Dizzy Gillespie: A Musical Safari (1961)

This Album is Recorded live at the Monterey Jazz Festival in September 1961. Dizzy's introduction is fun and the music is very well performed and recorded. "Desafinado" is excellent but "Long Long Summer" composed by Lalo Schifrin is my favorite track on the album. Lalo's Piano lick is so soulful that it could be ripe for a sample. The final track "Kush" is a wild journey at over Nine Minutes. It has some fantastically funky Drumming by Chuck Lampkin and as Lalo starts his brilliant Piano Solo, the Bass played by Bob Cunningham and Drums are so tight it hurts.

Here are the Uncredited Rear Album Cover Notes in entirety.

A Musical Safari most accurately describes what evolved from this afternoon concert in september, 1961 at Monterey Jazz Festival. Dizzy's always felt close to his African roots; be it in the Afro-Cuban sound that is rightfully called the Father of or the gentle hypnotic beat of Bossa-nova. Dizzy's music is always sanctified with a quality that appeals to all. This recording captures a truly historic moment in modern music.

A Musical Safari (RS) / A Musical Safari (MU) @ 320K

Dave Weckl: Hard-Wired (1994)

What was true of Master Plan is also true of Dave Weckl's third album as a leader of Hard-Wired — it isn't the fusion masterpiece Weckl is capable of delivering, but it certainly isn't bad either. This time, the drummer's guests include keyboardist Jay Oliver and bassist Anthony Jackson as well as bassist John Patitucci, who like Weckl, was no longer a member of Chick Corea's Akoustic and Elektric Bands and was making his own albums a priority. The album's main emphasis is fusion that is fairly accessible, yet substantial and improvisatory. Tunes like the Asian-influenced title song and the groove-oriented "Crazy Horse" weren't recorded with hard bop's hard-liners in mind, but at the same time, they don't pander to NAC radio. As enjoyable as this album is, it isn't essential. One sensed that Weckl's best work as a leader was yet to come. -- All Music Guide

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Hard-Wired (RS) / Hard-Wired (MU) @ 320K

John Scofield: Piety Street (2009)

As a leader, guitarist, and composer John Scofield has made many different kinds of records over the course of his long career, as well as played on dozens more as a sideman to people like Miles Davis and Charles Mingus, to mention just two. His last offering, and his first for Emarcy, was This Means That, an adventurous blend of straight-ahead blowing and funk-oriented numbers that worked beautifully and yielded a slew of critical acclaim. Piety Street is a different story altogether. Scofield has assembled a crack band of more roots and groove-oriented sidemen to cut his version of a gospel album. He's backed by keyboardist and vocalist Jon Cleary (from Bonnie Raitt's fine road band), New Orleans super bassist George Porter, Jr., drummer Ricky Fataar (also of the Raitt band), Crescent City club band session vocalist John Boutté (whose singing is a staple of the city's vibrant music scene), and New Orleans drummer and percussionist Shannon Powell (formerly of the Harry Connick Orchestra). There are 13 cuts on Piety Street, ranging from well-known gospel standards such as " Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child," "His Eye Is on the Sparrow," "Walk with Me," and "I'll Fly Away" to classics within the genre, such as Dorothy Love Coates' "That's Enough," and "99 and a Half," the Rev. James Cleveland's "Something's Got a Hold on Me," and Thomas A. Dorsey's "Never Turn Back," with a couple of originals thrown in for measure. The temptation on a set like this to insert all sorts of improvisational touches, complex arrangements, and/or jamming opportunities is great, but to his credit, Scofield resists completely. These are songs and he treats them as such — the vocalists are an obvious nod to this but the arrangements and instrumental interludes go even further. Everything from post-bop jazz, funk, blues, and reggae are grafted onto these songs and the transition is seamless. Scofield's own playing is ever present but understated, and Cleary and Porter are such an intensely focused rhythm team that their backdrops are drenched in grooves and soul. While it's true this is gospel music re-visioned by Scofield, it's still a gospel record, and carries within it the heart of that music's great traditions — melody, complex harmonics, and lyricism. This is a winner all the way through.

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Piety Street (RS) / Piety Street (HF) @ 320K

John Scofield Band: Up All Night (2003)

Already a part of two great jazz records in 2003--by Roy Haynes and the group ScoLoHoFo--guitarist John Scofield is back to his genre-bending self with 11 tracks of adventurous grooves that should attract contemporary jazz fans as well as lovers of jam bands, instrumental hip-hop, and dance music. Although the quartet collaborated on nearly half the tunes, Up All Night is more structured than Uberjam, the Scofield band's 2002 effort. It's less a jam session, more a rhythmic showcase for the group and the special dirty effects, memorable riffs, and long darting lines of the leader. The head-bopping, finger-snapping quotient is high on many numbers, especially the first two tracks and "Four on the Floor." "Thikhahali," his tribute to Fela Kuti's Afrobeat style, is priceless. There are go-go riffs on "Philopiety," industrial beats on "Freakin' Disco" and "Every Night Is Ladies Night" and through it all a musician at the very top of his game. --Mark Ruffin

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Up All Night (RS) / Up All Night (HF) @ 320K

Ricky Lawson: Ricky Lawson & Friends (2001)

Grammy Award winning writer and former member of Yellow Jackets, Ricky Lawson, hailed as Modern Drummer's Best R&B Drummer of the Year (1999), with the help of his 'friends' conjures up a unique and engaging blend of R&B, Pop and Jazz quaranteed to satisfy a wide range of musical appetites. The list of participants is impressive: Phil Collins, the Emotions, Vesta Williams, Robben Ford, Al Jarreau, Sheila E., George Duke, James Ingram, and Donald Fagen are among the people who join Lawson on this CD.

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Ricky (RS) / Ricky (HF) @ 320K

Various Artists: Bass Talks, Vol. 3 (1997)

The title of this CD talks for itself - music inspired by genius of bass player Jaco Pastorius. Jaco 'was one of the cats' how one of musicians once said about him. He became an historical figure in the world of music, for his revolutionary new approach for bass guitar and new style of thinking of it. This CD features some of noted bass players like Laurence Cottle, Dave La Rue and Carlos Benavent, presenting their vision of fretless bass playing style based on Pastorius works. They bring the bass in more advanced level, demonstrating how it can fit an almost all niches in song structure. Sometimes you will be surprised how different the bass may sound. With this CD in your collection you can share your feels and ideas about fretless bass with many hot musicians, who love it like you do.

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Bass Talks (RS) / Bass Talks (HF) @ 320K

Marc Moulin: Boxof - The Best Of (2009) [3 cd]

Belgian keyboardist Marc Moulin has been a jazz craftsman for more than three decades. A leader in the field of acid jazz, he began his career by playing the piano in the '60s throughout Europe. During the following decade, he established a band known as Placebo. By 1974, he had made a trio of albums, influenced by such masters of jazz as Miles Davis and Herbie Hancock. One of those early releases, Sam Suffy, has withstood the test of time and is still popular decades later with aficionados. Before the '70s had passed, Moulin switched gears; working with the band Telex, his style shifted to electro pop. With bandmates Michel Moers on vocals and Dan Lacksman on synthesizer, he put out five albums that spawned hit singles like "Rock Around the Clock," an electro pop version of the song originally made famous by Bill Haley & the Comets, and "Moscow Diskow," which won fans in discos as far away as Australia and Brazil. By 1992, Moulin again pulled a switch, this time turning to a sound that was more ambient with the release of Maessage. As the calendar flipped forward to a new millennium, Moulin flipped back in time to the place where he'd started: jazz. He signed with Blue Note, a label fond of pushing boundaries, which allowed him to freely combine his proclivity for the electronic sound with his jazz roots.

'Boxof' is an EMI release representing a collectors box which contains all his greatest hist, remixes and previously unreleased material.

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Boxof (HF) @ 320K

V.S.O.P.: Live Under the Sky (2000)

Recorded Live at Denen Coloseum, Tokyo on July 26, 1979. Featuring Jazz Legends: Freddie Hubbard (Trumpet and Fluegelhorn), Wayne Shorter (Soprano and Tenor Saxophones), Ron Carter (Bass), Tony Williams (Drums) and Herbie Hancock (Piano). Includes the Songs: 'One of Another Kind' (Hubbard), 'Teardrop' (Carter), 'Pee Wee' (Williams) and 'Domo' (Hancock).

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Live (RS) / Live (HF) @ 320K

Avishai Cohen & The International Vamp Band: Unity (2001)

Bassist Avishai Cohen's fourth Stretch release marks the debut of a new project, the International Vamp Band, which first went public in early 2001 in a series of performances at the Jazz Gallery in New York. Interestingly, Cohen is the band's pianist. He leaves the upright bass duties to Yagil Baras and only occasionally overdubs lines on electric bass. The other musicians are Diego Urcola on trumpet and flügelhorn, Yosvany Terry on alto and tenor saxophones and chekere, Avi Lebovich on trombone and flute, and Antonio Sanchez on drums. (Cohen's bass student Bryan Keleen guests on "Island Man.") While Cohen's piano playing is not virtuosic (although it comes close on the solo piece "Pause"), his intention is simply to approach bandleading from a different vantage point. Perhaps as a direct result, this new music boasts a rather expansive harmonic palette. It's hypnotic, as the term "vamp" would suggest, and it's often downright soothing — which is appropriate, given that Cohen intended the album as a prayer for peace, particularly in his native Israel, which was descending into a state of war at the time of this recording.

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Unity (RS) / Unity (HF) @ 320K

Christian McBride: Kind of Brown (2009)

One might assume that bassist Christian McBride's CD Kind of Brown would be a tribute to Ray Brown. Au contraire — in fact, it would be appropriate for this recording to own up to the title Kind of Blue Note, because this music bears a strong resemblance to the late-'60s to mid-'70s recordings of the legendary Bobby Hutcherson-Harold Land quintet. That seminal post-bop ensemble defined the mid-period Blue Note label sound, and created resonant sonic signposts that remained unequaled, until now. A new discovery in vibraphonist Warren Wolf, Jr., teamed with veteran saxophonist Steve Wilson, the wonderful pianist Eric Reed, and drummer Carl Allen makes McBride's quintet dubbed Inside Straight into one of the more melodically tuneful and harmonically focused contemporary ensembles combining past tradition with a fresh new approach to this potent style of jazz. McBride is almost an equal in this company, putting aside his furious note playing for a more democratic role in this extraordinarily balanced small combo. The similarities to the Hutcherson-Land group are unmistakable, from the tick-tock rhythm and melodic line similar to Hutch and Herbie Hancock's classic composition "Blow Up" on "Brother Mister" to the steady swinger "Rainbow Wheel" and "Pursuit of Peace," with its probing basslines via McBride and perfectly fitted hand-in-glove melody and unison approach. The athletic and quirky "Stick and Move" is hard-charging bop at its best with Reed leading; soul-jazz is adopted during the waltz "Used 'ta Could" in parallel to the standard "Better Than Anything"; while "The Shade of the Cedar Tree" (for Cedar Walton) is again similar to what Walton and Hutcherson did with the Timeless All Stars, and close to Walton's tune "Hindsight." McBride's role as a leader is more pronounced on "Theme for Kareem," an ultra-tight, very hip tune that has potential standard written all over it. Wilson concentrates on alto sax, but plays a bit of soprano on the recording for the waltz-to-samba "Starbeam"; McBride restrains his inclination to play a multiplicity of notes; and Wolf proves to be a new artist to keep a close watch on in the next decade. While Christian McBride has been involved with many amazing recordings during his brief but substantive career, this might be his best batch yet.

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Kind of Brown (RS) / Kind of Brown (MU) / Kind of Brown (HF)

Souad Massi: Deb - Heart Broken (2003)

The sophomore album from the "Arabic Tracy Chapman." While that would imply a deep folk-guitar base for her music, that's really not the case. What the album is made of is an extremely eclectic mix of sounds. The base for it all is in Algerian and Andalusian musics, with rai, flamenco and Arab classical music being the main keystones. On top of that, though, is layer after layer of other genres. Western folk is certainly one of the top factors in some of those, as well as hints of Western classical music in the backing violins and cellos that show up from time to time. East African jive and West African juju both seem to make appearances for a time, and hints of tabla from the subcontinent also creep in when you're not paying attention. The main highlight of the album isn't so much the eclecticism though, as it is Massi's abilities in songwriting, singing, and on the guitar. Her voice projects the proper emotion for powerful flamenco vocal runs, and soft French songs alike. Equally versatile, her guitar can make flamenco solos and folk-rock runs easily, along with more careful ballad picking. It's a very versatile album, with some top-notch musicianship from Massi, as well as some top-notch songwriting. Pick it up for a nice relaxed listen. - by Adam Greenberg, AMG

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Deb (RS) / Deb (HF) @ 320K

Barney Kessel & Herb Ellis: Poor Butterfly (1977)

Herb Ellis had previously recorded with fellow guitarists Charlie Byrd, Joe Pass and Freddie Green, but this early Concord album (reissued on CD) was his first meeting on records with Barney Kessel. It is of little surprise that the two complementary players (who had both been with the Oscar Peterson Trio at different times in the 1950s) work together quite well. With fine support from bassist Monty Budwig and drummer Jake Hanna, Kessel and Ellis (both generally easy to identify) swing their way through some mostly little-played standards, including "Early Autumn" and "Dearly Beloved," plus a few originals by the co-leaders. Fans of the bop guitar will want this sprightly collaboration. ~ Scott Yanow, AMG

Personnel:

Barney Kessel (Guitar)
Herb Ellis (Guitar)
Monty Budwig (Double Bass)
Jake Hanna (Drums)
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Poor Butterfly (RS) / Poor Butterfly (MU) @ 320K

Terrence Blanchard: A Tale of God's Will (2007)

For all the anger and devastation trumpeter Terence Blanchard has felt in the months since Hurricane Katrina ravaged his hometown of New Orleans--and the federal government failed it so shamefully--this elegiac orchestral work is remarkably clear-eyed, restrained, and, in the end, hopeful. That isn't to say pieces like "Funeral Dirge" and "Levees" don't impart deep and dark emotion. But even with strings at their back, Blanchard and the members of his first-rate working quintet (all of whom contribute compositions) never indulge in sentimentality. Blanchard's debt to Miles Davis is pronounced in his pinched lyricism and the economy of his virtuosic effects. The richly hued work washes over the listener, revealing more with each playing. --Lloyd Sachs

In the wake of Hurricane Katrina in 2005, New Orleans native son Terence Blanchard has created an impassioned song cycle, A Tale of God's Will (A Requiem for Katrina), as his third album for Blue Note Records. (Since signing with the label in 2003, Blanchard has released two other critically-acclaimed albums, Bounce and Flow, the latter of which received two Grammy nominations in 2006. This 13-track emotional tour-de-force of anger, rage, compassion, melancholy, and beauty features Blanchard's quintet- pianist Aaron Parks, saxophonist Brice Winston, bassist Derrick Hodge, drummer Kendrick Scott- as well as a 40-member string orchestra.

An important jumpstart for A Tale of God's Will was director Spike Lee's decision to document the aftermath of Katrina on film, in what turned out to be the four-hour award-winning HBO documentary, When the Levees Broke, which aired last year. Lee, who has enlisted Blanchard on numerous occasions to score his films, such as Mo' Better Blues, Malcolm X, and Inside Man, tapped him once again for his documentary. Four of the tracks from the documentary were given new arrangements and expanded rounding out an album of nine new tracks inspired by New Orleans during and after Hurricane Katrina.
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A Tale of God's Will (HF) / A Tale of God's Will (RS) @ 320K

Herbie Hancock: Day Dreams (2002)

This CD is very rare and recorded live in concert with Donald Byrd (trumpet) and The Pepper Adams Quintet. Among the tracks included there are: Day Dreams (Strayhorn/Ellington), Rock Your Soul (Mancini), Hot Piano (Mercer), Witchfire (Ervin). The CD is distributed by Prism Leisure Corp., England. Playing time: 64 min.

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Day Dreams (RS) / Day Dreams (HF) @ 320K

Sam Rivers & the Rivbea All-Star Orchestra: Inspiration (1997)

Prior to Inspiration, Sam Rivers hadn't recorded for a major label in nearly 20 years, and he hadn't cut a studio session in two decades. That doesn't mean he was inactive; he was teaching, playing, and giving concerts but never recording. Aware that many of Rivers' big-band compositions — not only his recent material, but some earlier works as well — had never been given the proper treatment, saxophonist Steve Coleman helped arrange a recording contract with BMG, with the end result being the astonishing Inspiration album. The compositions on Inspiration are as old as 1968's "Beatrice" and as new as 1995's "Solace" (incidentally, both of those pieces are tributes to his wife Beatrice, who also provides half of the name of the featured big band, the Rivbea All-Star Orchestra). Remarkably, all of the compositions not only sound fresh, they sound visionary — still ahead of their time. It's not only because the stellar musicians give vibrant, unpredictable performances, although that undeniably helps; Rivers' writing is the real key. His writing for big band is utterly original, blending big-band, bop, and avant-garde traditions together in unique, surprising ways. The dissonance never sounds irritating — it sounds melodic — and the complex themes are strangely inviting. Similarly, Rivers' playing is robust, swinging between intense bursts of sound and beautiful lyricism, and sometimes combining it all at once. His 16 colleagues — including such luminaries as Steve Coleman, Greg Osby, Chico Freeman, and Ray Anderson — follow suit, delivering wonderfully shaded, invigorating performances. Inspiration truly is a revelation, proving not only that Rivers retains all his creative power at the age of 75, but that avant-garde jazz can be as inviting as any other style without sacrificing any of its depth or daring.
Highly Recommended!

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Inspiration (RS) / Inspiration (HF) @ 320K

Herbie Hancock: Mwandishi (1971) [remastered 1997]

Hancock called Mwandishi "my favourite record of all the records I have ever made" in 1971. Surely the music on this album remains some of the most startling and experimental music on Hancock's entire discography, more suited perhaps for the 21st century than the one in which it was created. Just as beautiful as well known blue-note releases such as "Maiden Voyage" and "Speak Like a Child," this music contains a subversive and revolutionary edge (unlike it's predecessors) that still sits it at the forefront of contemporary music thirty years after its original release.

In explaining why he switched to a more funky and accessible style popularized on "Head Hunters" Hancock complaines to Bob Blumenthal in the notes to "Mwandishi: The Complete Warner Bros Recordings" (also definitely worth the purchase) that "I'd go to friends' homes and see my albums on the shelves with lots of other people's records, and they'd play all the others except mine." Sad. Perhaps Hancock didn't know how far ahead he was at the time, but surely time will confirm this blatantly self evident fact, especially with the crystalline sonic-quality evident on reissues of this remarkable offering on CD.

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Mwandishi (HF) Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3 (MU) [lossless]

Marc Johnson: Shade of Jade (2005)

Marc Johnson doesn't take a bass solo on Shades of Jade until "Snow," track six of the 10-song album. Until then, the emphasis stays on tenor saxophonist Joe Lovano, guitarist John Scofield and pianist Eliane Elias, the last serving as the album's coproducer (with Manfred Eicher) and author or coauthor of half the album. In fact, Elias could almost be the de facto leader of the session.

But regardless of whose name comes first on the cover, everyone matches wits on "Ton Sur Ton," with tenor and guitar harmonizing deftly on the melody. The front end of the disc finds the group in a gentle mood that sometimes gets too languid (the title track) but often brings out the delicacy of the setting ("Apareceu"). "Blue Nefertiti" gets the second part of its name from a sideways quote of a certain Wayne Shorter tune.

Beginning with "Snow," Johnson asserts himself more, following that track with the solo "Since You Asked" exemplifying his vast melodic skills. In the closing "Don't Ask of Me," a drone accompanies a bowed solo where his impeccable tone could easily be mistaken for a cello. In between, "Raise" gives the group a medium hard-bop groove, and drummer Joey Baron, up to this point filling out the sound with subtle nuances, gets a chance to light a fire under the band, particularly Lovano.

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Shade of Jade (RS) / Shade of Jade (HF) @ 320K

Lonnie Smith Trio: Afro Blue (1997)

After a long hiatus from the record shelves, the turbaned Dr. Lonnie Smith -- along with guitarist John Abercrombie and drummer Marvin "Smitty" Smith -- sets his sights upon John Coltrane, turning in five 'Trane tunes plus Mongo Santamaria's "Afro-Blue" and a grooving Smith tribute, "Traces of Trane." The propulsive title track is mostly dominated by Abercrombie, while "Impressions" continues the driving pace as Lonnie sprays Hammond B-3 organ notes all over the place with constant brief call-and-response dialogues with himself. Another highlight is one of the two breathers, the aptly named "Lonnie's Lament," which has a nice haunting lilt. Carelessly left off the label and booklet copy -- but embedded in your CD anyway -- is any mention of a 12-minute workout on "Greensleeves" in the push-pull, modal Coltrane manner, with a strong hint of Jimmy Smith. Abercrombie usually plays in his veiled, out-of-tempo manner, while "Smitty" is a volatile, hyperkinetic workhorse most of the time, offering a complex individualistic challenge to the Elvin Jones standard. ~ Richard S. Ginell, AMG

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Afro Blue (RS) / Afro Blue (HF) @ 320K

McCoy Tyner Quartet: Live (2006)

McCoy Tyner's work with the John Coltrane Quartet is well documented, and this CD marks a welcome return to that format. Recorded live at Yoshi's in Oakland, CA, over New Year's, Joe Lovano does the honors in the tenor sax chair, while bassist Christian McBride and drummer Jeff "Tain" Watts hold the rhythm section together with honor, passion, and drive. The world-class bassist and drummer, usually known for their overt showmanship and over the top chops, show remarkable restraint and sensitivity throughout. Tyner and friends play several of his original compositions, well-known and revered over the years. Lovano sounds, eerily enough, like Pharoah Sanders, employing a slightly staggered expansive vibrato on "Walk Spirit, Talk Spirit," while using a more haunting stance à la Coltrane for "Mellow Minor," a new modern mainstream tune. Sounding more like himself, Lovano and the group join a loping desert caravan for the beautiful "Sama Layuca," with Lovano playing the part originally written for flute. They rip through "Passion Dance" and melt abject militarism during the poignant ballad "Search for Peace." Tyner, in character, utilizes a minimalist palette to extrapolate on improvisationally during his solos. After reported health problems, it is good to hear he is sounding quite inspired and energetic during the entire date. The happy song "Blues on the Corner" further cements his upbeat demeanor, while the finale/solo standard "For All We Know" is truly the real McCoy, replete with the many flourishes, dynamism, and harmonic colorations that distinguish him from all others. In many ways this is a remarkable date, a well-paced program with all the pieces (save "For All We Know") timed at around ten minutes, proof positive that Tyner's game is still very much on, and hovering at a very high level. --Michael G. Nastos - All Music Guide

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Live (RS) / Live (MU) / Live (HF) / Live (DF)

Chris Standing: Soul Express (2006)

Smooth jazz guitarist Chris Standring was born and raised in Buckinghamshire, England; classically trained at the London College of Music, he further honed his skills during a decade spent working for the BBC as well as a number of theatrical orchestras on London's West End. From there Standring relocated to Los Angeles, where he became a top session player after recording with everyone from Bebe & Cece Winans to Jody Watley to Carole Bayer Sager; in 1996, he also teamed with keyboardist Rodney Lee to helm the acid jazz combo SolarSystem. After touring for a year and a half with trumpeter Rick Braun, Standring issued his solo debut Velvet in 1999, scoring the smooth jazz radio hit "Cool Shades"; Hip Sway appeared a year later.

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Soul Express (RS) / Soul Express (HF) @ 320K

Jimmy Smith: Angel Eyes (1996)

Who would have suspected that Jimmy Smith would put out something this great this late in his career? This is music so cool and laid-back that it takes a few listens to realize how deep and complex it is. This is fine music by a mature artist. ~ Hank Schwab

A follow-up to the mostly heated performances of Damn!, this CD features organist Jimmy Smith sticking to ballads and slower material. There is a sextet rendition of "Stolen Moments" (with both Roy Hargrove and Nicholas Payton on trumpets); duets with both trumpeters, bassist Christian McBride, and guitarist Mark Whitfield; a trio; a quartet; and solo organ renditions of "Oh Bess, Oh Where's My Bess?" and "What a Wonderful World." Despite the constant changing of instrumentation, the results (although pleasant) are uneventful and somewhat predictable. Good for late-night background music rather than for close listening. ~ Scott Yanow, AMG

Personnel:
Jimmy Smith -Organ
Roy Hargrove -Trumpet and Flugelhorn - 1,2,5
Nicholas Payton -Trumpet - 1,7
Mark Whitfield -Guitar - 1,3,5,8
Christian McBride -Double Bass - 1,6
Gregory Hutchinson -Drums - 1,5,8
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Angel Etes (RS) / Angel Eyes (HF) @ 320K

Bela Fleck & The Flecktones: The Hidden Land (2006)

Banjo player Bela Fleck has a world-class set of chops and a willingness to follow his muse wherever it takes him. The band ranges far and wide once again on the The Hidden Land ­ it opens with a Bach Fugue, delves into swing, has a bit of bluegrass, does progressive rock, and jets to several other locales. But the everything-and-the-kitchen sink concept is still considerable more streamlined than 2003's Little Worlds, an overproduced and under-focused three-CD set. Highlights here include Fleck's pickin' on a progressive country stomp called "Weed Whacker" and the playful "Couch Potato," which has a hyper edge that doesn't match the sedentary implications of the title. The band's telepathic interaction is highlighted on the Middle East-influenced "Chennai," ­where musical lines are played in unison or tossed back and forth, making the song crackle with energy. The broad aesthetic and restless sonic changes might be a bit much for some, but a patient survey of this album will be rewarded. ­--Tad Hendrickson

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The Hidden Land (2006) / The Hidden Land (2006) @ 320K

School of the Arts: ST (2007)

Cutting-edge compositions, beautiful sinuous melodies, and massive chops make School of the Arts (SOTA) a truly rare confluence of influences and musical styles, pushing jazz and jazz-fusion into another dimension.

The brainchild of keyboardist extraordinaire T Lavitz (Dixie Dregs, Jazz Is Dead), SOTA culls the supreme talents of such fusion and progressive instrumental music heavyweights as drummer Dave Weckl (Chick Corea) bassist John Patitucci (Corea, Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter), guitarist Frank Gambale (Corea, Vital Information), electric violinist Jerry Goodman of Mahavishnu Orchestra, Shadowfax, and Dixie Dregs fame, and T s longtime friend, Dregs mastermind, and Magna Carta label mate, monster axeman Steve Morse.

School of the Arts is different from every album I ve ever done as a leader, says Lavitz

With SOTA, Lavitz (with four decades experience in the music biz having played with such wide-ranging musicians as Widespread Panic, Bill Bruford, Billy Cobham, Nils Lofgren, Pat Benatar, Jefferson Starship, Mother s Finest, Dave Fiuczynski, Peter Himmelman, Dennis Chambers, Jeff Berlin, and Scott Henderson) is top dog, playing acoustic piano (an instrument close to his heart), and composing most of the material for the band s debut.

Underscoring Lavitz s empathy and musical instincts, is the keyboardist s ability to spearhead and hold together the SOTA project, despite each member s busy schedule: Morse is constantly touring with Deep Purple (occasionally with the Dregs); Jerry Goodman is an in-demand electric violin trailblazer; Patitucci and Weckl crisscross the globe with various artists and solo work; and likewise for Gambale, who recently finished a tour with Billy Cobham.

The music is definitely interactive, Lavitz says. When I take a solo, there s Frank Gambale answering me, like something you d hear on a gig.

Case in point: the Afro-Latin acoustic jazz tune Gambashwari. Sinewy guitar and piano chords/notes weave around one another in syncopated patterns, stating main, contra and counterpoint melodies. It s breezy, not cheesy, jazz -- the kind that possesses sophistication without being elitist, boring or unlistenable. It s utterly infectious jazz-fusion with aspirations toward chamber or classical music, with rock s reckless abandon simmering just under the surface.

Other tracks include, High Falutin Blues (an appropriate title for a song that crosses the boundaries of country, blues, and jazz), Like This (listen as Weckl locks into Patitucci s sparse bass line all the while commenting on Goodman s and T s jazzy/bluegrass-esque soloing acrobatics), and Teaser (a Chick Corea-style acoustic rocker, complete with trill-filled piano performances, blanketed by Weckl s silky stream of beats). Dave Weckl laid down some of the best drum tracks I ve heard in a while, Lavitz says.

Despite the obvious and some might say inevitable chops heard on this record, the high level of musicianship never detracts from the overall flow of the compositions. In fact, the record has a ring of newfound freedom; of a songwriter allowed to spread his compositional wings, which recalls the artistic creativity and motivation that drove Lavitz to create his 1986 solo debut, Storytime an album produced in the wake of a Dregs breakup. I am very excited about this, because not only did I get to write the bulk of the music, but I produced, played and played only acoustic, says Lavitz. While it has elements from other recordings I've done, it seems, at least to me, to stand out as being very different.

Personnel:

T Lavitz - Piano;

Frank Gambale - Acoustic Guitar;

Steve Morse - Acoustic Guitar;
Jerry Goodman - Violin;
John Patitucci - Acoustic and Electric Bass ;
Dave Weckl - Drums and Percussion
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SOTA (RS) / SOTA (HF) @ 320K

Jean-Paul Bourelly: Trans Atlantic (Boom Bop II) (2002)

As the title might indicate, this release represents an extension to his previous outing, Boom Bop. Known for his jazz-rock or jazz fusion electric guitar-based stylizations, Jean-Paul Bourelly's Jimi Hendrix influence cannot be understated, hence a notion that is most prominently conveyed on his impressive 1995 Tribute to Jimi CD. But here, the artist is heavily entrenched in super-charged funk, jazz, and worldbeat motifs. Bourelly augments a cornucopia of scathing licks with peppery, funk/jazz/rock-type grooves amid strong support from saxophonist/flutist Henry Threadgill, bassist Reggie Workman, and others. The guitarist dances, darts, and weaves in and out of a set brimming with punchy horn charts, extended note choruses, and climactically driven soloing. Abdourahmane Diop's vocals sit atop rumbling African rhythms on four tracks, while all-world drummers Will Calhoun and Dennis Chambers provide the booming undercurrents throughout. At times, Bourelly's modus operandi shows elements of Miles Davis' early-'70s electric years — where the band utilizes space and heavy-handed beats to establish flourishing grooves. Nonetheless, this project signifies a thoroughly compelling direction for Bourelly.

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Trans Atlantic (RS) / Trans Atlantic (HF) @ 320K

Michel Portal, Stephen Kent, Mino Cinelu: Burundi (2000)

Multiinstrumentalist (clarinets, saxophones, bandoneon, etc.) and composer Michel Portal can be considered as the father figure of the French modern jazz scene.

Classically trained, Portal gained notoriety through his association with various modern and contemporary music composers. His performance as the featured soloist on Pierre Boulez's Domaines remains a highlight of his career. However, this exceptional musician also had a serious interest in folk music and jazz. In the late '60s, he initiated the free jazz movement in France with François Tusques, Bernard Vitet, and Sunny Murray. He went on to form New Phonic Art with Vinko Globokar, Carlos Roque Alsina, and JeanPierre Drouet to encourage collective improvisation, sonic explorations, and instant composing. In 1970, Portal developed a fruitful collaboration with John Surman. The following year, he created the longlived Michel Portal Unit, a structure designed to have European and American musicians meet in a freely improvised setting. In 1975, writing movie soundtracks became a regular activity, which is welldocumented on Musiques de Cinémas. In the '80s and '90s, Portal went through countless new musical encounters, never following a plan and always seizing the moment. During that period, his most notable collaborators included Pierre Favre, Dave Liebman, Martial Solal, Mino Cinelu, and Jack DeJohnette. At the turn of the century, Portal finally started to make a serious connection with the U.S., and Minneapolis in particular. He enlisted the help of some of Prince's musicians to develop a rocktinged project which represented yet another departure.
Personel: Michel Portal (soprano saxophone, bass clarinet), Stephen Kent (didgeridoo, percussion, cello), Mino Cinelu (percussion, vocals).

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Burundi (RS) / Burundi (HF) @ 320K

Trilok Gurtu: African Fantasy (2000)

There are theories about the way the continents were once joined together in prehistoric times, but Indian percussionist Trilok Gurtu is attempting a new connection between land masses in a musical sense with his eighth album African Fantasy, which probably should have been called "Indo-A frican Fantasy" to make things clear to potential buyers. As an Indian musician, Gurtu is steeped in the music of his homeland, with its tablas and sitars, but as a percussionist he must be fascinated by the various rhythms coming out of Africa. Here, he has indulged that interest writing music that fuses both traditions, which he plays with his usual band, but he brings in several African vocalists: Sabine Kabongo (of the European-based group Zap Mama), Esmeralda Sciascia, Angelique Kidjo, and Oumou Sangare. The results are interesting, if tentative. Maybe if Gurtu had collaborated with African musicians, especially drummers, he might have gotten more of the continent into his music. As it is, there is a surface texture, especially in the vocals, of the continent's many musics, but the core of the sound remains Indian. That still makes for striking juxtapositions, and there is some wonderful playing. But the concept of an Indian/African fusion remains a fantasy, at least in this execution of it.

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African Fantasy (RS) / African Fantasy (MU) @ 320K

Bernie Williams: The Journey Within (2003)

Take note! If there's one lively Latin-flavored guitar jazz disc by an all-star center fielder you must listen to this year, make it this one. Don't do it however, just for the novelty of a .300 career-hitting New York Yankee legend making music for a hometown-based label, but because his hobby comes loaded with great melodic ideas and some buoyant, snappy playing. No doubt many critics will see this as a sports celebrity vanity project, and much will be made of all the top musicians who jumped into the fray (Béla Fleck, David Sancious, T-Bone Wolk, Luis Conte), but Williams truly holds his own. The opening track, "La Salsa en Mi," is feisty Latin jamming with an instantly catchy melody, and sets a lofty standard that some of the mellower tracks simply can't match. High-spirited exotic sessions like that and the percussion-intense "Desvelado" run rings around more conventional but still engaging light funk-jazz tracks like "The Way" and the lush ballad "Just Because," whose contribution by labelmate pianist David Benoit is surprisingly subtle. Those who like simple fingerstyling may most enjoy the interlude "Samba Novo," while pop fans may best enjoy the mainstream readings of "Dust in the Wind" and Billy Joel's plaintive "And So It Goes." The best evidence that Williams can funk out as well as he can do salsa (remember, he's a native Puerto Rican) is the turbocharged fusion jam "Stranded on the Bridge." In contemporary jazz circles, Wayman Tisdale has made a successful move from basketball to bass. When Bernie Williams retires, more discs like this will ensure that he's more than a one-shot deal.

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The Journey Within (RS) / The Journey Within (HF) @ 320K

Herbie Hancock: Sextant (1973)

When Herbie Hancock left Warner Bros. in 1971 after releasing three musically sound but critically and commercially underappreciated albums — The Crossing, Mwandishi, and Fat Albert's Groove — he was struggling. At odds with a jazz establishment that longed for his return to his Blue Note sound and a fierce consciousness struggle with free music and the full-on embrace of electricity since his tenure with Miles Davis, Hancock was clearly looking for a voice. Before diving into the commercial waters that would become Headhunters in 1973, Hancock and his tough group (including Billy Hart, Julian Priester, Dr. Eddie Henderson, Bennie Maupin, and Buster Williams) cut this gem for their new label, Columbia. Like its Warner predecessors, the album features a kind of post-modal, free impressionism while gracing the edges of funk. The three long tracks are exploratory investigations into the nature of how mode and interval can be boiled down into a minimal stew and then extrapolated upon for soloing and "riffing." In fact, in many cases, the interval becomes the riff, as is evidenced by "Rain Dance." The piece that revealed the true funk direction, however, was "Hidden Shadows," with its choppy basslines and heavy percussion — aided by the inclusion of Dr. Patrick Gleeson and Buck Clarke. Dave Rubinson's production brought Hancock's piano more into line with the rhythm section, allowing for a unified front in the more abstract sections of these tunes. The true masterpiece on the album, though, is "Hornets," an eclectic, electric ride through both the dark modal ambience of Miles' In a Silent Way and post-Coltrane harmonic aesthetics. The groove is in place, but it gets turned inside out by Priester and Maupin on more than one occasion and Hancock just bleats with the synth in sections. Over 19 minutes in length, it can be brutally intense, but is more often than not stunningly beautiful. It provides a glimpse into the music that became Headhunters, but doesn't fully explain it, making this disc, like its Warner predecessors, true and welcome mysteries in Hancock's long career.

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Sextant (RS) / Sextant (MU) / Sextant (HF) @ 320K [scans]

Joshua Redman Elastic Band: Momentum (2005)

Once again featuring the expansive keyboard talents of Sam Yahel, saxophonist Joshua Redman's Momentum features more of the '70s-influenced jazz the former "young lion" experimented with on 2002's Elastic. Bringing to mind works by such iconic artists as Miles Davis, Herbie Hancock, and especially Eddie Harris, Redman digs into sundry groove-oriented tracks such as the driving and punchy "Sweet Nasty," which finds Yahel and Redman soloing hard over drummer Jeff Ballard's James Brown-ready dance beat. Interestingly, Redman conscribes some heavy sidemen to help stir the funk this time around with bassists Flea of the Red Hot Chili Peppers and jazz-pop iconoclast Me'Shell NdegéOcello adding their signature styles to their respective tracks. Similarly, Roots drummer ?uestlove, drummer Brian Blade, vibraphonist Stefon Harris, and guitarist Kurt Rosenwinkle contribute much with appearances here. However, it is organist Yahel who sets the musical tone for the whole album, adding in bubbly ambient synth sounds, clavinet, and Rhodes piano throughout. With all these talents at Redman's disposal it is disappointing that Momentum isn't more adventurous. When set next to such classics of '70s funk as Davis' On the Corner or Hancock's Head Hunters, Redman's album is just too polite and controlled to really live up to such comparisons. Also, the album relies a bit too heavily on in-studio gimmickry such as when trumpeter Nicholas Payton — who also released his own paean to '70s fusion with Sonic Trance — solos with himself overdubbed like a trumpet section on "Put It in Your Pocket." The result ultimately comes off as cheesy and gives the impression of a premeditated improvisation rather than a free flow of ideas. It is also unfortunate that some of the best cuts on the disc like the frenetic and angular "Showtime" are merely short interludes that are never fully developed. Momentum may loose some steam as it goes along, but with such talents on board it is still a fun and funky ride.

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Momentum [lossless, scans] Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3 - Part 4 (MU) / Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3 - Part 4 (RS) / Momentum (HF)

Blossom Dearie: Verve Jazz Masters 51 (1996)

I was snapped out of the normally numb mental mood of the commute home by "They Say it's Spring" with Blossom's slightly cartoon voice coaxing me to listen. It sounded like maybe a comic recording until noticing that she was hitting all the notes exactly as she wanted. The wistful passion in her song is the kind you wish someone was singing to you. I bought the CD and have become a real fan. This CD seems like the best place to start. It was the beginning of her career and she had terrific backup - including Ray Brown on Bass. She makes fun of guys who hit on her in the Paris clubs where she was discovered, but in this selection of songs you can hear why they did. ~ D. Ziesmer "vagabond"

"They Say It's Spring. " "Let Me Love You. " "The Party's Over. " "I Won't Dance. " No matter what she sings, Blossom Dearie does just that. She blossoms. O. K. lots of people have never heard of her. I'm one of the lucky ones. Since I was three or four, I can remember hearing Blossom's radiant voice on my parent's stereo0. I also had the pleasure of seeing her live in concert three years ago in New York.

What's amazing (live or on CD) is that she sounds no different today than she did back in 1956. That's quite an accomplishment, but it's true.

This CD - 16 songs in all - is the perfect intro to this national treasure. Even better, she does her own thing with each and every one of the songs that come her way including her daft rendition of "The Surrey With the Fringe on Top. " If you should add this CD to your collection, upon the first spin you'll be hooked. Go Blossom. ~ James V. Ruocco

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Blossom (RS) / Blossom (MU)

Poncho Sanchez: Latin Soul (1999)

In the past two decades, conguero Poncho Sanchez has emerged as the West Coast's foremost Latin-jazz bandleader. Latin Soul--his 19th release for the Concord Picante label--is a cooking set recorded live at the Conga Room in Los Angeles and Yoshi's in Oakland. This is no loose blowing session, but a showcase for Sanchez's road-tight nonet featuring the Banda brothers Ramon and Tony on bass and timbales, plus a powerful four-piece horn section. Sanchez's conga solos are seldom flashy, just rock solid. He pays homage to the inspiration of Mongo Santamaria on "Watermelon Man" and "Besame Mama" and recalls the golden age of mambo with Tito Rodriguez's "Mama Guela." He sings an invitation to dance on "Ven Pa Bailar" and turns the horns loose on Eddie Cano's boppish "Ican." The soul side of the equation is represented by a funky medley of Eddie Harris's "Listen Here" and "Cold Duck Time." --Rick Mitchell

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Latin Soul - Part 1 - Part 2 (RS) / Part 1 - Part 2 (MU) / Latin Soul (HF)

Herbie Hancock and Headhunters: The Return of the Headhunters (1998)

After a two-decade long hiatus, Herbie Hancock's Headhunters returned to action in 1998 with their funk groove pretty much intact, allowing for some technological and stylistic updating. The core of the band — the too-long-neglected Bennie Maupin (saxes, bass clarinet), Paul Jackson (bass), Bill Summers (percussion), and the group's second drummer Mike Clark — still has the complex funk telepathic interplay down pat, though occasionally the rhythms are simplified for contemporary audiences. Hancock himself only appears on four tracks, where he tries to comp and stomp out on latter-day digital instruments (alas, he doesn't quite generate the same super funky feeling that he once could on analog clavinets, Fender Rhodes pianos, and ARP synths). Billy Childs fills the keyboard chair in more genteel fashion on the other six tracks, with occasional help from Patrice Rushen, Mark Goodman, and Darrell Smith. The main hangup here is that the revived Headhunters didn't come up with much memorable material, the strongest tracks being the back-to-1974 retro workout "Funk Hunter," and the rhythmically tricky "Kwanzaa," and "Watch Your Back," which features the obligatory rap honoring elder statesmen of music (strange how reverential the nominally rebellious younger set often can be).

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The Return / Part 1 / Part 2 (RS) Part 1 / Part 2 (MU) @ 320K

Headhunters: Evolution Revolution (2003)

Three decades ago, Herbie Hancock stretched the limits of blending jazz with rock, R&B/funk, and a bit of avant-garde on the groundbreaking million selling album Headhunters. Members of that group have reassembled for this stunning 16-track updated brew where they add heavy doses of straight-ahead be-bop ("Take No Prizzonerz," "Woody Shaw"), blues ("Everything," "Fonkyfried"), African music ("Yekola," "Evolution Revolution"), and even smooth jazz ("Headhunting," "Martell on the Rocks") to the '70s hybrid. The keyboard player who originally put percussionist Bill Summers, drummer Mike Clark, and bassist Paul Jackson together wasn't available so the trio did what any 21st century scientists of sound would do, they got Hancock clones--an electric version (Ronald Markham) and an acoustic version (Victor Atkins). The Hancock stamp is all over the fusion tunes, especially "Stick It," featuring an electrified trumpet part from Nicholas Payton that sounds like another Hancock alum, Eddie Henderson. Other guests with Hancock ties include guitarist Wah-Wah Watson, original Headhunters reed man Bennie Maupin, and drummer Harvey Mason. Mason went on to become an original member of the group Fourplay, and Summers, the only musician on every track on this album, went on to help form Los Hombres Calientes. --Mark Ruffin

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Evolution Revolution Part 1 / Part 2 (RS) Part 1 / Part 2 (MU) @ 320K

The Dirty Dozen Brass Band: Live Mardi Gras in Montreux (1985)

Not at the same level as their debut (My Feet Can't Fail Me Now), the second outing by the Dirty Dozen Brass Band (taken from a couple sets performed at the 1985 Montreux Jazz Festival), Live: Mardi Gras in Montreux is overly loose in spots and has some lightweight material that was better heard live than on record. The party music does have its strong moments, the mightily sousaphone playing of Kirk Joseph (who simulates an electric bass) pushes the group and the joy of the band is not to be denied, but "The Flintstones Meets the President" is only worth hearing once. -- Allmusic.com

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Live Mardi Gras in Montreux (RS) @ 320K

Don Sebesky: Joyful Noise - A Tribute to Duke Ellington (1999)

Joyful is for Don Sebesky aficionados more than fans of Ellington, a distinction that must be made because of the dissimilarity between the two composer-arrangers. Where Ellington emphasized harmonic complexity in his horn voicings, Sebesky condenses brass and reeds for greater thrust and momentum. And where Ellington strove for understated elegance and relatively seamless melodic and rhythmic transitions in his charts, Sebesky is something of a showoff, writing abrupt, dynamic shifts in mood and tempo, heavily accented to maximize the razzmatazz. Thus, such Ellington classics as "Mood Indigo," "Caravan," and "Satin Doll" are boldly interpreted in a more pastiche manner, and Billy Strayhorn's "Chelsea Bridge" sounds closer to Doc Severinsen than Duke Ellington. Sebesky, who won a Grammy for an arrangement on his 1998 Bill Evans tribute CD, I Remember Bill, clearly intends to provide something fresh--his greatest fidelity to Ellington is on the obscure "Warm Valley"--and he's recruited the personnel here to make it happen. More than half of the 10 songs reunite alto saxophonist Phil Woods with former mates Tom Harrell and Jim McNeely, with Ron Carter joining in on three of the cuts. Not surprisingly, one of those--a Sebesky-jolted "Creole Love Call"--is the record's highlight. --Britt Robson

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Joyful Noise (RS) / Joyful Noise (MU) @ 320K

Mike Stern: Big Neighborhood (2009)

Mike Stern's music has always come from a colorful and diverse part of town - a place where numerous artistic styles converge to create a fresh sound that's rooted in jazz but refuses to adhere to rigid borders. Since his earliest recordings, this former bandmate of Miles Davis, Jaco Pastorius, Billy Cobham and other high-profile innovators has grafted elements of rock, blues, soul and more to his solid jazz foundations. On Stern's street, anybody who brings a sense of energy, eclecticism and passion to the craft of music is welcome to play.

Stern invites fans and newcomers alike into his rich and diverse little corner of the world with the release of Big Neighborhood. Aiding Stern in this latest chapter of his never-ending quest for the new and better groove is a long list of talented guests: guitarists Steve Vai and Eric Johnson; bassist-vocalists Esperanza Spalding and Richard Bona; jamband godfathers Medeski Martin & Wood; drummers Dave Weckl, Terri Lyne Carrington, Cindy Blackman and Lionel Cordew; bassists Chris Minh Doky and Lincoln Goines, and several others.

With a crew this large and diverse, the idea of the album title should be pretty clear, says Stern. "Music is like a big neighborhood - a place where anything and everything can happen," he explains. "You can find all kinds of things in a big neighborhood - all kinds of different people, all kinds of different ideas and perspectives, and of course, all kinds of different sounds."

Mike Stern's Big Neighborhood is an open community where everyone is welcome. Everyone has something worthwhile to say, and everyone is given plenty of room to say it. "The thing that really gets me going is listening to all these very different artists on this record interpret my songs," says Stern. "In the end, everything is unified by the mere fact that there's a lot of spirit and a lot of fun in the music. That's really the common thread. There's just that vibe that emerges when good musicians play their hearts out. Nothing else really matters as far as I'm concerned...I think anyone who likes any of these artists will really dig what they did on this record."

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Big Neighborhood (RS) / Big Neignborhood (MU)

Sevdali Dunya: Worlds of Love (2009)

After the surprise success of her first Network CD, A Flower in Bloom, Sevda, the sensual singing marvel from the Caspian Sea astounds us once again with her powerfully expressive repertoire. Her voice effortlessly fills the broad range between mugam and jazz. Husky, blues-like tones caress the piercing lamentations of traditional mugam, full of direct emotion and modern composure, all at a high, carefully-considered, virtuoso level in a rapid dance between bright sky and dark earth. On her new recording, Sevdali Dunya, Sevda is accompanied once again by some of the most outstanding Azerbaijani musicians, many of whom represent that country's new generation of artists.

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Worlds of Love (RS) / Worlds of Love (MU)

Michael Bublé: Crazy Love (2009) [SE with bonus track]

Buoyed by the popularity of the hit contemporary pop ballad "Home," singer Michael Bublé's 2005 album, It's Time, clearly positioned the vocalist as the preeminent neo-crooner of his generation. Bublé's 2007 follow-up, Call Me Irresponsible, only further reinforced this notion. Not only had he come into his own as a lithe, swaggering stage performer with a knack for jazzing a crowd, but he had also grown into a virtuoso singer. Sure, he'd never drop nor deny the Sinatra comparisons, but now Bublé's voice — breezy, tender, and controlled — was his own. It didn't hurt, either, that he and his producers found the perfect balance of old-school popular song standards and more modern pop covers and originals that at once grounded his talent in tradition and pushed him toward the pop horizon. All of this is brought to bear on Bublé's 2009 effort, Crazy Love. Easily the singer's most stylistically wide-ranging album, it is also one of his brightest, poppiest, and most fun. Bublé kicks things off with the theatrical, epic ballad "Cry Me a River" and proceeds to milk the tune with burnished breath, eking out the drama line by line. It's over the top for sure, but Bublé takes you to the edge of the cliff, prepares to jump, and then gives you a knowing wink that says, not quite yet — there's more fun to be had. And what fun it is with Bublé swinging through "All of Me," and killin' Van Morrison's classic "Crazy Love" with a light and yearning touch. And just as "Home" worked to showcase Bublé's own writing abilities, here we get the sunshine pop of "Haven't Met You Yet" — a skippy, jaunty little song that brings to mind a mix of the Carpenters and Chicago. Throw in a rollicking and soulful duet with Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings on "Baby (You've Got What It Takes)," and a fabulously old-school close-harmony version of "Stardust" with Bublé backed by the vocal ensemble Naturally 7, and Crazy Love really starts to come together. All of this would be enough to fall in love with the album, but then Bublé goes and throws in a last minute overture by duetting with fellow Canadian singer/songwriter Ron Sexsmith on Sexsmith's ballad "Whatever It Takes." A devastating, afterglow-ready paean for romance, the song is a modern-day classic that pairs one of the most underrated and ignored songwriters of his generation next to one of the most ballyhooed in Bublé — a classy move for sure. The result, like the rest of Crazy Love, is pure magic.

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Crazy Love (RS) / Crazy Love (MU)

Melvin Taylor & the Slack Band: Rendezvous with the Blues (2002)

Rendezvous With the Blues marks another step in the normalization of Melvin Taylor. With Lucky Peterson on keyboards, Taylor is much more the featured lead guitarist in a straight-band context that too often finds him fighting for room to move in the full arrangements. He takes a jazzy lead on the opening "Coming Home Baby," but that runs counter to the measured, mid-tempo groove that dominates the first three tracks and seems like a move to court the contemporary rock-blues audience. So does some of the material — no originals, with ZZ Top, Stephen Stills, and Carlos Santana's tribute to John Lee Hooker in the songwriter credits on one side and Charles Singleton and Prince for contemporary black funk/rock relevance on the other. Horns kick in to punctuate the slinky, clavinet-anchored funk on "I'm the Man Down There," but Taylor's solo gets cluttered up by a duel with Peterson (on guitar here). Taylor is better-served when he escapes the rock beat straitjacket on "Tribute to John Lee Hooker" — the Latin-tinged rhythms give his guitar more freedom to float and sting. ZZ Top's slow "Blue Jean Blues" definitely picks things up with blitz distortion solos and nice dynamics, but "Help Me" leaves behind Sonny Boy Williamson's haunted train groove for a plodding mid-tempo blues that winds up anonymous. Eric Gales' instrumental "Eclipse" goes so far down the Wes Montgomery mellow jazz blues instrumental route it could almost be a quiet storm/fuzak format candidate. And Prince's "Five Women" sounds like disjointed parts with a group that never really coheres, while Stills' "Black Queen" is transformed into a rhythmic stomp that goes nowhere. Almost all the songs have moments, but Rendezvous With the Blues is spotty, mostly because Taylor seems to be struggling to force his way through busy arrangements and a less-than-inspired choice of songs. The disc wants to have it both ways — to distinguish Melvin Taylor as a more versatile and contemporary bluesman, but then saddles him with a regulation-issue sound that reins in the freewheeling guitar solos that are his greatest asset.

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Rendezvous with the Blues (RS) @ 320K