The Miles Davis Quintet - The Legendary Prestige Quintet Sessions

(4 CD Box Set) Prestige/Concord

Inarguably one of the two or three most important jazz musicians who ever lived, Miles Davis started out at the top and managed to stay there for the rest of his 46-year career. As a soloist, his ideas were startlingly original and his tone utterly unmistakable; as a leader, he often recognized talent well before anyone else, and knew how to get the most out of almost any sideman.
Sonny Rollins played for Davis until the mid fifties when Davis introduced saxophonist John Coltrane into his hard-bop quintet. Although Coltrane's contributions are relatively low-key on "The New Miles Davis Quintet," his aggressive, questing solos offer a dynamic contrast to the acerbic economy of the trumpeter's own playing. Add the wry elegance of the rhythm section (Red Garland, Paul Chambers and the incomparable Philly Joe Jones), and these albums-- "Cookin'," "Relaxin'," "Workin'," and "Steamin'" constitute the best of his work for Prestige, which largeÿ portions are represented in this box set.
On top of that, the fourth disk contains 4 solos that Miles Davis performed live at the same time as these recordings were being made. Miles Davis, at any point, with anyone, is always worth listening to.

The Heavy Blinkers - The Night and I Are Still So Young

Cooking Vynil

There is nothing heavy about The Heavy Blinkers. They blend the sounds of rock groups such as The Flaming Lips with the surfer bum/flower power sound of The Beach Boys and Peter Paul and Mary (minus the Mary). Occasionally when listening to "The Night and I Are Still So Young," I seem to hear Beatles melodies popping out of the cuts.
The Heavy Blinkers are lightweight mellow rockers who wear their influences on their shirt sleeves. The quintet works well together, however, with catchy songs with heavy emphasizes on stings and horns. They are the epitome of a group without a frontman. The music gets to be so alike and bland that it all fades to background music in the end anyway.

Van Morrison - Pay The Devil

Exile/Lost Highway/Polydor

Morrison, best known for "Gloria," "Brown Eyed Girl" and "Moondance," has a signature voice and singing style. His music, on the other hand, while consistent in emotion and soul, lends itself to a great range of styles. "Pay The Devil" is country; and I am just floored by how fluidly his style works country/gospel with overt electric Hawaiian slide guitar.
While, not the pinnacle of his career, his music has matured and grown over the years. And a standard CD for Morrison is better than many artist's best efforts. His songwriting intensity and musicianship are never in question, he has proven time and time again that he can create quality work in many styles. "Pay The Devil" is as country as he has gotten, and the work is simple, and simply amazing.

Asobi Seksu - Citrus

Friendly Fire

Asobi Seksu is essentially the combination between Yuki's lead-women songwriting and sexy singing abilities and the textured guitar styles of James Hanna. Melodically superb and compositionally akin to radiohead and Colplay, the group makes further headway into their genre with the widely ranged voice of Yuji, whose high range is beautifully displayed in "Strings."
While emerging with their pop sensibilities, Asobi Seksu remains true to their dreamscape tones in their songs. "Citrus" is progressive, unusual and as well as wicked good listen; truly a fun band to discover.

Blueground Undergrass - Faces

Landslide

Blueground Undergrass is somehow the most apt title for this band. Their bluegrass element is the keystone to their sound. But they can rock out too, especially with Matthew William's guitar leads. Then, on the other hand, the steady pickin' banjo keeps the mood definitively bluegrass. The fiddle adds yet another factor, it can determine the difference in attitude from song to song.
The intricacies in their music makes the album exciting to listen to. Particularly in the song "Face," the group explodes into the full range of moods and styles they are capable of, and it all works together seamlessly. "Faces" then is the perfectly apt title for the album.

Dave Liebman & Phil Markowitz - Manhattan Dialogues

Zoho

This album is simply a duo album between these two lesser known but brilliantly creative and talented musicians. Dave Liebman plays flute and sax. Phil Markowitz plays piano. Liebman has played for the likes of Miles Davis (Miles Davis' Fusion Group), while Liebman has worked for the likes of Chet Baker. The two travel in influential circles and have done countless studio recordings.
"Manhattan Dialogues" is a very impressionistic release, with sometimes exaggerated abstract melodies, like the entire length of "7"; which is intriguing while remaining just dissonant enough to keep one on their toes.
"Sno' Peas," has the same sort of dissonance, with out the strong abstract nature. The piano keeps a strong dissonant beat, while Liebman goes haywire with his sax. Most of the songs are strongly improvisational, with just enough structure to keep the songs alive. The album are much the equivalent for musical impressionism as Monet's lilies were for impressionism in painting.

Professor Louie & The Crowmatix - The Spirit of Woodstock: Live At The New York State Museum

Woodstock Records

Professor Louie & The Crowmatix gave a flat-out stellar performance at the New York State Museum. They played from Bob Dylan to The Band to Bruce Springsteen. The title of the album is a bold statement, but a statement that it can live up to. While The Crowmatix are no Bob Dylan, but they do great renditions of these songs.
When listening to this performance, it is clear to see that the music The Crowmatix play is coming straight from the soul, not the sheet music. While Louie is going through the paces of doing the singing, the band is doing simply amazing things. The group plays together with ease and do flawless performances of "Ophelia," "Atlantic City" and "Shape I'm In."

Yoshida Brothers - III

Domo/Innovative Dist. Network

The Yoshida Brothers both play the tsugaru shamisen, a traditional Japanese 3 stringed instrument. Similar in some aspects to the familiar banjo, many people have probably heard the instrument in the soundtrack to some martial arts film. The Yoshida Brothers play these instruments with an odd and out-of-place intensity that grabs one's attention immediately on the intro track "Erghen Diado."
While remaining almost entirely instrumental, they create an interesting fusion between contemporary and classic cultures. Across the Pacific pond, the duo are quite well known for their work. This is a spearheading album into the American market, and if everyone else is hearing what I'm hearing, then these guys should be received very well.

Lynn Miles - Love Sweet Love

Redhouse

Lynn Miles has an ordinary approach to her contemporary, folk tinged acoustic rock. Her music sounds heavily influenced by artists like Dar Williams and Catie Curtis. I would actually enjoy this album quite a bit if it were not for Miles' voice.
Her voice is not terrible. Her voice is either hard edged or breathy and soft. It is a striking difference when it fluctuates between the two sounds within one song.
And while her voice doesn't quite cash in, her lyric writing is insightful and poetic. In her song 1000 lovers, she croaks, "A thousand lovers could put their arms around me/A thousand wishes could fall like summer rain/A thousand mothers could sing/ 'hush no, don't you cry girl'/There is nothing in the world tonight that is going to take away my pain."
***Shelton's Single of The Week: "1000 Lovers"***

Marlo Thomas And Friends - Free To Be... You And Me

Arista/Legend/Sony BMG

A legendary line up that is fun for adults and kids alike. The album is a mix of stories, poems and songs told and sung by the likes of Alan Alda, Harry Belafonte, Mel Brooks, Jack Cassidy, Diana Ross and Dick Cavett, as well as a few others. Originally released in 1972, the album can relate to a broad range of generations. For the adults, the novelty of a rel
ic of their childhood, and for children, great stories and songs with morals addressing questioning gender roles and diversity among other things, which are just as pertinent today as they were 30 years ago.

Two Tons of Steel - Transparent

Palo Duro

Two Tons of Steel is a decent enough country group. They have a straightforward, tried and true formula for their songs, and the steel slide guitar boxes their sound in, but the pre-Hank Williams sound works for them just fine. I would like to see them in a dive bar; that'd be cool.

Rinocerose - Rinocerose

V2

Yet another band breaking the barriers between rock and electronic music. Peculiar then that, that particular barrier was broken, before there was such a thing as electronic music, with the invention of the electric guitar. Electronic music eventually grew out of that rock innovation. and since the sixties rock groups have been trying to find out how to use electronics in their music, from distortion pedals, to groundbreaking synthesizers. Rinocerose is something else; part disco, part metal, part house, but entirely weird.

Charlie King and Karen Brandow - ... On the Journey

Vaguely Reminiscent

Charlie King and Karen Brandow sing some serious, but mostly hilarious satirical songs recorded in front of live audiences at demonstrations and rallies. A song called "If Baboons Can Work It Out..." recounts the tale of a troop of Baboons in which the alpha males were wiped out and the surviving troop became nonviolent and has survived 20 years and 2 generations teaching their young nonviolent social interactions, as well as male baboons from other troops.
They have other songs such as "The Defenders of Marriage" which they flatly lay out the inconsistencies in the christian, conservative right wing, "Now, a man should not lie with a person who is a guy/ he should only lie to his wife, the bible is clear." King and Brandow have a great talent for entertaining those who work hard to bring about positive change in this country. A few laughs can go a long way with activists.
(Editor's Note: Although the following is not included in "...On the Journey," it's in the same family:

I AIN'T A GONNA KILL NOBODY

"I took a bath this morning in six war speeches, and a sprinkle of peace. Looks like every body is declaring war against the forces of force. That's what you get for building up a big war machine. It scares your neighbors into jumping on you, and then of course they them selves have to use force, so you are against their force, and they're aginst yours. Look like the ring has been drawed and the marbles are all in. The millionaires has throwed their silk hats and our last set of drawers in the ring. The fuse is lit and the cannon is set, and somebody is in for a frailin. I would like to see every single soldier on every single side, just take off your helmet, unbuckle your kit, lay down your rifle, and set down at the side of some shady lane, and say, nope, I aint a gonna kill nobody. Plenty of rich folks wants to fight. Give them the guns."

-from WOODY SEZ, a collection of articles written by Woody for the PEOPLE'S WORLD
Text Copyright (c) 1975 by Woody Guthrie)

Various Artists - Pickin' On John Mayer Vol 2

CMH

John Mayer's sly romantic ballads and honey-dipped voice make him a pop star easy to love and hard to resist. His blend of post-modern romance and flowing grooves won him a Grammy and a passionate fan base that grows with every flirtatious lilt of his voice and radio-friendly riff from his guitar. He brings an innocent shimmer to his stage shows and dreamy jazz textures to his songwriting, taking listeners on a laid back ride into the world according to John Mayers.
"Pickin' On John Mayers Vol 2" takes this pop sophisticate out to the country where he can feel the bluegrass growin' beneath his feet. Virtuoso pickers and fiddles cover Mayer's mellow but moody hits, matching his nimble, high flying voice with soaring banjo and mandolin breakdowns. When these topnotch bluegrass players pick up the sweet, rolling tempo of "3*5" or hit the unmistakable falsetto hooks of "Clarity" or you'll hear a new John Mayer-- rootsy, but refined, countrified, but cool.

Jeff Healey & The Jazz Wizards - It's Tight Like That

Stony Plain

One of the most admirable qualities of Jeff Healey and his group is his generosity in sharing the lime light with every member of his band. In the opening track "Bugle Call Rag," the band makes the round in soloing: that means all the horns, the guitar, bass, and even the lowly drummer. Just kidding; the drummer is great.
Healey is, by legend, one of the most unusual and interesting players of blues/rock guitar. The Jazz Wizards, however, is more focused on the overall band as well as the lyrical content. Almost every song contains some sort of improvisational piece, all of which has some interesting and unique twist that make them a pleasure to listen to, such as the simply genius trombone solo given at the end of "Basin Street Blues" by Chris Barber.
***So Nice, Gotta Do It Up Twice (Created by the Original NYC DJ, Jocko, 1955)***

Glenn and Holly Yarbrough - No One Is Alone

Realtrue/Folk Era

From his days as the singing mainstay of the Limeliters through a long solo career that's seen its share of hits. Glenn Yarbrough has been a respected interpreter of folk and popular music. He's had a top hit in "Baby, the Rain Must Fall" and his interpretation of "Seven Daffodils" is the benchmark against which love songs are measured. From his days in a boys choir through today, Glenn's powerful voice has rung with lusty conviction about all that he cares about. This album is not different in that respect; Glenn and Holly sing about family and other things they hold dear.

Various Artists - Hip Hop Essentials 1979-1991 Vol 11

Tommy Boy

The next to last cd in this amazing series ends on a somewhat less amazing note than the rest of the series. While it features Naughty By Nature, Sir Mix-A-Lot and Biz Markie. MC Lyte is featured with "I Cram 2 Understand." Eric B & Rakim are, like always, just a little more funky, rhyming with just a little more class than everyone else on "I Know You Got Soul."
But the prime of Volume 12 is The Sugar Hill Gang with "8th Wonder." "8th Wonder" is the track with the most infectious synth horn section to appear in a song, ever. It's about 7 minutes and 25 seconds of nonstop rhyming, scatting, and endless "dang ditty dang de dang de dang ditty ditty"s. The entire collection is a good starting collection of the roots of what we know today as the hip hop industry.

KT Tunstall - Eye To The Telescope

Relentless/Virgin/EMI

Tunstall utilizes a diverse range of moods and writing styles in her music. From acoustic folk styled songs to distorted rock anthems. When Tunstall's music really gets going, she gauges her voice to match it. In one part of a song her voice will be very reserved and cautious, but when she lets herself go, her voice is extremely powerful and unconfined. "Eye To The Telescope" is a carefully laid out portrait of a stunning musician, si�nger and songwriter.

Randy Brecker with Michael Brecker - Some Skunk Funk

Telarc

This album is a Brecker brothers reunion of sorts. The two used to be in a band and released several albums together before parting ways, musically speaking. Randy Brecker went on to work with Jaco Pastorius' band.
"Some Skunk Funk" is the two horn players matching soloing powers in a big band setting. The set came of very well, the duo are clearly impressive in their soloing abilities, and the band played to perfection. The possibilities these days with a big band are almost endless in the styles that are available to a musician. The duo do their best to explore those possibilities but remain true to big band tradition.

American Royal - Transcontinental

Foreverything

Raised three miles north of the Missouri River in Kansas City, the Lynch brothers started playing music around age ten. "I wish I could site an innate, artistic attraction that drew me to music, but the fact is I watched a lot of MTV as a kid, so I picked up a guitar and just started banging on it" says Cameron Lynch.
Although the brothers technically share lead vocal responsibilities evenly on the record, their producer took a different approach in an effort to develop a more unique and complete melody. Pierce distilled Trevor's trademark growl and rasp into a more moderate, smooth baritone and tweaked Cameron's low tenor to invoke a more complete sound.
"What was important for me to do," Pierce explains "was to give 'Am Roy' one voice; and not have Cam and Trevor rely on the two distinct voices they utilized in the past."

The Red Hot Chili Peppers - Stadium Arcadium

(2 CD Set) Warner Bros

Long before the idea of making a puree of of funk, punk, hip hop and metal became˜ fashionable, RHCP were terrorizing audiences in LA and beyond with a musical approach no more disciplined than a band of runaway orangutans. Their emergence as a headlining arena act in their second decade coincided with a dialing down of the high jinks in favor of a more song oriented approach.
RHCP has come such a long way and done so many different things that their sound no longer sound like anything else. They continue to build upon the music they have previously created by incorporating funk, rock, poetry, and striking electronic effects. "Stadium Arcadium" has something for every RHCP fan.