What Are You Listening To?

[Dennie]

GO -- CD

Dexter Gorden

1962/1987 Blue Note/Manhattan Records

Just before heading off to a 15-year stay in Europe, the stately Dexter Gordon waxed a pair of records for Blue Note in August 1962: this classic and, two days later, A Swingin' Affair. It's been widely reported that Gordon himself considered Go! his greatest achievement, and (if so) it's easy to hear why. Brimming with conviction and poise, Gordon's gentle-giant sax carries itself with a sort of graceful edge that is difficult to emulate. He's always quick with a humorous quote, yet it always seems to fit just right. He's always languishing behind the beat, yet he never seems late. He possesses an enormous tone, yet he never overwhelms the songs or the listener. He sounds unhurried at any speed. His song selection is typically creative, holding little-known ballads close to his brawny chest like a big, cuddly bear. A stellar rhythm section of the elegantly funky pianist Sonny Clark plus Butch Warren and Billy Higgins doesn't hurt either. --Marc Greilsamer

Track Listing
1. Cheese Cake
2. I Guess I'll Hang My Tears Out to Dry
3. Second Balcony Jump
4. Love for Sale
5. Where Are You?
6. Three O'Clock in the Morning

Personnel: Dexter Gordon (tenor saxophone); Sonny Clark (piano); Butch Warren (bass); Billy Higgins (drums).Producer: Alfred Lion.Reissue producer: Michael Cuscuna.Recorded at the Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey on August 27, 1962. Originally released on Blue Note (4112). Includes liner notes by Bob Blumenthal and Ira Gitler.

 

[Dennie]

Holly -- CD

Nick Waterhouse

2014 Innovative Leisure

Rooted in rhythm & blues with a damned Bobby Darin stance that says "I'm the Mayer Hawthorne-type singer that's perfect for adding sensual tension to any given David Lynch soundtrack," Nick Waterhouse is in fine form on his 2014 effort Holly; just don't take that Dan Fogelberg-ish album cover for music filled with '70s nostalgia. Go back a decade or two as the '50s and '60s are where this sometimes garage-rocking, sometimes Allah-Las member gets his kicks, something easily picked up on the album's title track, where a tight horn section, a standard beat combo, and plenty of wet reverb power the lusty tune. Indie Chris Isaak is the way that the cleverly titled third track "It #3" rocks over the detached lyrics, which are an almost haiku-like exploration of paranoia, with the short yet vivid words given more meaning by Waterhouse's increasingly itchy and anxious performance. Impressionist tactics are also applied to the story of the nightmare lady found in "Sleeping Pills," and while the organ and the shuffling beat of "Dead Room" suggest it could turn into the '60s hit "The In-Crowd" at any moment, lyrics come from the Joy Division or Radiohead schools of expressing angst. Hawthorne may have injected his throwback songs with exciting modern slang and swag, but Waterhouse's style is arguably more interesting, blurring the lines between contemporary and classic and offering a version of Roy Orbison's great Mystery Girl album for the post-everything set. Ten tight songs and out, and the album feels like a mystery itself, but artists who nail that stoic sense of wonder, like Isaak and Orbison, don't come around often. Waterhouse is certainly of their ilk, and since he adds his own abstract touches and modern emotions to the mix, he's arguably one of the best. ~ David Jeffries

1. High Tiding
2. This Is a Game
3. It #3
4. Let It Come Down
5. Sleepin' Pills
6. Holly
7. Dead Room
8. Well It's Fine
9. Ain't There Something That Money Can't Buy
10. Hands on the Clock

Personnel: Nick Waterhouse (vocals, guitar, piano); Rob Douglas (double bass); Richard Gowen (drums); Carol Hatchett, Francisco Torres, Roberta Freeman, Jeff Babko, Larry Goldings, Matthew Correia, Kyle Stephens, Gavin Paddock, Ron Blake, Jon "JT" Thomas, Brit Laur‚n Manor, Anthony Polizzi, Andres Renteira, Jason Freese.

 

[Dennie]

Crazyhorse Mongoose -- HDCD

Galactic

1998 Capricorn Records

New Orleans funksters Galactic return with Crazyhorse Mongoose, the follow-up to their superb 1996 debut, Coolin' Off. While the band takes the same approach as the debut ('70s production, soulful singing from vocalist Theryl de Clouet, long but memorable instrumental jams, etc.), Crazyhorse Mongoose is the better album. Since the band tours constantly, they've grown even tighter musically. And Galactic are one of the few young bands of the '90s that plays as a unit; they know that the most important thing is to keep the song's groove going. As on their debut, de Clouet is limited to showing his vocal talents on just a few tracks ("Change My Ways," "Love On the Run," "Start From Scratch," etc.), while the talented instrumentalists of Galactic never let the red-hot funk cool down. The title track, "Quiet Please," "Meter Maid," and "Tighten Your Wig" are all prime examples of Galactic doing what they do best. ~ Greg Prato

Track Listing
1. Hamp's Hump
2. Love on the Run
3. Crazyhorse Mongoose
4. Witch Doctor
5. Metermaid
6. Change My Ways (Pt. 1)
7. Change My Ways (Pt. 2)
8. Denny's Village Rundown
9. Tighten Your Wig
10. Cafe Declouet
11. Start from Scratch
12. Quiet Please

Galactic: Theryl de Clouet (vocals); Jeff Raines (guitar); Ben Ellman (saxophone); Rich Vogel (keyboards); Robert Mercurio (bass); Stanton Moore (drums).All tracks have been digitally mastered using HDCD technology

 

[Dennie]

From The Street -- 20bit K2 Remastered XRCD

Tom Coster

1996 JVC Music

Tom Coster's more commercial albums (such as Gotcha!!) were far from bad, and certainly had more soul and integrity than so much of the homogenized drivel labeled smooth jazz. But even so, they failed to adequately demonstrate just how adventurous and commanding a soloist and composer he can be. Like Let's Set the Record Straight and The Forbidden Zone, From the Street is a gutsy, hard-edged and uncompromising fusion date defined by its passion, complexity and spontaneity. Instead of avoiding the cerebral, Coster thrives on it. The Santana graduate has plenty of room to let loose and blow, as do such inspired sidemen as tenorist Michael Brecker and his disciple Bob Malach. And Dennis Chambers' intense drumming is superb throughout this fine and often abstract jazz/rock/funk CD. ~ Alex Henderson

1. Can't We All Just Get Along?!?
2. Monk-E-Shines
3. From the Street
4. Dennis the Menace
5. Amazon Life
6. Pharaoh's Jig
7. What's the Deal?
8. She Said She Didn't
9. Funky Joe
10. Spankin'

Personnel includes: Tom Coster (keyboards, synthesizer); De Shaun (vocals); Bob Malach, Michael Brecker (tenor saxophone); Mark Isham (trumpet, cornet); Tom Coster, Jr. (synthesizer); Steve Cardenas, Dean "Cat Man" Brown (guitar); Tim Landers (acoustic, electric basses); Stu Hamm (electric bass); Dennis Chambers (drums, cymbals, washboard); Sheila E (congas, percussion).Recorded at Shady Oaks Studios, Los Altos Hills, California and H.O.S. Studios, Redwood City, California.All tracks are digitally remastered. Digitally remastered by JVC using XRCD (extended resolution compact disc).

 

[Dennie]

The Dream of The Blue Turtles -- CD

Sting

1985 A&M Records

Amazon.com essential recording

From one spin of The Dream of the Blue Turtles, Sting's first solo release, it's obvious that for him there would be life beyond the Police. Teamed with a band of top jazz players, he presents his musical visions that had gone unrealized while he was still constrained by his former ensemble. In style and subject matter, it's a decidedly diverse collection of songs and the playing is excellent throughout. The love songs are mostly focused on endings or escapes, and it's quite possible to interpret much of the imagery in reference to the bitter breakup of the Police. Sting's concern with history and politics is in evidence: he makes a father's plea for sanity and restraint in the nuclear age, takes up for the U.K.'s much-abused coal miners, and relates the savage stupidity of World War I to the destructive effects of adolescent heroin addiction. Songs that seem elaborately constructed and recorded contrast with others that are presented as one-take jams. Seen as a whole, The Dream of the Blue Turtles is eclectic, ambitious--sometimes pretentious--but altogether worth owning. --Al Massa

Side one

"If You Love Somebody Set Them Free" – 4:14
"Love Is the Seventh Wave" – 3:30
"Russians" (Prokofiev, Sting) – 3:57
"Children's Crusade" – 5:00
"Shadows in the Rain" – 4:56

Side two

"We Work the Black Seam" – 5:40
"Consider Me Gone" – 4:21
"The Dream of the Blue Turtles" – 1:15
"Moon over Bourbon Street" – 3:59
"Fortress Around Your Heart" – 4:48

 

[Dennie]

Born 2 Groove -- CD

Euge Groove

2007 Narada Jazz

Euge Groove has created his most personal statement to date as an artist. On Born 2 Groove, the versatile saxophonist surrounds himself with an array of masterful gospel musicians who speak a completely different musical language. The result is ten brand new tracks, seven of which were recorded completely live. With special guest appearances by the great Jeffrey Osborne on "Baby If You Only Knew (What I Could Do)" and former Temptations lead singer Ali "Ollie" Woodson on "I Love You More Than You'll Ever Know," Groove should also gain even more appreciation for his musical interpretations from his ever-increasing R&B fan base. The song's themes range from the gently playful and laid-back feeling heard on the opening track "A Summer's Night Dream" to the beautiful Italian inspired imagery inherent in "Café del Soul" to the spiritual essence of "Religify." Groove flat out seduces you, moves you and grooves you on this record. Several of his performances, including "Slow Jam," "I Love You More Than You'll Ever Know," "Movin' On," the title track, and "Mr. Groove" reveal him as an accomplished, instinctive musician. His emotional solos and different chord voicings within a larger harmonic setting give him an edge over several of his generation's contemporary jazz counterparts. This CD is where the real players play. Fans of Euge Groove will experience a premium new sound set in HD digital technology that is filled with his incomparable saxophone voices, stirring gospel riffs and emotional, soulful vocals, all of which set a new standard for Groove's distinctive contemporary jazz sound. ~ Paula Edelstein

Track Listing
1. Summer Night's Dream, A
2. Mr. Groove
3. Cafe del Soul
4. Slow Jam
5. Born 2 Groove
6. Religify
7. Geez Spot
8. I Love You More Than You'll Ever Know
9. Movin' On
10. Baby If You Only Knew (What I Could Do)

 

[mcad64]

I think this CD is fantastic. I always crank this one!!

 

[Dennie]

Alone Together (Live) -- Remastered CD

Jim Hall - Ron Carter Duo

1972/1990 Milestone/OJC Records

ALONE TOGETHER is one of the great duet albums in instrumental jazz. Guitarist Jim Hall and bassist Ron Carter are renowned as both studio musicians and members of stellar outfits (Hall played with Jimmy Giuffre and Art Farmer; Carter with Miles Davis's second great quintet). In the intimate, chamber-jazz atmosphere of these live dates, however, the true sensitivity and flexibility of both artists can be heard. Carter and Hall are sophisticated, harmonically advanced players. They value balance and space as much as technical showmanship, and both play with a cool tone and rhythmically intricate flair that scintillates as it soothes and seduces.The majority of the program consists of standards ("Autumn Leaves" and "Prelude to a Kiss)," along with other covers (Sonny Rollins's "St. Thomas"). Hall contributes an original, the smoky "Whose Blues," as does Carter, with the sly bop flourishes on "Receipt, Please." Throughout, the music is playful, highly lyrical, energetic, and beautiful, while representing an almost uncanny telepathy between the two performers. Aside from faint crowd noise from the club audience, this album is perfection.

Track Listing
1. St. Thomas
2. Alone Together
3. Please Receipt
4. I'll Remember April
5. As in a Morning Sunrise Softly
6. Whose Blues?
7. Prelude to a Kiss
8. Autumn Leaves

Personnel: Jim Hall (guitar); Ron Carter (bass).Recorded live at the Playboy Club, New York, New York on August 4, 1972. Originally released on Milestone (9045).Digitally remastered by Phil De Lancie (1990, Fantasy Studios, Berkeley, California)

 

[Dennie]

Over The Rainbow -- CD

"Little" Jimmy Scott

2001 Milestone Records

There have been few 75-year-old vocalists working in any popular music style that sounded as good as Scott did on this session from late 2000, aided by contributions from top players like Joe Beck (guitar) and Grady Tate (drums). Scott loves those sentimental songs, and this set is full of standards in that vein, from the title track and "Pennies From Heaven" to "P.S. I Love You" (the Jenkins-Mercer composition, not the Beatles song) and "I Got It Bad (And That Ain't Good)." For the most part the arrangements are appropriately small-scale, letting Scott's voice hog the foreground and squeeze plenty of nuances from his sad vibrato. "Over the Rainbow" itself suffers from an excessive wash of vibes, but fortunately that's not typical of most of the set, which just does toe the right side of gushing emotion. It is a refreshing change of pace, though, when a trace of somber darkness is introduced on the foreboding, doomy arrangement of "Strange Fruit," which benefits from a guest shot by David "Fathead" Newman on tenor sax. ~ Richie Unterberger

Track Listing
1. Pennies from Heaven
2. Over the Rainbow
3. All or Nothing at All
4. Strange Fruit
5. Don't Take Your Love from Me
6. Just Friends
7. P.S. I Love You
8. Everybody S Somebody S Fool
9. If You Only Knew
10. I Got It Bad (And That Ain't Good)
11. I LL Close My Eyes
12. When Did You Leave Heaven?

Personnel: Little Jimmy Scott (vocals); Joe Beck (guitar, acoustic guitar, electric guitar); Gr‚goire Maret (harmonica); Justin Robinson (alto saxophone); David "Fathead" Newman , Bob Kindred (tenor saxophone); Larry Willis, Michael Kanan (piano); Joe Locke (vibraphone); George Mraz (acoustic bass); Clarence Penn, Grady Tate (drums).Audio Mixer: Michael Semanick.Liner Note Author: David Ritz.Recording information: The Studio, New York, NY (10/2000-11/2000).Photographer: John Abbott .Arrangers: Little Jimmy Scott; Joe Beck ; Larry Willis; Michael Kanan; Robert Sadin.

 

[Dennie]

Direct -- CD

Tower of Power

1981 Sheffield Lab Records

Direct is a 1981 live in-studio album by Tower of Power. It was their only album for the direct-to-disc record label Sheffield Lab. It also marked the return of original guitarist Willie James Fulton, not heard from since 1972's Bump City, and the last album to feature saxophonist Lenny Pickett. Mark Sanders plays drums on this album. Between this album and their 1987 comeback album Power they would record the sessions that later became the Dinosaur Tracks CD. Besides that, save for the original single release of "Simple As That" (from the same Dinosaur Tracks sessions), this would be their last new release until 1987. It contained mostly songs from their previous albums but included new stuff as well.

Direct would later be released with alternate takes on CD as Direct PLUS in 1997.

SIDE ONE
1. Fanfare/And You Know It
("Fanfare" written by Greg Adams, "And You Know It" written by Emilio Castillo and Stephen Kupka)
"And You Know It" originally recorded for Back on the Streets (1979)

2. You're Gonna Need Me
(written by Albert King)
New track

3. Squib Cakes
(written by Chester Thompson)
Originally recorded for Back to Oakland (1974)

SIDE TWO
1. That's Why I Sing
(written by Chester Thompson)
New track, later re-recorded during the Dinosaur Tracks sessions in 1983

2. What Is Hip?
(written by Emilio Castillo and Stephen Kupka)
Originally recorded for Tower of Power (1973)

3. Never Let Go Of Love
(written by Greg Levias, Hilary Thompson, and Michael Jeffries)
New track, later re-recorded during the Dinosaur Tracks sessions in 1983

 

[Dennie]

Today's work truck music....

The Best of Joe Cocker -- CD

Joe Cocker

1993 Capitol Records

Amazon.com

Known for his crazy man gyrations, sandpaper and gravel voice, and a destructive alcoholism that imbued his songs with a desperate edge, Joe Cocker set forth with a British blues sound nearly impossible to beat. This collection features his later work. The demons controlled, he's transformed himself into an adult-contemporary singer who can deliver the pathos on cue. The simple elegance of his duet with Jennifer Warnes, "Up Where We Belong," catapulted him back into the spotlight and his work since has been a graceful bow to that accomplishment. He's restrained these days but he still delivers that sad, lonely tune as only someone who's been there can. --Rob O'Connor

"Unchain My Heart" (90's Version) - 5:06 (Bobby Sharp, Teddy Powell)
"You Can Leave Your Hat On" - 4:14 (Randy Newman)
"When the Night Comes" - 3:56 (Bryan Adams, Jim Vallance, Diane Warren)
"Up Where We Belong (Duet with Jennifer Warnes)" - 3:55 (Jack Nitzsche, Buffy Sainte-Marie, Will Jennings)
"Now That the Magic Has Gone" - 3:56 (John Miles)
"Don't You Love Me Anymore" - 4:09 (Albert Hammond, Diane Warren)
"I Can Hear the River" - 3:41 (Don Dixon)
"Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word" - 3:57 (Elton John, Bernie Taupin)
"Shelter Me" - 4:20 (Nick Di Stefano)
"Feels Like Forever" - 4:46 (Bryan Adams, Diane Warren)
"Night Calls" - 3:25 (Jeff Lynne)
"Don't Let the Sun Go Down On Me" - 5:28 (Elton John, Bernie Taupin)
"Now That You're Gone" - 4:15 (Klaus Lage, Diether Dehm, Tony Carey, Joe Cocker)
"Civilized Man" - 3:56 (Richard Feldman, Pat Robinson)
"When a Woman Cries" - 4:20 (Joshua Kadison)
"With a Little Help from My Friends" (Live) - 9:27 (John Lennon, Paul McCartney)

 

[Babs]

^ Excellent! I have listened to a few of the songs from this album. " Unchain My Heart" is awesome. I didn't realize Joe covered "When A Woman Cries " by Joshua Kadison, a beautiful song! I will definitely be giving that one a listen soon. Thanks Dennie! :handgestures-thumbup:

 

[Dennie]

Narada Decade - The Anniversary Collection -- 2 CD Set

Selected Works - The First Ten Years

1993 Narada Records

THE NARADA DECADE: THE ANNIVERSARY COLLECTION: SELECTED WORKS: THE FIRST TEN YEARS contains music recorded between the years 1983-1993 for the Narada record label. This compilation includes a 12-page booklet complete with artists biographies, track-by-track annotations and a catalog of Narada recordings.Editors: John Chase; Terry Wood.Illustrator: Carlos Alejandro.Arrangers: Daniel Chase; David Arkenstone; Eric Lindert; Hal Sacks; John Van Tongeren; Kostia; Mark Mancina.Narada Decade: The Anniversary Collection celebrates the label's tenth year with two discs' worth of contemporary instrumentals. The tone of the set is definitely low-key, but rarely does it stray into the more synthesizer-heavy side of things. Instead, it does its talking with taste and texture, employing lots of piano and spare instrumentation. Richard Souther's "The Long Riders" builds a surging melody from synths, while David Lanz "Leaves on the Seine" is a contemplative piano piece that's as quiet and drifting as its title suggests. Things get a little busy toward the end of disc two; though the pieces from Ralf Illenberger and Hans Zimmer are ambitious, they're a bit too boisterous for this collection, which stays in one gear -- slow and steady -- for almost its entire duration. Though everything on this set has been previously released, fans of Narada or any of its artists might enjoy having the songs in one convenient location. ~ Johnny Loftus

Track Listing
DISC 1:
1. Cristofori's Dream - David Lanz
2. In the Court of the Mermaid - Friedemann
3. Shenandoah - Eric Tingstad/Nancy Rumbel
4. Tomorrow's Child - Spencer Brewer
5. Moon Run - Trapezoid
6. Girl from Barcelona - Kostia
7. Nature Cycles Variations, Pt. 1 - Gabriel Lee
8. Hillside View - Ancient Future
9. Leaves on the Seine - David Lanz
10. Sonho (Dream) - Nando Lauria
11. Circus - Wayne Gratz
12. Water's Edge - Michael Jones
13. Oaks - David Lanz/Eric Tingstad/Nancy Rumbel
14. All the Way Home - Richard Souther
15. Carnation Lily Lily Rose - David Arkenstone/Andrew White

DISC 2:
1. Eagle's Path - David Lanz/Paul Speer/David Lanz & Paul Speer
2. Break of Day - Bernardo Rubaja
3. Long Riders, The - Richard Souther
4. Papillon (On the Wings of the Butterfly) - David Arkenstone
5. Man from Caesaria, The - Friedemann
6. Sand and Water - Kostia
7. Memory in the Snow - Michael Gettel
8. Behind the Waterfall - David Lanz/Paul Speer/David Lanz & Paul Speer
9. Stepping Stars - David Arkenstone
10. Vivaldi - Carol Nethen
11. Waiting, The - Peter Buffett
12. Wonderland - Spencer Brewer
13. Fun Tango - Ralf Illenberger
14. Que Xote - Nando Lauria
15. Millennium Theme - Hans Zimmer
16. Alluvial Plains, The - Colin Chin

 

[Dennie]

After a long wait, we have their second album.... :banana-dance:

Put Your Needle Down -- CD

The Secret Sisters

Today Republic Records

On their debut release the country/folk duo The Secret Sisters (Laura and Lydia Rogers from hallowed Muscle Shoals, AL) featured mostly covers. They showed impeccable taste by interpreting legendary gems by George Jones, Bill Monroe, Buck Owens, Hank Williams and Frank Sinatra. But even with the inclusion of a couple of originals the spirit of the Sisters seemed buried under that considerable musical history.

Since their 2110 debut the sisters haven’t rested on their well-received laurels. The duo honed their craft by working with Jack White’s Third Man Records, with Dave Stewart on a solo album, with The Chieftains on a tribute album. if that weren’t enough they supplied a cut for a Hunger Games soundtrack. This busy schedule has done wonders to refine their craft and that refinement is put on full display on “Put Your Needle Down.”

The opener is a clear example of that expertise. “Rattle My Bones,” written by Brandi Carlile, Phil Hanseroth and Tim Hanseroth, sits atop a Bo Diddley beat on this cooking tune about man regret that has the sisters mingling sibling harmony in a way that only experience (and genetics) can.

“Let There Be Lonely” is a dreamy lament to hard love that yearns and burns right through you.

“Dirty Lie” is an unfinished, bootleg only, Bob Dylan song from the 80’s that was brought to the sisters by producer and spiritual leader T Bone Burnett. They finished ou the song later after that meeting in their hotel room and the result is striking. Less folky obtuse defiance than a full torch mode Peggy Lee fronting a gypsy-jazz ensemble.

“Luka” is a slow-simmering tale of a woman attempting to escape an abusive father that slithers toward a dark en. Violins cry siren-like and meld into the high register singing that balances piqued emotion and harmonic beauty. “Pocket Knife” also employs violins to further turn up the heat. Flanked by a whinnying slide guitar and tribal drums the song builds an environment of the claustrophobic world that the women headed towards an unwanted marriage is living in.

“Lonely Island” is a lovely showcase for the sister’s more relaxed style. It lulls you into weeping in your umbrella drink. “If I Don’t” swings into a different take on Tammy Wynette as standing by your man comes with caveats that things better change and fast.

T Bone Burnett beings his sophisticated ear to shade the arrangements with just the right amount of funky antiquity. His direction and the extraordinary band build an atmosphere of parlor room intimacy that sounds like the best house concert you ever attended.

Listening to a Secret Sisters release is a crash course in the great American songbook. There’s more grit and heat in these performances than on their previous effort. They seem more assured. Less winsome demeanor and more poised audacity.

The 12 songs on “Put Your Needle Down,” many self-penned, proves the Sisters are no mere extraordinarily talented novelty act. They are now interpreting the ages in their own impeccable style and making their own way.

1. Rattle My Bones
2. Iuka
3. Dirty Lie
4. Pocket Knife
5. Let There Be Lonely
6. Black And Blue
7. Lonely Island
8. Cannot Find A Way
9. If I Don't
10. Good Luck, Good Night, Goodbye
11. Bad Habit
12. River Jordan

 

[Dennie]

^ Excellent! I have listened to a few of the songs from this album. " Unchain My Heart" is awesome. I didn't realize Joe covered "When A Woman Cries " by Joshua Kadison, a beautiful song! I will definitely be giving that one a listen soon. Thanks Dennie! :handgestures-thumbup:

You are most welcome Babs. That is the reason I love threads like this. :handgestures-thumbup:




Dennie

 

[Dennie]

The North Star Grassman and The Ravens -- Remastered CD

Sandy Denny

2005 Universal Island Records (Import EU)

One could argue Sandy Denny left Fairport Convention at just the right time -- her final album with the group, 1969's Liege & Lief, was both a masterpiece and a millstone, a brilliant work they would never top -- but her instincts were not as keen in terms of launching her solo career. Denny not unreasonably wanted a showcase for her own songwriting, but after leaving Fairport she opted to join Fotheringay, a talented folk-rock band but one that was neither as interesting nor as visionary as Fairport. Fotheringay splintered during the recording of their second LP, and Denny seemed to still be finding her footing as she set out to make her first solo album. The North Star Grassman and the Ravens was co-produced by Denny, fellow Fairport alumnus Richard Thompson and John Wood, and the interplay between Denny's vocals and Thompson's understated but striking lead guitar work is one of the best things about the record. With a gifted crew of U.K. folk-rockers backing her up, the sessions confirmed that Denny was still one of the most gifted and thoughtful vocalists to emerge from the British folk community, and she was also a talent to be reckoned with as a songwriter: "John the Gun," "Late November," and the title tune are only a little short of brilliant. But as good as the original songs were, and as compelling as Denny's vocals may have been, The North Star Grassman and the Ravens feels tentative and uneven. While Denny had the strength to do rock-oriented material, the covers of Bob Dylan's "Down in the Flood" and Brenda Lee's "Let's Jump the Broomstick" sound sloppy and meandering, and as sympathetic and expert as the production may be, the deference to Denny's vocals leaves the music a bit pale in comparison, while most of the tracks lack the personality they deserve. By any standards, The North Star Grassman and the Ravens is a fine album full of great songs and inspired vocal performances, but considering the excellence of Denny's music in Fairport Convention, it was a genuine disappointment, and seems pale in comparison to her next two solo efforts, Sandy and Like an Old-Fashioned Waltz. [In 2011, The North Star Grassman and the Ravens was reissued in a deluxe two-disc edition, and it's a genuine improvement on the original. Disc one features a remastered version of the original 11-song album along with four bonus tracks, but disc two is where the greatest treasures lie, leading off with five unreleased demos and following with seven live performances from the BBC archives. On most of these tracks, Denny performs solo, accompanying herself on guitar and piano, and where the album sometimes sounds uncertain and unfocused, here Denny is brimming with confidence and dramatic force.

Track Listing
1. Late November
2. Blackwaterside
3. The Sea Captain
4. Down in the Flood
5. John the Gun
6. Next Time Around
7. The Optimist
8. Let's Jump the Broomstick
9. Wretched Wilbur
10. The North Star Grassman and the Ravens
11. Crazy Lady Blues
12. Late November
13. Walking the Floor Over You
14. Losing Game
15. Next Time Around

Personnel: Sandy Denny (vocals, acoustic guitar, piano); Trevor Lucas (guitar, acoustic guitar, background vocals); Jerry Donahue (guitar, electric guitar); Barry Dransfield (violin, background vocals); Ian Whiteman (flute, piano); Roger Bell, Alan Skidmore (saxophone); Mike Rosen, Dick Cuthell (trumpet); John "Rabbit" Bundrick (keyboards); Pat Donaldson, Tony Reeves (bass guitar); Dave Mattacks, Gerry Conway (drums); Royston Wood, Robin Dransfield (background vocals).Liner Note Author: David Suff.Arranger: Sandy Denny.

 

[Botch]

The rhythm guitar on the very first track really caught my ear, checked the fold-out; sure enough, Nile Rodgers! He was all over Bryan Ferry's latest, Olympia, too! :music-rockout: :music-listening:

 

[heeman]

Bryan Ferry does Bob Dylan.........quite good I must say! :bow-blue:

 

[heeman]

I picked up a bunch of Bryan's stuff at a used music store a couple of weeks ago......

:bow-blue: :bow-blue:

 

[heeman]

This one just sounds amazing in the HT on the Vera's......

:banana-dance: :banana-rock: :banana-rock: :banana-dance: