John Coltrane - Plays For Lovers

Prestige/Concord

John Coltrane's "Plays For Lovers" is a collection of some of Coltranes most laid back tracks emphasizing his smooth ability to rush around the sax. The most influential jazz musician of the past 35 years, one of the greatest saxophonists of all time, and a remarkable innovator, John Coltrane certainly made his impact on jazz!
None of the tracks feature his long run with Miles Davis; however, legendary jazz musicians on this album include Jimmy Cobb, Red Garland and Earl May, among others. This track (for purely romantic reasons, I'm sure) left out any recording vaguely resembling his mindblowing experiments with "A Love Supreme."
The tracks that are featured, are the less adventurous, but supremely enjoyable heavy saxophone solo tracks such as, "Violets for Your Furs," "Invitation" and "While My Lady Sleeps." One of the true giants of jazz, his ideas sometimes came faster than his technique, but he always believed in what he played.

Kitaro - Spiritual Garden

Domo/Innovative Distribution Network

Kitaro started off his musical career in the early '70s by teaching himself electric guitar. Inspired by R&B legend, Otis Redding, he started the Far East Family Band and released to progressive rock albums. Then in '72 he was introduced to the synthesizer, and he was from that point on, entranced. His music is very popular among new age, electronic and ambient listeners.
It is obvious that Kitaro is starting to incorporate more of his progressive rock background into his music; especially on "Sunshine Dancing" with his heavy drums and screeching guitar solo. But often times his music has a slow tempo and focuses on meditative melodies and sounds. This album is very well made, but is unfortunately not my cup of tea.

Mark Knopfler and Emmylou Harris - All The Roadrunning

Nonesuch/Warner Bros

Mark Knopfler is one of the greatest guitar players of today. He has had quite a career with really only one consistent quality: amazing guitar work. Whatever genre he is playing, he plays simply (or not so simply, as the case generally is) amazing guitar solos as well as rhythm. And Emmylou Harris has an amazing voice and style that works perfectly with all Americana genres.
Together they create a harmonious and sexy sounding tension that resonates in tracks like Red Staggerwing, "If I was a mustang racer/white with a stripe of blue/ you could ride me, baby/ whenever you wanted to/ You're gonna need a rider anyhow/ let me be your rider now." From country and folk to bluesy rock, this duet has the range, talent, ability and skill to create beautiful music; they are a very complementary couple.
(Editor's Note: I'm sure they truly love each other, 'cuz noone could love the beautiful sound that they create as much as I do. Thank you Mark and Emmylou for composing this masterpiece. I will always be grateful.)

DJ Mr. Mixx - VGNL Minded

(2 CD Set) Hustler/Redeye Distribution

Cofounder of 2 Live Crew, Mr. Mixx's new solo album, "VGNL Minded" is an advertisement for his porn site and has songs such as, "College Peep Show.com," "When Are We Gonna Fuck," "Shake Yo Money Maka," "Make Me Feel Good," "Ridin' Dick," "Look At That Ass" and "Make It Hot." Despite being produced with sleazy 80 synth keyboards and the same beats that 2 Live Crew used, the whole production is funny in that sad sort of way.

Scientificlifestyle - Modern Sounds For The New Era

Mean Red Music

Scientificlifestyle is a concept group that attempts to integrate electronic and instrumental music to make what they termed "electrock." The results are less than desirable. Their efforts for making "Modern Sounds For The New Ear" are nothing new for rock or electronica. Electronic and Instrumental music has been integrated from the very moment The Who released "Baba O'Reilly" in 1971. They are okay for what they are. But what they are is pretty straight forward rock with keyboards for the most part.

Various Artists - Larry The Cable Guy: Health Inspector

(Soundtrack) Jack/Warner Bros

Despite what one may think of Larry The Cable Guy. his comedy, or his movie, the soundtrack for the movie must be viewed in a completely different light. The soundtrack features a various range of artists such as Montgomery Gentry, Sister South, Blue Oyster Cult and Aretha Franklin. His movie is a one liner comedy about a big city, greasy spoon diner health inspecter. But the soundtrack is full of great country, soul and rock.
One of the surprising talents on the album is Jerome McComb, with "This Town Needs A Bar" and "Love Is Blind," doing some great country in two very contrasting styles with excellent songwriting. Of course, I have nothing bad to say about "Don't Fear The Reaper," except it might need a little more cowbell. But, "Chain of Fools" is the breadmaker of this album; Aretha can sing more powerfully than anyone else of her generation. I don't know if I would recommend the movie (probably not). But the soundtrack is great.

Glenn Kotche - Mobile

Nonesuch

Glenn Kotche is the innovative and inventive drummer of Wilco. On his own, he plays and tinkers around with some very delicious looking drum equipment. The whole album is percussive using bells, piano (yes, piano is percussive), vibraphone, a traditional drum kit, metal wire and many other rare or creative devices and instruments. Although the album is percussive, that does not mean that there is no melody. The melodies in some of the songs are intricately woven into the rhythm because the melody is played percussively. Mobile is a strikingly new sounding and experimental album that goes through many different sounding styles within just one song (listen to "Monkey Chant"). "Mobile" is a rather pithy listen, but the great parts are well worth the whole ride.

Sugar - 11AFTER

Women Who Rock

With influences from Social D to Ella Fitzgerald, Sugar is an all girl trio from Akron, Ohio. There music has a strong rock edge with a strongly feminine energy, not in the Spice Girls skank-power style, but with a fierce and independent rock album with music classic, blues and folk rock songs. Songs such as "Into The Sun" and "You Got It" show a raw energy that is put into the music in the form of tom bashing drum beats, high energy guitar solos, and heavily distorted guitars. Sugar rocks!

James Luther Dickinson - Jungle Jim and The Voodoo Tiger

Merless/Memphis International

James Luther Dickinson has shared the spotlight and stage with a number of musicians including the Rolling Stones, Ry Cooder and The Replacements; but "Jungle Jim" is only the third studio album he has released in the last 34 years. With his sons on drums and guitar, he has a family band that he tours with playing songs that have accumulated in Dickinson's head over the last 30 years. His songs are a mixture of blue collar pride and bluesy ramblings. All of them that is except for "Samba de Orfeo" at the end of the album. It is a reocurring song in the iconic film Black Orpheus, a movie with a truly excellent original score. Dickinson does an awesome version in a brazilian rock/jazz style. Beautiful.

Ane Brun - A Temporary Dive

V2

Ane Brun plays folk neuvo in a way that is so sharp and cynical it makes the optomist question themselves. Her songs are dark and bare a certain skepticism of human beings. These songs are meloncholy at best, except for "Song no. 6," which was written for her friends' marriage (a decidedly upbeat song). But, Brun's general despressing tone and manner is a major put off; I feel like I'm reading the diary of a manic depressive.

Architects - Revenge

Anodyne

The Architects are three brothers and some guy named Mike. They are some sort of modern guitar-based rock group implementing heavily distorted guitars and a guy who hits stuff. They're loud. Sometimes they are reasonably fast. But always... always nondescript, bland and generic. It's like a creed or a motto; they're committed to it!

Tony Levin - Resonator

Narada/Virgin/EMI

Tony Levin is a legendary bass player in communities of musicians. He has done extraordinary work for King Crimson, influenced bassist extraordinare Les Claypool, toured with Peter Gabriel, Paul Simon and Peter Frampton as well as playing with a number of other big name artists. His own original songs are mostly hit and miss (I cannot approve of the album as a whole); but the bass work is always superb. And certain tracks like "Throw The God A Bone" and "What Would Jimi Do" are great songs in their own rights, they both feature great riffs for guitar and bass, and bring one back to the days of King Crimson. Tony Levin may be a musicians musician, but most of the best musicians are.

Hazel Dickens and Alice Gerrard - Hazel Dickens and Alice Gerrard

Rounder

This album recorded in 1975, finds Hazel and Alice at the summit of their powers as both composers and arrangers. The performances heard here are of three kinds; Hazel's original songs, Alice's original songs and their arrangements of traditional songs. The harmonizing heard on this album is what worked so well between the two; their own singings styles are highly contrasted but as beautiful a bluegrass sound as you ever did hear, as seen in "James Alley Blues."
Songs like "Montana Cowboy" pay tribute to the bluegrass music that was their first inspiration. But even better are the feminist songs speaking from gender bending perspectives like ãMean Papa Bluesä and "Ramblin' Woman." As for their stances on working class rights, well... "Working Girl Blues" was written from a lot of strong feeling÷remembering and reliving all the bad jobs I've held from the time I was sixteen, the exploitation of working class people and the unending shame it breeds.ä Hazel and Alice play some mean bluegrass, from a feminist perspective, in a male dominated genre. Kudos.

Tiger Baby - Noise Around Me

Souvenir

In Tiger Baby's second album and first American release, ãNoise Around Me,ä the trio has a smoothly polished sound that is high energy but soothing. The beats are driving and strong, utilizing fast bass drum rolls and contrasting that with simple house beats. The vocals are what complete the sound. Pernille Pang focuses her voice for a subtle and soothing effect that is unintrusive to the electronica.
But, just because they are an electronica group, doesn't mean that they are unfamiliar to acoustic sounds. They use guitars, like on ãJust For A Day,ä and piano on ãBosphorus Bridge.ä Their sound is a fresh relief from most of the house music that is being released in America. Their last track is a cover of Joy Division's ãLove Will Tear Us Apart.ä Now, this will take some getting used to. They do seem to have strong post punk influences, but a dance, house electronic version of this sort is pushing some boundaries. Regardless, they a very emotionally powerful sound, that would be amazing to hear, and feel, live.

Kelly Sweet - We Are One

Razor & Tie

Kelly Sweet is a truly versitile, talented singing with a beautiful voice. Her beautiful cover of Dead Can Dance's "Now We Are Free," written and sung in sanskrit, is a perfect example of her talents (and good taste). Kelly Sweet is also very diverse in her influences, classically trained, she can sing in Italian and French (as well as Sanskrit), and she also displays a strong tendency towards jazz. So, it is very unfortunate that she should have such a strong tendency to also write and record pop trash as well.
Most of the time, I can enjoy at least her vocal abilities. But, on songs like "How 'Bout You" or "We Are One" fall back on overused and synthesized pop techniques. Her compositions and writing suggests an enormous amount of talent, great creativity and a broad spectrum of influences. For an 18 year old, she has an extraordinarily developed voice and style.
***So Nice, Gotta Do It Up Twice (Created by the Original NYC DJ, Jocko, 1955)***

Various Artists - Hip Hop Essentials 1979-1991 Volume 9

Tommy Boy

In this volume of Hip Hop Essentials, you get to hear everyone from Jazzy Jeff & Fresh Prince to Afrika Bambaata to A Tribe Called Quest. As always, this compilation stays away from focusing on specific cliques within hip hop at this time, offering a wide scope of the scene at the time. The Doc (Dr. Dre) is featured with "It's Funky Enough." The Doc's early work is much more hard hitting and with less fancy production seen today, this way it seems that he's truly focused on the art
Then, Salt-N-Pepa comes through with "Let's Talk About Sex," which is essentially what the group was known for in their early days (causing a rift between liberal and conservative housewives). Salt-N-Pepa knew what they were doing when they taped condoms to their clothes, and were extremely socially (and politically) influential at this point, bringing up much avoided topics from youth violence, sex and drugs. But, of course, Afrika Bambaataa & James Brown steals the show with "Unity," with the unforgettable, legendary James Brown, by far the most funky and soulful cut on the album. Volume Nine is, yet again, a great compilation highlighting the strongest early talents in hip hop.

Luka Bloom - Innocence

Cooking Vynil

Luka Bloom has a calm, majestic and mystical quality to the way he plays guitar and sings. It is as if he sings of nature, change, love and more. Bloom is Nick Drake's Irish counterpart, but in a cheap knockoff way. Some songs, especially his intros, sound as if he is mimicking certain songs such as "Venus" and "Time Of No Reply." Despite the strong resemblance, he doesn't play quite as well, his lyrics aren't quite as striking, and his compositions not quite as diverse. I recommend listening to "Pink Moon" and "Five Leaves Left."

Bittersweet - The Mating Game

Quango

Shana Halligan (songwriter and vocalist) and Kiran Shahani (producer, composer, bassist and programmer) have teamed up to create Bittersweet, who have just released their debut album, ãThe Mating Game.ä When listening to this album it seemed that I have heard this particular style before. There is definitely a strong Portishead influence, but there was something more. Then I had it! It sounded astonishing like The Supreme Beings of Leisure.
The reason being that Kiran Shahani is a founding member of Supreme Beings of Leisure. His work since has been for movies and television, but the two were united by an ad on Craig's List posted by Kiran. The duo were signed to Quango, the same company that released Supreme Beings Of Leisure, Zero 7 and Koop. This album is perfect for fans of Portishead, Zero 7 and Supreme Beings, it has the same low key, female vocalist, and mysterious qualities.

Bonnie Bramlett - Roots, Blues & Jazz

Zoho

Bonnie Bramlett started off her singing career at the age of fifteen, was the first white female to sing with Tina Turner with the Ikettes, and snitched scandalous, drunken, racist, and provoked conversation of Elvis Costello to the press to create a scandal. Her solo career has her signed to Zoho, but her solo work is not as impressive as the people she has gotten to work with over her impressive career such as Miles Davis, Tina Turner, Eric Clapton and George Harrison. Her song choices are straight from the Americana songbook and her voice has weathered the years well.

Emerson, Lake & Palmer - The Birth of A Band: Isle of Wight Festival, Sat August 29th 1970

Eagle Vision

This concert is the first concert for Emerson, Lake & Palmer as that particular entity, although they all had previous experience in bands. The sound is very dated, using space jams and avante guard styles in various parts of the set. This is a vintage recording predating anything that Emerson, Lake & Palmer released. The sound quality is very bad, most of the time the bassist is inaudible. But, the crowd reaction is incredible, the applause takes up quite a bit of time, especially on their most experimental piece, "Pictures At An Exibition."
The other acts on the same bill for the festival were Miles Davis, The Who, Jimi Hendrix, Jethro Tull, The Doors, Joan Baez, Super Tramp, Joni Mitchell and Sly & The Family Stone; so avante guard was this crowds fortŽ. The show is not only fun to listen to, it's a collector's item as the groups first live performance.

The Goo Goo Dolls - Let Love In

Reprise/Warner Bros.

The Goo Goo Dolls have had a fairly long career with an enormous amount of change. Get this, they used to be a punk band. They had fast, loud songs (in comparison). They slowly switched from power pop punk to just pop. Then they made it big with "Iris," followed up by a dozen others.
John Rzeznik has evolved not only his music but his lyrics, to a point. Having been on Metal Blade records, he had songs such as, "Up Your's," "Sex Maggot" and "7th of the Month (or Iggy the Cat Gets A Bath)." Now, they have songs entitled, ãStay With You," "Feel The Silence" and "Without you here." Hey, I'm not saying he sold out or anything, the guys' have really got something going here. They have an enormous female fan-base. Many of which are of legal age of consent. When you've got that, you can't be doing everything wrong!