BILLY COBHAM///Spectrum///Atlantic
It was 1973 when the speedy guitar and drum assault of "Quadrant 4" blasted across the FM Rock airwaves. Although Fusion was the treasonous 'F' word to Jazz 'Purists', it was a gust of interesting air to some 'Rockheads', including me. The guitarist was a young Tommy Bolin, free-lancing admirably between efforts with the tough girl fronted Zephyr and his two fine LPs prior to his early self-exit. 1:24 of Cobham's dazzling drums "Searching For The Right Door" opens to "Spectrum", smooth -rolling Funk with master 'F' player Joe Farrell on flute and soprano sax. "Taurian Matador" throws Bolin's explosive guitar into the ring, with Picador help from Jan Hammer's plugged-in keyboards. "Stratus" rides spacecraft Moog to a longish 9:50 (Funk again) then Ray Barretto on congas injects tropical authenticity into "Les Lis". "Red Baron" is a dance magnet, most recognizable for Hammer's triple piano riff. Am I writing this 38 years too late? It is a sad fact that Bolin could have accomplished much in the past 35 years, though I am Happy to rediscover Cobham's SPECTRUM and similarly inventive works, widely ignored by both Jazz and Rock 'Narrow-think' .
TONY
Sunday, February 12, 2012
Saturday, January 28, 2012
Someone Gets The Blues
SAVOY BROWN////Voodoo Moon////RUF Records
The opener "Shockwaves" is a 'Boogie' (that word!) tune - and why not? Bellwether Kim Simmonds newest lineup retreats to only a few bluesweary cliches on the straight rockers like "Natural Man" and "Too Much Money". Six of the nine are sung with sufficient melody and grit by sometimes Saxman Joe Whiting, but its Simmonds' well-crafted guitar solos that are worth the wait, even on those mid-rank compositions. This band is not ashamed to 'Rock and Roll' (remember that-Anyone?) with slide guitar propulsion "She's Got The Heat" and the no-vocal "24/7" (Uh-Oh - cliche!) "Voodoo Moon" sustains its 6:45 with Whiting's ominous vocal building a boggy bridge to Kim's fog-cutting solos. On "Meet The Blues Head On", he exhorts the listener to persist in life's uphill battles as he has done. In his 40 plus year career, he has outshone the mainstream divinity of his early cohorts and the fast-fingered formulas of his imitators.
TONY C.
The opener "Shockwaves" is a 'Boogie' (that word!) tune - and why not? Bellwether Kim Simmonds newest lineup retreats to only a few bluesweary cliches on the straight rockers like "Natural Man" and "Too Much Money". Six of the nine are sung with sufficient melody and grit by sometimes Saxman Joe Whiting, but its Simmonds' well-crafted guitar solos that are worth the wait, even on those mid-rank compositions. This band is not ashamed to 'Rock and Roll' (remember that-Anyone?) with slide guitar propulsion "She's Got The Heat" and the no-vocal "24/7" (Uh-Oh - cliche!) "Voodoo Moon" sustains its 6:45 with Whiting's ominous vocal building a boggy bridge to Kim's fog-cutting solos. On "Meet The Blues Head On", he exhorts the listener to persist in life's uphill battles as he has done. In his 40 plus year career, he has outshone the mainstream divinity of his early cohorts and the fast-fingered formulas of his imitators.
TONY C.
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Silken Trench
CLASS ACTRESS////Rapproacher////Carpark
From the opening burst of "Keep You", Elizabeth Harper.s sultry musing is locked in immortal struggle with detached keyboards and slap-drumming. On "Love Me Like You Used To", her melodic urgency wins that struggle and nearly does on the echo-tinged "Need To Know". Overall, RAPPROACHER lacks the come-hither charm and 'dance space to infinity' of their 27 minute debut JOURNAL OF ARDENCY. For variety, there is shivering Reggae and the bouncy, nearly-rocking "Bienvenue". She emerges from her silken trench for "All The Saints" to battle cute and sour synths. "Missed" is ponderous and effective - the Romantic loss that a weary-eyed New Order may have expressed. This was recorded in Ms Harper's Brooklyn apartment and she could have reduced her electric bill by singing at least half of these songs A Cappella.
TONY
From the opening burst of "Keep You", Elizabeth Harper.s sultry musing is locked in immortal struggle with detached keyboards and slap-drumming. On "Love Me Like You Used To", her melodic urgency wins that struggle and nearly does on the echo-tinged "Need To Know". Overall, RAPPROACHER lacks the come-hither charm and 'dance space to infinity' of their 27 minute debut JOURNAL OF ARDENCY. For variety, there is shivering Reggae and the bouncy, nearly-rocking "Bienvenue". She emerges from her silken trench for "All The Saints" to battle cute and sour synths. "Missed" is ponderous and effective - the Romantic loss that a weary-eyed New Order may have expressed. This was recorded in Ms Harper's Brooklyn apartment and she could have reduced her electric bill by singing at least half of these songs A Cappella.
TONY
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
SHE (from There)
THE SOUNDS////Something To Die For///ARNICKI
Following an icy intro, "Dance With The Devil" insists that Dance equals Life while "Better Off Dead" suggests a plunge into lethal love-making and "Something To Die For" rocks well beyond its Synthetic Orchestra and muddled morbidity. The Ska beat of "Diana" is nearly trampled by layers of aggressive guitar. On "Yeah, Yeah, Yeah", Maja (the voice of young Sweden) exhorts -
You MUST Dance! and she is more convincing than the usual radio pulsate and thump. Clanging guitar and her scattershot outcry carry "Won't Let Them Tear Us Apart" to an imposing consummation (!). Youth is outlasted by its energetic glory - that is the charm of "Best Of Me". The set concludes with "Wish You Were Here", where acoustic strum and pensive vocal overcome languid lyricism. I have already played this too frequently. There are no guy-crushing songs here like "Seven Days A Week" or "Reggie", but I am still attracted to their exuberant sincerity and Euro-push and - they've got Maja!
TONY
Following an icy intro, "Dance With The Devil" insists that Dance equals Life while "Better Off Dead" suggests a plunge into lethal love-making and "Something To Die For" rocks well beyond its Synthetic Orchestra and muddled morbidity. The Ska beat of "Diana" is nearly trampled by layers of aggressive guitar. On "Yeah, Yeah, Yeah", Maja (the voice of young Sweden) exhorts -
You MUST Dance! and she is more convincing than the usual radio pulsate and thump. Clanging guitar and her scattershot outcry carry "Won't Let Them Tear Us Apart" to an imposing consummation (!). Youth is outlasted by its energetic glory - that is the charm of "Best Of Me". The set concludes with "Wish You Were Here", where acoustic strum and pensive vocal overcome languid lyricism. I have already played this too frequently. There are no guy-crushing songs here like "Seven Days A Week" or "Reggie", but I am still attracted to their exuberant sincerity and Euro-push and - they've got Maja!
TONY
Sunday, November 20, 2011
That Good Old Gang of Mine
GANG OF FOUR///Content////YepRoc///
Jagged guitar and semi-spastic rhythms can mean only one thing - even in Great Britain, there's still plenty to bitch about. The tension begins with a salute to misguided social interplay "She Said 'You Made a Thing of Me'". Class warfare has its casualities "I Can't Forget Your Lonely Face" and "You'll Never Pay For The Farm" at a livlier speed. "It Was Never Gonna Turn Out Too Good" concerns losing jobs to 'Eastern Men' , using an irritating Vocoder but it is mercifully short at 2:44. "I Party All the Time" could inspire semi-spastic dancing. The melodic crooning of "A Fruitfly In the Beehive' is acceptably out of character. Original Gang leaders Andy Gill and Jon King have made it clear - their music is not for the white wine and wicker crowd.
TONY
Jagged guitar and semi-spastic rhythms can mean only one thing - even in Great Britain, there's still plenty to bitch about. The tension begins with a salute to misguided social interplay "She Said 'You Made a Thing of Me'". Class warfare has its casualities "I Can't Forget Your Lonely Face" and "You'll Never Pay For The Farm" at a livlier speed. "It Was Never Gonna Turn Out Too Good" concerns losing jobs to 'Eastern Men' , using an irritating Vocoder but it is mercifully short at 2:44. "I Party All the Time" could inspire semi-spastic dancing. The melodic crooning of "A Fruitfly In the Beehive' is acceptably out of character. Original Gang leaders Andy Gill and Jon King have made it clear - their music is not for the white wine and wicker crowd.
TONY
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Trumpet Talk
TOM HARRELL////The Time Of The Sun////HIGHNOTE
A near-contact with my favorite trumpet player occurred a few years ago as I strolled by Mr. Harrell, relaxing in a hotel lobby chair following a Berks Jazzfest show. He nodded implicitly to my fleeting praise. Restrained as they are, "The Time Of The Sun" and "Estuary" establish the quintet's formula - a seldom-changing rhythm and three solos. With these players, this formula is a successful one. On nine minutes of "Ridin'", Wayne Escoffery's tenor sax and Johnathan Blake's drum space do their finest to follow Harrell's lengthy trumpet extroversion. He sets the theme for "Modern Life", more relaxed than its title due to Danny Grissett's gleaming piano. Wayne, Tom, then Danny provide the spines for straight funk "Cactus". "Otra" is as pleasing as a tropical storm can be. Harrell's beautiful tones and unselfish approach to ensemble play soar far beyond the corporate 'phone on hold' stuff that is lazily accepted as 'Modern Jazz'.
TONY C.
A near-contact with my favorite trumpet player occurred a few years ago as I strolled by Mr. Harrell, relaxing in a hotel lobby chair following a Berks Jazzfest show. He nodded implicitly to my fleeting praise. Restrained as they are, "The Time Of The Sun" and "Estuary" establish the quintet's formula - a seldom-changing rhythm and three solos. With these players, this formula is a successful one. On nine minutes of "Ridin'", Wayne Escoffery's tenor sax and Johnathan Blake's drum space do their finest to follow Harrell's lengthy trumpet extroversion. He sets the theme for "Modern Life", more relaxed than its title due to Danny Grissett's gleaming piano. Wayne, Tom, then Danny provide the spines for straight funk "Cactus". "Otra" is as pleasing as a tropical storm can be. Harrell's beautiful tones and unselfish approach to ensemble play soar far beyond the corporate 'phone on hold' stuff that is lazily accepted as 'Modern Jazz'.
TONY C.
Monday, October 3, 2011
Not So Wicked
THE ETTES ////Wicked Will/////KRIAN
At first listen, these 13 short, simple-tech songs were not what I seek in a 2/3 girl band. "Teeth" begins the strife - strummy and nearly cute, then Coco's guitar solo unveils their prevailing fatless approach - fuzzy bass (Jem), Poni's low-thumping drum set, and guys and dolls skirmishes, sparked by vocals more tenacious than seductive. All of the above emerge on "You Were There", the mid-70s scratty stomp "You Never Say" and the agitated motion of "One By One". "My Heart" and "My Baby Cried All Night Long" (Lee Hazelwood- their only cover) lured me to a dirt road booze joint and Coco's solos don't waste a note. That guitar is delightfully overwrought on "Don't Bring Me Down". Simple piano lines provide "The Worst There Is" with a chastening effect. Their diction is guiless and, despite some inflexible rhythms and brittle clank, they have quickly become my favorite suffix trio.
TONY C.
At first listen, these 13 short, simple-tech songs were not what I seek in a 2/3 girl band. "Teeth" begins the strife - strummy and nearly cute, then Coco's guitar solo unveils their prevailing fatless approach - fuzzy bass (Jem), Poni's low-thumping drum set, and guys and dolls skirmishes, sparked by vocals more tenacious than seductive. All of the above emerge on "You Were There", the mid-70s scratty stomp "You Never Say" and the agitated motion of "One By One". "My Heart" and "My Baby Cried All Night Long" (Lee Hazelwood- their only cover) lured me to a dirt road booze joint and Coco's solos don't waste a note. That guitar is delightfully overwrought on "Don't Bring Me Down". Simple piano lines provide "The Worst There Is" with a chastening effect. Their diction is guiless and, despite some inflexible rhythms and brittle clank, they have quickly become my favorite suffix trio.
TONY C.
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