Audiences Will Reflect Fondly On Foster’s Latest LP

Courtesy: Smoke Sessions Records

Early this year, renowned jazz drummer Al Foster celebrated a big milestone when he celebrated his 79^th birthday.  That was back in January.  Now as the year slowly inches toward its end, Foster has another reason to celebrate.  That reason is his brand-new album, Reflections.  His second for Smoke Sessions Records and his seventh as a bandleader, the 11-song record is an enjoyable collection of originals and covers.  The covers pay tribute to the likes of Miles Davis, Sonny Rollins, and Joe Henderson (all of whom he has worked with during his expansive career) while the originals offer their own share of engagement and entertainment.  Among the most notable of the covers is that of Rollins’ ‘Pent-up House,’ which comes early in the album’s hour-plus run.  To be precise, the album clocks in at one hour, seven minutes.  Among the most notable of the album’s originals is ‘Six,’ which comes just at the album’s midpoint.  It will be examined a little later.  Another notable addition to the album is its finale, ‘Monk’s Bossa,’ which obviously pays tribute to another legendary jazz artist, Thelonius Monk.  All three songs noted here are key in their own way to the album’s presentation.  When they are considered alongside the rest of the album’s entries, the whole becomes a thoroughly enjoyable offering that every jazz fan will find enjoyable.

Reflections, the latest album from famed drummer Al Foster, is an enjoyable presentation that any jazz aficionado will find enjoyable.  That is proven throughout its blend of originals and covers.  Among the most notable of the record’s covers is that of Sonny Rollins’ ‘Pent-Up House.’  Rollins’ original was featured as part of his 1956 album, Sonny Rollins Plus 4.  Foster and his fellow musicians – Nicholas Payton (trumpet), Chris Potter (saxophone), Kevin Hays (piano), and Vicente Archer (bass) – stay true to the source material here.  Right from the song’s outset, Payton leads the way with his light but still energetic performance.  Given, Rollins’ original tops the eight-minute mark while Foster and company’s take on the song is much shorter at five minutes, five seconds, but it still pays the fullest possible tribute to the work of Rollins and his then band mates.  Potter’s work on saxophone takes the place of the solos from the original and does so quite well at that.  There are also some solos in the original performed by Foster’s fellow famed drummer Max Roach that are omitted in the updated rendition, but that is beside the point.  This group’s take will still leave listeners fulfilled by its finale.  It is just as enjoyable in its own right as the original song.

Among the most notable of the album’s originals is ‘Six,’ which serves as part of the record’s midpoint.  Composed by Payton, the eight-minute-plus composition starts out in a very subtle, contemplative fashion before giving way to a more vintage funk style approach.  That throwback style is evident through the use of the horns and keyboards.  Foster’s equally funky time keeping pairs with those instruments to really give the song the sense of a work from the likes of Stevie Wonder.  Considering the amount of information in the album’s expansive liner notes, it is difficult to know for certain if there is any discussion on the song, though many of the other songs are discussed.  That aside, the song is still such an enjoyable work.  The pairing of Payton and Potter alongside Hays (whose work on the keyboards really adds even more to that feeling) really makes the composition all the richer.  It stands out so starkly from any of the album’s other works, original and otherwise and it just one more of the notable additions to the album.  ‘Monk’s Bossa,’ which serves as the album’s finale, is one more interesting original featured as part of the album’s body.

‘Monk’s Bossa’ is an interesting work what with its sort of lounge style presentation.  Hays leads the way with his work on the keys here while Foster’s light touches on the toms expertly compliments that work.  That is because his playing is so gentle.  He adds just enough, making sure to let Hays have his moment here.  Potter and Payton each get their own moments to shine, too, making the most of their performances, too.  The whole of the performances makes this song just as enjoyable as any other in the record.  When it is considered along with the other songs examined here and with the rest of the album’s entries, the whole makes Foster’s latest album engaging and entertaining and another welcome addition to this year’s field of new jazz albums.

Al Foster’s newly released album, Reflections, is an aptly titled record that so many jazz fans will find enjoyable.  That is proven throughout its hour-plus body through its originals and covers alike.  The songs examined here do well in their own right to make that clear.  When they are considered with the rest of the album’s entries, the whole makes Reflections another welcome addition to this year’s field of new jazz albums.

Reflections is available now through Smoke Sessions Records. More information on this and other titles from Smoke Sessions Records is available at:

Website: https://www.smokesessionsrecords.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SmokeSessionsRecords   

Twitter: https://twitter.com/smokejazzclub

To keep up with the latest entertainment reviews and news, go online to https://www.facebook.com/philspicks and “Like” it.  Fans can always keep up with the latest entertainment reviews and news in the Phil’s Picks blog at https://philspicks.wordpress.com.  

Again, Again’s New LP Shows Promise For Duo’s Future

Courtesy: Waldmania PR

Family music act Again, Again released its sophomore album, Your Voice is Magic Friday independently.  The 10-song record is a presentation that is worth hearing at least once.  Its appeal comes in part through its featured musical content which will be examined shortly.  The lyrical content that accompanies the record’s musical content adds to the album’s appeal and will be discussed a little later.  The sequencing of that content brings everything together and rounds out the record’s overall presentation.  It will also be examined later.  Each item noted is important in its own way to the whole of the album’s presentation.  All things considered, they make Your Voice is Magic an appealing new offering from Again, Again that is worth hearing again and again.

Your Voice is Magic, the new album from Again, Again, is an interesting new presentation from the up-and-coming family music duo Anne Montone and Jennifer Cook.  The record’s musical arrangements form its foundation.  For the most part, the musical content featured throughout the body is decidedly pop in its sound and approach.  However, there are some variances throughout.  One of the songs that breaks from the norm here comes late in the album’s run in ‘Captain Bubble Beard.’  The arrangement hear actually is a sea shanty style work, complete with something similar to an accordian and steady drum beat that is meant to sound like feet on a ship’s deck.  The vocal delivery here is even sung in similar fashion as that of a shanty, making for even more engagement and entertainment.  ‘Chosen,’ the album’s penultimate entry, boasts a sort of sound and style that is somewhat neo-folk in its sound and approach.  That is evidenced through the simple, subtle use of the vocals and guitars.  The seeming keyboard and synthesized strings also add to that sense, making for even more interest.  It is a change of pace that audiences will find welcome from the rest of the album’s content in its own right.  The lullaby approach of the album’s finale, ‘Monsters Aren’t Real’ is welcome in its own right, what with its gentle approach.  Rather than just being another run-of-the-mill overly saccharine sweet style work that it could have been, it instead has the most subtle playfulness in that gentle approach, giving it a unique identity from other lullabies out there and from the rest of the album’s entries.  As if all of this is not, the album’s opener, ‘Signs Up High,’ is a subtle pop rock style composition that has its own appeal, too.  When it and the other songs examined here are considered along with the arrangements in the rest of the record, the whole makes clear why the album’s musical content is so important to its presentation. 

While the musical content featured throughout Your Voice is Magic is clearly an important part of the album in its own right, it is just one of the important items to note.  The lyrical themes that accompany the album’s musical content are just as worth examining.  That is because of their diversity.  As the album opens, the pair tackles the familiar topic of peaceful protest in ‘Signs Up High.’  The theme is made clear as Cook and Montone sing about marching for change and reminding listeners about knowing the difference between right and wrong.  The mention of the signs is literally a reference to holding signs declaring that message of belief in certain topics.  The promotion of standing up for one’s beliefs is key especially in the current age when so many people want to shout down those who peacefully protest.

‘Pronoun Party,’ which immediately follows, takes on the equally familiar topic of inclusion.  In this case, it does so by “inviting” everyone to the “Pronoun Party.”  In this case, the pronouns are the words that people in the LGBTQ+ community use to identify themselves.  That topic is sure to cause its own share of discussion among listeners, considering how divisive the topic is among both liberals and conservatives both between the two sides and even among the parties.  The inclusion theme continues in a different fashion in ‘Girl Included,’ which is a work that promotes gender equality among males and females.  The accessible way in which the duo tackles the topic is certain to appeal to the act’s targeted audiences.  As if all of this is not enough, Cook and Montone also take on the topic of adoption in ‘Chosen’ and that of personal hygiene in ‘Wash Your Hands March.’  Again, here is more example of the diversity in the album’s lyrical themes.  All things considered here, the lyrical themes featured throughout Your Voice is Magic give audiences just as much to appreciate as the album’s musical content if not more.  To that end, those themes prove to be just as important as the album’s musical content.

While all of the content that makes up the body of Your Voice is Magic is clearly important on its own and collectively, the sequencing of that content is just as important as the content.  That is because it plays into the album’s general effect.  Throughout the album’s run, which barely tops the 30-minute mark (30 minutes, 43 seconds to be exact), Cook and Montone keep the record’s energy flowing even as the styles and sounds of the arrangements change so subtly from one to the next.  In the same vein, the more notable changes in the songs’ lyrical themes change enough to keep audiences engaged and entertained, too.  The result thereof is that the general effect will ensure listeners’ maintained engagement and entertainment just as much as the album’s content.  All things considered the record proves to be a mostly enjoyable addition to this year’s field of new family music albums.

Your Voice is Magic, the new album from up-and-coming family music act Again, Again, is a mostly enjoyable presentation from the duo.  The record’s appeal comes in part through its musical arrangements.  The arrangements are important because of their accessibility even being mostly poppy in their presentation.  Each one boasts its own subtle difference from its counterparts throughout.  The lyrical themes that accompany the musical arrangements are even more diverse, making for even more engagement.  The sequencing of all of that content completes the picture painted by this album and brings everything full circle.  Each item examined is important in its own way to the whole of the album’s presentation.  All things considered they make Your Voice is Magic a welcome addition to this year’s field of new family music albums.

Your Voice is Magic is available now.  More information on the album is available along with all of Again, Again’s latest news at:

Website: https://againagain.net

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/againagainmusic

To keep up with the latest entertainment reviews and news, go online to https://www.facebook.com/philspicks and “Like” it.  Fans can always keep up with the latest entertainment reviews and news in the Phil’s Picks blog at https://philspicks.wordpress.com. 

‘Of Kingdom And Crown’ Is One Of Machine Head’s Best Albums To Date

Courtesy: Nuclear Blast Records

Machine Head is back.  More than four years after the release of the band’s then latest album, Catharsis, the band released its 10^th album, Of Kingdom and Crown Friday through Nuclear Blast Records.  The 13-song album is a solid return to form for front man and founder Robb Flynn, who is now the band’s only original member.  Over the course of the record’s 39-minute run time, its arrangements lift from all of the best of the band’s catalog, musically speaking, while also offering lyrical content that is engaging in its own right.  Flynn and his new band mates – Waclaw Kieltkya (guitar, vocals), Jared MacEachern (bass, vocals), and Matt Alston (drums) – released roughly half of the album’s body in the months leading up to the record’s release, with a total of six of its song debuting between November 2020 and June of this year.  One of the most powerful of those singles is ‘My Hands Are Empty.’  This song will be discussed shortly.   ‘Rotten,’ which comes late in the album, is another notable addition to the record and will be discussed a little later.  ‘Choke On The Ashes Of Your Hate,’ which comes early in the record’s run, is yet another notable addition to the album and will also be examined later.  All three songs noted are key in their own way to the whole of this album’s presentation.  When they are considered along with the album’s other entries, the whole makes this record one of the year’s top new hard rock and metal albums and potentially one of the year’s top new albums.

Of Kingdom and Crown, the latest album from Machine Head, is easily among the best of this year’s new hard rock and metal albums.  There is no question about that.  That is made clear from the record’s beginning to its end in its musical and lyrical content alike.  One of the songs that does so well to make that clear is ‘My Hands Are Empty.’  While not recently considered the album’s lead single, it was, in hindsight, the first of the new songs that would end up on the album in its release way back in November 2020.  It should be noted here that while Matt Alston is currently handling drumming duties for the band, the drums in this song’s arrangement were handled by Navene Koperweis (Animals As Leaders, Whitechapel, Entheos).  The arrangement overall features a sound and stylistic approach that, as Flynn noted at the time of the single’s release, is comparable to works from the band’s 2003 album, Through The Ashes of Empires.  That is evidenced through Flynn’s distinct growling vocals and the richness created through the pairing of the guitar and bass alongside those pummeling drums.  The addition of the choral effect to the mix adds even more to that sense.

Lyrically speaking, Flynn explained that the song tackles the issue of opioid abuse.

“I have some family members who have beaten their opioid addiction, and have some still in the throes of addition,” Flynn said. “it is painful to watch, and I deal with it with great difficulty.  It is a song of sadness, but there is hope as well.  I have beaten my own drug addictions and we can fight through this together and share our pain with the world.”  The mention in the song’s chorus that “My hands are empty/Lies so pretty/Kill me gently” points directly to the emotional struggle.  It is an allusion to someone feeling left with nothing as a result of so many struggles.  In this case the struggles are with addiction, being at the bottom of that proverbial barrel.  The mention of powders and pills in the song’s second verse, along with watching someone slowly die is that direct reference to watching people Flynn knows struggling with addiction.  Seeing them “Disintegrate/You/Right before my eyes” and the emptiness haunting him makes that painful picture all the fuller.  That overall lyrical picture, along with the power and emotion in the song’s musical arrangement makes fully clear why this song stands out among the album’s singles.

‘My Hands Are Empty’ is just one of the songs that stands out in Machine Head’s new album.  ‘Rotten’ is another notable addition to the record.  Its musical arrangement immediately takes audiences back to the band’s debut 1994 album, Burn My Eyes.  The crunch of the guitars, and the pairing of the bass and drums really leads even more to that comparison.  Flynn himself is even quoted through Apple Music as saying the arrangement came about during the band’s recent tour in celebration of Burn My Eyes’ 25^th anniversary while also making his own comparison to works from Exodus’ 1989 album, Fabulous Disaster.

Considering the fire in the song’s arrangement, it makes the song’s lyrical content all the more interesting.  That is because Flynn left interpretation of the song’s lyrical content to audiences.  The mention of sitting, holding the “gun in hand/Barrel to the temple” leads to the sense that this song is lyrically taking on the blend of anger and desperation that comes with such suicidal thoughts.  The anger comes as Flynn screams, “Everything is rotten to the core” in the song’s chorus.  His further mention of feeling such anxiety, “heart racing/My throat’s constricting” even more seems to hint at those mixed feelings.  If in fact, this is the picture that Flynn is trying to paint here, that of someone sitting there, feeling so much anger and sadness, anxiety and confusion all at once, then he has done quite well.  That is because mental health is such a prevalent matter, and that constantly deserves attention.  To that end, the overall picture painted through the song’s musical and lyrical content makes the whole here stand out just as much as ‘Empty Hands’ and the rest of the album’s offerings.

As much as ‘Rotten’ does to make Of Kingdom and Crown a powerful new offering from Machine Head, it is hardly the last of the record’s most notable works.  ‘Choke on the Ashes of Your Hate’ is yet another example of how much this record has to offer.  The musical arrangement featured in this song is, again, influenced by Exodus according to Flynn.  He compared the intensity of the song’s arrangement to that of works from Exodus’ debut 1985 album, Bonded by Blood.  Interestingly enough, that album’s title track (and much of the album) actually sounds more akin to early Metallica than Machine Head.  To that end one could argue that this song is just as much akin to early Metallica as early Exodus.  That is meant in the most complimentary fashion, too.

Lyrically, this song goes in a completely different direction from those of the other songs examined here.  Flynn said in an interview about the song, that it was influenced by the Japanese anime series, Attack on Titan.  He said the song is part of what is apparently a bigger semi-conceptual approach to this album that is based on that series and that the lead song focuses on two characters who both start out good but turn bad because of the bad things that happened personally to them.  It is an interesting concept of there really being that there is no real “good” or “bad” guy in stories or in life.  That concept, together with the song’s powerful musical arrangement, makes it stand on its own unique merits.  When it is considered along with the other songs examined here and with the rest of the album’s entries, the whole makes the album overall an unforgettable new offering from Machine Head that is among the best of the band’s albums to date.

Of Kingdom and Crown, the latest album from Machine Head, is an impressive return for the band, considering the stark departure that the band took on its predecessor, 2018’s Catharsis.  The album is a full-on return to form for Flynn and his current band mates.  That is evidenced through its musical and lyrical content alike.  The songs examined here each make that clear.  When they are considered along with the album’s other songs, the entirety of that body makes Of Kingdom and Crown one of Machine Head’s best albums to date and one of the year’s top new hard rock and metal albums.

Of Kingdom and Crown is available now through Nuclear Blast Records. The band is scheduled to join Amon Amarth on the road this fall in Europe, with each band promoting its own new album.

The tour’s schedule is noted below.

SEPTEMBER
Thursday 8 – NOTTINGHAM, UK, Motorpoint Arena
Friday 9 – CARDIFF, UK, Motorpoint Arena
Saturday 10 – LONDON, UK, The SSE Arena, Wembley
Monday 12 – MANCHESTER, Uk AO Arena
Tuesday 13 – DUBLIN, Ireland, 3Arena
Friday 16 – ZURICH, Switzerland, Hallenstadion
Saturday 17 – VIENNA, Austria, Stadthalle
Sunday 18 – KRAKOW, Poland, Tauron Arena
Tuesday 20 – TALLINN, Estonia, Saku Arena
Wednesday 21 – HELSINKI, Finland, Ice Hall
Friday 23 – OSLO, Norway, Spektrum
Saturday 24 – STOCKHOLM, Sweden, Hovet
Monday 26 – COPENHAGEN, Denmark, Forum Black Box
Tuesday 27 – HAMBURG, Germany, Barclays Arena
Wednesday 28 – FRANKFURT, Germany, Festhalle
Friday 30 – OBERHAUSEN, Germany, König Pilsener Arena

OCTOBER
Saturday 01 – BERLIN, Germany Velodrome
Sunday 02 – AMSTERDAM, The Netherlands, Afas Live
Tuesday 04 – MILAN, Italy, Lorenzini District
Thursday 06 – BARCELONA, Spain, Sant Jordi
Friday 07 – MADRID, Spain, Vistalegre
Saturday 08 – LA CORUNA, Spain, Coliseum
Sunday 09 – LISBON, Portugal, Campo Pequeno
Wednesday 12 – PARIS, France, Zenith
Friday 14 – MUNICH, Germany, Olympiahalle
Saturday 15 – LEIPZIG, Germany, Arena
Sunday 16 – PRAGUE, Czech Republic, Tipsport Arena
Tuesday 18 – BUDAPEST, Hungary, Barba Negra
Thursday 20 – ESCH SUR ALZETTE, Luxembourg, Rockhal
Friday 21 – BRUSSELS, Belgium, Forest National
Saturday 22 – STUTTGART, Germant, Schleyerhalle

More information on Machine Head’s new album and tour is available online now along with all of the band’s latest news at:

Website: https://www.machinehead1.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MachineHead

Twitter: https://twitter.com/MfnH

To keep up with the latest entertainment news and reviews, go online to https://www.facebook.com/philspicks and “Like” it.  Fans can always keep up with the latest entertainment news and reviews in the Phil’s Picks blog at https://philspicks.wordpress.com.

‘Adults These Days’ Will Get Play Plenty Of Days Among Families

Courtesy: Greg Lato Music

Award-winning family music entertainer Greg Lato is scheduled to release his latest album, Adults These Days Friday through his own company, Greg Lato Music.  The 9-song record will come roughly three years after the release of his then latest album, Create My Won World (2020).  It will appeal equally to children and parents, thanks in large part to its featured musical arrangements.  This will be discussed shortly.  The lyrical content that accompanies the record’s music arrangements is also important to that widespread appeal and will be discussed a little later.  The sequencing of that content rounds out the most important of the record’s items, bringing everything full circle, completing the record’s presentation.  It will also be examined later.  Each item noted is important in its own way to the whole of the album’s presentation.  All things considered they make Adults These Days yet another of the year’s top new family music albums.

Adults These Days, the latest album from Greg Lato, is another successful offering from the veteran family music entertainer.  Its success comes in part through its featured musical arrangements.  The arrangements in question are a blend of sounds and styles that bridge the 80s and early 90s.  Right from the record’s outset, audiences get a clearly pop rock style arrangement in ‘New Lunchbox.’  The guitar and the use of the keyboards and electronics immediately lend the arrangement to comparison to Chumbawumba’s hit single ‘Tub Thumper’ to a point.  On another level, it also takes audiences a little bit farther back to another hit single from the late 80s from another well-known act.  On a completely different note, ‘Everybody Needs Someone’ takes audiences in a completely different direction, instead offering more of a pop style approach a la Fountains of Wayne.  Yes, it’s true.  As if that variance is not enough, Lato’s semi-spoken word approach in the verses of ‘What Kind of Animal Would You Be?’ can just as easily be compared to David Byrne’s vocal delivery style in Talking Heads’ timeless song, ‘Once In A Lifetime.’  Whether Lato actually set out to come across in such fashion is anyone’s guess, but the comparison is there, regardless, and it is a really cool comparison.  It is just one more example of the diversity in the musical content featured in Adults These Days.  When all of the diversity shown here is considered along with the rest of the album’s musical content, the whole of that content makes for reason enough for audiences to hear the album.

Of course, the musical content that is featured throughout this record is just part of what makes it appealing.  The lyrical content that accompanies the record’s musical body makes for its own interest.  That is because it is diverse in its own right.  Case in point for instance is the noted song, ‘Everybody Needs Someone.’  While Lato is obviously addressing his younger audiences, his reminder here that it is OK to ask for and to accept help will resonate with grown-ups just as much as with children.  To that end, this theme is one that will resonate with so many audiences, regardless of age. 

The album’s title track is another interesting example of the importance of its lyrical content.  The very title, ‘Adults These Days’ immediately leads one to think that the song is going to be sung, perhaps, from the vantage point of a child who is frustrated about adults’ behavior.  That is the case to a point, but not entirely.  The child here wonders why adults are so serious about everything and why it seems so hard for them to get along.  The child sings that he/she doesn’t “want to be an adult these days.”  Therein is the message.  It is a child who is appreciating his/her youth and related innocence.  Children will hear this and remember that they are better off to a point as kids.  Adults meanwhile will perhaps remember that maybe they need to take a look in the mirror and recall how they became who and what they are.  Again, here is a very deep message presented on a level that is accessible to everyone and just as certain to generate plenty of discussion.

On yet another note, Lato gets philosophical in ‘What Kind of Animal Would You Be?’  The song sounds intriguing just from its title (yet again) and becomes even more intriguing through its lyrical content.  In the case here, Lato asks listeners what kind of animals they would be while also comparing them to humans.  He asks his young listeners for instance if they would be like a giraffe and stretch their necks out high or use them to look down on the world.  That in itself is pretty clear what he is saying.   He also asks whether listeners would be like deer, looking dead into headlights or look the other way, making their own paths.  That is another interesting discussion point.  Now the one questionable comparison that he makes is that to a parrot swooping down to steal someone’s food or just eating pellets as told in a cage.  That one is sure to lead to its own share of discussion considering there is no real right answer there.  Considering this, the song’s overall theme here is another unique presentation in its own right now just here but in the bigger picture of family music.  To that end, it is yet another solid example of what makes the album’s overall lyrical content so important to its presentation.  When the overall lyrical content is considered along with the album’s musical arrangements, the whole of that content forms a solid foundation for Lato’s new album.

The foundation in question is strengthened even more when the sequencing thereof is considered along with that material.  The sequencing keeps the sounds and styles in the album’s musical arrangements changing just enough from one song to the next throughout the album.  In the process, the album’s energy remains just stable enough.  The result is that this aspect ensures listeners’ engagement and entertainment in itself.  When the sequencing is considered alongside the content, the whole completes the album’s presentation, showing once more why the album is so appealing and even more why the album is another of the year’s best new family music albums.

Adults These Days, the latest album from Greg Lato, is an impressive new offering from the veteran family music entertainer.  The record’s success is due in no small part to its musical content.  The content will take grown-ups back to the mid to late 80s and even early 90s, with the styles and sounds changing from one song to the next.  The lyrical themes that accompany the album’s musical content vary just enough yet are just as accessible as the album’s musical content.  The sequencing of that content rounds out the record’s most important items as it brings everything full circle.  Each item examined is important in its own way to the whole of the album’s body.  All things considered they make the album one more of the year’s top new family music offerings.

Adults These Days is scheduled for release Friday.  More information on the record is available along with all of Greg Lato’s latest news at:

Website: https://greglato.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/greglatomusic

Twitter: https://twitter.com/greglatomusic

To keep up with the latest entertainment reviews and news, go online to https://www.facebook.com/philspicks.wordpress.com.  Fans can always keep up with the latest entertainment reviews and news in the Phil’s Picks blog at https://philspicks.wordpress.com. 

Wendy And DB Offer Audiences Of All Ages Lots To Like In Their Latest LP

Courtesy: Tigerlily Music

Family music entertainers Wendy and DB are scheduled to release their new album, Into The Little Blue House Sept. 23 through Tigerlily Music.  The 13-song record (its fifth) came Monday roughly two years after the release of the band’s then latest album, Hey Big World.  That record won the NAPPA Award, Mom’s Choice Award, and Creative Child Album of the Year.  The duo’s latest album is certain to generate its own share of acclaim, too.  That is due in part to its featured musical content, which will be discussed shortly.  The lyrical content that accompanies the album’s musical content makes for its own appeal and will be examined a little later.  The sequencing of that content brings everything full circle and rounds out the album’s most important elements.  Each item noted is important in its own way to the whole of the album’s presentation.  All things considered they make the album a welcome presentation for the whole family.

Into The Little Blue House, the latest studio recording from family music act Wendy and DB, is a presentation that continues the success of the pair’s existing catalog.  That is proven in part through its musical content.  The musical content that is presented here is a full-on blues work.  From the familiarity of 12-bar blues to a touch of some Chicago blues and even some more modern sounds, the record’s musical content offers audiences of all ages a wide range of blues styles.  Each is sure to engage and entertain audiences in its own way.  One of those more modern pieces comes in the form of ‘Peanut Butter Blues Jam.’  The use of the fiddle alongside the drums and organ kind of gives the arrangement something of a country blues approach a la the Allman Brothers Band.  The purer 12-bar blues approach that the pair takes comes early in the record’s run in its opener, ‘Little Blue House.’  ‘Please Go To Sleep,’ the album’s penultimate entry, offers a little bit more of that approach.  What’s really interesting here is the sense that said arrangement establishes when it pairs with the song’s lyrical theme of a parent just wishing his/her child would go to sleep.  Parents won’t be able to help but smile a little bit hearing the mom plead for her child to go to bed in his/her own bed.  Those cries of “Please, go to sleep” against the children saying they want to stay up are really funny and accessible for any parent. 

Getting back on the subject at hand, the album ‘Tie My Own Shoes’ offers audiences another variant of the blues with its light swing.  The arrangement here is something of a jazz/blues style composition that is just as certain to engage and entertain audiences.  On yet another note, the gospel-tinged blues of ‘Women of the Blues’ gives audiences even more variety.  When it is considered along with the other styles examined here and with those in the rest of the album’s entries, the whole makes the musical content featured in this record a strong starting point for the record.  It is just one part of what makes the album so enjoyable.  The lyrical content that accompanies the album’s diverse musical arrangements makes for even more engagement and entertainment.

The lyrical content that accompanies the album’s musical arrangements is important because of its own diversity.  From the album’s opener to its end, the record’s lyrical content focuses on topics ranging from the silly to the serious.  Right from the album’s outset, Wendy and DB take on the all too familiar topic of diversity and inclusion.  Wendy sings right from the song’s intro that there’s a “Welcome sign/at the door/All accepted/Come explore/A world built from love/Real as it seems/Just imagine/A place of your dreams/Roar like a lion/Whose friend is a mouse/All live together in the little blue house.”  The chorus adds, “Where love is planted/Love is grown.”  Without question, this small amount of content makes clear, this song indeed takes on the issue of diversity and acceptance.  The added note of people talking and listening to one another rather than fighting and learning to express feelings adds even more to that clear message.  In an age when this country has become so divided, this message is hugely needed and welcome in itself. It is just one of the many varied themes featured in the record’s body.  The pair also promotes women and their contributions to the world through the aptly titled ‘Women of the Blues.’

Wendy sings of the likes of Bonnie Raitt, Memphis Minnie, and Sister Rosetta Tharpe among so many other famous women of the blues in this song.  Tharpe gained fame through her take on her unique combination of electric sounds and gospel.  The hybrid approach brought her fame among fans of rock and roll and R&B alike.  while Memphis Minnie (a.k.a. Lizzie Douglas) really became a groundbreaker for women in the genre in general.  That is because she was really the first woman to start playing the blues during her lifetime and to break through in the process.  Koko Taylor is briefly mentioned as one of the groundbreaking women of the blues.  Taylor, often called the “Queen of the Blues” remains today one of the most revered figures in the blues, not just women of the blues.  That is because of the way in which she blended so many styles of blues to make her songs and make them so enjoyable in the process.  It is noted in the song that she and the others noted here (along with others) have paved the way for women in what was for decades a largely male-dominated world.  So in essence, this song is not just about women in the blues, but about promoting gender equality in general.  That deeper theme is such that adults will appreciate it, too.

The theme of parents wanting to get their kids to sleep (that eternal struggle) is also approached in this album late in its run in the also aptly titled ‘Please Go To Sleep.’  Every parent will relate to this song’s theme.  That is because every parent has fought that proverbial battle of wanting his or her child(ren) to get some much-needed sleep so that they themselves can sleep.  The way that the mom basically pleads with the children to sleep in their own bed while the kids say they want to stay up all night is certain to bring plenty of laughter.  When it and the other themes examined here are considered with those in the rest of the album’s entries, the over all lyrical content in this record makes for even more reason for audiences to hear the album.

The sequencing of the album’s content puts the finishing touch to its presentation and is also worth examining.  The sequencing is important because it keeps the record’s energy flowing from one arrangement to the next while also ensuring the diversity in the record’s content changes constantly throughout.  The result of the attention paid to the sequencing is that it keeps audiences just as engaged and entertained throughout as the content itself, because of the positive general effect crafted through said presentation.  When it is considered along with the album’s overall content, the whole makes the record a complete success.

Into The Little Blue House, the new album from family music act Wendy and DB is an impressive new offering from the duo.  The record’s success comes in part through the album’s musical content.  That content is important because it takes on the various sub-genres of the blues throughout its body.  That in itself creates plenty of engagement and entertainment.  The lyrical themes featured alongside the album’s musical content makes for its own engagement and entertainment.  That is because it is just as diverse as said content.  The sequencing of that content rounds out the most important of the album’s elements.  That is because of its impact of the album’s general effect.  Each item noted is important in its own way to the whole of the album.  All things considered they make the album one more of the year’s top new family music albums.

Into the Little Blue House is scheduled for release Sept. 23 through Tigerlily Music.  More information on the album is available along with the duo’s latest news at:

Website: https://wendyanddb.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wendyanddb

Twitter: https://twitter.com/vocalgymnasium

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Grave Digger Just Made This Year’s Top New Hard Rock/Metal Albums Field More Crowded With Its New Album

Courtesy: Rock of Angels Records

Veteran hard rock band Grave Digger is set to return Friday with its latest album, Symbol of Eternity.  The band’s 21^st (yes, 21^st) album, it is an impressive new offering from the band.  The record’s appeal comes in part through its general approach, which will be discussed shortly.  The album’s musical content makes for its own appeal and will be discussed a little later.  The record’s production rounds out its most important elements and will also be addressed later.  Each item noted here is important in its own way to the overall presentation of Symbol of Eternity.  All things considered they make the album one more of this year’s top new hard rock and metal albums.

Symbol of Eternity, the latest album from Grave Digger, is another successful studio offering from the veteran hard rock outfit.  Coming more than two years after the release of its then latest album, Fields of Blood, the band’s latest album succeeds in part through its general presentation (IE its overarching lyrical theme).  In this case, the album’s presentation focuses on the famous (and infamous) Knights Templar and their journeys in the Crusades in the Middle East.  ‘Saladin’ for instance, focuses on the legendary Muslim leader who led Muslim forces against the Knights Templar in the Third Crusade.  The crusade in question saw European leaders send their forces to the Middle East to try to conquer Jerusalem.  While Jerusalem was not conquered, European forces did take the cities of Acre and Jaffa. 

‘Symbol of Eternity’ takes on another topic, this time that of the legendary Holy Grail.  This is inferred by the mention of Christ’s crucifixion and the item in question allegedly being hidden somewhere in a cave.  There is even a seeming veiled reference to Judas what with the mention of someone selling their soul and becoming the symbol of eternity.  Everyone knows the story of how Judas allegedly betrayed Jesus for 30 pieces of silver.  That would seem to be the reference here, so again, this is a story tied directly into the overarching theme of the Crusades, since the Knights Templar’s crusades were in fact all based in European religious fervor.

‘The Last Crusade,’ which comes late in the album’s run, continues the overarching lyrical theme as it seems to focus on Lord Edward’s Crusade, which was the last of the crusades.  Led by Edward, Duke of Gascony, the crusade saw European forces fight the Baibars.  The battles were, essentially a stalemate, with neither side ever actually gaining an upper hand.  It led the European forces to eventually withdraw and return to Europe.  This is just one more example of how the album’s overarching approach (its lyrical theme) makes the album so engaging and entertaining.  When these songs and the album’s other entries are considered together, the whole of that content forms a solid foundation for the album and gives listeners reason enough to hear the album.

Symbol of Eternity is hardly the first time that Grave Digger has ever taken the approach of using one central theme for its records.  Fields of Blood and many of its predecessors focus on the history of the Scots and their military.  What’s more, this is hardly the first time the band has ever focused on the matter of the Knight’s Templar, too.  The band also focused on that topic on its 1998 album, Knights of the Cross.  Even knowing all of this, the album’s overarching lyrical content (its general approach) still makes for appeal in its own right.  That foundation is strengthened by the album’s musical content.

The musical content that accompanies the album’s lyrical content is important to the record’s presentation because of how it once again blends heavy influences alongside more power metal influences.  Throughout the course of the record, audiences can make comparisons to works from Judas Priest and even to Rainbow within some of the songs.  At other points, some of the songs exhibit one or the other influence in themselves, while still establishing identities in and of themselves.  The result therein is an overall musical approach that is just as engaging and entertaining as the album’s lyrical approach.

As much as the album’s overall content is to its presentation, it is just part of what makes the album worth hearing.  The record’s production rounds out its most important elements.  The record’s production is important to note because of its role in the album’s general effect.  The instrumentation in each song creates so much richness.  That richness is the result of the production, which balances each instrument expertly overall.  Each instrument compliments the others in its own way.  The result is a presentation that from start to finish, shines just as much for its production as for its content.  When all of this is considered together, the album overall makes itself one more of the year’s top new hard rock and metal albums.

Symbol of Eternity, the latest album from Grave Digger, is another strong new offering from the veteran hard rock outfit.  The album succeeds in part through its general lyrical approach.  The album’s overall lyrical content once more focuses on the matter of the Knights Templar and the Crusades.  The songs are each their own works, so it is not a concept record, but close enough.  That in itself is a win.  The musical content that accompanies the album’s lyrical content is of note because it is so familiar while still being original in its own right in comparison to the works that the band has crafted throughout its catalog.  The production of those arrangements puts the finishing touch to the album’s presentation, ensuring the best is brought out in each work.  Each item examined is important in its own right to the whole of the album’s presentation.  All things considered they make Symbol of Eternity more proof of why Grave Digger remains today, one of the hard rock community’s most respected acts.  What’s more, they show why the band’s new album is among the best of this year’s new hard rock and metal albums.

Symbol of Eternity is scheduled for release Friday through Rock of Angels Records (ROAR). More information on the album is available along with all of Grave Digger’s latest news at:

Website: http://www.grave-digger-clan/de

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/gravediggerofficial

Twitter: http://twitter.com/GRAVEDIGGERclan

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‘Tiger Tail’ Is A Mostly Positive Start For Evan Drybread’s Career

Courtesy: Jazz Promo Services

This past May, Evan Drybread (yes, that really is his name) released his new album, Tiger Tail independently.  The jazz saxophonist’s eight-song record is a mostly successful offering that listeners will find worth hearing in part because of its featured arrangements.  They will be discussed shortly.  While the musical content that makes up the record’s body is important to its presentation, the lack of any background on the songs in the packaging detracts from the album to a point.  This will be discussed a little later.  The record’s production rounds out its most important elements and will also be discussed later.  Each item noted here is important in its own way to the whole of Tiger Tail becomes another welcome addition to this year’s field of new jazz albums.

Tiger Tail, the new album from Evan Drybread, is an engaging and enjoyable new offering from the young jazz saxophonist.  The 41-minute record’s appeal comes in large part through its featured musical arrangements.  From one to the next, the arrangements offer a respectable amount of diversity.  The record opens with a smooth swinging bop type composition.  That is exemplified through the chord changes and the occasional chromatic approaches to the runs that Drybread presents.  Trumpeter Mark Buselli’s solo here also adds to that sense of bop, what with the complexity of his run. 

‘High Priestess,’ which immediately follows, is completely unlike its predecessor, showing that diversity a little more.  The use of what sounds like a soprano saxophone against the drums, an electric bass, and keyboards gives the song a distinct modern fusion approach a la Herbie Hancock.  That funky, driving arrangement, what with its complex polyrhythmic patterns played by drummer Kenny Phelps and the saxophone work by Drybread alongside the noted work on the bass and keyboard makes the song so immersive and unique.  It is another wonderful, unique addition to the album that displays the diversity in the album’s musical content. 

Later in the album’s run, Drybread changes things up quite notably again in ‘Atlantic Mirror.’  The song is a simple composition that features Drybread on the soprano saxophone alongside Christopher Pitts on piano.  At times, Drybread’s performance lends itself to comparison to works from the likes of Kenny G. However, the addition of Pitts’ performance gives the opus its own identity; an identity that is so immersive throughout and that will keep listeners fully engaged from beginning to end.  It is yet another example of what makes the album’s musical content so important to its presentation.  When it and the other songs examined here are considered along with the likes of the Afro-Cuban-tinged ‘The Downey Wives,’ the uber funky Woodruff Place Town Hall,’ the classically tinged closer that is ‘Waltse’ and the record’s two remaining songs, the diversity in the arrangements becomes fully clear.  That clarity makes clear why the record’s overall musical content is so important to its presentation.  It forms a strong foundation for the album’s presentation.

While the musical content that makes up Tiger Tail’s body is unquestionably important to the record’s presentation, the lack of any background on the songs anywhere in the packaging weakens that foundation to a point.  The background on the songs was provided to the media through a press release about the album’s release, but that only goes so far.  If in fact the consumer copies of the album do not contain any background information then yes, that definitely detracts from the enjoyment.  That is because (as this critic has noted so many times), instrumental music needs some point of reference, that starting point.  Not having it only allows for a surface level appreciation for said music.  To that end, the apparent lack of any background on the songs anywhere in the packaging is not enough to make the album a failure, but at the same time, it certainly did not help the record’s presentation, either.

Knowing that the lack of any background on the songs is not enough to doom Drybread’s new album, there is still one more positive to note.  That positive is the record’s production.  As already noted, the arrangements that make up the album’s body are diverse throughout the album.  That means that a special amount of attention had to have been paid to each composition.  That attention was meant to ensure each song’s best general effect paid off in each work.  From the more subtle tones of ‘The Queen of Cups’ to the more upbeat vibe of ‘Tiger Tail’ to the relaxed vibes of ‘The Downey Wives’ and more, the record’s production brings out the best of each composition.  The result is a positive general effect throughout the record that shows the time and effort that went into the production paid off in each work.  The result is that the production proves just as pivotal to the album as the songs themselves.  When the positive of the production is considered along with that of the songs’ diversity, the pairing gives audiences plenty of reason to take in this record at least occasionally.

Tiger Tail, the new album from Evan Drybread, is an interesting presentation that every jazz fan will find worth hearing.  That is due in large part to its featured arrangements.  The arrangements are diverse throughout, giving listeners reason in itself to hear the album.  The lack of background on the songs in the packaging detracts from the overall listening experience but is not enough to make the album a failure.  The record’s production works with its songs to rounds out its most important elements and makes the album’s general effect positive in its own right.  Each item examined is important in its own right to the whole of the record’s presentation.  All things considered they make Tiger Tail another welcome addition to this year’s field of new jazz albums.

Tiger Tail is available now.  More information on the album is available online at https://evandrybread.com.

To keep up with the latest entertainment reviews and news, go online to https://www.facebook.com/philspicks and “Like” it. Fans can always keep up with the latest entertainment reviews and news in the Phil’s Picks blog at https://philspicks.wordpress.com. 

World Music Network’s Latest ‘Rough Guide To…’ Compilation Is Another Success For The Label

Courtesy: World Music Network

Delta Blues is one of the greatest sub-genres of the blues what with the simplicity of a singer alone with a guitar, the soulful singing and the richness of the lone guitar.  This past April, World Music Network paid tribute to the realm of Delta Blues and the artists who made it so popular in its infancy through its compilation record, The Rough Guide to Delta Blues Vol. 2.  The 26-song record is hardly the first of its kind of World Music Network, having come 20 years after the company released the collection’s predecessor.  Other compilations featuring well-known Delta Blues artists, such as Charley Patton, Robert Johnson, and Blind Boy Fuller have all come along since, too.  To that end, fans of the blues and Delta Blues have gotten plenty of Delta Blues music since the release of that first Delta Blues compilation.  That aside, the set presented here is enjoyable in its own right.  That is due in large part to its featured songs, which will be discussed shortly.  The liner notes that accompany the set’s musical content add to the engagement and will be addressed a little later.  The record’s production rounds out its most important elements and will also be examined later.  Each item noted here is important in its own way to the whole of the compilation.  All things considered they make the set yet another enjoyable addition to WMN’s ongoing The Rough Guide To… series of compilations.

The Rough Guide to Delta Blues Volume 2 is an enjoyable new collection of Delta Blues from World Music Network.  It is a presentation that will appeal equally to fans od Delta Blues and blues alike.  That is due in large part to its featured songs.  The songs that make up the compilation’s body come from a time period when Delta Blues were really gaining popularity among American audiences.  The earliest of the songs featured in the set were recorded in 1928, which would have been just past the infancy of the genre’s popularity.  From there, the songs span a time frame reaching all the way to 1940, a point at which Delta Blues really had gained real traction among audiences.  What’s more, the songs featured are from names that many listeners might not know.  They include the likes of Mississippi Matilda, Rube Lacey, and and Jelly Jaw Short.  At the same time, others, such as Son House, Tommy Johnson, and Memphis Minnie, perhaps the most well-known female Delta Blues singer of all time.  So basically, what audiences get from this collection of songs is a history lesson of sorts.  It is another nice addition to the ongoing history of the genre that WMN has been presenting for years.

The musical content featured in The Rough Guide to Delta Blues Volume 2 forms a solid foundation for the compilation and is just one part of what makes the set worth hearing.  The liner notes that accompany the musical content add their own share of interest to the presentation.  The liner notes open by pointing out the role that race played in the popularity of Delta Blues early on, making for a starting point on discussions centered on said topic.  The history lesson also points out the supposed birthplace of the genre, Clarksdale, Mississippi and the Dockery Plantation.  The apparent rise, fall and then resurgence of the genre’s popularity in the 1960s also gets a mention in the liner notes, making for a starting point for another discussion in itself on a separate topic.  There is even a mention of the role of women in the blues community as part of the liner notes, a starting point for yet another discussion.  All things considered here, the liner notes featured in this collection strengthen the foundation formed by the record’s content and make for even more engagement and entertainment.

For all that the primary and secondary content does to make this set engaging and entertaining, there is still one more item to note in examining the presentation.  That item is the record’s production.  The production is, as always, so notable because of the audio quality.  Once again, the static that was so audible on the recordings’ original vinyl releases cuts through so nicely here.  There is no loss at any point, either.  To that end, the CD presentation here sounds just like it was a vinyl release, further showing that vinyl will never replace CDs.  Keeping that in mind along with the positive impact of the record’s overall content, the whole makes this set yet another positive addition to this year’s field of new blues records and another positive addition to World Music Network’s ongoing The Rough Guide To… series of compilations.

The Rough Guide to Delta Blues Volume 2, the latest blues compilation from World Music Network, is another positive offering from the record label that blues fans across the board will enjoy.  The record’s success comes in large part through its featured musical content.  That is because of the picture that the arrangements paint and the history that they present in themselves.  The liner notes that accompany the record’s content add their own appeal to the whole because they add even more history to the presentation.  The production of the record once again makes the collection just as enjoyable in its general effect as any vinyl record.  Each item examined is important in its own way to the whole of the compilation.  All things considered they make the set one more welcome offering for blues fans from World Music Network’s ongoing The Rough Guide To… series of compilations.

The Rough Guide to Delta Blues Volume 2 is available now. More information on this and other titles from World Music Network is available online at:

Website: http://www.worldmusic.net

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/WorldMusicNetwork

Twitter: http://twitter.com/WMN_UK

To keep up with the latest entertainment reviews and news, go online to http://www.facebook.com/philspicks and “Like” it.  Fans can always keep up with the latest entertainment reviews and news in the Phil’s Picks blog at https://philspicks.wordpress.com.

Planet D Nonet’s New Live Recording Is A Fitting Tribute To Buddy Johnson

Courtesy: Eastlawn Records

Jazz pianist and band leader Buddy Johnson (a.k.a. Woodrow Wilson Johnson) is not one of the first names that comes to most people’s minds when they think of famous jazz figures.  That is likely because most of his biggest hits were considered R&B and pop works.  For all of the popularity and success that he achieved through those works, Johnson also had plenty of jazz hits, though none of them ever put him in the upper echelons of the jazz community.  This past May, the jazz collective known as Planet D Nonet brought renewed attention to Johnson and his work with its new live recording, Tribute to Buddy Johnson: Live at the Scarab Club.  Released May 22 through Eastlawn Records, the 16-song set was recorded May 20, 2018 at the noted jazz club in Detroit, MI.  The show’s set list forms the recording’s foundation and will be discussed shortly.  The concert’s production adds its own welcome touch to the whole and will be addressed a little later.  The recording’s packaging rounds out its most important elements and will also be examined later.  Each item noted is important in its own way to the whole of the recording.  All things considered they make this presentation one more of this year’s top new live CDs.

Tribute to Buddy Johnson: Live at the Scarab Club, the new live recording from Planet D Nonet, is a successful new offering from the group that properly honors Johnson’s legacy.  That is due in large part to the recording’s 16-song set list.  The set list pulls extensively from Johnson’s early career, featuring singles that he released during his time with Decca Records and Mercury Records.  It reaches all the way back to 1945 with his single, ‘Since I Fell For You’ and up to 1954 through his single, ‘Mush Mouth.’  That song was a b-side to his single, ‘One More Time.’  Speaking of b-sides, many of the songs that make up the set list are in fact b-sides to his primary singles, making them even more special.  That is because b-sides have always received less attention than a-sides across the musical universe.  So for all intents and purposes what audiences get here is really a collection of rarities performed by Planet D Nonet, from an artist who is himself a lesser-known jazz artist and composer.  The only song featured in the set list that was not composed by Johnson was the set’s penultimate entry, ‘Walk That Chalk Line.’  The song was composed by Lorenzo Pack.  Some of the early singles featured in the set list – ‘It’s Obdacious,’ ‘I’m Just Your Fool,’ ‘Lil Dog’ and ‘Crazy ‘Bout a Saxophone’ would go on to be included in the albums that Johnson would eventually go on to release as his career progressed.  So really, what audiences get here is a set list that is rather interesting in its representation of Johnson’s career.  It isn’t just the typical, run-of-the-mill body of work, but a more unique collection that still pays tribute to Johnson and his work in positive fashion.  To that end, the set list featured here forms a solid foundation for the recording.

The production that went into the recording strengthens that foundation even more.  This concert was recorded before the COVID-19 pandemic impacted America, so the group actually had a live audience to enjoy the concert.  That audience noise is just as audible throughout the concert as the instrumental and vocal performances by the band. It is so well-balanced with the music and vocals in each song and even between the songs.  In turn it creates a certain sense of joy for audiences, just hearing that live effect. That is especially the case considering how long audiences and musical acts alike went without live music once the pandemic made its way across the country starting in 2019.  Even those occasional moments when some of the vocals sound slightly distant, that effect was intended.  It adds even more to that sense of being right there, thus immersing audiences even more in the concert.  In other words, the production that went into this recording proves just as positive as the recording’s set list.  It makes the recording all the more enjoyable. 

While the content featured in Planet D Nonet’s new live recording and its production are considered together, the two items go a long way toward making the recording so enjoyable.  They are just part of what makes the recording successful, too.  The packaging rounds out its most important elements.  More specifically, the liner notes therein are really what makes the packaging important.  The liner notes, penned by blues musician Duke Robillard, remind audiences right from the opening paragraph that the work of Johnson and his orchestra have sadly been nearly forgotten in the annals of American musical history.  That is true.  Again, as noted early here, Johnson and his work are not the first to come to mind when one thinks of great jazz names and works.  Robillard also highlight’s Johnson’s signature “walking rhythm” as he writes about the band’s performance of ‘Walk The Chalk Line’.  From there, Robillard points out other high points throughout the concert in terms of specific song performances, setting the figurative stage for audiences before they even play the recording.  It is a great way to introduce audiences to the concert.  When the general effect of the liner notes is considered along with the equally positive impact of the set list itself and the concert’s recording, the whole makes this recording a wonderful tribute to Johnson and hopefully just the start in a renewed focus on him and his work.

Tribute to Buddy Johnson: Live at the Scarab Club, the new live recording from Planet D Nonet, is a thoroughly enjoyable presentation from the jazz collective.  That is due in large part to its featured set list.  The set list pulls extensively from Johnson’s early catalog of singles.  In other words, it focuses on what were essentially his formative years.  What’s more, many of the songs featured herein are b-sides to his singles rather than a-sides.  That makes them even rarer to a point.  This makes the set list all the more enjoyable and special.  The recording’s production expertly balances the audio throughout the show, making for even more enjoyment as it fully immerses audiences in the recording.  The liner notes that accompany the recording in its packaging round out the recording’s most important elements.  That is because they set the stage for the presentation featured on the disc.  Each item examined is important in its own way to the whole of the recording.  All things considered they make Tribute to Buddy Johnson: Live at the Scarab Club one more of this year’s top new live CDs.

Tribute to Buddy Johnson: Live at the Scarab Club is available now through Eastlawn Records.  More information on the record is available at https://eastlawnrecords.com. 

To keep up with the latest entertainment reviews and news, go online to https://www.facebook.com/philspicks and “Like” it.  Fans can always keep up with the latest entertainment reviews and news in the Phil’s Picks blog at https://philspicks.wordpress.com.

Gard Nilssen’s ‘Elastic Wave’ Is A Mostly Successful Addition To 2022’s Field Of New Jazz Albums

Courtesy: ECM Records

Late last month, drummer Gard Nillsen released his new album, Elastic Wave through ECM Records.  The 11-song album is a presentation that jazz fans will agree is worth hearing at least once.  That is due in large part to its featured musical arrangements, which will be discussed shortly.  While the musical content that makes up the record’s body is of interest, the lack of any background on the songs detracts from its presentation to a point.  This will be addressed a little later.  The record’s sequencing rounds out its most important elements and will also be discussed later.  Each item noted is important in its own way to the whole of Elastic Wave in its own way.  The whole makes the album worth hearing at least once.

Elastic Wave, the latest album from drummer Gard Nilssen, is an interesting addition to this year’s field of new jazz albums.  It is a presentation worth hearing at least once.  That is due in large part to the musical arrangements that make up the album’s body.  The arrangements that make up the record’s 44-minute run time are all jazz compositions.  The thing is that their sounds and styles are diverse from one to the next.  The album’s opener is a gentle, subdued work that exhibits some nice blues influence.  That is exhibited through the pairing of the gentle saxophone line, which leads the way, and Nillsen’s equally gentle work with the brushes on the snare and cymbals.  Petter Eldh’s work on the double bass gives the arrangement even more richness and depth with the warmth from the bass’ low-end.  The nearly four-minute opus makes for a wonderful slow dance composition for any couple.

‘Spending Time With Ludvig,’ which immediately follows, is the polar opposite of the album’s opener.  In the case of this song, Andre Roligheten leads the way again with his work on the saxophone while Nillsen and Eldh add their own touches.  It is their collective work that really makes the song stand out.  That is because the controlled chaos that comes from Nillsen’s performance pairs with Eldh’s own work to give the song something of a free jazz leaning.  Nilssen is all over the place, crafting so many polyrhythmic patterns while Eldh does what he can to keep up with Nilssen.  The thing is that even in that cacophony, there is some structure that somehow comes of it all.  To that end, the contrast of those frenetic performances to that of Roligheten make the song clearly its own work separate from anything else featured in the record.

‘Boogie,’ which comes much later in the album’s nearly 45-minute run time, is yet another song that stands out.  In the case of this song, Nilssen once again is all over the place, but far less so than in ‘Spending Time With Ludvig.’  There is more structure here.  Roligheten once again leads the way with his performance on the saxophone while Eldh fleshes out the arrangement here more through his performance on the bass.  What is really interesting here is what seems at least to this critic as some Western urban influence.  That is evident right from the song’s outset through Eldh’s opening bass solo.  He keeps that line going as Roligheten and Nilssen join in with their respective performances.  The tightness in the beats and in Roligheten’s own tight, staccato playing adds even more to that urban sense.  It is yet another enjoyable work that continues to show the diversity in the album’s musical content.  When it and the other songs examined here are considered with the rest of the record’s entries, the whole makes the album’s musical content so enjoyable and a strong foundation for the album.

While the musical content that forms the body of Elastic Wave forms a strong foundation for the album, the lack of any background on the songs in the album’s booklet weakens that foundation to a point.  The booklet features pictures of Nilssen and company as well as the album’s track listing, but nothing else.  The background on the songs was provided to the media through a press release.  The release states of ‘Spending Time With Ludvig’ for instance, that the song was inspired by Nilssen’s son and that ‘Til Liv’ was inspired by his daughter.’  ‘Acoustic Dance Music,’ which comes even later in the album’s run, was a John Coltrane-inspired opus, according to the background provided in the press release.  What’s more, the song is apparently a “small protest against the encroaching world of electronic dance music.”  Understanding that, it makes the full-on bop composition all the more enjoyable.  It is such a nice throwback to the sounds of a bygone era and really is so much better than anything electronic.  Again though, because nothing is offered in the album’s booklet, audiences would have otherwise not known that.  It is just one more way in which the addition of liner notes would have proven so helpful to the album’s presentation.  The lack thereof is not enough to doom the album, but it certainly would have helped the listening experience to have had that information and more included in the booklet.

Knowing that the lack of liner notes on the album’s songs is not enough to make the album a failure, there is one other positive to note in the form of the album’s sequencing.  From one song to the next, the sequencing keeps the album moving fluidly from one song to the next.  From the subdued energy in the album’s opener to the energy in ‘Spending Time With Ludvig’ to the frenetic energy of ‘Boogie’ to the forward-moving, experimental ‘The Room Next To Her’ and the back and forth of the rest of the album’s songs, the whole makes the album constantly change throughout.  That changes in sounds and styles are just enough that they keep the record engaging from beginning to end.  That stability that the sequencing ensures works with the album’s songs to make the album overall a mostly successful work that any jazz fan should hear at least once.

Elastic Wave, the new album from drummer Gard Nilssen, is a presentation that any jazz fan will find interesting.  That is due in large part to its featured musical arrangements.  The arrangements vary in sound and style from one to the next.  At times, the arrangements lean specifically one way, while at others, they blend various subgenres’ influences for equally interesting compositions.  That variety in itself ensures engagement and entertainment.  The lack of background on the songs in the album’s booklet detracts from the enjoyment to a point but is not enough to doom the album.  The sequencing of the album’s content works with the arrangements to make for more enjoyment.  That and the content together are enough to make the album a mostly successful album that any jazz fan should hear at least once.

Elastic Wave is available now through ECM Records. More information on this and other titles from ECM Records is available at:

Website: https://ecmrecords.com

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