January 2003
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THE FLYIN' RYAN BROTHERS |
JOBOJ |
KEVIN SCHAELLING |
SCENIC |
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TONY LEVIN BAND Double Espresso (Narada) Bass
legend Tony Levin goes for the gold on his excellent 2002 double live
CD set on Narada / Virgin. Levin won over lots of listeners with his
two earlier Narada CDsPieces Of The Sun and Waters Of
Eden. Famous for his work with King Crimson and John Lennon, Levin
breaks new ground on Double Espressoan album that perfectly
sums up his well rounded musical background. Captured live on tour at
the Bearsville Theater up in Woodstock, N.Y., the double CD set finds
Levin in the company of excellent players like synthesizer legend Larry
Fast, guitar ace Jesse Gress and drumming wiz Jerry Marotta.
The CD set also spotlights the great California Guitar Trio, who join
in on a TLB cover of Peter Gunn. The mostly instrumental
double disc set is superbly recorded andfeaturing compositions
from Tony, and TLB covers of Genesis, Peter Gabriel, King Crimson, Synergy
and Led Zeppelinis perhaps Levins most rewarding CD release
yet. www.narada.com
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THE VIBRATOS The Cappuccino Kid (Waffles) Over
in England, Warren Bennett and Dick Plant continue their
guitar sound with an excellent follow-up to their 2001 debut CD. The
2002 CD from their group The Vibratos, The Cappuccino Kid
superbly balances several originals with choice covers like
Echo Beach (a rare instro of the Martha & The Muffins
80 hit), Jet (the McCartney song), The Boxer
and assorted covers of Roy Budd, Ennio Morricone and much more. With
Plant and Bennett expertly implementing an array of classic vintage
guitars and all the drum sounds, these timeless pop melodies shine in
a new light. For guitarists and those into the 60s U.K. instrumental
sounds of The Shadows, The Cappuccino Kid is a must. www.vibratos.co.uk
/ www.leosden.co.uk
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THE FLYIN' RYAN BROTHERS Legacy (M.A.C.E.)
Reminiscent in tone and spirit to U.K. rock legends like Wishbone Ash
and Thin Lizzy, the Chicago-based Flyin Ryan Brothers released
their excellent Legacy CD in 2002. Playing together for over
25 years, Jimmy Ryan and Johnny Ryan put it all together
on Legacy. The brothers twin lead guitar sound and compositional
style sounds very much inspired by guitarist Andy Powell of Wishbone
Ash, yet Legacy features so many great, original guitar instrumentals
and vocals that its obvious theres a slew of original
musical ideas in play here. Two previous releasesSibling Revelry
(1996) and Colorama (1999)offered a good indication
of the brothers musical integrity, but the groups 2002,
18 track Legacy album is really their best yet. Theres
plenty of majestic and quite melodic guitar instrumentals that rock
and soar while several added vocal tracks add further luster to an album
that shines on all fronts. In addition, the colorful CD booklet pictures
the brothers guitars along with praiseworthy liner notes from
Wishbone Ash expert Leon Tslis. www.ryanetics.com
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JOBOJ X (GTRBQUE) A
must hear jazz-rock guitar album, X will introduce hard core
fusionphiles to the guitar sound of Joe Bochar (alias JOBOJ).
The overall sound is very heavy and with Bochar expertly performing
every instrument, the sound is incredibly varied and never boring. According
to the man, "I produced X myself, wrote all the songs, played all
the instruments, recorded it in my home studio and then designed the
CD. I'm living proof that you can do everything if you really want to.
Bochar adds a Zappa-like surrealism to the musical scenery which sounds
like the soundtrack for tomorrow. Theres a wealth of guitar influences
like from Spaghetti Western to the intricate sound of Holdsworth with
the 70s Bruford. Having already released three other fine albums,
Anvilhead, Orange, Raw Sausage Finger, Bochar has released his
best album yet with the remarkable, enigmatic sound of X.
www.gtrbque.com
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KEVIN SCHAELLING The Rain In Spain (Cypress) The upswing in popularity of the 90s nouveau Flamenco phenomenon continues to yield some very impressive results. A master of the nylon string guitar who combines the most sonically pleasing aspects of Flamenco, pop instrumental, classical and guitar-based smooth jazz, Texas-based guitarist Kevin Schaelling made quite a favorable impression with his self-produced 2002 album The Rain In Spain. As the 40 minute CD displays, Schaellings nylon string guitar is superbly recorded and throughout the album he receives elegant, tasteful support from key players like C. Brian Batey (bass) and Wallice De LaVega (percussion). Growing up in Texas, Schaelling was greatly influenced by the art of Flamenco guitar and on his solo debut CD he skillfully mixes his fondness for jazz, pop and Flamenco guitar sounds and the net result is one of the years most agreeable and serene recordings of acoustic guitar jazz. www.cypressmusic.com
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SCENIC The Acid Gospel Experience (Parasol) A
superbly packaged release, the 2002 CD from Scenic is a veritable rockin
tapestry of cosmic, instrumental sounds. Located somewhere between vintage
Hawkwind and the futuristic techno-ambient sounds of Stereolab, The
Acid Gospel Experience features some dazzling musical interplay
between guitarist Bruce Licher and his bandmates. Mixing guitars,
Chamberlin, moog synths, lap steel, ebow guitars, sitars and more, Scenic
is similar in spirit to the hypnotic groove of space rockers Ozric Tentacles,
yet Scenic takes their instrumental rock sound even a step further,
injecting a solid dose of Americana into the mix. The Acid Gospel
Experience really sizzles in places and theres even an appearance
by ambient music guru Harold Budd as well. The groups first
full length album since their 96 classic Acquatica, (not
forgetting their 2000 Spheres CDep) The Acid Gospel Experience
is a most revealing sonic experience for New Age space rockers. www.parasol.com
Attention Artists and Record Companies: Have your CD reviewed
in mwe3.com and 20th Century Guitar. Send to P.O. Box 630249, Little
Neck, N.Y. 11363-0249 e-mail: info@mwe3.com
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