|
|
CDs
John Gorka, After Yesterday
For Gorka devotees, the first spin of his new
disc is like opening 12 letters from an old friend in one day. Gorka
has an uncanny knack for writing about wherever he happens to be;
in his latest installment, After Yesterday, our favorite
troubadour is married, with child, and bravely enduring winters
in Minnesota. What sets the disc apart—besides evocative, intimate
lyrics and Gorka’s dark chocolate baritone—is the fine production
by Gorka and John Jennings. A cadre of major players (Jennings,
Peter Ostroushko, Michael Manring, and Dean Magraw) round out Gorka’s
instrumental work in sweet and adventurous arrangements. (Red House)
—Rani Arbo
Return to Top
|
|
One Alternative, Changes
One Alternative lives in a meadow shadowed by
Paul Winter and Oregon. Guitarists Mark Oppenlander and Len Doyle
and oboist Jill Haley are classically trained musicians whose influences
include the Dixie Dregs, King Crimson, and the Beatles. Changes
is a collection drawn from five earlier albums, plus one new composition.
Two-guitar fingerpicking arrangements abound, creating a rich textural
bed for these mature, well-played compositions. The recording is
first-rate and the entire work is thoroughly enjoyable. (J-Bird)
—Gary Joyner
Return to Top
|
|
Various Artists, Sounds of Wood and Steel
This instrumental sampler showcases all-star
pickers (Will Ackerman, Doyle Dykes, Michael Hedges, Leo Kottke,
and others) with Windham Hill and Taylor Guitar connections. The
emphasis on fancy production, pretty textures, and meditative tempos
sometimes makes for an easy-listening feeling, but several cuts
jump out of the mix: Clint Black’s version of Jerry Reed’s
hot-lick classic "The Claw," Steve Stevens’ propulsive
nuevo-flamenco "Sadhana," Laurence Juber’s minor-key
"Liquid Amber," Bill Cooley and Kathy Mattea’s Nashville-accented
"Into the Night," and Kottke’s harmonically inquisitive
"Jesus Maria." (Windham Hill)
—Russell Letson
Return to Top
|
|
Special Consensus, Our Little Town
On Our Little Town, Special Consensus
flows seamlessly between musical styles, playing each authentically
while fusing them into a unified sound. The band is equally at home
with straight-ahead, hard-driving bluegrass; western swing; country;
and contemporary songs. Their fine trio singing often features the
particularly nice sound of melody on top with two harmony parts
below. Chris Walz’ guitar playing drives the "burner"
numbers and is unashamedly lyrical on the slower ballads. Check
out his sweet solo on "Slow Train through Georgia." An
enjoyable recording for nonaficionados as well as bluegrass fans.
(Pinecastle)
—Sue Thompson
Return to Top
|
|
Various Artists, Treasures Left Behind: Remembering
Kate Wolf
Produced by the late great Kate Wolf’s
guitarist and friend Nina Gerber (who plays Wolf’s guitar on
many of the cuts), this is a project of love that celebrates the
woman who caused so many to pick up guitar and pen. It begins with
Kathy Mattea singing Wolf’s signature tune, "Give Yourself
to Love," and from there it just continues to charm. Although
Peter Rowan, Greg Brown, and Utah Phillips make strong showings,
the real magic happens when the voices
of Nanci Griffith, Lucinda Williams, Rosalie Sorrels, and Emmylou
Harris combine with Wolf’s songs and Gerber’s guitar and
production. Perhaps the most haunting cut is Gerber’s instrumental
version of "Back Roads." Whether you know Wolf’s
music or not, this is a must-have disc. (Red House)
—Steve Givens
Return to Top
|
|
Matt Eakle, Flute Jazz
Eakle steps out from the David Grisman Quintet
with a fine recording of original compositions and arrangements.
Joined by Davis Ramey on guitar and Harvie Swartz on bass, Eakle’s
airy tone and flowing phrasing bring a cool elegance to Jimmy Van
Heusen’s "Like Someone in Love." Ramey weaves articulate
lines and figures around Eakle’s soaring flute on "A Simple
Matter," and the trio’s beautiful treatment of Edu Lobo’s
"Pra Dizer Adeus" is reminiscent of Bud Shank’s collaboration
with Laurindo Almeida in the 1950s. Another Eakle original, "Gran’s
Blues," conjures a vivid image of beatniks and smoky coffeehouses.
(Acoustic Disc)
—Jim Ohlschmidt
Return to Top
|
|
Jose Luis Monton, Aroma
Barcelona-born guitarist and composer Jose Luis
Monton brings a Catalan feeling to flamenco, giving it a softer,
more impressionistic edge that makes Aroma an accessible, seductive
introduction to new flamenco. Monton’s carefully constructed
arrangements have a chamber jazz feeling reminiscent of the Modern
Jazz Quartet. Along with Chano Dominguez’ great flamenco/jazz
piano work, the sound is filled out with flute, accordion, bass,
percussion, and two vocalists. Monton makes this layering of sounds
and styles work while keeping his flamenco/classical guitar at the
center of the music. (Auvidis Ethnic/Harmonia Mundi)
—Stephen Dick
Return to Top
|
|
Butch Baldassari, New Classic for Bluegrass Mandolin
One of the great mandolin stylists of our day,
Butch Baldassari has crafted a highly personal style of instrumental
acoustic string music that resonates with clever melodic structure
and insightful arrangements. Joined by guitarists David Grier and
Kenny Smith; fiddlers Richard Greene, Aubrey Haynie, and Randy Howard;
and bassists Missy Raines and Mark Schatz, Baldassari gives everyone
room to play their best. On "Consider This," Grier spins off
one of his galaxy-class flatpicking solos, and Greene counters with
a stellar fiddle break of his own. New Classics for Bluegrass
Mandolin is all that its name claims. (Soundart)
—David McCarty
Return to Top
|
|
David Starobin, Newdance
Classical guitarist David Starobin has long
been on a crusade to destroy the notion that first-class composers
are not writing new music for the guitar. For Newdance, Starobin
asked 18 composers to write short dance pieces for solo guitar.
The result is a wildly varied collection of music reflecting a broad
interpretation of dance and an equally broad understanding of what
the guitar can do. The compositional styles range from the familiar
to the challenging. Starobin communicates each of the composer’s
ideas cleanly and intelligently, and Newdance represents
a significant contribution to the repertoire. (Bridge)
—Stephen Dick
Return to Top
|
|
Brian Lillie and the Squirrel Mountain Orchestra, Row
Boats
Brian Lillie is a guy who knows how to have
fun. This 1997 release should have been reviewed sooner but it got
stuck in my car’s CD player. Stuck, metaphorically speaking,
because I kept taking it with me on trips to the store, to work,
and on vacation. This is an immensely fun disc from a singer-songwriter
with a great voice and a huge sense of humor. Straddling country,
folk, and roots rock, Lillie evokes the likes of Loudon Wainwright
III and Steve Goodman, while the Squirrels serve up delicious yet
spare orchestrations behind Lillie’s voice and guitar. (One
Man Clapping)
—Steve Givens
Return
to Top
|
|
SOURCES
Acoustic Disc, PO Box 4143, San Rafael,
CA 94913; (800) 221-DISC; www.dawgnet.com.
Auvidis Ethnic/Harmonia Mundi, 2037
Granville Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90025; (310) 478-1311; www.harmoniamundi.com.
Bridge, PO Box 1864, New York, NY 10116;
www.bridgerecords.com.
J-Bird, 101 N. Five Points Rd., Apt.
G11, West Chester, PA 19380; (610) 918-0622.
One Man Clapping, 2032 N. Racine, Chicago,
IL 60614; (773) 935-3527; www.lb.com/onemanclapping.
Pinecastle, PO Box 456, Orlando, FL
32802; (407) 856-0245; www.pinecastle.com.
Red House, PO Box 4044, Minneapolis,
MN 55104; (800) 695-4687; www.redhouserecords.com.
Soundart, 125 43rd Ave. N., Nashville,
TN 37209; (615) 292-0324.
Windham Hill, c/o Sound Delivery, PO
Box 1862, Woodland, CA 95776-1862; whinfo@bmge.com; www.windham.com.
|
|
