|
|||
JUNE MOON
DEBORAH LATZ/Lifeline: A very talented vocalist, Latz comes to jazz singing from an accomplished career as an actress. With a varied set of oldies under her belt, she knows how to deliver the songs with a different slant bringing a lot of overlooked oldies but goodies back to the front. Taking her time on many cuts (a 7 minute version of “My Favorite Things” for example) she knows how to let things simmer and build to a fine conclusion. A nice date that comes in unexpectedly from left field, jazz vocal fans have a new star to celebrate.
KOL YO
JONATHAN VOLTZOK/More to Come: A bebop young lion that’s just turned 25, this trombone player knows the ropes like someone that’s been swinging from them for much longer. Hip enough to bring in cats like Slide Hampton as guests, Voltzok and bebop are a match made in hipster heaven. With an ear for tradition and an eye on the future, this young blood would clearly like this to be his full time job. Knowing his way around Monk, Gillespie, Silver and Parker as well as blazing his own trail, hipsters and classic jazzbos can rally around this young man with a horn in with equal enthusiasm. Hot stuff.
1
LOTOS NILE
KATE CAMPBELL/Save the Day: Back from the spare set of last year, Campbell changes direction with a full bodied set, packed with guests like John Prine and Nanci Griffith and chock full of the meaty storytelling that draws you in. Continuing her examination of the Christ haunted South, these Southern gothic tales of ordinary madness continue to fascinate Yankees that never fought off chiggers. Richly detailed tales, this new collection might till familiar ground for Campbell fans but it is anything but more of the same. Simply literature you can’t capture on Kindle, fans of folk based music can’t help but to celebrate this leading light. A first class work throughout.
4106 (Large River)
MASSIVE MUSIC
PETER STERLING/Sands of Time: If this guy’s back story is to be believed, you can’t be much more of a hippie than this harp player. No matter, he knows his way around new age harp music and knows how to deliver a smooth outing without resorting to the clichés. Not the poppier side of new age and not the side that makes Cartman violent, Sterling knows how to please his yuppie fans with something just this side of spa music. With a few helping hands from first call new agers, this nicely done set is one of those well done, relaxing adult audio getaways.
8 (Harp Magic)
PRESS HERE
LAURA MARLING/Alas, I Cannot Swim: She doesn’t have the traditional influences so people can’t say she’s in the tradition of Anne Briggs, whom she’s actually closer to than the claims about her being the new Joni Mitchell, but no never mind, she’s the new leading light young folkie. Still in her teens, she has a pretty jaundiced eye for one so young, and even if she’s not giving things a top of the world spin, her angst is more palatable than the angst of a generation ago, and she’s still a kid—it’s ok. So much better than all the crap by other young ladies her age being foisted on us, perhaps this will lead the revolution to bring back music over product. If you’re looking for something with some soul and blood coursing through it, give this a spin. It should go along way toward floating your boat.
(Astralwerks)
RAVEN
LOUVIN BROTHERS/Country Love Ballads-Ira & Charlie: They were certainly known for the fire and brimstone albums the label slotted them for, but even Capitol had to once in a while acknowledge the genre setting brotherly harmonies that were so powerful they influenced a lot of players in later generations, and continue to do so. This set pairs two album of them just singing without the fear of God lurking and it might just be their finest moments on Capitol as it’s just them doing their thing, pure and simple. Utterly tasty classic country, there’s a reason why these sides can cut through the clutter and stand head and shoulders above so much other material. Even if it isn’t contemporary, you can hear so much contemporary influence that you could almost pass this off as some new first class retro neuvo stuff. A winning set real country fans owe it to themselves to check out.
283
Volume 31/Number 350
October 15, 2008
MIDWEST RECORD
830 W. Route 22 #144
Lake Zurich, IL., 60047
CHRIS SPECTOR, Editor and Publisher
©2008 Midwest Record
No comments yet.
RSS feed for comments on this post. TrackBack URI