 1998
By MamaRoux Jax "Librarian/Threadhead" (Southern NJ) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Very Best Of Dr. John (Audio CD)

The Very Best is exactly that, the very best of Mac Rebennack, aka, Dr. John. This CD covers it all. Blues, funk and typical New Orleans beat. Its hard to sit still while listening to any of the tracks on this CD... but Goin' Back To New Orleans remains my all time favorite, although its tough to pick just ONE! Don't miss this one at all!

1. Right Place Wrong Time
2. Such a Night
3. Mama Roux
4. Junko Partner
5. Wash, Mama, Wash
6. Loop Garoo
7. Iko Iko
8. Tipitina
9. Jump Sturdy
10. Qualified - (bonus track)
11. What Comes Around (Goes Around)
12. Mos' Scocious
13. I Walk on Guilded Splinters
14. Honey Dripper - (bonus track)
15. Accentuate the Positive
16. Goin' Back to New Orleans

 

[Botch]

AAHHHHHHHH.....

It's finally out. As soon as the mailman handed it to me I stopped what I was doing and listened to it thru. He's not covering another single artist's songs like he has on the last few albums; he does do two tasty covers but the rest of the songs are his. Appearances from many of the Roxy gang (Manzanera, Oliver Thompson, Mackay, Spedding and Eno) and lots of guests (Flea, Marcus Miller, Nile Rodgers, David Gilmour, Dave Stewart, Jonny Greenwood (Radiohead), and a bunch others whom I don't recognize. Ah, it's back to classic Ferry, I'm gonna be spinning this a LOT this weekend! :text-bravo: :text-bravo: :text-bravo:

 

[Dennie]

A Message From The People -- Remastered CD :handgestures-thumbup: :handgestures-thumbup:

Ray Charles

1972/2009 Concord Music
Signature album FINALLY available on CD!, December 28, 2009
By Greg Frediani (San Mateo, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)
This review is from: Message From the People (Ocrd) (Audio CD)

This concept album was a signature work in 1972. From the album cover - conceived by Charles himself, to the review of contemporary social commentaries, to the timeless rendition of America The Beautiful. This is a great album, not only in execution and Charles' incredible musicianship, but also makes a great statement to, and for, all of us. The "Message From The People" is still applicable today, and it's exhilarating to hear a Master Artist speak so well on our behalf.

Track listing

1. Lift Every Voice And Sing
2. Seems Like I Gotta Do Wrong
3. Heaven Help Us All
4. There'll Be No Peace Without All Men As One
5. Hey Mister
6. What Have They Done To My Song, Ma
7. Abraham, Martin And John
8. Take Me Home, Country Roads
9. Every Saturday Night
10. America The Beautiful

 

[Dennie]

No Place That Far -- CD

Sara Evans

1998 RCA Records

Amazon.com

Sara Evans's 1997 debut, Three Chords and the Truth, seemed, on first hearing, impossible. Here was a major-label Nashville album that, once again, faithfully captured the heartbreaking simplicity of classic country; here was a singer who could belt out with raw nerve and then slip low into deep smokiness. Evans's RCA follow-up is nearly as good, even as it leaves that hard country sound for a more radio-friendly, rocking edge. Billy Sherrill handles the recording, and though there's a luxurious quality to the layers of guitars and vocal harmonies, the standouts "Crying Game" and "Great Unknown" sound more like driving Americana rock than Top 40 country-pop. The real attraction, however, is Evans's fluid songwriting and expressive voice: whether she's singing beside George Jones, Vince Gill, or Alison Krauss, Evans's true, warm tone is, on the mainstream country scene, an emotional world apart. --Roy Kasten

1. "The Great Unknown" (Phil Barnhart, Sara Evans, James House) – 3:53
2. "Cryin' Game" (Jamie O'Hara) – 2:54
3. "No Place That Far" (Evans, Tony Martin, Tom Shapiro) – 3:37
4. "I Thought I'd See Your Face Again" (Marv Green, Rick Orozco) – 3:28
5. "Fool, I'm a Woman" (Matraca Berg, Evans) – 3:06
6. "Time Won't Tell" (Beth Nielsen Chapman) – 3:53
7. "The Knot Comes Untied" (Ron Harbin, Ed Hill, Sam Hogin) – 3:42
8. "Love, Don't Be a Stranger" (Mary Sharon Rice, Bill Rice) – 3:16
9. "These Days" (Evans, Billy Yates) – 3:14
10. "Cupid" (Keith Gattis, Kostas) – 3:03
11. "There's Only One" (Evans, Leslie Satcher) – 2:58

 

[Dennie]

AAHHHHHHHH.....

It's finally out. As soon as the mailman handed it to me I stopped what I was doing and listened to it thru. He's not covering another single artist's songs like he has on the last few albums; he does do two tasty covers but the rest of the songs are his. Appearances from many of the Roxy gang (Manzanera, Oliver Thompson, Mackay, Spedding and Eno) and lots of guests (Flea, Marcus Miller, Nile Rodgers, David Gilmour, Dave Stewart, Jonny Greenwood (Radiohead), and a bunch others whom I don't recognize. Ah, it's back to classic Ferry, I'm gonna be spinning this a LOT this weekend! :text-bravo: :text-bravo: :text-bravo:

Thanks Botch, I've added it to my wish list.


Dennie

 

[Dennie]

On And On -- CD :handgestures-thumbup:

Jack Johnson

2003 UMG Records

Something of a slacker renaissance man, prototypical mellow surfer-dude Jack Johnson is not only a BILLBOARD-charting recording artist, but also a world-champion athlete and award-winning documentary filmmaker. On his second full-length album, ON AND ON, the sandy-toed singer/songwriter delivers a bare bones set of acoustic folk rock as soft and soothing as the Hawaiian breezes that serve as his inspiration.

As on his debut disc, BRUSHFIRE FAIRYTALES, Johnson serves up a groovy, yet slightly melancholy stew in his trademark breathy voice, which at its best recalls everyone from Steve Miller to Chet Baker to Evan Dando of The Lemonheads. This time around, however, the vocalist/guitarist isn't afraid to gently stir pinches of reggae, hip-hop, and Harry Belafonte style pop-calypso into his usual hippie jam-band roux. Mario Caldato Jr.'s ultra-sparse, live-sounding production carefully reveals the subtle sadness that lurks behind even Johnson's poppiest tunes, making ON AND ON the perfect album for a midnight beach party on the last night of summer vacation.


1. "Times Like These" – 2:22
2. "The Horizon Has Been Defeated" – 2:33
3. "Traffic in the Sky" – 2:50
4. "Taylor" – 3:59
5. "Gone" – 2:10
6. "Cupid" – 1:05
7. "Wasting Time" (Johnson, Adam Topol, Merlo Podlewski) – 3:50
8. "Holes to Heaven" – 2:54
9. "Dreams Be Dreams" – 2:12
10. "Tomorrow Morning" – 2:50
11. "Fall Line" – 1:35
12. "Cookie Jar" – 2:57
13. "Rodeo Clowns" – 2:38
14. "Cocoon" – 4:10
15. "Mediocre Bad Guys" – 3:00
16. "Symbol in My Driveway" – 2:50

 

[Rope]

Rope

 

[Dennie]

Careless Love -- CD :handgestures-thumbup: :handgestures-thumbup:

Madeleine Peyroux

2004 Rounder Records
Product Description

Boasting an enthralling voice many have regarded as reminiscent of Billie Holiday's, Madeleine Peyroux burst onto the music scene eight years ago with the extremely successful release of Dreamland. Championed by major publications such as The New York Times and Time Magazine, Peyroux was immediately recognized as a remarkably talented singer with a promising future. With the release of her long awaited follow-up album Careless Love, Peyroux's potential as an artist is truly realized. Her smoky voice and knowing delivery make each song her own, whether she's singing vintage tunes by W.C. Handy and Hank Williams, or contemporary songs by Leonard Cohen and Elliott Smith. Producer Larry Klein (Joni Mitchell, Shawn Colvin) weaves strands of acoustic blues, country ballads, classic jazz, torch songs and pop into a vibrant fabric that is both timeless and thoroughly up to date, with Peyroux's arresting vocals always front and center.

1. "Dance Me to the End of Love" (Leonard Cohen) - 3:56
2. "Don't Wait Too Long" (Madeleine Peyroux–Jesse Harris–Larry Klein) - 3:10
3. "Don't Cry Baby" (Saul Bernie–James P. Johnson–Stella Unger) - 3:16
4. "You're Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go" (Bob Dylan) - 3:26
5. "Between the Bars" (Elliott Smith) - 3:42
6. "No More" (Salvador Camerata–Bob Russell) - 3:31
7. "Lonesome Road" (Gene Austin–Nathaniel Shilkret) - 3:10
8. "J'ai Deux Amours" (Vincent Scotto–Géorges Koger–Henri Varna) - 2:54
9. "Weary Blues" (Hank Williams) - 3:39
10. "I'll Look Around" (George Cory-Douglas Cross) - 4:47
11. "Careless Love" (William C. Handy-Martha Koenig–Spencer Williams) - 3:50
12. "This Is Heaven to Me" (Frank Reardon–Ernest Schweikert) - 3:12

(Recorded at Market Street, Venice, and Paramount Recording Studios, Hollywood by Helik Hadar.)

 

[Dennie]

Stepping Out -- CD :text-bravo:

Diana Krall

2000 Justin Time Records

Amazon.com

For years singer-pianist Diana Krall has been bringing new lifeblood to jazz via her dual knockout talents. And while her later recordings reveal a consistently maturing artist, this 1992 debut album shows that the Nanaimo, British Columbia, native had the goods right from the get-go. In her mid-20s here, Krall sings with honesty, subtlety, and persuasion while playing the piano with head-shaking authority, both as accompanist--she offers amazing asides in between vocal phrases--and as an absolutely A-one improviser. Indeed, it is remarkable to hear her weave her gifts into a wondrous whole. Working with bass ace John Clayton and the superb drummer Jeff Hamilton, Krall presents one winner after another. "This Can't Be Love" is typical, a selection where it is all but impossible not to tap your foot. After a nicely enunciated vocal--she slides into phrases much like Sarah Vaugh--the pianist cooks in her Oscar Peterson-meets-Gene Harris style, playing hip ideas that fall easily on the ear, underwritten by her rock-solid feel for time. "As Long as I Live" is another example of Krall's ability to sing and swing a standard with a nonstop groove. "Straighten Up and Fly Right" is slower and features a deeply bluesy vocal; "I'm Just a Lucky So and So" is equally sultry. The classic ballad "Body and Soul" finds her singing with intimacy and playing with a caressing touch. A very impressive start for a very impressive artist. --Zan Stewart

 

[Rope]

Rope

 

[Botch]

Watched this last night. Maurice White isn't with them in this show, but it smoked anyway. Some really attractive dancers with the band in tight white pants, ahhh! :dance:

 

[Dennie]

Crisol Habana -- CD

Roy Hargrove

1997 Verve Records

Amazon.com

This highly acclaimed 1997 musical meeting between rising American trumpet star, Roy Hargrove, and a collection of Cuban musicians including Chucho Valdes, founder of Irakere, is indeed a fine piece of music making. Given the politics of our times, much was made of the rapprochement between Cuban and American musicians. However, if you approach it expecting to hear something like most contemporary Cuban dance or popular music, you may initially be disappointed. The Cuban influence is subtle rather than blatant; the dominant flavor comes from the jazz tradition. But let it work its magic on you over a few listens and the inner strengths of the two styles become entwined, the sophistication of the vision will transport you to some place where only music, and not politics, matter. These musicians work together like the fingers on your hand. --Jonathan E.

Track listing

1. O My Seh Yeh
2. Una Mas
3. Dream Traveler
4. Nusia's Poem
5. Mr. Bruce
6. Ballad For the Children
7. Mountaings
8. Afrodisia
9. Mambo For Roy
10. O My Seh Yeh - (reprise)

 

[Dennie]

Oh, this is good.......not just the content of the album, but the sound quality is simply outstanding! :text-bravo:

Going Home CD

Bill Mays Trio (Piano) Matt Wilson (Drums) Martin Wind (Bass)

2003 Palmetto Records (This album is on many best of 2003 Lists)

Lovely stuff from a veteran pianist, April 10, 2003
By N. Dorward "obsessive reviewer" (Toronto, ON Canada)
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER) (REAL NAME)


I'd be surprised if there were a more sheerly lovely piano trio disc released this year than Bill Mays' new disc. It's dedicated to the memories of Jimmy Rowles, Red Mitchell & Shelly Manne. That's a great pianist, a great bassist, & a great drummer, & so it's no surprise that the music here places just as much emphasis on the roles of bassist (Martin Wind) and drummer (the always-excellent Matt Wilson) as it does on Mays's own piano. The programming is loosely based around the theme of home & homecoming, which leads to a nice mix of originals, mostly very offbeat choices of covers (only "You'd Be So Nice to Come Home To" is a familiar standard; there's even a nicely judged version of Dvorak's "Going Home", which was a favourite vehicle of Art Tatum). Mays' piano has a pearly but very precise quality to it: he isn't a "look at me" player. He likes to insert quotations in his lines, & he's one of the few players who does this who doesn't irritate me, because one never feels that it's a form of exhibitionism or lazy space-filling: Mays simply has all these tunes stashed in the back of his head (much like Jimmy Rowles) & they come out naturally & as part of the flow. He's also an excellent composer, though the show is stolen by a Rowles tune, the wonderful "Nosey Neighbors", which really ought to be better known. -- The recording itself is almost eerily beautiful: not in-your-face closemiked, but instead with a kind of silkiness that pulls the listener in gently rather than jumps out at him or her. Recommended.

1 Judy 6:03
2 You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To 5:55
3 Shohola Song 3:57
4 Home 4:21
5 On The Road 6:40
6 Shoho Love Song 4:13
7 Nosey Neighbors 7:35
8 In Her Arms 6:29
9 Comin' Home Baby 5:48
10 Going Home 7:19
11 I'm A Homebody 4:00

 

[Dennie]

This is a fun SACD Sampler. On Track # 3, The Clooney Sister's sing "Straighten Up And Fly Right". It starts out with a original 1945 Mono Audition tape that sounds about as good as AM Radio. But, at about the 54 second mark, the remastered stereo version kicks in and WOW! :eusa-clap: A very nice effect, especially if someone is using this as a Demo or Showoff piece! The whole thing is good. :handgestures-thumbup:

Concord Jazz SACD Sampler SACD

Various Artists

2003 Concord Records

Great demo disk, November 24, 2003
By A Customer
This review is from: Concord Records SACD Sampler 1 (Multichannel Hybrid SACD) (Audio CD)

Fantastic disk with which to demo your SACD audio system. Start with Clooney, which has the original mono sound through the center channel and watch the reactions when it broadens to a modern 5.1 version. Then play 'Watermelon Man'. Jaws will drop.

Track Listing

1. Beija-Flor - Jim Hall Quartet
2. Come With Me - Tania Maria
3. Straighten Up and Fly Right - Rosemary Clooney
4. Watermelon Man - Poncho Sanchez, Mongo Santamaría
5. Listen Here - Gene Harris Quartet
6. My Handy Man Ain't Handy No More - Carmen McRae
7. Airegin - Tito Puente
8. Blood Count - Stan Getz
9. Love Walked In - The Boss Brass, Rob McConnell, Mel Tormé
10. Serengeti - Cal Tjader
11. In Walked Bud - Art Blakey & the Jazz Messengers, Art Blakey & the Jazz Messengers
12. O Nosso Amor - Charlie Byrd Trio, Ken Peplowski
13. Spring Will Be a Little Late This Year - Michael Feinstein, Israel Philharmonic Orchestra

 

[Dennie]

The Greatest of The Guess Who Remastered CD

The Guess Who

1990 RCA Records

A good collection, but. . . ., May 13, 2000
By John A. Kuczma "RogueUlfric" (Marietta, GA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)
This review is from: Greatest of (Audio CD)

This is a very satisfactory collection of The Guess Who's hit recordings, highlighted by the extended version of American Woman and the classic Clap for the Wolfman. The mastering is excellent. The only drawback is that a few of the group's popular earlier efforts, must notably, No Sugar Tonight, are missing. For a truly good collection of Guess Who hits, add both this disc and the Best of the Guess Who to your collection.

Track listing

1. These Eyes
2. Laughing
3. Undun
4. No Time
5. American Woman
6. Hand Me Down World
7. Albert Flasher
8. Glamour Boy
9. Star Baby
10. Clap for the Wolfman
11. Dancin' Fool
12. When the Band Was Singin' "Shakin' All Over"

 

[Botch]

Those last two have been added to my list...

 

[Dennie]

MotherShip -- Remastered 2 CD Set :text-bravo:

Led Zeppelin

2007 Atlantic Records

Amazon.com

For years, as playlists and multidisc players put Led Zeppelin tracks into a mix, there was a perpetual need to adjust the volume when Zep came on. Their tunes languished in the haze of substandard remastering--until now, at least for the 24 tracks on Mothership and the final fullness of the new Song Remains the Same reissue. For its part, Mothership's crisper, warmer audio owes its heft to the troika of Robert Plant, Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones, who helped oversee the mastering, bringing out untold shades even in the throes of "Heartbreaker" and the sinews of "No Quarter." It's an impressive sonic leap. Where tinny high-ends and muffled lows used to co-exist, fatter and louder depths prevail. It's ever more astonishing that Zep got on with just four blokes. You can quibble with the 24 tracks here (where's "The Ocean"?), but the band picked each track here, from the stone-cold locks ("Communication Breakdown" and "Stairway to Heaven," no, duh) to the robust throb of "When the Levee Breaks." As for "The Ocean," you can find that in fantastically full form, along with five other gems on the newly remastered Song Remains the Same, which shows up for 2007's holiday season on DVD, too. Only rarely have four lads from England made so memorable an auditory and visual blast. --Andrew Bartlett
Disc one

1. "Good Times Bad Times" (from Led Zeppelin, 1969) 2:48
2. "Communication Breakdown" (from Led Zeppelin, 1969) 2:30
3. "Dazed and Confused" (from Led Zeppelin, 1969) Page 6:27
4. "Babe I'm Gonna Leave You" (from Led Zeppelin, 1969) Bredon, Page, Plant 6:42
5. "Whole Lotta Love" (from Led Zeppelin II, 1969) with Dixon, Plant 5:34
6. "Ramble On" (from Led Zeppelin II, 1969) Page, Plant 4:24
7. "Heartbreaker" (from Led Zeppelin II, 1969) with Plant 4:14
8. "Immigrant Song" (from Led Zeppelin III, 1970) Page, Plant 2:27
9. "Since I've Been Loving You" (from Led Zeppelin III, 1970) Jones, Page, Plant 7:24
10. "Rock and Roll" (from Led Zeppelin IV, 1971) with Plant 3:41
11. "Black Dog" (from Led Zeppelin IV, 1971) Jones, Page, Plant 4:58
12. "When the Levee Breaks" (from Led Zeppelin IV, 1971) with Plant, Minnie 7:10
13. "Stairway to Heaven" (from Led Zeppelin IV, 1971) Page, Plant 8:02

Disc two

1. "The Song Remains the Same" (from Houses of the Holy, 1973) Page, Plant 5:31
2. "Over the Hills and Far Away" (from Houses of the Holy, 1973) Page, Plant 4:50
3. "D'yer Mak'er" (from Houses of the Holy, 1973) with Plant 4:23
4. "No Quarter" (from Houses of the Holy, 1973) Jones, Page, Plant 7:00
5. "Trampled Under Foot" (from Physical Graffiti, 1975) Jones, Page, Plant 5:36
6. "Houses of the Holy" (from Physical Graffiti, 1975) Page, Plant 4:03
7. "Kashmir" (from Physical Graffiti, 1975) Bonham, Page, Plant 8:31
8. "Nobody's Fault but Mine" (from Presence, 1976) Page, Plant 6:27
9. "Achilles Last Stand" (from Presence, 1976) Page, Plant 10:25
10. "In the Evening" (from In Through the Out Door, 1979) Jones, Page, Plant 6:51
11. "All My Love" (from In Through the Out Door, 1979) Jones, Plant 5:53

 

[Dennie]

Pssssssst! Hey Botch! Don't forget this one! :handgestures-thumbup:

Famous Blue Raincoat (at a fairly high volume :happy-smileygiantred: ) 24k Gold CD

Jennifer Warnes

2010 Impex Records

Amazon review:

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


On Famous Blue Raincoat: The Songs of Leonard Cohen, Jennifer Warnes rearranged and reinterpreted some of Leonard Cohen's greatest songs for a unique album that remains the ultimate tribute to Cohen's music. It was greeted with rave reviews, and made numerous year-end best-of lists.

Best known for such pop hits as the Oscar- and Grammywinning duets "(I've Had) The Time of My Life," with Bill Medley, from the film Dirty Dancing, and "Up Where We Belong," with Joe Cocker, from the film An Officer and a Gentleman, Jennifer Warnes has earned her greatest acclaim for Farmous Blue Raincoat, considered by many to be one of the best albums of the '80s

Features four previously unreleased recordings

Digitally remastered by Bernie Grundman from the original analog tapes

"Her voice is like the California weather--filled with sunlight , but there's an earthquake behind it." --Leonard Cohen

Tracklist:

01. First We Take Manhattan
02. Bird On A Wire
03. Famous Blue Raincoat
04. Joan Of Arc
05. Ain't No Cure For Love
06. Coming Back To You
07. Song Of Bernadette
08. A Singer Must Die
09. Came So Far For Beauty
10. Night Comes On
11. Ballad Of The Runaway Horse
12. If It Be Your Will
13. Joan Of Arc (Live)

 

[Rope]

Rope

 

[Dennie]

Super Hits -- Remastered CD

The Manhattans

2002 Sony Music

Ten beloved recordings from the Manhattans' CBS era. The dazzling choices include a shining version of Timi Yuro's '60s hit "Hurt," which they rejuvenate with the addendum of a killer fade. Two underrated bawlers, "Wish That You Were Mine" and "Am I Losing You," are as gripping as their mega hits: "Shining Star" and "Kiss and Say Goodbye." These are coveted male group sounds by one of the urban genre's most durable and liked vocal groups. ~ Andrew Hamilton

01. It Feels So Good to Be Loved So Bad

02. Wish That You Were Mine

03. There's No Me Without You

04. Kiss and Say Goodbye
05. Am I Losing You

06. Don't Take Your Love

07. I Kinda Miss You

08. We Never Danced to a Love Song

09. Hurt

10. Shining Star