What Are You Listening To?

[topper]

~~~

1989 ~ Rounder Records

1 Send the Man Back Home
2 Moon's Goin' Down
3 Gypsie Boy
4 I've Got A Rock in My Sock
5 Foreign Lander
6 Goin' Back to the Country
7 M & O Blues
8 Lovin' Whiskey
9 Highland Overture

 

[Dennie]

7th Ave. Stroll -- CD

Mark Whitfield

1995 Verve Records

Still one of my favourite jazz guitarists. December 16, 2002
By Tom Timmermans
Format:Audio CD
Excellent album! Mark Whitfield is an amazing guitarist in the Wes Montgomery / George Benson tradition. His technique is flawless, his tone soft and clear and he's got a knack for spinning lyrical, bluesy lines that you can actually hum along to after a few listens.
I'd be hard pressed to pick any highlights on this album, because I like all of the tunes. Bowery Blues is one of my faves, along with Washington Square Thoroughfare.
His music draws heavily on the blues and although influences from Wes & Benson are apparent, he's still got a sound of his own.
If you like Wes Montgomery's early recordings, or the bluesy stuff by Kenny Burrell, give this album a listen. You won't regret it.

Track Listing
1. Washington Square Thoroughfare
2. Harlem Nocturne
3. 7th Ave. Stroll
4. A Brooklyn Love
5. Businessman's Bounce
6. Spring in Manhattan
7. Sunday in New York
8. The Bowery Blues
9. Sunset at Waterside
10. Headin to the Wes' Side
11. Autumn in New York

Personnel: Mark Whitfield (guitar); Tommy Flanagan, Stephen Scott (piano); Dave Holland, Christian McBride (bass); Gregory Hutchinson, Al Foster (drums).Recorded at Clinton Recording, New York on June 16 and 21, 1995. Includes liner notes by Mark Whitfield.All songs written by Mark Whitfield except "Harlem Nocturne" (Earle H. Hagen), "Spring In Manhattan" (A.S. Reach/A. Scibetta), "Sunday In New York" (Peter Nero/C. Oates), and "Autumn In New York" (Vernon Duke).Recording information: Clinton Recording, New York, NY (06/16/1995/06/21/1995)

 

[Dennie]

That Lucky Old Sun -- CD

Brian Wilson

2008 Capitol Records

Seldom has an album had as much to live up to as THAT LUCKY OLD SUN. When Brian Wilson and Van Dyke Parks wrote the iconic song suite SMILE some four decades earlier, they created the definitive art-pop statement, inspiring countless imitators for years to come. It's a gutsy move for Wilson to create a new album-length suite in 2008 in collaboration with Parks and bandmate Scott Bennett, a work that will unavoidably be compared to the unmatchable SMILE.LUCKY OLD SUN isn't SMILE's sequel; rather, it's an extended meditation on the pop myth Wilson and the other Beach Boys created in the '60s--L.A. as eternal summer-land, a surf-sand-and-hot-rod-heaven. Naturally, the music references the Beach Boys' classics, teeming with rich, close vocal harmonies, lilting, piano-driven song structures, and sunny, sophisticated melodic lines that will send a chill up the spine of anyone who's ever absorbed the sunshine-pop majesty of PET SOUNDS. Sure, Wilson's voice is a bit worn with age, but there's no attempt to duplicate the epic sweep of SMILE. THAT LUCKY OLD SUN succeeds on its own terms.

Track Listing
1. That Lucky Old Sun
2. Morning Beat
3. Room With A View [Narrative]
4. Good Kind Of Love
5. Forever She'll Be My Surfer Girl
6. Venice Beach [Narrative]
7. Live Let Live/That Old Lucky Sun [Reprise]
8. Mexican Girl
9. Cinco De Mayo [Narrative]
10. California Role/That Old Lucky Sun [Reprise]
11. Between Pictures [Narrative]
12. Oxygen To The Brain
13. Can't Wait Too Long
14. Midnight's Another Day
15. That Old Lucky Sun [Reprise]
16. Going Home
17. Southern California

Personnel: Brian Wilson (vocals, keyboards); Jeffrey Foskett (guitar, ukulele, background vocals); Probyn Gregory (guitars, trumpet, French horn, background vocals); Nick Walusko (guitars, background vocals); Scott Bennett (Spanish guitar, keyboards, vibraphone, bass instrument, background vocals); Paul Von Mertens (flute, clarinet, saxophone); Darian Sahanaja (keyboards, bells, background vocals); Bob Lizik (bass instrument); Todd Sucherman (drums); Nelson Bragg (percussion, background vocals); Taylor Mills (background vocals).Audio Mixers: Michael Corcoran; Scott Bennett; Brian Wilson .Arrangers: Paul Von Mertens; Darian Sahanaja; Scott Bennett; Brian Wilson.

 

[Dennie]

Soldier of Love -- CD

Sade

2010 Sony Music

Sade is back and worth the wait, February 11, 2010
By Apodaca (El Paso, TX) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Soldier of Love (Audio CD)

I have been looking forward to this release for a long time now and it was worth the wait. Sade has come along way in her song writing abilities and it shows on each new release. While some may prefer some of her earlier work because its a bit more 'catchy', it now sometimes sounds a bit artificial/synthetic in style and arrangement compared to her recent releases. Her lyrics in her last two albums have a deeper message in my opinion. As for the music, I love how this lady can incorporate DEEP bass into her music - no one does it better in my opinion. This album may not appeal for those fans still stuck in the past but Soldier Of Love is still a five star album.

1. "The Moon and the Sky" Adu/Hale/Matthewman 4:28
2. "Soldier of Love" Adu/Hale/Matthewman/Denman 5:59
3. "Morning Bird" Adu/Hale/Matthewman 3:55
4. "Babyfather" Adu/Matthewman/Janes/Nicholls 4:40
5. "Long Hard Road" Adu/Janes/Nicholls 3:03
6. "Be That Easy" Adu/Matthewman 3:41
7. "Bring Me Home" Adu/Hale/Matthewman 4:09
8. "In Another Time" Adu/Hale/Matthewman 5:06
9. "Skin" Adu/Hale/Matthewman/Denman 4:13
10. "The Safest Place" Adu/Hale 2:46
Total length:
41:58

 

[Dennie]

Today's work truck music....

Harvest -- CD

Neil Young

1972/1990 Reprise Records

Amazon.com essential recording

Proclaiming his intentions with "Are You Ready for the Country?" Young detoured briefly to the Nashville mainstream. On this No. 1 1972 album, even the singer's acquired-taste voice comes across smooth and beautiful--the smash "Heart of Gold," with steel guitars and Linda Ronstadt's backup vocals, is by far Young's most commercial-sounding song. His usual dissonant touches, like the otherworldly guitar in "Out on the Weekend," are less spooky in this new context. The last two tracks, the deceptively gentle "The Needle and the Damage Done" and the hypnotic rocker "Words (Between the Lines of Age)," predict "Tonight's the Night," Young's haunted 1975 classic. --Steve Knopper

Side one

"Out on the Weekend" – 4:34
Neil Young - guitar, harmonica, vocal; Ben Keith - pedal steel guitar; Tim Drummond - bass; Kenny Buttrey - drums
"Harvest" – 3:11
Young - guitar, vocal; Keith - pedal steel guitar; John Harris - piano; Drummond - bass; Buttrey - drums
"A Man Needs a Maid" – 4:05
Young - piano, vocal; with the London Symphony Orchestra
"Heart of Gold" – 3:07
Young - guitar, harmonica, vocal; Teddy Irwin - guitar; Keith - pedal steel guitar; Drummond - bass; Buttrey - drums; Linda Ronstadt, James Taylor - backing vocals
"Are You Ready for the Country?" – 3:23
Young - piano, vocal; Keith - pedal steel guitar; Jack Nitzsche - lap steel guitar; Drummond - bass; Buttrey - drums; David Crosby, Graham Nash - backing vocals

Side two

"Old Man" – 3:24
Young - guitar, vocal; Keith - pedal steel guitar; Taylor - banjo guitar, backing vocal; James McMahon - piano; Drummond - bass; Buttrey - drums; Ronstadt - backing vocal
"There's a World" – 2:59
Young - piano, vocal; with the London Symphony Orchestra
"Alabama" – 4:02
Young - electric guitar, vocal; Keith - pedal steel guitar; Nitzsche - piano; Drummond - bass; Buttrey - drums; Crosby, Stephen Stills - backing vocals
"The Needle and the Damage Done" – 2:03 (recorded in concert January 30, 1971)
Young - guitar, vocal
"Words (Between the Lines of Age)" – 6:40
Young - electric guitar, vocal; Keith - pedal steel guitar; Nitzsche - piano; Drummond - bass; Buttrey - drums; Stills, Nash - backing vocals

 

[Dennie]

Echoes of A Note -- Remastered 20-Bit K2 XRCD

Tiger Okoshi - A Tribute to Louis "Pops" Armstrong

1993 JVC Records

Spellbinding August 2, 2009
By Karl W. Nehring
Format:Audio CD

Some readers might be familiar with New Orleans trumpeter Leroy Jones, whose Props for Pops is a delightful tribute to legendary New Orleans trumpeter Louis Armstrong. You may have already guessed that Okoshi is not a Crescent City native, but Tiger considers himself one of "Pop's boys," and Echoes of a Note is a tribute to Satchmo, featuring many of the same Armstrong-related tunes featured on Jones's CD, but done in a much different style.
On this CD, Okoshi is supported by Stern on guitar, Goldstein on piano and accordion, plus Bela Fleck on banjo, Jay Anderson on bass, and Peter Erskine on drums. This all-star ensemble pays tribute to Armstrong by recasting his music in bop form. Satchmo's notes are there, but as echoes, not as re-creations.
The overall effect is spellbinding, and the music is aided by the sonic quality, which is again razor-sharp without ever sounding the least bit bright or hard. The net result is a CD that can be played over and over and over again, each time yielding new delights--just like Leroy Jones's CDs, but yet so different, too. What a wonderful world, indeed!

1. Hello, Dolly!
2. Basin Street Blues
3. (When We Are Dancing) I Get Ideas
4. St. James Infirmary
5. Rockin' Chair
6. St. Louis Blues
7. When It's Sleepy Time Down South
8. On the Sunny Side of the Street
9. When the Saints Go Marching In
10. What a Wonderful World

Personnel: Tiger Okoshi (trumpet); Gil Goldstein (piano, Fender Rhodes, accordion); Mike Stern (electric guitar); Bela Fleck (banjo); Jay Anderson (acoustic bass); Peter Erskine (drums, percussion).Recorded at The Power Station, New York on March 14-16, 1993.Digitally remastered by JVC using XRCD (extended resolution compact disc).

 

[Dennie]

Quiet Kenny -- 20-Bit K2 Remastered XRCD

Kenny Dorham

1992 New Jazz/JVC Records

Quiet Kenny is yet another reminder of what a trumpet giant Kenny Dorham was. Whether limning ballads such as "My Ideal," "Alone Together," "I Had the Craziest Dream," and "Old Folks," or investigating the timelessness and intricacies of the blues (his originals in this set with "Blue" in their titles), the former Charlie Parker cohort and ex-Jazz Messenger exhibits his subtle swing, personal sound, and finely-honed harmonic sense. Along the way these reflections and connections with Bird, Coleman Hawkins, Sonny Rollins, Max Roach, Harry James, and Louis Armstrong make for a rich legacy. (This reissue contains a bonus track, "Mack the Knife," that was left off the original master). The XRCD version of this stunning release rivals any version to date.

1. Lotus Blossom
2. My Ideal
3. Blue Friday
4. Alone Together
5. Blue Spring Shuffle
6. I Had the Craziest Dream
7. Old Folks
8. Mack the Knife

Musicians:
Kenny Dorham, trumpet
Tommy Flanagan, piano
Paul Chambers, bass
Arthur Taylor, drums

 

[Dennie]

Bean Stalkin' -- Remastered CD

Coleman Hawkins & Friends

1960/1988 Pablo/Fantasy Records

Recorded in Coleman Hawkins' later period, BEAN STALKIN' blends elements of swing and bebop in a unique manner. A live album, Hawk seems particularly inspired on the two dates heard here, a change from his rather sleepy studio albums from this period. The fiery, energetic playing by Hawkins' sidemen (including Roy Eldridge and Herb Ellis) add to the excitement.Highlights on BEAN STALKIN' include the uptempo "Crazy Rhythm" and the wild ruckus "Indiana (Back Home Again In)." On the former, Hawkins and Eldridge battle for supremacy. Fellow tenor man Don Byas and alto man Benny Carter add charm and diversity to "Take the 'A' Train." One of Hawkins' most memorable later records, BEAN STALKIN' is loaded with musical gems.

Track Listing
1. Bean Stalkin'
2. Indian Summer
3. Stompin' at the Savoy
4. Crazy Rhythm
5. Take the "A" Train
6. Indiana (Back Home Again in)

Personnel: Coleman Hawkins (tenor saxophone); Benny Carter (alto saxophone); Don Byas (tenor saxophone); Roy Eldridge (trumpet); Lou Levy, Lalo Schifrin (piano); Herb Ellis (guitar); Max Bennett, Art Davis (bass); Gus Johnson, Jo Jones (drums).Producer: Norman Granz.Compilation producer: Eric Miller.

 

[Babs]

I so enjoy Lara! Not only is she a true beauty, her voice is intoxicating!

This was the last CD I enjoyed with my Mom, it's pretty special! ray:

 

[Dennie]

Decca Presents:

Solos (1940) Great Standards By The Jazz Piano Master-- CD

Art Tatum

1990 MCA Records

Solo recordings from 1940.MCA's short-lived Decca CD-reissue program put out this gem, all of Tatum's piano solos from 1940, including two versions of the previously unknown "Sweet Emalina, My Gal." Some of the routines on these standards were a bit familiar by now (this "Tiger Rag" pales next to his 1933 version) but are no less exciting and still sound seemingly impossible to play. ~ Scott Yanow

Track Listing
1. Elegie
2. Humoresque
3. Sweet Lorraine
4. Get Happy
5. Lullaby of the Leaves
6. Tiger Rag
7. Sweet Emalina, My Gal (Take A)
8. Sweet Emalina, My Gal (Take B)
9. Emaline
10. Moonglow
11. Love Me
12. Cocktails For Two
13. St. Louis Blues
14. Begin the Beguine
15. Rosetta
16. Indiana (Back Home Again in)

 

[Babs]

My final listen of the evening before Zing & I share HT time together.

I have been thinking about Jonny since he was mentioned a few days back. He is an awesome talent! :handgestures-thumbup:

 

[Dennie]

Ella and Louis -- 32-bit UltraHD CD

Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong

1956/2005 Verve/First Impression Music

The very fact that America's biggest jazz label called one of their albums quite simply Ella and Louis indicates that we are talking about something very special here. And surely enough has been said--"Satchmo" and the grand dame of jazz certainly need no further introduction. In the 1950's just the mere mention of their forenames was enough to light up the eyes of jazz fans. A glance at the track list reveals that tranquility rules the day; wild stomps and improvised scats will neither be sought nor missed. Of prime importance to the jazz ballad is a feeling of "letting oneself drift" in the inspiration which gushes forth from the minds of genial American songwriters.

Ultra High Definition 32-Bit Mastering!
Ultra High Definition 32-Bit Mastering is a proprietary ultra-high-quality mastering system. This leading-edge system has achieved unprecedented sonority and musicality, reproducing as closely as possible the sound of the original master tape! This format employs what is currently the highest attainable resolution bit depth (word length) in the professional audio field, i.e. 32-bit. 32-bit resolution makes possible maximized, undistorted dynamics, and the lowest noise floor, allowing even the quietest musical information to be heard more clearly. This breakthrough results from the development, through years of experience and application of advanced digital technology, of a sophisticated A/D and D/A processing system.

Ultra HD 32-Bit Mastering does not specify a sampling rate; this allows flexibility in meticulously choosing the appropriate bandwidth for a particular recording. The higher the sampling rate -- for example, 192 kHz -- the greater the bandwidth. However, merely employing the greatest bandwidth may not guarantee the ultimate sound. With some recordings, a lower sampling rate -- 96 or 176 kHz -- may offer better musicality and more homogeneous harmonics. This determination requires careful and discerning auditioning and professional judgment. In the end, the human being’s hearing and emotions should be the final arbiter, rather than the print-out of testing equipment or technical measurements.

Recognizing these variables, FIM nevertheless tries to use 32-bit depth and 192 kHz bandwidth whenever the original analog master is at hand. Alternatively, if the original recording is on 24/96, the 32/96 may eventually be used to maintain the integrity of the sonority particular to that recording. With this flexibility, First Impression Music believes that preeminent sound is only achievable when the chemistry of the recording, mastering, glass-stamper making, replication, and quality control is right. As always, listening is believing.

This recording has been mastered by the new Ultra High Definition 32-Bit Mastering process, which creates an unbelievable sound surpassing other formats!

The benefits of Ultra HD 32-Bit Mastering:
• Ambience of Analogue Sound
• Higher Resolution
• Undistorted Dynamics
• The Lowest Noise Floor, allowing even the quietest musical information to be heard more clearly!
• Richer Sound Field
• Master-Tape Quality Sound!!!
• Delivers what musicians originally intended!

Features:
• Special Silver Logo First Pressing!
• Limited Run of Only 2,000 First Edition Pressings Available!
• Ultra HD Mastering
• Beautifully packaged
• Playable on ALL CD Players!

Musicians:
Louis Armstrong, vocals, trumpet
Ella Fitzgerald, vocals
Ray Brown, bass
Herb Ellis, guitar
Oscar Peterson, piano
Buddy Rich, drums

Selections:
1. Can't We Be Friends?
2. Moonlight In Vermont
3. Cheek To Cheek
4. Tenderly
5. The Nearness Of You
6. Stars Fell On Alabama
7. April In Paris
8. Isn't This A Lovely Day?
9. A Foggy Day
10. Under A Blanket Of Blue
11. They Can't Take That Away From Me

 

[Dennie]

Today's work truck music....

City To City -- CD

Gerry Rafferty

1973/1990 Capitol Records

Amazon.com

It took Quentin Tarantino's using "Stuck in the Middle with You," the 1973 hit of Gerry Rafferty's former band Stealers Wheel, in Reservoir Dogs to make Rafferty hip again. But City to City, his 1978 solo breakthrough, has long been worth rediscovering--and not just because it contains "Baker Street," one of the biggest and best singles of the 1970s. Rafferty brilliantly modernizes his Scottish folk-rock background on such pop treasures as the churning title track, the minor follow-up hit "Right Down the Line," the bouncing ditty "Mattie's Rag," the enchantingly churchy "Whatever's Written in Your Heart," and others. It's as rewardingly refreshing a change of pace now as it was when it emerged in the midst of the disco era. --Peter Blackstock

"The Ark" – 5:36
"Baker Street" – 6:01
"Right Down the Line" – 4:20
"City to City" – 4:51
"Stealin' Time" – 5:39
"Mattie's Rag" – 3:28
"Whatever's Written in Your Heart" – 6:30
"Home and Dry" – 4:52
"Island" – 5:04
"Waiting for the Day" – 5:26

 

[Dennie]

Russell Malone -- CD

Russell Malone

1992 Columbia Records

A Great Guitar Debut!, July 29, 2002
By Stuart B. Simpson (Lakewood,Wash. 98439, wa United States) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Russell Malone (Audio CD)

This 1992 recording (Russell's first) is great for a few reasons.One,it showcases Russell in a variety of small band contexts with many different styles.The supporting cast are equally talented young lions with elder statesman Milt Hinton on bass(he also wrote the liner notes).Secondly,Russell's technique and familiarity with electric,acoustic,and classical guitars is outstanding!That goes for the other band members as well!What makes me give this a 5 star review more than anything else is the only solo cut(played on classical guitar),"Flowers for Emmett Till".It's spiritual ramifications/socio-political implications leaves one with a sense of heightened humanity.Thanks Russell!Stuart B. Simpson Seattle,Wash.

1. Wives and Lovers
2. Invisible Colors
3. When I Take My Sugar to Tea
4. It's the Talk of the Town
5. St. Louis Blues
6. I Don't Know Enough About You
7. Close Your Eyes
8. London by Night
9. I Can't Believe That You're in Love With Me
10. Moonlight Serenade
11. Flowers for Emmett Till
12. Precious Lord

 

[Dennie]

Today's work truck music...

Rock and Roll Doctor - A Tribute to Lowell George -- CD

Various Artists

1997 Kaigan Records

Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine

As the guitarist, vocalist and primary songwriter for Little Feat, Lowell George was one of the biggest cult heroes of the '70s, creating a body of work that was deeply set within the blues tradition yet fiercely idiosyncratic and weird. It was the kind of music that earns a large cult following, but doesn't guarantee good covers, since its very quirkiness is among its most appealing traits. Basically, it's a question of matching the right artist with the right song, something that happens about half of the time on Rock N Roll Doctor (A Tribute to Lowell George). By the time the tribute record was released in 1998, his "Willin'" had long been established as a classic, the kind of song that could be covered by anyone -- along with "Dixie Chicken," it's one of the rare universal songs in George's catalog -- but Rock N Roll Doctor doesn't include either of those songs, or "Fat Man in the Bathtub." Instead, its 13 tracks are all relatively obscure, known to hardcore fans but not casual listeners, and this album is a record made by hardcore fans for hardcore fans. That doesn't mean it's necessarily all successful. Eddie Money wasn't really meant to sing the title track, and a couple of cuts, ironically including Little Feat's reworking of "Honest Man," are a bit too reverant to his memory (the group erases that negative with a storming "Cold, Cold, Cold," performed as a duet with Bonnie Raitt). But the best songs -- the Bottle Rockets and David Lindley's "Rocket in My Pocket," Jackson Browne's "I've Been the One," Taj Mahal's "Feats Don't Fail Me Now," J.D. Souther's "Roll Um Easy," Allen Toussaint & Leo Nocentelli's "Tow Trains" and especially Randy Newman & Valerie Carter's "Sailing Shoes" -- demonstrate that George's songs can live on, provided that the artists perform them with as much imagination as he wrote them with.


1 Cold Cold Cold Bonnie Raitt, Little Feat 5:03
2 Feets Don't Fail Me Now Taj Mahal 3:18
3 Roll Um Easy J.D. Souther 3:04
4 Rocket in My Pocket Bottle Rockets ... 4:03
Performed by: Bottle Rockets, David Lindley
5 Sailin' Shoes Valerie Carter ... 3:49
Performed by: Valerie Carter, Randy Newman
6 I've Been the One Jackson Browne 2:20
7 Two Trains Allen Toussaint ... 3:38
Performed by: Allen Toussaint, Leo Nocentelli
8 Long Distance Love Merry Clayton ... 3:25
Performed by: Merry Clayton, Keisuke Kuwata
9 Rock & Roll Doctor Eddie Money, Buddaheads 3:28
10 Straight from the Heart Jennifer Warnes ... 3:19
Performed by: Jennifer Warnes, Chris Hillman
11 Honest Man Little Feat 4:52
12 Spanish Moon Merry Clayton ... 4:38
Performed by: Merry Clayton, Ricky Lawson, Phil Perry
13 Trouble Inara George 4:10
14 Lowell's Voice :04

 

[Dennie]

Tigerlily -- 24k Gold OMR CD

Natalie Merchant

1995/2007 MFSL #2663

On Tigerlily, Natalie Merchant's warm, mellow voice, and mesmerizing yet gracefully understated musical textures are sure to please even the most discerning and contemplative music listeners. Stand out tracks include the radio hits "Wonder" and "Jealousy," which have a similar sonic signature to the unique folk rock mastery of 10,000 Maniacs and "River" an absolutely touching tribute to the late River Phoenix. Mobile Fidelity's heralded GAIN 2 mastering technique has extracted every tender nuance and note from this enduring 90's classic.

Selections:
1. San Andreas Fault
2. Wonder
3. Beloved Wife
4. River
5. Carnival
6. I May Know The Word
7. The Letter
8. Cowboy Romance
9. Jealousy
10. Where I Go
11. Seven Years

 

[Dennie]

Pirates -- OMR SACD

Rickie Lee Jones

1981/2009 Warner Bros./MFSL Records #4521

After her acclaimed self-titled debut in 1979, Rickie Lee Jones' follow-up plans were wildly anticipated. Finally, in 1981, again working with co-producers Russ Titelman and Lenny Waronker, the singer definitely was into exploring new territory. Impeccably recorded as usual, studio giants and stars such as Randy Brecker, Donald Fagen, Steve Gadd, Steve Lukather, Tom Scott, Chuck Rainey and Victor Feldman plus legendary jazz arranger Ralph Burns of J.A.T.P. fame, help frame the singer's new direction. The masterpiece of the set may be "Traces of the Western Slopes", an eight minute short story with Steely Dan-ish overtones. Pirates may not be as much fun or upbeat as her debut; it's much more complex and overly sad, and yet very satisfying. Retaining her quirky phrasing while honing distinctive songwriting skills, this sophomore effort, alongside her debut and the future Flying Cowboys, are her three best albums to date, hands down.

"Jones as usual, assembled an all-star supporting cast including the likes of Tom Scott, David Sanborn, Donald Fagen and Randy Brecker. In contrast to today's albums with 16 tracks and 2 listenable songs, Pirates has eight outstanding songs with the likes of "We Belong Together, Living it Up, Lucky Guy, Pirates and Skeletons." - Myles B. Astor, Positive-Feedback.com, Issue 49

Selections:
1. We Belong Together
2. Living It Up
3. Skeletons
4. Woody and Dutch on the Slow Train to Peking
5. Pirates (So Long Lonely Avenue)
6. A Lucky Guy
7. Traces of the Western Slopes
8. The Returns

 

[Botch]

:text-goodpost: :text-bravo:

One of my Top 5!

 

[Botch]

Smokin'.... :music-rockout:

 

[Dennie]

Aja -- CD

Steely Dan

1977/1990 MCA Records

Timeless masterpiece, a landmark album of sheer beauty, April 3, 2000
By Sharon A. (Israel) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Aja (Audio CD)

Not many albums have influenced me as much as Steely Dan's Aja. Donald Fagen and Walter Becker have created a most unique flavour of Jazz meets Rock where beatiful melodies, genius production and perfect performance blend to produce a timeless masterpiece. This album should be on the A-List of everyone who appreciates the beauty of music. The album is full of complex musical concepts which immediately remind the progressive rock fan some of the common manoeuvres in classic progressive rock albums. Take the title song "Aja" for example. This piece takes you on a eight minutes ride to diverse musical patterns that vary between rock and jazz moods, amplified by rich orchestration. Other songs such as "Decon Blues" and "Home At Last" constantly prove to be intriguing while "Black Cow" is captivating. The presence of saxophonist Wayne Shorter on "Aja" is blessed - as a serious Shorter's fan I was delighted to see his inclusion on the album and I regard this decision as a wise one - the solo part he plays is terrific, bringing his genius and gifts to combine perfectly with the different environment he plays in. I would also like to add it is worthwhile for Steely Dan fans to get the remastered version of the album, just for the sound quality. Usually I cannot tell the difference, but since I had the original CD release and heard it so much, I could compare. The difference is amazing, the quality is much better - you can actually hear new sounds and appreciate the separation of the different instruments. The liner notes are quite disappointing, so I ordered the DVD to learn more about making of this unusual album. This album made me buy all of Steely Dan's albums, so if you like it I would recommend underrated "The Royal Scam" and "Countdown to Ecstasy" albums, although all are excellent. Get this album, it may be one of your best musical purchases ever. I know my getting to know it was a bless.

All songs written by Walter Becker and Donald Fagen.

Side one

"Black Cow" – 5:10
"Aja" – 7:57
"Deacon Blues" – 7:37

Side two

"Peg" – 3:57
"Home at Last" – 5:34
"I Got the News" – 5:06
"Josie" – 4:33