What Are You Listening To?

[Dennie]

Shangri-La -- SACD

Mark Knopfler

2004 Reprise Records

Amazon.com

Mark Knopfler isn't afraid to drop names. The heavyweight Cassius Clay laid low, the man who made burgers and fries into big business, the kings of rock & roll and skiffle are among the motley assortment who pass through Knopfler's fourth solo album. Recorded in Malibu with a tight crew of steadfast Knopfler sidemen, Shangri-La (the title comes from the studio where the entire set was recorded) chronicles the foibles of the acclaimed and the adrift, all delivered with the nonchalant grace that has marked Knopfler's music since Dire Straits emerged in the late '70s. Seven of album's 14 originals clock in at between five and seven minutes. That's Knopfler in a nutshell--don't rush things, but don't loose the thread, either. As a songwriter, Knopfler has a storyteller's eye for minutiae, which he delivers with practiced nuance. He overreaches here and there ("Song for Sonny Liston" fails to capture the pathos of the menacing fighter), but also pulls off a few career highlights (the understated crime-drama opener "5.15 a.m."). --Steve Stolder

All songs written by Mark Knopfler.

"5.15 A.M." – 5:54
"Boom, Like That" – 5:49
"Sucker Row" – 4:56
"The Trawlerman's Song" – 5:02
"Back to Tupelo" – 4:31
"Our Shangri-La" – 5:41
"Everybody Pays" – 5:24
"Song for Sonny Liston" – 5:06
"Whoop De Doo" – 3:53
"Postcards from Paraguay" – 4:07
"All That Matters" – 3:08
"Stand Up Guy" – 4:32
"Donegan's Gone" – 3:05
"Don't Crash the Ambulance" – 5:06

 

[Dennie]

The Cats -- Remastered CD

Tommy Flanagan, John Coltrane, Kenny Burrell, Idrees Sulieman

1957/1991 Blue Note/OJC Records

In 1957, the greatest year for recorded music including modern jazz, Detroit was a hot spot, a centerpiece to many hometown heroes as well as short-term residents like John Coltrane and Miles Davis. It was here that Trane connected with pianist Tommy Flanagan, subsequently headed for the East Coast, and recorded this seminal hard bop album. In tow were fellow Detroiters -- drummer Louis Hayes, bassist Doug Watkins, and guitarist Kenny Burrell, with the fine trumpeter from modern big bands Idrees Sulieman as the sixth wheel. From the opening number, the classic "Minor Mishap," you realize something special is happening. Flanagan is energized, playing bright and joyous melody lines, comping and soloing like the blossoming artist he was. Coltrane is effervescent and inspired, hot off the presses from the Miles Davis Quintet and searching for more expressionism. The other hard bop originals, "Eclypso" and "Solacium," easily burn with a cool flame not readily associated with East Coast jazz. Flanagan himself is the catalyst more than the horns -- dig his soaring, animated solo on "Eclypso" as he quotes "Jeepers Creepers." The near 12-minute blues "Tommy's Tune" is the perfect vehicle for Burrell, a prelude for his classics of the same period "All Day Long" and "All Night Long." The lone trio session, on the standard "How Long Has This Been Going On?," is regarded as quintessential Flanagan, and quite indicative of the Midwestern Motor City flavor Flanagan and his many peers brought into the mainstream jazz of the day and beyond. One yearns for alternate takes of this session. The Cats is a prelude to much more music from all of these masters that would come within a very short time period thereafter, and cannot come more highly recommended. It's a must-buy for the ages. ~ Michael G. Nastos


"Minor Mishap" — 7:26
"How Long Has This Been Going On" — 5:58
"Eclypso" — 7:57
"Solacium" — 9:10
"Tommy's Tune" — 11:58



Idrees Sulieman — trumpet
John Coltrane — tenor saxophone on all but "How Long Has This Been Going On"
Tommy Flanagan — piano
Kenny Burrell — guitar
Doug Watkins — bass
Louis Hayes — drums

 

[Dennie]

'S Wonderful -- SACD

Bill Charlap Trio

1998/2014 Venus Records (Import Japan)


Breakthrough Album from Jazz Pianist Bill Charlap and His Trio!

Before the talented pianist Bill Charlap went "major" with the Blue Note label, he was discovered by Venus Records and the Japanese audience. This "debut" album of Charlap, released in 1999, was an enormous hit and became an instant classic.

Deeply rooted in the tradition of jazz and with tremendous knowledge and respect for the American songbook, Charlap's piano playing is lyrical, fantastic and powerful. This album may not dazzle you with apparent "newness," but the beauty of melody, sound, and deep swing will move you and make you smile. The great New York rhythm section, bassist Peter Washington and drummer Kenny Washington, contributes with great performances as well.

"Best known for his work with Gerry Mulligan and later Phil Woods during the 1990s, pianist Bill Charlap was clearly developing rapidly on his own record dates. Beginning with a crisp rendition of "Time After Time," Charlap, with a formidable rhythm section of bassist Peter Washington and drummer Kenny Washington, explores a nice mix of standards and jazz classics...The sound on this studio date is so intimate that it sounds as if the listener is sitting right next to the piano." -Ken Dryden, allmusic.com

Features:
• Single Layer Stereo SACD

Musicians:
Bill Charlap, piano
Peter Washington, bass
Kenny Washington, drums

Selections:
1. Time After Time
2. My Shining Hour
3. The Blue Room
4. Boy, What Love Has Done To Me
5. Isfahan
6. Lover
7. Something To Live For
8. 'S Wonderful
9. Summer Serenade
10. Only The Lonely

 

[Dennie]

...at Shelly's Manne-Hole, Hollywood, California -- Remastered CD

Bill Evans Trio

1963/1991 Riverside/Fantasy Records

Lesser known treasure..., April 1, 2005
By Larkenfield

I've heard a number of great Bill Evans albums over the years (great being his overall norm) and I was immediately attracted to this recording because Evans sounds so completely relaxed, laid-back and at ease at the piano, yet rises to the occasion with his sparkling, cascading technique when needed... In short, he seems to be having a good time and that usually means a good time for the listener... In addition, this is a beautifully balanced set with a satisfying blend of classics, ballads, and blues... all played in front of a modest but appreciative audience. I believe some of the magic is because of the warm acoustics at Shelly's Manne-Hole and a piano that seems to be capable of luscious sonorities and responds so well to Evan's superb touch. It seems like he really enjoyed playing it, and the feeling comes through his performance as he sounds so completely at home. This album plays well for active listening... or to set a sophisticated mood for an evening with someone special. I've enjoyed it countless times.

"Isn't It Romantic?" (Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart) – 4:37
"The Boy Next Door" (Ralph Blane, Hugh Martin) – 5:22
"Wonder Why" (Nicholas Brodszky, Sammy Cahn) – 5:15
"Swedish Pastry" (Barney Kessel) – 5:45
"Our Love Is Here to Stay" (George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin) – 4:46
"'Round Midnight" (Thelonious Monk, Cootie Williams) – 8:54
"Stella by Starlight" (Ned Washington, Victor Young) – 4:57
"All the Things You Are" (Oscar Hammerstein II, Jerome Kern) – 5:44
"Blues in F" – 8:44

Bill Evans Trio: Bill Evans (piano); Chuck Isreals (bass); Larry Bunker (drums).Recorded live at Shelly's Manne-Hole, Los Angeles, California on May 14 & 19, 1963. Originally released on Riverside (9487). Includes liner notes by Chuck Israels and Orrin Keepnews.Digitally remastered by Phil De Lancie (1989, Fantasy Studios, Berkeley, California).

 

[Dennie]

Standards -- Remastered 20-bit SBM CD

Jimmy Smith

1957-59/1998 Blue Note Records

The ultimate late-night smoky nightclub music, this collection of standards by Hammond-organ master Jimmy Smith is as swirling and atmospheric as the lounge it evokes, a vision made complete by a loosened black tie and a couple scotches on the rocks. Smith's sidemen, Kenny Burrell and Donald Bailey, on guitar and drums respectively, provide subdued, elegant support: Burrell with measured comping, Bailey delicately brushing the snare throughout. When Burrell takes the lead, which he does quite often on this disc, his solos are skillful, intricate and lovely.Smith's Hammond organ sound, fat as a sandwich and smooth as an ice cube, works wonders on favorites like "Little Girl Blue," "Bye Bye Blackbird" and "Mood Indigo." Smith's playing, when he is doing chordal blocking or skittering over the higher register with skillful fingers, exhibits a style that is both graceful and groovy. Taken from sessions in '57, '58 and '59, STANDARDS is at once retro and modern, since Smith augments the nostalgic nightclub feel with the help of chorus settings, volume shifts and other effects. All in all, however, the effect is unified one: a relaxed sound that simply drips with cool.

Track Listing
1. Little Girl Blue
2. Bye Bye Blackbird
3. I'm Just a Lucky So and So
4. Ruby
5. September Song
6. I Didn't Know What Time It Was - (previously unreleased)
7. Memories of You - (previously unreleased)
8. But Beautiful - (previously unreleased)
9. Mood Indigo - (previously unreleased)
10. While We're Young - (previously unreleased)
11. It Might as Well Be Spring - (previously unreleased)
12. Last Dance - (previously unreleased)

STANDARDS contains seven tracks that are previously unissued.Personnel: Jimmy Smith (organ); Kenny Burrell (guitar); Donald Bailey (drums).Producer: Alfred Lion.Reissue producer: Michael Cuscuna.Recorded at the Van Gelder Studio, Hackensack, New Jersey on August 25, 1957, July 15, 1958 & May 24, 1959. Tracks 1-5 originally released as ON THE SUNNY SIDE on Blue Note (1092). Includes liner notes by Ben Sidran.Digitaly remastered using 20-bit technology by Ron McMaster.

 

[Dennie]

Back At The Chicken Shack -- CD

The Incredible Jimmy Smith

1960/1997 Blue Note Records

Awesome!, February 20, 2005
By Claude Lapointe "maaaars" (Quebec, Canada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)
This review is from: Back at the Chicken Shack (Audio CD)

I agree 100% with Guy from New Haven. And even though I don't possess all of Jimmy's albums, this has to be his best... Maybe the the best jazz album ever!!! Never heard anything so groovy; it's B3 organ, Tenor Sax and good rhythm galore!!!

I don't know which track is best because they're all stunning but to name a few, maybe "Minor Chant" by Stanley Turrentine (who brilliantly plays the sax throughout the album), stands out a little... not by much though. "When I grow too old to dream": what a sweet melody!... Messy Bessie (by Jimmy) is so good, I would have appreciated a finale instead of the fade-out we got (but that's okay). And technically, the 1960's Blue Note pure, clear, and no-fuss analog recording sounds flawless.

If you're jaded with the traditional organ-drums-guitar formation, check this out because tenor saxophone truly adds a uniquely elegant and amazingly powerful dimension to Jimmy's already great sound! This will put a smile on your face and make your head bounce!

"Back at the Chicken Shack" (Jimmy Smith) — 8:01
"When I Grow Too Old to Dream" (Oscar Hammerstein II, Sigmund Romberg) — 9:54
"Minor Chant" (Stanley Turrentine) — 7:30
"Messy Bessie" (Smith) — 12:25
"On the Sunny Side of the Street" (Dorothy Fields, Jimmy McHugh) — 5:45 (Appeared as a CD-only bonus track, not part of the original LP configuration).

-----

Jimmy Smith - organ
Kenny Burrell - guitar
Stanley Turrentine - tenor saxophone
Donald Bailey - drums

 

[Dennie]

The Roar of '74 -- CD

Buddy Rich

1974/2006 LRC Records

Absolutely Groovy, April 1, 2005
By funkybass (los angeles) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Roar Of '74 (Audio CD)

This is my 5th Buddy Rich CD...probably my favorite thus far. If there are any words I could use to compare this album to the others I've heard, I would use "thick" and "heavy". This album not only showcases Buddy's brilliant horn section recruits, but there are some groovy sounds emanated by the accompanied lead electric guitar (Joe Beck), organ (Buddy Budson), and added percussion (Sam Woodyard) to give it kind of a "Starsky & Hutch" classic 70's wa-wa sound. This ensemble infuses jazz with a rock/funk sound on several tracks (Kilimanjaro Cookout & Big Mac) but still swings harder and louder than anything else I've heard (Nuttville & Time Check). I bought this CD for the latter two tracks mentioned and worth more than what I paid for it alone. I don't have to say much about Buddy's playing because it's nothing short of stellar and I hope that most people understand that anything recorded of this drumming monster goes without saying. This is an essential CD for all Buddy Rich fanatics. Stop wasting time and just buy this album.

LP side A

"Nuttville" (Horace Silver) – 4:47
"Kilimanjaro Cookout" (Manny Albam) – 6:14
"Big Mac" (Ernie Wilkins) – 5:54
"Backwoods Sideman" (John La Barbera) – 4:29

LP side B

"Time Check" (Don Menza) – 3:45
"Prelude to a Kiss" (Duke Ellington, Mack Gordon, Irving Mills) – 3:32
"Waltz of the Mushroom Hunters" (Greg Hopkins) – 7:16
"Senator Sam" (Wilkins) – 4:40

 

[Dennie]

I Love John Frigo He Swings -- Remastered CD

John Frigo and His Quintet

1957/2004 Mercury/Verve Records

Johnny Frigo spent most of his professional life as a jazz bassist, but in the mid-'80s he picked up his first instrument, the violin, and started what amounted to a second jazz career on that instrument. Frigo biographies frequently refer to an obscure album release from the 1950s that prefigured this change, and this is it, a session Frigo recorded in 1957 at Universal Recording Studios in Chicago for Mercury Records. Joined by guitarist Herb Ellis (Frigo and Ellis had previously worked together in the Soft Winds Trio with pianist Lou Carter), Norm Jeffries on drums, Dick Marx on piano, Cy Touff on trumpet, and the great Ray Brown on bass, Frigo delivers a wonderful swing/bop mixture that stands seamlessly with his 1980s releases. At times he uses the violin like a horn, punching in and blocking out solid runs, and at other times, like on the beautiful "Blue Orchids," he uses the instrument to approximate a tenor vocalist, stretching the melody into marvelous shapes. Frigo even does a call-and-response duet with himself on the self-penned "Big Me -- Little Me," answering the violin lines with his own bass runs. I Love John Frigo...He Swings somehow got lost in the shuffle when it was released, and Frigo went back to bass playing for 30 years before getting a late second chance at recording this kind of small-group sides on violin once more. The original master tapes of this session apparently suffered some degradation, and the recordings red-line occasionally in the digital transfer, but it's nothing too serious. Mercury/Verve should be commended for bringing this delightful album back to life. ~ Steve Leggett


"What a Diff'rence a Day Made" – 2:31
"Polka Dots and Moonbeams" – 4:19
"Blow Fiddle Blow" – 2:50
"Blue Orchids" – 3:02
"Gone With the Wind" – 3:04
"Squeeze Me" – 3:37
"You Stepped Out of a Dream" – 2:58
"Moonlight in Vermont" – 3:17
"If Love Is Good to Me" – 3:33
"Big Me — Little Me" – 2:13

Personnel: John Frigo (violin, bass); Mike Simpson (tenor saxophone, flute); Cy Touff (bass trumpet); Vic Val (tenor saxophone); Dick Marx (piano); Herb Elllis (guitar); Ray Brown (bass); Phil Faieta, Norm Jeffries (drums).Recorded at Universal Recording Studios, Chicago, Illinois, 1957

 

[Botch]

 

[Botch]

Parallel Realities - Jack deJohnette, Pat Metheny, Herbie Hancock :music-listening:

 

[Dennie]

Great choices Botch! :handgestures-thumbup:

Mr. Fantasy -- CD

Traffic

1968/1990 Island Records

Amazon.com

In 1967, when still teenaged keyboardist Steve Winwood left the Spencer Davis Group (for whom he'd sung lead on hits like "Gimme Some Lovin'" and "I'm a Man") to start a new band with guitarist Dave Mason, few observers thought their idea of blending pop, rock, and jazz would work. Immediately, though, Traffic scored giant UK hits with Winwood's east-meets-west "Paper Sun" and Mason's acid-jazzy "Hole in My Shoe." Between those songs, the smoking-guitar driven title track, the swinging instrumental "Giving to You" and the haunting ballad, "No Face, No Name, No Number," Traffic's debut established both players as elite members of the new guard of late 60s British rock. --Billy Altman

"Heaven Is in Your Mind" (Jim Capaldi, Steve Winwood, Chris Wood) – 4:16
"Berkshire Poppies" (Capaldi, Winwood, Wood) – 2:55
"House for Everyone" (Dave Mason) – 2:05
"No Face, No Name, No Number" (Capaldi, Winwood) – 3:35
"Dear Mr. Fantasy" (Capaldi, Winwood, Wood) – 5:44
"Dealer" (Capaldi, Winwood) – 3:34
"Utterly Simple" (Mason) – 3:16
"Coloured Rain" (Capaldi, Winwood, Wood) – 2:43
"Hope I Never Find Me There" (Mason) – 2:12
"Giving to You" (Capaldi, Mason, Winwood, Wood) – 4:20 (album version)

 

[Botch]

Great choices Botch! :handgestures-thumbup:

Obviously; I got them both from you!

 

[Dennie]

Great choices Botch! :handgestures-thumbup:

Obviously; I got them both from you!

......... :happy-smileygiantred:


I hope you are enjoying them as much as I do! "The Hawk Relaxes" is a favorite. :handgestures-thumbup:



Dennie

 

[Dennie]

The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys -- CD

Traffic

1971 Island Records

Amazon.com

Despite not even charting in the band's native England, this album became a platinum-selling American hit on the basis of three enduring FM radio staples--the expansive, jazzy impressionism of the near-12 minute title track, and the more straightforward funk of the R&B charmers "Light Up or Leave Me Alone" and "Rock & Roll Stew." Those disparate tracks perfectly underscore Traffic's rich musical appeal and its restless, sometimes problematic creative and interpersonal relationships. With now thrice-departed Dave Mason out of the mix and percussionists Jim Gordon and Reebop Kwaku Baah participating in the studio for the first time, the band's innate musicality truly takes wing. Winwood's familiar vocal phrasings nearly take a backseat to his fluid, dramatic guitar work on "Rock & Roll Stew Roll" and "Many a Mile to Freedom," while the Tull-ish, folk-madrigal sensibilities of "Hidden Treasure" and "Rainmaker" are further punctuated by Chris Wood's deft flute and woodwind flourishes. Compared with the more organic John Barleycorn album, the contrast is all the more remarkable. While many contemporary bands were experimenting with various attempts at fusion, few achieved this collection's rock-jazz-folk-R&B range or level of often subtle sophistication. Digitally remastered, this edition also contains the six-minute-plus U.S. single version of "Rock & Roll Stew, Parts 1 & 2" as a bonus track. --Jerry McCulley

All songs written by Steve Winwood and Jim Capaldi unless otherwise noted.

"Hidden Treasure" – 4:16
"The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys" – 11:35
"Light Up or Leave Me Alone" (Jim Capaldi) – 4:55
"Rock & Roll Stew" (Ric Grech, Jim Gordon) – 4:29
"Many a Mile to Freedom" (Steve Winwood, Anna Capaldi) – 7:26
"Rainmaker" – 7:39

The initial CD release placed Light Up or Leave Me Alone after Many a Mile to Freedom.

 

[Dennie]

The Girls Won't Leave The Boys Alone -- HDCD

Cherish The Ladies

2001 Windham Hill Records

The Celtic folk ensemble known as Cherish the Ladies is made up of a number of talented female musicians who play accordions, flutes, whistles, fiddles, and more. The members are Joanie Madden, Mary Coogan, Mary Rafferty, Heidi Talbot, Donna Long, and Marie Reilly. This award-winning group has done a lot of instrumental work, but these ladies can also sing in harmony together -- quite nicely, in fact. That said, there are still a few instrumental numbers on here to be had. When The Girls Won't Leave the Boys Alone was released in early 2001, Cherish the Ladies had been performing together for around a decade. This is the group's eighth album, and it carries a nice offering of Irish-American folk music that is sure to please Celtic fans. The tunes on this album move from gentle to an energetic pace, fitting any good step dance. A great addition to your keeper shelf. Review by Charlotte Dillon

1. Song: The Broom of the Cowdenknowes
2. Song: Freeborn Man of the Traveling People
3. Song: Rambling Irishman
4. Song: Bonny Blue-Eyed Nancy
5. Reels: Mullin's Fancy/The Raveled Hank of Yarn/Gilbert Clancy's
6. Song: Erin Grá Mo Chrói [Ireland Love of My Heart]
7. An Poc Ar Buile [The Mad Puck Goat]
8. Song: I'll Walk Beside You
9. Jigs: The Colliers' Set
10. Song and Jigs: The Queen of Connemara /The ... [Francis Fahy/The Carrar
11. Song: Down by the Glenside [Peadar Kearney]
12. Song: The Jolly Beggarman
13. Reels: Last Night's Fun/The Chattering Magpie/The Black Haired Lass

Cherish The Ladies: Deidre Connolly (vocals, flute, whistle); Mary Coogan (guitar, banjo, mandolin); Liz Knowles (fiddle); Joanie Madden (flute, whistle, background vocals); Mary Rafferty (whistle, accordion, concertina); Donna Long (piano, synthesizer, background vocals).

The Clancy Brothers: Liam Clancy (vocals, concertina); Finbar Clancy, Aoife Clancy, Bobby Clancy (vocals); Donal Clancy (guitar, bouzouki).

Additional personnel: Tom Chapin (vocals, banjo); John McCutcheon (vocals, hammered dulcimer); Mattie Connolly (vocals, pipes); Tommy Makem, Brian Kennedy, Luka Bloom, Paddy Reilly, Arlo Guthrie (vocals); Arty McGlynn (guitar); Eric Weissberg, Pete Seeger, Mick Moloney (banjo); Siobahn Egan (fiddle, bodhran); Jesse Smith, Yvonne Kane, Kevin Glackin, Brendan Mulvihill (fiddle); Matt Molloy, Mike Rafferty (flute); Martin Reilly (whistle); Liam O'Flynn, Davy Spillane (Uilleann pipes); Joe Madden, Jim Coogan, Billy McCormick (accordion); Byron Long (piano); Phil Bowler (bass); Dave Anderson (fretless bass); Donnchadh Gough (bodhran); Arto Tuncroyaciyan, Brian Keane (percussion).

Recorded at The Carriage House Rcording Studio, Stamford, Connecticut from May-August 2000.

 

[Dennie]

The Wide World Over - A 40 Year Celebration -- CD

The Chieftains

2003 RCA Victor Records

Amazon.com

One of the elements that's made the Chieftains the stellar Celtic band in the world is their love of innovative collaborations with mainstream pop stars. The Wide World Over: A 40-Year Celebration gathers into a single collection some of the Irish ensemble's most memorable moments, including predictable alliances with artists such as Van Morrison, who sings "Shenandoah" to additional backing by the Irish Film Orchestra, and unlikely pairings like the Rolling Stones, who add a rock kick and the "Satisfaction" riff to "The Rocky Road to Dublin." Cross-cultural experts Linda Ronstadt and Los Lobos demonstrate their versatility on the Mexican ditties "Txalaparta" and "Guadalupe," on which pipes and pennywhistle don't seem a whisker out of place, while Ricky Skaggs points to the Irish and British roots of American country music on the rousing "Cotton-Eyed Joe." Art Garfunkel, Sting, Sinead O'Connor, Joni Mitchell, and Elvis Costello are also featured in classic performances with the 40-year-old Irish band, while a brand-new collaboration with Ziggy Marley yields a gorgeous Don Was-produced rendition of Bob Marley's "Redemption Song." The cliché that there's a bit of the Irish in all of us proves true in this wide-ranging, constantly rewarding, and frequently surprising collection. And the tracks on which the Chieftains go it alone are also a gas. --Bob Tarte

1. "March of the King of Laois/Paddy's Jig/O'Keefes/Chattering Magpie (Reels)" An Irish Evening 4:25
2. "The Foggy Dew" (feat. Sinéad O'Connor) The Long Black Veil 5:01
3. "I Know My Love" (feat. The Corrs) Tears of Stone 3:27
4. "Cotton-Eyed Joe" (feat. Ricky Skaggs) Another Country 2:46
5. "The Magdalene Laundries" (feat. Joni Mitchell) Tears of Stone 4:57
6. "Live from Matt Molloy's Pub" Water from the Well 2:21
7. "Shenandoah" (feat. Van Morrison) Long Journey Home 3:52
8. "The Munster Cloak/An Poc Ar Buile/Ferny Hill/Little Molly" New release 6:12
9. "Morning Has Broken" (feat. Diana Krall and Art Garfunkel) New release 2:55
10. "Morning Dew/Women of Ireland" Film Cuts 2:57
11. "Mo Ghile Mear (Our Hero)" (feat. Sting) The Long Black Veil 3:30
12. "Carolan's Concerto" (feat. The Belfast Harp Orchestra) The Celtic Harp 3:02
13. "Guadalupe" (feat. Linda Ronstadt and Los Lobos) Santiago 3:31
14. "Full of Joy" (feat. Traditional Chinese Ensemble) The Chieftains in China 3:24
15. "Here's a Health to the Company" A Chieftains' Celebration 3:03
16. "Chasing the Fox" (feat. The Cincinnati Pops Orchestra and Erich Kunzel) New release 4:11
17. "Long Journey Home (Anthem)" (feat. Elvis Costello) Long Journey Home 3:21
18. "The Rocky Road to Dublin" (feat. The Rolling Stones) The Long Black Veil 4:17
19. "Redemption Song" (feat. Ziggy Marley) New release 4:23

 

[Dennie]

Belly Of The Sun -- CD

Cassandra Wilson

2002 Blue Note Records

Amazon.com

By now, it's a moot point whether Cassandra Wilson is singing jazz or not. By unifying what were once considered disparate styles and song forms with her languorously rich vocals and offbeat instrumental textures, she has become the queen of her own genre. Largely recorded at a one-time train station in her native Mississippi, Belly of the Sun ranges from country-blues great Fred McDowell's gritty "You Gotta Move" (popularized by the Rolling Stones and here featuring acoustic-guitar wiz Richard Johnston) to Brazilian immortal Antonio Carlos Jobim's winsome "Waters of March" (featuring a children's choir) to a hauntingly feminized version of Jimmy Webb's "Wichita Lineman." Revealing her command of narrative material, Wilson draws seductive meaning from Bob Dylan's "Shelter from the Storm" and the Band's "The Weight." Featuring Kevin Breit and Marvin Sewell on all manner of guitars and related string instruments, Belly of the Sun also boasts three strong Wilson originals, including "Just Another Parade," a jazzy-soulful duet with India Arie, and "Show Me a Love." As her own producer, Wilson comes up with less compelling backgrounds than Craig Street, who produced her darker-tinged breakthrough albums. Still, this is her most seamless, smoothest-flowing, and most effortlessly expansive recording. "I need to feel some rich black soil that's moist between my toes," she sings. You can feel her Southern roots in the grooves as well. --Lloyd Sachs

1. "The Weight" (Robbie Robertson) – 6:05
2. "Justice" (Cassandra Wilson) – 5:27
3. "Darkness on the Delta" (Jay Livingston, Al J. Neiburg, Marty Symes) – 3:47
4. "Waters of March" (Antonio Carlos Jobim) – 4:26
5. "You Gotta Move" (Mississippi Fred McDowell) – 2:44
6. "Only a Dream in Rio" (James Taylor) – 4:32
7. "Just Another Parade" (Wilson) – 6:05 featuring India.Arie
8. "Wichita Lineman" (Jimmy Webb) – 5:48
9. "Shelter From the Storm" (Bob Dylan) – 5:17
10. "Drunk as Cooter Brown" (Wilson) – 4:58
11. "Show Me a Love" (Robinson, Wilson) – 3:49
12. "Road So Clear" (Richmond) – 5:22
13. "Hot Tamales" (Robert Johnson) – 1:43

 

[heeman]

:music-rockout: :music-rockout:

2004

Track Listings
1. Make Me
2. Oldest Story In The World
3. Things
4. The Perfect Goodbye
5. Enough
6. Move On
7. I Need The Rain
8. I Give Up
9. Vainglorious
10. No Other Love
11. Led To One
12. Down The Nile
13. I'm Fine
14. Fallen Ones
15. Lost Angel
16. Hello Moonglow

 

[Dennie]

Pat Metheny Group -- CD

Pat Metheny - Lyle Mays - Mark Egan - Dan Gotlieb

1978 ECM Records GMBH (Import Germany)

Guitarist Pat Metheny's atmospheric, "smooth" (when that word didn't carry ugly connotations) jazz was just about ready to set the world afire when this Pat Metheny Group effort hit the racks. Metheny's was one of the tighter outfits in modern jazz when this eponymous album was released in 1978 on ECM, the label that really mattered for them in the '70s.The Group's idiosyncratic blending of folk, blues stylings, improv spaciness, and supple rock underpinnings were unlike anything then happening in jazz. The opener, "San Lorenzo," establishes the mood. Ten-plus minutes of shimmering cymbals pierce a veil of stark bass, luminescent synthesizer motifs, and, of course, Metheny's resolutely gorgeous six- and 12-string picking. The music refracts differing hues in a prismatic puzzle. Sparse and beautiful.

Track Listing
1. San Lorenzo
2. Phase Dance
3. Jaco
4. Aprilwind
5. April Joy
6. Lone Jack

Pat Metheny Group: Pat Metheny (6- & 12-string guitars); Lyle Mays (autoharp, piano, synthesizer); Mark Egan (bass); Dan Gottlieb (drums).Recorded at Talent Studio, Oslo, Norway in January 1978

 

[Dennie]

Body and Soul -- CD

Joe Jackson

1984 A&M Records

BODY AND SOUL expands on the cosmopolitan, Gershwinesque pop sound of its predecessor NIGHT AND DAY. The Latin element is removed in favor of a sound that's equal parts Brill Building and Tin Pan Alley, and the arrangements are more ambitious and orchestral. For the first time since JUMPIN' JIVE, Jackson works a horn section. The horns and Vinnie Zummo's jazzy guitar help take the sound to a new plateau. <BR>For an album this far from rock & roll, BODY AND SOUL is the most unabashedly poppy effort of Jackson's career up to that point. With Ellen Foley chiming in on backing vocals, tunes like "Happy Ending" could have come from a contemporary Broadway musical. At the same time, the ambitious, almost-instrumental "Heart of Ice" is a sophisticated composition that merges jazz and artsong seamlessly. And as the touching "Be My Number Two" proves, Jackson still had a way with a simple melody and a heartfelt lyric.

Track Listing
1. Verdict
2. Cha Cha Loco
3. Not Here, Not Now
4. You Can't Get What You Want
5. Go For It
6. Loisaida
7. Happy Ending
8. Be My Number Two
9. Heart of Ice