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BLIND RACCOON
KIM RICHARDSON/True North: The most respectable thing about Richardson’s latest is that she isn’t trying to set the world on fire, she just wants to be a singer/songwriter that entertains. She puts on a nice show without it being a “show”, loaded with jive trappings, fake winks and all the rest of the put on. Strapping on her guitar and unfurling a bunch of solid originals, this amiable folk/rocker simply gets up, delivers the goods and leaves you wanting more. What else does it takes. Fine stuff.
(www.kimrichardsonmusic.com)
DL MEDIA
BILL CUNLIFFE/The Blues and the Abstract Truth Take 2: You’ve got to be a real jazzbo to get this because Oliver Nelson is not a name that rolls off the tongue these days as memory sinks deeper into iconography, but this is a remake of a landmark Nelson album from 1961 by a cat and his pals that knew this record by osmosis from eating for breakfast often enough. One of those groovy modern jazz sets from the early 60s, the experienced Cunliffe brings all his leader chops to bear on a recreation/recasting that stays loyal to the original but blows your ears open. Quite the impressive outing that will be a classic in it’s own right.
2003 (Resonance)
LORI BELL/Music of Djavan: Ok, Brazilian music doesn’t start with Jobim and end with Nascimento and chick jazz flute doesn’t start and stop with Ali Ryerson. Bell brings a different color to the music of Djavan. Coming herself from a classical background but having all around chops, this sprightly played set is a dose of sonic sunshine. Fun stuff for when you want the party to move in a different direction or when you just want to get away from it all, but really can’t.
1007 (Resonance)
DORIAN
I FURIOSI/Crazy: This is certainly the kind of music that brings classical tourists into the tent. The cover looks like classical gone punk but the music inside doesn’t reflect that ethos. A tight, solid four piece violin centric chamber group that shies away from warhorse repertoire, at least to tourist ears. Reminiscent of the kind of crew you see by accident in a church basement and vow to find out more about classical music as a result, it’s not exactly treating classical as pop but it is a treat to searching ears that can be swayed and influenced. Well done.
90802
JAZZ PROMO SERVICES
BARBARA KING/Perfect Timing: Interesting juxtapositions going on here. King sounds like she’s paying homage to Diana Krall paying homage to all the great black vocalists that came before. Of course, King is a black vocalist so the first pass might be a little jarring to contemporary ears that just aren’t that familiar with the classic singers. Get past all that folderol and you have a solid debut from a jazz vocalists that is in the tradition and can wear that mantle without it being a cop out. Straight down the middle, but with all the trimmings, the classic jazzbo will be unknowingly knocked out by this until reading the small print and finding King surrounded herself with nothing but the best. Clearly one of the classier debuts in quite a while.
(CCC Music Group)
SV MEDIA RELATIONS
DANNY GREEN/With You In Mind: Green is a piano man that fuses jazz with vacation vibes and stirs up his own gumbo along the way. Easy, slinky fun listening, this isn’t serious jazz for moldy figs, it’s play time music when the vibe has to be light and joyful. With a special talent for letting the good times roll, this piano jazz is simply tasty throughout. Check it out.
614 (Alante)
Volume 31/Number 359
October 24, 2008
MIDWEST RECORD
830 W. Route 22 #144
Lake Zurich, IL., 60047
CHRIS SPECTOR, Editor and Publisher
©2008 Midwest Record
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