05/05/08 Happy Cinco de Mayo!
ARBORS
JOE ASCIONE QUARTET/Movin’ Up: So dis me, I like hokum like “Aba Daba Honeymoon”. Ascione and his all star crew are out for a good time as the jazzbo veers between sass, straight covers and originals. A dandy straight ahead pure jazz set, what it’s lacking in frills it more than makes up for in steak—thick, juicy, well aged steak. This cat drums up a classy date that’s simply hard to resist.
LOUIS MAZETIER/Tributes Portraits and Other Stories: After recently bitching about how a trip to Borders made it seem like Dave McKenna and all the other great whorehouse and saloon piano man seem to be forgotten at the commercial level, it was a treat to come across this seasoned cat we aren’t familiar with that knows his way around a whorehouse piano. A killer stride musician, Mazetier goes it solo and you don’t miss the playmates in the background. Giving some standards the workout and airing out they need, this is fun stuff that anyone who appreciates finer whorehouse piano will adopt immediately.
RAVEN
AL KOOPER/I Stand Alone-You Never Know Who Your Friends Are: Most people probably think Kooper’s albums don’t reflect his reputation. You have to give this guy props for being at all the right places at all the right times, but you do also have to recognize that many of his dozen solo albums were pretty self indulgent affairs that reflected his ability to get out of the gate strong but not go the distance. Fresh from a string of major triumphs, he came with two solo albums in the late 60s that were bristling with the promise he showed in backing Dylan, starting BST and on and on and on and on. Two kick ass sets that really restore the legend that was being forged, with the added period bonus tracks that are almost an extra album to themselves, this portrait of the artist as a young man is an ear opener, particularly to those that gave up on him as the 70s drew to a close. Nearly a text book on how to make classic rock, young Kooper really was a live wire to behold, Hot stuff throughout.
YARDBIRDS/Happenings Ten Years Time Ago 1964-68: A super group before the term had been overused and co-opted, it’s hard to believe how ground breaking these old recordings are and how vital they still sound today. With Clapton, Beck and Page at their devil may care, young breakneck best, this single disc collection has so many hot spots and high water marks that it will almost leave you dizzy after one listen. Was it the last word in guitar rock at so early a date? With one underground smash after another, this is essential boomer music that can be handed down through the ages. With sonic updating as crisp as the times will allow, this is simply a smoking slab of killer, essential rock. End of story.
TELARC
PINETOP PERKINS/And Friends: Remember those Sinatra duet records? They were event records. This set, released just ahead of Perkins 95th birthday is such an event record and douche bags are warned to stay away. How much hell raising do you expect from a duet between Perkins and B. B. King at their age? The fact they do raise some pretty good hell is proof enough that this is for fans and not douche bags looking to poke holes in the magic. With a list of friends that are mostly legends as well, this is a dandy event record where you just don’t hold the tried and true against anyone because it sounds like they are having so much fun being there. First class throughout, this will wake up the ears of those that think they want to check out the blues but never really get started. Everyone else will recognize this as a stone cold gem of a winner from the first byte.
Volume 31/Number 187
May 5, 2008
MIDWEST RECORD
830 W. Route 22 #144
Lake Zurich, IL., 60047
CHRIS SPECTOR, Editor and Publisher
©2008 Midwest Record