08/03/07
MARK PUCCI MEDIA
KING MOJO ALL STARS V.3/various: Rounding up label artists for a new blues sampler, you get former Allman Bros, hot new guitar slinging chicks and up and comers that have varying entry points for loving the blues. Gritty, southern stuff that has all the hallmarks of blues from the old days by cats that are taking it to tomorrow. Not a dusty track in the lot, this is some blues you should get to know.
5 (King Mojo)
MASSIVE MUSIC
BENJY WERTHEIMER & MICHAEL MANDRELL/Notes from the Celtistan: The founder of Ancient Future pairs up with a Texas folkie that has a new age bent and they fashion a Celtic/Indian fusion that will knock out hard core new age fans that like it world beat flavored. Powered by a pair of players at the top of their games, it’s simply a high water mark genre set that fans in this bag will love. Well played from the heart throughout.
200703 (Wolf Cub Music)
SHOUT FACTORY
JOHN LEE HOOKER/Jealous: As the Hooker reissue program continues, here we get the set that led up to “The Healer”. Showing that he still had it and was ready to let it out, this is a sweet, high octane outing from someone showing more oomph that a retiree should have. Remastered and bottomed out with some unreleased tracks, Hooker fans can be enticed to come to the well once again and be his boogie chillun. One of his late period works that raised the roof once again.
10328
JOHN LEE HOOKER/Don’t Look Back: The end of the recorded line for Hooker found him pairing with long time admirer Van Morrison and winning a last pair of Grammys. With Morrison realizing a long time dream of producing Hooker, this set has a load of snap and style that comes from when musicians are making music for their own entertainment. A purely from the heart set from all involved, this is the kind of blues that grabs hold and doesn’t let go, even if you aren’t a blues fan. The kind of stuff someone looking for a well rounded musical experience should check out.
10437
SIX DEGREES
CINEMATIC Classic Film Music Remixed/various: When the label turned a bunch of Christmas classics on their heads, it was a pretty interesting result, even if it served to piss off the hard core traditionalists. The same thing goes on here with a bunch of film themes, but they decided to go off beat. No “Pink Panther”, “Godfather” or other standards that would piss off the traditionalists. Going a bit beyond the pale pulling themes from familiar pics where you don’t think about the theme that much, it’s fun stuff that freshens up the oldies once again. With a worldwide crew doing the revamping, this lens is open wide.
1140
Volume 30/Number 276
August 3, 2007
MIDWEST RECORD
830 W. Route 22 #144
Lake Zurich, IL., 60047
CHRIS SPECTOR, Editor and Publisher
(c)2007 Midwest Record