What Are You Listening To?

[Dennie]

Big Band Blues -- CD

Pete Fountain with The New Lawrence Welk Orchestra

2001 Ranwood Records

Pete Fountain has been synonymous with Dixieland jazz since the late '50s, and it makes sense that he would record with the New Lawrence Welk Orchestra, since he originally rose to fame playing his music during special features on The Lawrence Welk Show between 1957 and 1959. This ghost band is not that similar to its predecessor, as it features swinging arrangements by guitarist Bob Bain (a veteran of the Tonight Show Band and Bob Crosby's Bobcats) that mostly last three to four minutes and serve to showcase the clarinetist. Throughout his career, Fountain has covered a lot of material found on this release, including "Tin Roof Blues," "Basin Street Blues," and "Just a Closer Walk With Thee," and he settles in quite well in his first big-band recording in nearly three decades. His improvisations within "Georgia on My Mind" and "Do You Know What It Means to Miss New Orleans" are somewhat adventurous. The arrangement of "Summer Wind" was influenced by Nelson Riddle's chart for Frank Sinatra, but it is a little bland compared to the other tracks. Fans of Pete Fountain will no doubt enjoy this release. ~ Ken Dryden

Track Listing
1. Avalon
2. Tin Roof Blues
3. Do You Know What It Means to Miss New Orleans
4. It Had to Be You
5. My Blue Heaven
6. Georgia on My Mind
7. Basin Street Blues
8. Marie
9. Just a Closer Walk With Thee
10. Home
11. Shine
12. You Brought a New Kind of Love to Me
13. Up a Lazy River
14. Summer Wind

 

[Dennie]

Downright Upright -- CD

Brian Bromberg

2007 Artistry Records

Amazon.com

Long before the coining of "smooth jazz," catchy numbers like Herbie Hancock's "Cantaloupe Island," Joe Zawinul's "Mercy Mercy Mercy," and the Les McCann-Eddie Harris tune "Cold Duck Soup" enticed pop fans to cross over, however casually or tentatively, into jazz. Now, on veteran bassist Brian Bromberg's Downright Upright, those three songs are vehicles for name-brand smooth jazz players including saxophonists Kirk Whalum, Boney James and Gary Meek, keyboardists George Duke and Jeff Lorber, guitarist Lee Ritenour and trumpeter Rick Braun to do a little crossing back of sorts to show off their mainstream chops. Nobody will confuse the facility of their straightahead solos with real depth, however much emotion they pour into them. But it's an agreeable excursion for all concerned, with Bromberg making the most of his opportunities to lay down melodic lines. Even after the cover versions give way to originals in the same vein, the music stays lively. --Lloyd Sachs

Track listing

1. Cantaloupe Island
2. Mercy Mercy Mercy
3. Cold Duck Time
4. Sunday Mornin'
5. Hacha Cha Cha, The
6. Chameleon
7. Serengeti Walk
8. Leisure Suit
9. Slow Burn
10. Shag Carpet

 

[Dennie]

Black and Blue and Tabacco Road -- Remastered CD

Lou Rawls

2006 Blue Note Records

This excellent twofer brings together a pair of albums Lou Rawls recorded for Capitol in the early 1960s. Both sessions feature Rawls with a hard-swinging big band and flanked by a three-strong saxophone section and the soul-jazz organist Richard "Groove" Holmes. The results, as one might expect, are both raucous and smoky. And while Rawls wouldn't hit his stride commercially until 1966's LOU RAWLS LIVE, he sounds utterly in command here.Both BLACK AND BLUE and TOBACCO ROAD focus on jazz and blues standards, including George Gershwin's "Summertime," Hoagy Carmichael's "Rockin' Chair," W.C. Handy's "St. Louis Blues," and John D. Loudermilk's "Tobacco Road," which would become Rawls's signature tune. The artist's rugged, soulful singing is the perfect match for the well-arranged big band, and the 2006 CD-issue of these classic albums is a welcome arrival.

Track Listing
1. Roll 'Em Pete
2. I'd Rather Drink Muddy Water
3. How Long, How Long Blues
4. Everyday I Have the Blues
5. St. James Infirmary
6. Black and Blue, (What Did I Do to Be So)
7. Gloomy Sunday - (previously unreleased)
8. Kansas City
9. Goin' to Chicago Blues
10. Trouble in Mind
11. World of Trouble
12. Six Cold Feet of Ground
13. Strange Fruit
14. Tobacco Road
15. Cotton Fields
16. Rockin' Chair
17. Stormy Weather
18. Ol' Man River
19. Blues For a Four-String Guitar
20. St. Louis Blues
21. Georgia on My Mind
22. Sentimental Journey
23. Summertime
24. When It's Sleepy Time Down South

 

[Dennie]

Songs From The Night Before -- CD

David Sanborn

1996 Elekta Records

Songs From The Night Before, February 2, 2003
By "laneranch" (Juniper Hills Ca.)

THIS ONE'S A KEEPER especially if you like good old funky blues, (and I do), this album will get you movin'. It's rare to buy a CD and like all the selections but on this one I do.
Track 3 "RIKKI" is soulfully beautiful for just blissful
listening.
Track 4 This was a big hit for the late, great Eddy Harris
and if you have the guts to follow Harris's sax on
"LISTEN HERE" you just better be David Sanborn.
And then of course there's Track 5 "SPOOKY" and it just doesn't get any better than that. It's classic R&B Sanborn.
Track 6 "MISSING YOU" Once again we slow the tempo for an incredible blues. He pours his soul into this rendition and again demonstrates his amazing command of the alto sax. I can get lost in this one.

I do think my favorite is the final track "SOUTHERN EXPOSURE". It has that "get down" funky feel that Sanborn does so well and nobody else can match---guaranteed to get you up and goin'!

Four final words of wisdom BUY IT AND ENJOY!

Tracklist:

1. Relativity 04:56
2. D.S.P. 05:00
3. Rikke 04:03
4. Listen Here 03:29
5. Spooky 03:58
6. Missing You 04:53
7. Rumpelstiltskin 04:16
8. Infant Eyes 03:30
9. Southern Exposure 04:36

 

[Dennie]

Standing Together -- CD

George Benson

1998 GRP Records

From Jazziz

Having achieved monstrous success as both a pop vocalist and as an electric guitarist, the legendary Benson now spends most of his albums switching back and forth between crooning over easy soul grooves and gracefully invoking the spirit of Wes Montgomery, the forerunner of his snappy "Breezin'" six-string style. Somewhere in the middle of these two modes, Benson finds his most distinctive voice as an inventive scat vocalist. Benson scats effectively here over brisk guitar licks on the best tracks, the retro-funky, densely percussive "Cruise Control" and the seductive Latin waltz, "Poquito Spanish, Poquito Funk." Smooth-jazz superproducer Paul Brown adds two clever touches to this latter track: brief symphonic washes and a soaring chant vocal behind the scat. The subtle sense of soul Brown has given to a large handful of smooth-jazz stars comes across best on the hooky "Fly by Night," which sounds like a great Boney James tune only with Benson's guitar in the lead. The set is bookended by the gentler guitar meditations, "C-Smooth" and "Keep Rollin'," which are likable enough. Between these cuts, however, Benson plays it pretty safe, functioning mostly as a lead vocalist on fluffy, easygoing romances he didn't write, like the title track and "Back to Love." "All I Know" is a far cry from "On Broadway," but, as on that classic song, Benson mixes a passionate lead vocal with the scat interludes we never quite get tired of.

"C-Smooth"
"Standing Together"
"All I Know"
"Cruise Control"
"Poquito Spanish, Poquito Funk"
"Still Waters"
"Fly By Night"
"Back To Love"
"Keep Rollin'"

 

[Dennie]

Ride -- CD

Boney James

2001 Warner Bros. Records

Amazon.com

It's no wonder Boney James is a winner of a Soul Train music award, and that his music is heard on urban radio almost as much as he's heard on smooth-jazz radio. From his first album, and on up to Ride, his eighth, James always has had a degree of funky soul and light pop mixed in his sax playing, which is a smooth-jazz staple. But here the lines are drawn more clearly and distinctly. There's no doubt that he's staking a claim in the retro-soul R&B movement with several potential hits, including "Something Inside," with its gospel-drenched Dave Hollister vocal, and "See What I'm Saying," featuring bassist Marcus Miller. With popular singer-rapper Jaheim, James manages to make at least three musical references to the '70s on the title track, including a musical nod to Con Funk Shun. The average smooth-jazz saxophonist wouldn't know Con Funk Shun from Brass Construction, which is one reason why James is not your average smooth-jazz saxophonist. He has chipped away at two different audiences and now has one big one that not only allows him headline status, but gold records. Ride will be his fourth in a row. --Mark Ruffin

1. "Heaven" (featuring Trina Broussard) 4:04
2. "Grand Central" 4:57
3. "RPM" 4:48
4. "Something Inside" (featuring Dave Hollister) 3:53
5. "So Beautiful" 4:21
6. "See What I'm Sayin'?" 4:34
7. "All About You" 4:07
8. "Ride" (featuring Jaheim) 4:33
9. "As You Are" 4:30
10. "This Is the Life" 4:59
11. "Boneyard" (Hidden Track) 3:56

 

[Yesfan70]

............Great choice, Lenny ROCKS! :music-rockout:



Dennie :handgestures-thumbup:

I ordered the 20th anniversary edition the other day. It's got a couple of rare unreleased tracks I'm anxious to hear, but was also curious how the remastering will sound.

 

[Dennie]

Celtic Wedding - Music of Brittany Played by Irish Musicians- CD

The Chieftains

1987 RCA RED SEAL

Though associations with pop musicians such as Jackson Browne, Van Morrison, and many others have established The Chieftains as one of the premier traditional ensembles in Ireland, it's their dedication to exploring the depths of the Celtic culture that best proves their musical worth and skill. The focus in CELTIC WEDDING is on Breton wedding traditions.Highlights of this 1986 release include "Dans Mod Koh A Vaod," an old fashioned dance that was known only in the small town of Baud, France, and which has not been performed since around 1950. The pivotal 20-minute title track is a medley of processional and recessional marches, hymns, and various celebratory dances. A thorough and well-researched album, CELTIC WEDDING is as insightful as it is enjoyable.

1. Dans Mod Koh a Vaod
2. Breton Carol, A - (French)
3. Dans-Tro Fisel
4. Marches
5. Dans Bro-Leon - (French)
6. Heuliadenn Toniou Breizh-Izel
7. Ev Chistr 'Ta, Laou! - (French)
8. Jabadaw
9. Celtic Wedding: Boked Eured :: Bride's Bouquet / Evit Mont D'ar Vourc'h / Evit Mont D'an Iliz / Adoromp Holl :: Let Us Pray / A Di Da Di, Goude An Oferenn / The Ton Ar C'hezeg :: Horses Tune / Distro D'an Ti-Feurm :: Back To The Farm / Dans Kost Er C

The Chieftains: Kevin Conneff (vocals, bodhran); Martin Fay (fiddle, bones); Sean Keane (fiddle); Derek Bell (harp, tiompan, oboe, organ); Matt Molloy (flute, tin whistle); Paddy Moloney (Uilleann pipes, tin whistle).Additional personnel: Nolwenn Monjarret (vocals); Alain Guerton, Michel Bertae (bombarde, biniou); Bernard Pichard (bombarde).Recorded at Lansdowne Studios, Dublin, Ireland in May 1986.

 

[Dennie]

............Great choice, Lenny ROCKS! :music-rockout:



Dennie :handgestures-thumbup:

I ordered the 20th anniversary edition the other day. It's got a couple of rare unreleased tracks I'm anxious to hear, but was also curious how the remastering will sound.

Nice, let us know how you like it!



Dennie :handgestures-fingerscrossed:

 

[Dennie]

Touchdown -- CD

Bob James

1978/1995 Warner Bros. Records

"Touchdown"!, June 4, 2000
By Jeffrey Harris (South San Francisco, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)
This review is from: Touchdown (Audio CD)

First of all I have to strongly disagree with the other reviews written on this album, by reviewers who seem to know Bob James only from the songs that have been sampled by rappers. The five cuts on this album define "smooth jazz" before it became bland and uninteresting. I feel he hit a creative peak with this album that he only reached again with his duet album "One On One" with Earl Klugh. "Touchdown" features excellent supporting players like Hubert Laws, Earl Klugh, Ron Carter, Steve Gadd, Idris Muhammad, and David Sanborn, there's definitely nothing formulaic about the performances here. This album was James' first to crossover and hit the top forty on the pop chart thanks to hit theme from "Taxi", "Angela", and his first gold album. "Sun Runner" received heavy airplay from contemporary jazz stations when this album was released back in 1978. This is one of the best smooth jazz records of this or any era.

All songs written by Bob James

1. "Angela" (Theme from Taxi) 5:48
2. "Touchdown" 5:44
3. "I Want to Thank You (Very Much)" 7:07
4. "Sun Runner" 6:17
5. "Caribbean Nights" 8:46

 

[Dennie]

Get Rhythm - CD

Ry Cooder

1990 Warner Bros. Records

"The Musician's Musician." "The Master of the Eclectic." There are probably a dozen more titles by which this "guitar player" is known. To even refer to him as a guitar player is probably a gross mislabeling of this musician. He defies any sort of categorization; this is his greatest strength and for some his weakness. The theme for these nine cuts is rhythm of all different ilk. I won't even give the parameters because he seems to have none. I wondered how many different instruments he played on this album (I thought I counted five different types of guitar); it only says guitar and vocal for his credits. Listen to his version of "All Shook Up," more bop and rhythm than Elvis could put into four of his songs. It seems musicians line up to play with him, and they feel he did them a favor by letting them play on his albums. He always gives them plenty of space to do what they do. This CD will make the dead start tapping their toes. ~ Bob Gottlieb

1. "Get Rhythm" (Johnny Cash)
2. "Low Commotion" (Ry Cooder, Jim Keltner)
3. "Going Back to Okinawa" (Ry Cooder)
4. "Thirteen Question Method" (Chuck Berry)
5. "Women Will Rule the World" (Raymond Quevedo)
6. "All Shook Up" (Elvis Presley, Otis Blackwell)
7. "I Can Tell by the Way You Smell" (Walter Davis)
8. "Across the Borderline" (Ry Cooder, Jim Dickinson, John Hiatt)
9. "Let's Have a Ball" (Alden Bunn)

 

[Dennie]

Between The Keys -- CD

Ramsey Lewis

1996 GRP Records

Great CD from Mr Lewis July 7, 2004
By W. Anders
Format:Audio CD

Well I'm very surpriced nobody has reviewed this CD because it is truly great. The melodies are great and thre music is always full of ideas and never gets into the "muzac trap". This is the Cd to just put on and jam for an hour! I've had it since it was new and never get tired of it. A lot of the songs are remakes I figured out but it does not sound like "tired remakes" to me. The mostly electric band puts on a great job and the female backing vocals are oh so sexy! A lot more shagadelic than easy listening ;-)
Grab a copy while you can!

Track Listing
1. Sun Goddess 2000
2. Cold and Windy
3. I'll Always Be About You
4. Secret Place
5. Between the Keys
6. Fleur, Les
7. Just a Little Lovin'
8. Hearts of Fire
9. All Around the World
10. I'll Always Be About You - (Remix, remix)

Personnel: Ramsey Lewis (piano, Fender Rhodes piano); Michael Logan (vocals, keyboards); Joan Collaso (vocals); Pat Ferreri (acoustic guitar); Curtis Robinson , Keith Henderson (electric guitar); Lori Ashikawa, Adrian Gola, Clara Lindner (violin); Marlou Johnston (viola); Alan Rostoker (cello); Grover Washington, Jr. (soprano saxophone); Orbert Davis (trumpet); Edwin Williams (trombone); Joe Sample (piano, Fender Rhodes piano); Frayne Lewis (keyboards, drum programming); Charles Webb (electric bass); Oscar Seaton (drums); Tony Carpenter (percussion); Brenda Stewart, Sheila Fuller, Elisabeth Withers, Morris Stewart, Robert Lewis (background vocals).

 

[Dennie]

Armando's Fire -- HDCD

Oscar Lopez

Narada World Records

Review
It's hard to believe that some of the best flamenco music around is coming from Canada, but with Oscar Lopez - originally from Chile, but adopting Calgary as his home - the only thing those South Park kids will be blaming Canada for this year is instantly lovable exotic music. Though both Cook and Lopez are flamenco-based, the latter displays more straightforward Latin influences.

On Armando's Fire, Lopez chooses one tune on which to blend his gentle sense of melody and romance with throbbing hip-hop; on "Other Faces (Otras Caras)," he intertwines two delicate high-tone lines - one melody, one harmony - over a thumping, programmed drum pattern as synth strings swirl easily in the background. The disc was produced by Frayne T. Lewis - son of piano legend Ramsey - so it's no surprise that there's a prominent piano harmony line and room for an upper-register ivory solo (courtesy of Kevin Randolph) on tunes like the smooth-jazz ballad "Walking Through the Pyramid" and the more exotic "Latino." Randolph also adds a synth-generated accordion texture to "Gypsy Soul," giving the plucky Spanish tune a playful French twist.

There are numerous emotional ups and downs here, but Lopez seems to have the best time on snazzy fiestas like the title track, which gallops along for a spell before Alejo Poveda's wild percussion and vocal chanting, along with Orbert Davis' blistering Arturo Sandoval-like trumpet work, push Lopez into overdrive trying to keep up.

--- Jonathan Widran, JAZZIZ Magazine

Track Listing
1. Armando's Fire
2. Walking Through the Pyramid
3. Games of Love
4. Chile
5. Frontiers
6. Gypsy Soul
7. Latino
8. Waiting for You
9. Dance of the Sun
10. Nostalgia
11. Other Faces
12. Romance
13. Better Late

Personnel: Oscar Lopez (guitar); Orbert Davis (trumpet); Kevin Randolph (piano, keyboards); Sharay Reed (bass); Calvin Rodgers (drums); Alejo Poveda (percussion); Stereo (programmimg).Recorded at Ivory Pyramid Studios, Chicago, Illinois from June 2-13, 2000.

 

[Dennie]

I Saw The Light -- CD

Hal Ketchum

1998 Curb Records

Hal Ketchum got married shortly before releasing I SAW THE LIGHT, which is presumably why this album finds him shifting his focus from incisive, poetic songs to romantic musings. While Ketchum's voice is in fine form, the material here is less weighty lyrically and much glossier musically than his past work. The title track, a remake of Todd Rundgren's 1972 pop hit, is a countrified version, adding a little fiddle and steel guitar. "When Love Looks Back At You," a radio-ready single, seems similar in feel and plot to Ketchum's previous hit, "Sure Love."Several tracks are gritty rockers that provide a change of pace among the love songs. Standouts include "Too Many Memories," an eloquent meditation on lost love, with a soulful feel and a nifty B-3 organ part. "Love Me, Love Me Not," adds an accordion to the mix to great effect, and "For Tonight" features a terrific vocal performance

Track Listing
1. Girl Like You, A
2. I Saw the Light
3. Tell Me
4. Long Way Down
5. When Love Looks Back at You
6. Love Me, Love Me Not
7. Wave of Your Hand, A
8. Unforgiven, The
9. Too Many Memories
10. For Tonight
11. You'll Never Hurt That Way Again

Personnel includes: Hal Ketchum (vocals, acoustic guitar); Jason Wilber (acoustic & electric guitars); Richard Bennett (acoustic guitar); Brent Mason, J.T. Corenflos, Dann Huff, Stephen Bruton (electric guitar); Paul Franklin (steel guitar, dobro); Dan Dugmore (steel guitar); Aubrey Haney (mandolin, fiddle); Rob Hajacos (fiddle); Mike Utley (piano, Hammond B-3 organ); John Hobbs (piano, keyboards); Kevin McKendree (piano); Dennis Burnside (keyboards); Keith Carper (bass, background vocals); Glenn Worf (bass); Eddie Bayers, Chris Nieto (drums); Terry McMillan, Chris Searles (percussion); Dennis Wilson, Curtis Young, Liana Manis, Malford Milligan, Sir Harry Bowens, "Sweet Pea" Atkinson, Ashley Cleveland (background vocals).Principally recorded at Curb Studios, Nashville, Tennessee.

 

[Dennie]

Crossing Bridges -- CD

Mark O'Connor's Appalachia Waltz Trio featuring Carol Cook & Nalalie Haas

2004 OMAC Records

Mark O'Connor is one of the most difficult musicians to categorize, especially when listening to a stunning release such as Crossing Bridges. Although his roots are in bluegrass, he is equally at home performing or composing jazz and classical music while freely mingling elements of each genre into a project. The violinist's meeting with violist Carla Cook and cellist Natalie Haas might be described as chamber music without boundaries. The opening medley of "Chief Sitting in the Rain" and "College Hornpipe" transforms two traditional bluegrass standards learned from O'Connor's mentor Benny Thomasson, with both Cook and Haas adding their stamp to the earlier version conceived by O'Connor and bassist Edgar Meyer. "Blackberry Mull" was inspired by the old folk tune "Blackberry Blossom," which O'Connor re-harmonized during a trip to Scotland. "Appalachia Waltz" was recorded previously by O'Connor with cellist Yo-Yo Ma and Meyer, and it remains one of the most moving compositions in the violinist's vast repertoire. This slight change of instrumentation makes little difference; this interpretation ranks with his earlier recording. "F.C.'s Jig" is a playful duet by O'Connor and Cook, while the traditional folk favorite "Limerock" is a marvelous duet by the violinist and Haas. It is amusing to learn that some of Mark O'Connor's fans want to stick to just one musical genre. This virtuoso performer and composer seems driven to an impossibly higher level of accomplishment when working with players as accomplished as Carla Cook and Natalie Haas. This is yet another essential CD by the prolific violin master Mark O'Connor. ~ Ken Dryden

"Chief Sitting in the Rain/College Hornpipe" (traditional, arr. O'Connor) – 5:28
"Blackberry Mull" (O'Connor) – 8:02
"Appalachia Waltz" (O'Connor) – 7:22
"Old Country Fairy Tale" (O'Connor)– 9:30
"F.C.'s Jig" (O'Connor) – 3:20
"Poem for Carlita" (O'Connor) – 8:30
"Limerock" (traditional, arr. O'Connor) – 2:25
"Caprice for Three" (O'Connor) – 3:43
"Vistas" (O'Connor) – 10:24
"Olympic Reel (Medley)" (O'Connor) – 11:20

___________

Mark O'Connor - Violin
Carol Cook - Viola
Natalie Haas - Cello

 

[Dennie]

The Greatest Stars of Bluegrass -- CD

Various Artists

1989 CMH Records

Track Listings
1. Colorado Calling Me - Jim & Jesse
2. In The Pines - Mac Wiseman
3. Under The Double Eagle - Donna Stoneman
4. Blue Is The Color Of Lonesome - Bluegrass Cardinals
5. High Level Hornpipe - Bobby Osborne
6. Wish I'd Stayed In The Wagon Yard - Grandpa Jones
7. Down In Union County - Buddy Spicher & Benny Martin
8. Palms Of Victory - Nashville Grass & Betty Jean Robinson
9. Lonesome Day - Osborne Brothers
10. Old Black Mountain Saturday Night - Joe Maphis
11. Little Rosewood Casket - Josh Graves
12. The Johnson Boys - Lester Flatt & The Nashville Grass
13. Arkansas Traveler - Fiddlin' Red Herron
14. Blue Ridge Mountain Blues - The Stonemans
15. Down Yonder - Johnny Gimble
16. Skyline Drive - Don Reno & The Tennessee Cut-Ups
17. Ida Red - Mac Wiseman
18. Are You Tired Of Me My Darling - Jim & Jesse
19. Lonesome Road Blues - Merle Travis & Joe Maphis
20. Sailing For Glory - Bluegrass Cardinals
21. Grass Country - Wynn Osborne
22. Mother Maybelle - Joe Maphis & Rose Lee
23. Somebody Touched Me - CArl Story & His Rambling Mountaineers
24. Home In The Mountains - Don Reno & Bill Harrell & The Tennessee Cut-Ups
25. Cannonball Blues - Lester Flatt's Nashville Grass
26. Bluebirds Are Singing For Me - Osborne Brothers & Mac Wiseman
27. White Heat - Merle Travis
28. Forked Deer - Buddy Spicher & Wynn Osborne
29. Carry Me Back To Old Virginny - Heights Of Grass
30. Liberty - Joe Maphis

 

[Dennie]

High Lonesome Sound -- HDCD

Vince Gill

1996 MCA Records

about a good as it can get, July 5, 2001
By Alejandra Vernon "artist & illustrator" (Long Beach, California) - See all my reviews
(TOP 50 REVIEWER) (VINE VOICE) (COMMUNITY FORUM 04)
This review is from: Vince Gill: High Lonesome Sound (Audio CD)

After seeing Vince Gill's extraordinary performance on the televised tribute to Brian Wilson, I was in the mood to hear some of my "Vince" collection...and this CD is probably my most often played. His beautiful voice, amazing guitar technique, and a songwriting talent that's a blessing to the world, all come together in this superb recording to perfection.

The title track is wonderful, and shows Vince's traditional bluegrass roots, as does "Given More Time", a touching love song for these hurried times we live in. "Worlds Apart" is a wrenching tale of a love gone cold, and another favorite is "Down to New Orleans", which always gets my feet wanting to dance. The finish, with the 2nd version of "High Lonesome Sound" featuring Alison Krauss and Union Station is amazing...though this is a sad song, it lifts my spirit with its artistry.

With flawless musicianship, melodies, and great writing, this isn't just one of the best Country albums ever made, it's one of the best in any genre. The packaging is tasteful and lovely, with legible lyrics and info, and it sets the mood for this very special CD.

"One Dance with You" (Vince Gill, Reed Nielsen) - 3:01
"High Lonesome Sound" (Gill) - 3:26
"Pretty Little Adriana" (Gill) - 3:47
"A Little More Love" (Gill) - 3:09
"Down to New Orleans" (Gill, Pete Wasner) - 4:18
"Tell Me Lover" (Gill) - 4:03
"Given More Time" (Gill, Don Schlitz) - 3:58
"You and You Alone" (Gill) - 3:27
"Worlds Apart" (Bob DiPiero, Gill) - 5:43
"Jenny Dreamed of Trains" (Guy Clark, Gill) - 5:20
"High Lonesome Sound" (Gill) - 3:06
featuring Alison Krauss & Union Station

 

[Dennie]

Today's work truck music...

Neck and Neck -- CD

Chet Atkins - Mark Knopfler

1990 Columbia Records

Who Needs Picks?, October 13, 2004
By Robert I. Hedges - See all my reviews
(TOP 100 REVIEWER) (REAL NAME)
This review is from: Neck & Neck (Audio CD)

This album from these two masters of guitar fingerpicking will leave anyone who loves the guitar, country, blues, or melodic rock delighted. I have been a Mark Knopfler fan since early Dire Straits, and learned about Chet Atkins from Mark. Anybody Mark thinks is great is definitely worth a listen. I became a Chet Atkins fan a bit late in life, and this album was a big part of that.

This CD shines precisely because it is not flashy or showy; rather it is imbued with craftsmanship and quality musicianship in every bar. The whole album is strong, but I am especially fond of "There'll Be Some Changes Made" in which Chet and Mark trade good humored jabs about their musical heritage, "I'll See You in My Dreams", a mastercrafted classic, and the laid back "Tahitian Skies." Throughout the CD the vocals are relaxed and effortless, and although Knopfler has an appealing if somewhat gravelly voice, Atkins is a little more atonal and wavering in his singing style. Of course the focus here is not vocal performances, but guitar virtuosity, and that is abundant.

This is a CD that will be appreciated by all guitarists who grasp how truly difficult it is to produce a recording this melodious and synchronized, regardless of how easy these two masters make it look. "Neck & Neck" is highly recommended.

"Poor Boy Blues" (Paul Kennerley) – 4:03
"Sweet Dreams" (Don Gibson) – 3:25
"There'll Be Some Changes Made" (Billy Higgins, Benton Overstreet) – 6:28
Parody lyrics by Margaret Archer, Chet Atkins and Mark Knopfler
"Just One Time" (Gibson) – 4:12
"So Soft, Your Goodbye" (Randy Goodrum) – 3:18
"Yakety Axe" (Boots Randolph, James Rich) – 3:24
Lyrics by Merle Travis
"Tears" (Stéphane Grappelli, Django Reinhardt) – 3:54
"Tahitian Skies" (Ray Flacke) – 3:18
"I'll See You in My Dreams" (Isham Jones, Gus Kahn) – 2:58
"The Next Time I'm in Town" (Mark Knopfler) – 3:22


Chet Atkins – guitar, vocals
Mark Knopfler – guitar, vocals
Floyd Cramer – piano
Guy Fletcher – bass, drums, keyboards
Paul Franklin – dobro, steel guitar, pedabro
Vince Gill – vocals
Larrie Londin – drums
Mark O'Connor – fiddle, mandolin
Edgar Meyer – bass
Steve Wariner – guitar

 

[Dennie]

Today's work truck music...

"Come On Home" -- CD

Boz Scaggs

1997 Virgin Records US

Amazon.com

Having sat most of the '80s out, Boz Scaggs returns in the mid-'90s as an urbane blues crooner, effectively bringing his music full circle from the sleek, disco-friendly pop of his '70s commercial zenith to the purer R&B of his late '60s debut. Come Home is a soulful valentine to the same models that informed that first outing, juxtaposing solid new originals against venerable songs from Jimmy Reed, Earl King Johnson, Sonny Boy Williamson, Willie Mitchell, and other blues and soul masters from Memphis, Texas, and Chicago. Scaggs, always a model of taste (who else could have produced disco hits that still sound stylish), juggles two blue-chip rhythm sections with strategic infusions of soulful brass, greasy organ, and Scaggs's own deep-fried guitar work sustaining the set's bluesy accents. --Sam Sutherland

1. "It All Went Down the Drain"
2. "Ask Me 'Bout Nothin' (But the Blues)"
3. "Don't Cry No More"
4. "Found Love"
5. "Come On Home"
6. "Picture of a Broken Heart"
7. "Love Letters"
8. "I've Got Your Love"
9. "Early in the Morning"
10. "Your Good Thing (Is About to End)"
11. "T-Bone Shuffle"
12. "Sick and Tired"
13. "After Hours"
14. "Goodnight Louise"

 

[Dennie]

Jazz Impressions of Black Orpheus -- Remasterd 24bit CD

Vince Guaraldi Trio

1963/2010 Fantasy/OJC Records

Today he's best known to most people as the man behind the classic PEANUTS music, but long before he jammed with Charlie Brown, Vince Guaraldi was making jazz inroads with his piano trio. As its title implies, JAZZ IMPRESSIONS OF BLACK ORPHEUS was Guaraldi's take on the groundbreaking Jobim score for the BLACK ORPHEUS film. While most of the album finds the prescient Guaraldi getting in on the ground floor of the U.S. bossa nova craze (though his take on these tunes doesn't feel particularly Brazilian), the key song here is in fact a Guaraldi original, "Cast Your Fate to the Wind." With its simple harmonic progression and strong, sunny melody, this unassuming jazz tune somehow made its way to the top of the 1962 pop charts, a rare moment of true jazz crossover.

Track Listing
1. Samba de Orfeu
2. Manha de Carnaval
3. O Nosso Amor
4. Felicidade
5. Cast Your Fate to the Wind
6. Moon River
7. Alma-Ville
8. Since I Fell for You
9. Samba de Orfeu [Single Version]
10. Manha de Carnaval [Take 2] - (previously unreleased, take, alternate take)
11. O Nosso Amor [Take 2] - (previously unreleased, take, alternate take)
12. Felicidade [Take 3] - (previously unreleased, take, alternate take)
13. Cast Your Fate to the Wind [Take 3] - (previously unreleased, take, alternate take)

Personnel: Vince Guaraldi (piano); Monte Budwig (bass); Colin Bailey (drums).Recorded at Station KQED, San Francisco, California in 1961-62. Originally released on Fantasy (8089). Includes liner notes by Ralph J. Gleason.