MUSIC
NEWS & NOTES SPOTLIGHT
AUGUST
2010 RECORD LABEL SPOTLIGHT
POP
& ROCK
DECCA
RECORDS -
Back in the mid ‘80s girl groups like Bananarama, and more sophisticated
Euro-flavored pop-jazz singers Anna Domino and Sade, were all the
rage. Twenty years later, one new NYC based group with a new kind
of multi-culti kind of pop / jazz viewpoint is Greta’s Bakery.
Featuring Italian born vocalist Greta Panettieri, bassist/guitarist
Mike LaValle with Andrea Sammartino on keys, on the
release of their 2010 album entitled, The Edge Of Everything,
the group blend an upbeat, lounge music kind a vibe that sometimes
even spotlights Greta singing in her native tongue. Commenting on
the CD, Ms. Panettieri
adds,
'I think it’s a bit of a complex album, and it definitely reflects
our different backgrounds and the different kinds of music that we
like. But more than anything else, it’s a pop album. I think
that it’s very easy to like, but I also think that it works on
a deeper level, because of the composing and arranging.' There’s
a great mix of bouncy pop and Brazilian / Euro style lounge flavored
jazz sounds in play while the most upbeat tracks also cross over into
dance music with style and flair. While featuring mostly original
tracks on the eleven cut album, Greta’s Bakery also works in
several well chosen covers from the pens of noted song writing greats
such as Jules Shear and Diane Warren. www.GretasBakery.com
DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON - Rock icon Sting goes for the
symphonic / classical treatment of his repertoire with the 2010 CD
release of Symphonicities. Released Stateside
by Decca on the NYC based Deutsche Grammophon label—the German
label internationally 
renowned
for their prolific classical recordings—the twelve track Symphonicities
was recorded at Abbey Road in London and at Clinton Recording
studios in NYC. Pairing Sting’s vocals and songs with the New
York Chamber Consort and the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra
is a great idea and as such on the album Sting teams with top music
people like producer Rob Mathes and Elliot Scheiner
and Matthew Scheiner, who were part of the team who mixed the
album. “Every Breath You Take” might not be part of Sting’s
orchestral concept here but other classics like “Englishman In
New York” and “Roxanne” are here and work well within
the orchestral genre of the CD. Backing up Sting and the orchestras
are long time Sting band members Dominic Miller (guitar), Jo
Lawry (backing vocals), co-producer Rob Mathes (piano, acoustic
guitar) and others. The Symphonicities CD booklet and artwork
is also top notch and, fittingly the CD booklet features in depth
liner notes from Rolling Stone writer Anthony DeCurtis. Symphonicities
is the latest Sting release on the Deutsche Grammophon label and
follows the earlier releases of Songs From The Labyrinth (2006)
and If On A Winter’s Night (2009). www.DeutscheGrammophon.com
/ www.sting.com
ELECTROFONE MUSIC - Multi-instrumentalist, electronic musician
and producer Carmen Rizzo has, over the years, worked with
a number of artists—from Seal and Coldplay to Pete Townshend
and Ryuichi Sakamoto. With his 2010 album Looking Through 
Leaves,
Carmen has released a CD that perfectly lays out an immaculate
conception of electronica and World Beat / dance music, the place
where 1986 era Tangerine Dream meets famed ‘80s producer William
Orbit in the remix zone. A few scenic instrumentals pierce the sonic,
space veil and give T. Dream a run for their money while the vocal
pop numbers reflects another direction where Carmen shines. Guest
vocalists including Grant Lee Phillips, Kate Havnevik and
more drape Carmen’s sonic, sythesized backdrops with some evocative
vocal tracks. I’m sure Carmen could go on at length about the
hi-tech keyboard wizardry and just how he gets that stunning sonic
edge on the CD. Even with this high tech approach, Carmen makes the
CD sound quite accessible. With its hypnotic electronics and New Age
space music / chill grooves, Looking Through Leaves cuts across
a wide sea of sound. www.ElectrofoneMusic.com
FANTASY RECORDS - One of the most illustrious American record
labels in music history, Fantasy was reactivated big time in recent
years by the ever growing Concord Music Group. Fantasty is world renowned
for their huge catalog of jazz archives and, of course the label was
the original home to Creedence Clearwater Revival. Fantasy and Concord
did great things with reviving the Creedence catalog and amazingly,
after a checkered relationship, Creedence main man John Fogerty is
back on Fantasy again. More good news is that big things are happening
once again with Fantasy as evidenced by a number of Summer 2010 CD
releases, including a new title by modern glam rocker Alejandro
Escovedo entitled Street Songs Of Love. Still
obsessed with that mid ‘70s Bowie meets Bruce kind of Americana
rock sound, Alejandro once again joins forces with esteemed producer
/ rock legend Tony Visconti and the results are irrepressible.
Street Songs Of Love rocks hard and fast with some tight ensemble
work and impassioned singing from Alejandro and then there’s
the songs. Songs as great as track 9, “Undesired” goes far
to further establishing Alejandro as a mainstream rock artist with
something to say. As they did on their 2007 Tony Visconti produced
Real Animal album, Alejandro and his group—including guitarist
David Pulkingham—turn the heat up once again on this impressive
release. Groundbreaking masterpieces in 2010 are few and far between
but the term can be rightfully applied to the Fantasy Records debut
by Crowded House, entitled Intriguer. It’s
been a while since Neil Finn and company had a record this
strong out in the U.S. market and Fantasy really pulls out the stops
on the ten track Intriguer. Of course, arising out of New Zealand
supergroup Split Enz, Tim Finn’s brother Neil went on to untold
successes with Crowded House over the past 20+ years, and Enz fans
will thoroughly enjoy this majestic pop-rock classic that truly qualifies
Intriguer as an intriguing work. Recorded in New Zealand, mixed
in L.A. and mastered by the great ears of Bob Ludwig, Intriguer
is right on with that classic Beatles-inspired Crowded House /
Split Enz vibe. Also out during the Summer of 2010 is See You
On The Moon, the latest album from singer-songwriter
Tift Merritt. Joining forces with 
producer
Tucker Martine (who’s worked with Bill Frisell and the
Decemberists), Ms. Merritt has assembled a top band for the recording
including guitarist Zeke Hutchins (drums), Jay Brown (bass)
and guitarist Scott McCall. Also on hand here is pedal steel
guitarist Greg Leisz and My Morning Jacket vocalist Jim
James. Perhaps the kicker here is a cover of “Live Till You
Die” which, those of us over 55 might remember was on the 1970
Emitt Rhodes album, which let’s see...was 40 years ago! Time
flies. Tift does a fine job on the track, no doubt making Emitt proud!
Mix one part folk, one part pop and one part rock and you get a concise
overview of Tiff Merritt’s adventurous Americana folk-rock sound.
With these and more titles on the way, its’ great to see that
Fantasy Records is proving to be one of the guilding lights in the
rock world of 2010. www.FantasyRecords.com
HANCOCK RECORDS - While the world lives out the remainder of the
69th year of his birth, John Lennon would have turned 70 in
2010. It’s also 30 years since he was gunned down on 72nd Street
right across the street from Central Park. For what its worth, it
seems almost futile to even acknowledge the bad part, and instead,
in praise of John let’s take a look at a new CD from jazz-fusion
keyboard giant Herbie Hancock called The Imagine Project.
One would have hoped that Paul McCartney would be first out of
the box on some kind of John tribute but, at 68 himself, it appears
at least so far, old Macca, God bless him, would rather get out the
vote with endless world tours, than craft some sort of introspective
Lennon esque recording tribute. Funny paper aside, Herbie’s CD
is a pretty impressive Beatle John kind of tribute. With Seal,
Jeff Beck and Pink featured in the lead off cover of
the song “Imagine,” the CD manages to include one additional
Lennon cover, a suitably spacey take of “Tomorrow Never Knows”
with lead vocals by Dave Matthews as well as a cover of the
Bob Dylan protest anthem, “The Times They Are A ’Changin’”
featuring The Chieftains and singer Lisa Hannigan. With
the expansive Lennon and Dylan covers as a focal point, the CD keeps
up the progressive spiritual vibe with other tracks featuring Hancock
on keys recording alongside a number of artists including Lionel
Loueke, Derek Trucks and Susan Tedeschi and a host
of others, making it some kind of World Groove super session. Also
helping shape the sound is famed producer Larry Klein. Speaking
out about the release Hancock adds, ‘Music truly is the universal
language. The Imagine Project will explore that concept across
the globe, uniting a myriad of cultures through song and positive
creative expression.’ Funny enough just like Lennon, Hancock
turns 70 years young this year too, infusing the album with a kind
of kindred “dragon spirit” vibe. www.HerbieHancock.com
LEGACY
RECORDINGS - Best known for their huge classic rock smashes like
“Crazy On You”, “Magic Man” and “Barracuda”,
Heart are back on the boards with their long awaited new album.
Released following a six year wait after the 2004 release of Jupiter’s
Darling, the ten track Red Velvet Car brings the
band right back to what they do best. Most performed by Heart multi-instrumentalist
Nancy Wilson and album producer Ben Mink, Red Velvet
Car is the first album of all new music on the Sony owned Legacy—in
fact, the last Sony-related album was 1983’s Passionworks
album on Epic Records. Heart singer and cofounder Ann Wilson
explains, ‘It feels good to have Sony Music holding our new
baby. It’s sort of like coming home, since we worked with them
on Little Queen, Dog and Butterfly, Bebe le Strange, Private Audition
and Passionworks, among others.’ Even with
so many great albums to their credit, Heart really rises to the occasion
on Red Velvet Car. If anything, the album has a solid pop edge
with a less strenuous hard rock edge, making it even more accessible
to long time fans and a whole new generation of Heart fans who missed
the original excitement. Perhaps Ann Wilson sums it up best claiming,
‘This album feels so right for the times. We can’t wait
to share this one with the world!’ www.Heart-Music.com
/ www.LegacyRecordings.com
SAGE ARTS - Country music has been around for decades if not centuries
and the fascination with the genre by generations of younger musicians
continues on in style with the 2010 CD release of Ghost Town
by Marley’s Ghost. Released by the Washington
state based Sage Arts label, the 14 track CD was superbly produced
by Cowboy Jack Clement and features the Marley’s Ghost
guys performing the countrified swing music of a number of composers
including Clement, Billy Burnette, Warren Zevon and more. Clement’s
own composition “Got Leavin’ On Her Mind” is a way
cool country rock track that is delivered in style here. Both Clement
and Burnette are also featured among the plentiful guest musicians
who appear. Featuring some excellent musicians, Marley’s Ghost
spotlights band members pedal steeler Ed Littlefield Jr., guitarists
/ mando pickers including Mike Phelan, Dan Wheetman and
Jon Wilcox with added support from Jerry Fletcher (on
drums, accordion, B3 and more). All the Marley’s Ghost guys sing
and write as well. Featuring great digi-pak artwork, Ghost Town
is an all around country pop winner of a CD from Marley’s
Ghost. www.MarleysGhostBand.com
/ www.SageArts.com
SHARIF
MUSIC - The coolest thing about so much independent music these
days is that great musicians like Sharif here can get it together
and release a high quality CD that is both professionally written,
recorded and packaged. That said, Sharif’s 2010 CD, Kisses
And Lies is all that and more. Having great players on hand—such
as guitarists Jon Graboff and Mark Goldenberg (from
Jackson Browne's band) and backing singer Rhett Miller and
more—is a huge asset. The songs rock in a kind of post Beatles
kind of pop haze while track nine, “Memories Like A Melody”
has a slight John Lennon influence too. Performing guitars, harmonica
and taking all the lead vocals here, Sharif’s album also establishes
him as a serious pop-rock composer worth hearing. www.SharifMusic.com
SIDE
B MUSIC - MWE3.com is good but we’re not invincible! One
CD that got by us is/was the ‘007 release of Day Into Night
by pop pundit Nelson Bragg. Released on the Side B
label, the 12 track CD encapsulates the best pop sound in the very
early 2000’s. Nelson did such a great job co-producing on the
new Anny Celsi CD, so his '007 solo album is a great attraction for
pop pundits. Several key players fill out the sound including Brian
Wilson band member Probyn Gregory. Nelson lays down some great
guitar sounds, vocals and he’s also playing drums here too! The
sound is very Brian Wilson-ized yet current pop maverick Jason Falkner
is another relevant reference point, for those keeping score. Funny
how the CD cover art—with the front cover evoking the classic
‘60s album covers on Columbia Records—features the glorious
palm trees of L.A. with yet another panel featuring Nelson posing
beside Big Ben in London. www.SideBMusic.com
WOLFWORK
/ INSIDE OUT - Back in action with a new label and a new CD, guitarist
Steve Hackett returned in late 2009 with Out Of The Tunnel’s
Mouth. After the classical guitar sound of his 2008
CD Tribute, Steve's latest solo set, Out Of The Tunnel’s
Mouth is a rock solid affair blending neo-prog influences to his
usual eclectic guitar fare. Vocals predominate the eight track CD
although some of the instrumentals bring you right back to the best
of the classic Genesis sound that Hackett helped invent. Lyrics are
printed so you can easily follow Hackett’s often subdued yet
classic vocals. Perhaps foreboding future projects, Hackett enlists
support from Yes bass titan Chris Squire and early Genesis
guitarist Anthony Phillips along with several long time Hackett
band mates such as Roger King (keyboards / programming) and
Steve’s brother John Hackett (flute). Fans of Hackett’s
early solo album and later period work with Genesis will love the
wide screen prog scope and superbly recorded studio sound of Out
Of The Tunnel’s Mouth. For those keeping score, while the
CD has come out in the U.K. on Steve's recently established Wolfwork
Records imprint, alternatively, Out Of The Tunnel’s Mouth
is also available in 2010 as a double CD set with bonus live cuts
on the famous German based progressive label Inside Out as well. It's
been way too long since Inside Out was on the inside track when it
comes to progressive rock releases coming out in America these days.
Back in the mid double OO's, the Inside Out label was headed up by
prog boss Jim Pitulski but it seems that with the state of the U.S.
economy these days, as great a rock influence as Steve is, it's a
wonder a double CD set from Hackett sees release here in the US. www.HackettSongs.com
ZIP
RECORDS - Owned and operated by music impresario Arthur Herman,
S.F. based ZIP are scripting some clever 21st century 
pop
art including of course, Steve Allen’s long awaited comeback
called Thinline. One of the most eclectic Zip titles
of late is a self-titled, 2010 12 track CD release from Italian pop
rockers called Daddy Was A Driver. Weird name for a band no
doubt, but there’s some daring pop smarts in play on the twelve
track CD. Not surprisingly after a spin or two, you can hear why DWAD
cites huge American music influences from the height of the ‘60s,
such as The Byrds and Velvet Underground, as big influences. At times
you can hear echoes of both Jim McGuinn and Lou Reed, sort of “Mr.
Tambourine Man” meets “Sweet Jane” by way of Bologna
Italy! Coming from Italy of course, these guys script their M.O. with
the implied seal of approval of both filmmakers Sergio Leone and David
Lynch. Guitarist / vocalist / composer Maurizio Guidoni gets
solid backup from the band, while the CD is well recorded and is enhanced
by some wildly imaginative digi-pak packaging and artwork. Check ‘em
out of on the Murdoch’s myspace.com. www.ziprecords.com
INSTRUMENTAL
BEAR
FINN MUSIC - One of the influential guitarists on the NYC jazz
scene during past four decades, guitar ace Barry Finnerty recorded
his two latest studio albums over a two day period in 2008. Released
in the spring of 2010, Manhattan Sessions Part 1 is
credited to Barry Finnerty & the N.Y All Stars, while during
the same period he also recorded another album released during the
summer of 2010 called Blues For Trane. Released
in Japan on Cheetah Records and in the U.S. on Finnerty’s own
Bear Finn imprint, the ten track Blues For Trane features the
same lineup of musicians Finnerty used on the Manhattan Sessions
album, including Randy Brecker (trumpet), David Kikoski
(piano) drummers Graham Hawthorne and Victor Jones and
more. One of the biggest influences in 20th century music, jazz legend
John Coltrane would have loved Finnerty’s self-styled tribute
to the sax giant and, in fact the CD features Finnerty’s fresh
interpretations of several Coltrane classics, including “Big
Nick” and “Resolution”. Also complimenting the Finnerty
originals is a cover of “Aisha”—written by Coltrane
band piano giant McCoy Tyner and a set closing cover of the jazz classic
“Green Dolphin Street”, which Coltrane also recorded with
Miles Davis. Sound wise, Finnerty mixes up his classic jazz influences
with more current guitar influences like George Benson and Jeff Beck.
Fans of Beck’s jazzier fusion elements will appreciate Finnerty’s
solid jazz-fusion approach on Blues For Trane. Balancing out
the all instrumental fare, Finnerty adds in his own vocals on a version
of the Rogers & Hart classic “You Are Too Beautiful.”
Commenting on the Blues For Trane CD, Finnerty adds, ‘I
wanted everything to have that Coltrane feeling, that blues feeling.
It’s not about chops. It’s about playing to that spiritual
bluesy feeling, to the soul of the music.’ Finnerty also states,
‘I always try to cover a lot of musical bases, and make it one
hundred percent music, no filler. This is the best music I’ve
ever made.’ Considering Finnerty made his name recording with
jazz giants such as The Crusaders, Miles Davis and the Brecker Brothers,
that’s really saying something. www.BarryFinnerty.com
DARK ENERGY MUSIC - U.K. guitarist / composer Mark Wingfield
is hardly a newcomer to the jazz-rock world. Having already released
a range of solo albums on CD, Wingfield comes up a winner yet again
with his 2010 CD on Dark Energy. The twelve track 
Sleeper
Street is filled with a mix of steamy, guitar-based fusion
jazz that will no doubt have wide spread appeal, especially among
fans of Pat Metheny’s more adventurous fusion albums, to site
one example. On board Wingfield’s Sleeper Street are top
players including Iain Bellamy (sax), Robert Mitchell (keys),
Yaron Stavi (bass) and drummer Jeremy Stacey. Of course,
Jeremy Stacey was a key player—as was his brother producer/guitarist
Paul Stacey—on the 2005 SYN album, and he raises to the occasion
here backing Wingfield sonic explorations on Sleeper Street.
In fact, in the CD liner notes, Wingfield singles out both Bellamy
and Stacey for their invaluable help, while also singling out the
craft and ingenuity of Stacey in designing the Sleeper Street
mixes. While Wingfield’s forte is clearly his deft execution
on electric guitar, his adventurous approach also includes his skillful
implementation of samples and synth programming. Over the course of
several releases—especially the 2010 Sleeper Street—Wingfield
is proving to be a key proponent of adventurous, swinging and modern
instrumental jazz-rock fusion in the 21st century. www.DarkEnergyMusic.com
DELUC MUSIC - Way down under in Australia, guitarist Fred Leduc
continues breaking new ground for the art and times of electric guitar
based fusion instrumentals with the release of his 2010 Deluc album
entitled It Is What It Is. Propelled by drummer Paul
Cengia
pounding out the big beat, Leduc synchronizes his riffs and melodies
and in doing so organizes Deluc as a one man rock guitar army. Hard
etched, guitar-based instrumental rock music in the finest spirit
of Joe Satriani and DiMeola, with a touch of Santana, as recast for
a new generation of ears, Leduc’s Deluc whips up a guitar frenzy
worth repeating on the ten track 2010 CD release of It Is What
It Is. Amid the hard hitting jazz-rock punk metal barrage, at
least to long time listeners some of the tracks also sound inspired
by late ‘70s Euro guitar pioneers such as Mike Oldfield and Michael
Rother. MWE3.com first found out about Fred Leduc on his 1998 8th
Wonder album and it’s great to see 12 years later he’s
still breaking new ground for the art and times of instrumental rock
guitar. www.DelucMusic.com
HEADS
UP - Heads Up, the record label, was started by Dave Love back
in the late ‘80s. As an employee of L.A. based Oxymoron P&D,
Dave even distributed this writer’s label, Breakthru’ Records
back in the ‘88-89 era. Me and Dave never really saw eye to eye
about the music I wanted to release on Breakthru’ and I didn’t
have the time left or money to argue with him so I left the music
business. Funny that I should find out that last year, Love ended
up leaving Heads Up after producing the 2008 Stanley Clarke album
Jazz In The Garden. I don’t know what happened
to Dave Love these days but I know that Stanley is back with a 2010
album called The Stanley Clarke Band. Of course
Japanese keyboardist Hiromi shared the spotlight with Stanley
on Jazz In The Garden and on the self titled Stanley Clarke
Band she’s back on hand along with a number of musicians
including long time Return To Forever drummer Lenny White,
who co-produced this CD, Ruslan (keyboards), Charles Altura
(guitars), Ronald Bruner Jr. (drums) and more. The accent
here on rock is a sweeping change after Clarke’s more recent
acoustic based dynamic and, I was thinking that on several tracks
here you can even detect a late ‘70s influence from the now late,
great Finnish jazz-rock bass great Pekka Pohjola, which I kind of
noticed here on track three, a spellbinding 21st century progressive
fusion jewel appropriately entitled “Here’s Why Tears Dry,”
that is kind of similar to Pekka’s late '70s era during The
Group and Visitation albums. A splendid showcase for Stan’s
booming ass and soaring wordless vocals, the Stanley Clarke Band
is clearly one of Clarke’s finest recorded works in recent
memory and is a welcome return to the jazz-rock fusion world from
one of the genre’s original pioneers. www.StanleyClarke.com
LOOPROOM - You can read about Swedish composer Per Boysen on
his Loop Room internet music hub site or you can go straight away
and get his album new album called Sub City 2064.
Recorded by Turkish guitarist Erdem Helvacioglu and Per
Boysen, the ten track Sub City 2064 album is a 21st century
avante gard, rock based instrumental music classic. Erdem’s TogaMan
Guitar Viol, electric guitar and electronics offers an amazing counterpoint
to Boysen’s flute, sax, EWI, electronics, drop-B guitar and fretless
electric guitar. Boysen is renowned in his native Sweden for his live
concerts that focus on instrumental music with a psychedelic touch,
while implementing live looping and interactive electronics. You could
almost say the same thing about Erdem in Turkey as well as his rise
to fame in the international guitar world. Back in the ‘70s,
the brilliant Wendy Carlos pioneered electronic music and later in
the ‘70s, English guitarist called Fred Frith, revolutionized
rock guitar within the avante gard, art-rock world. Now with this
pairing of Erdem and Mr. Boysen, it almost seems like the spirits
of Fred and Wendy’s avante gard guitar based instrumental music
are being reborn again on this album. A fascinating album of rare
and subtle neo-psychedelic electronics featuring guitar, Sub City
2064 is clearly a masterpiece of modern audio engineering. The
slip cover Lp jacket style packaging, complete with succinct liner
notes and evocative cover art enhances the incredible audio experience
within. www.PerBoysen.com
/ www.erdemhelvacioglu.com/en/giris.html
/ www.LoopRoom.com
MOONJUNE RECORDS - One of the NYC-based Moonjune label’s
most adventurous World Music inspired releases of the past couple
years, Views From The Chicheng Precipice is a
fascinating 2010 solo album from Seattle-based guitarist Dennis
Rea. For progressive 
music
fans, Rea is perhaps best known for his work in the art-rock fusion
groups Morain and Iron Kim Style. Incidentally, both groups have recent
CD releases on Moonjune—Morain with their latest Manifest
Destiny and the self-titled Iron Kim Style CD from 2009. For the
release of Views From The Chicheng Precipice, Rea has taken
a bold step in approaching the music of Asia—specifically China
and Taiwan—and in doing so he’s created somewhat of a modern
World Beat album classic. Performing electric and resonator guitars,
melodica, kalimba and other instruments, Rea receives excellent support
from a number of musicians who bring various western and eastern flavors
and instruments into Rea’s World Beat mix. With his background
in progressive and avant-garde rock, Rea clearly knows what he’s
doing here, especially when considering he’s written a book on
his own personal experiences while living in Asia, entitled Live
At The Forbidden City: Musical Encounters In China and Taiwan. An
astounding yet quite sublime blend of Asian flavored music as performed
by Western musicians, Views From The Chicheng Precipice is
truly an East meets West fusion masterpiece. Commenting on the album,
Rea adds, ‘The project is my ‘love letter’ to a part
of the world that has enriched my life immeasurably, musically and
otherwise.’ Accessible, while also being bold and adventurous,
Views From The Chicheng Precipice is mostly all instrumental—with
the exception of one track featuring vocalist Caterina De Re,
sounding slightly Yoko Ono-esque here—so there’s plenty
of room for your musical imagination to run wild. And afterwards,
give a listen to Rea’s heavier guitar work and compositional
approach on the 2009 Morain album, Manifest Destiny.
Described as ‘heavy chamber music’, Rea and Morain deftly
combine a mix of instrumental World Beat flavors within the context
of plugged in power jazz, math rock, art-rock and more that will appeal
to fans of prog-rock fusion masters like King Crimson, Mahavishnu
Orchestra and beyond. Rea’s love of both modern jazz-rock and
World Beat makes him one of the guitarists to watch as the second
decade of the 21st century unfolds. www.DennisRea.com
/ www.Moonjune.com
OWL
STUDIOS - Jazz rockers and jam bandies are falling over themselves
for the 2010 CD from Garaj Mahal entitled More Mr. Nice
Guy. Featuring the guitar skills of the renowned Fareed
Haque, bass ace Kai Eckhardt, keyboardist Eric Levy
and someone called the Rick on drums, the overall instrumental
musical sound of More Mr. Nice Guy is the perfect showcase
for these multi-talented players. As if paying some kind of homage
to Fareed’s middle Eastern / Asian roots, the sound of the album
comes off as really exotic and clearly there’s a definite World
Beat groove mixing in with a kind of ‘70s instrumental jazz-rock
sound ala early Return To Forever, before they went way over the top.
In fact, several astute reviewers compare the Haque and Garaj Mahal
sound to early RTF with guitarist Bill Connors, Herbie Hancock’s
exotic ‘70s style funk-jazz with The Headhunters as well as a
touch of the straight ahead jazz ala guitar icon Pat Martino. Mix
in a healthy respect for modern day jam bands like String Cheese Incident
and you really get the sense that there’s some vital new musical
sound being crafted here. With his extensive discography as a solo
artist—recording on the Blue Note label, as well his work with
Garaj Mahal—Fareed Haque has earned the respect of both jazzers
and instrumental rock fans and you can clearly hear why and how on
the 2010 CD release of More Mr. Nice Guy. www.OwlStudios.com
STONY
PLAIN - On of America’s great 21st century blues-rock guitar
groups, Ronnie Earl And The Broadcasters rocks up a storm on
his 2010 CD Spread The Love. Up in Canada, the
Stony Plain crew continues rockin’ the blues with a number of
Stony classics from Mr. Earl. A native of good old Queens county in
N.Y. state, Earl has played alongside some of the great players of
his era, but on his solo albums the sound that predominates is a kind
blues rock based instrumental fusion. Amazingly, and fortunately for
his many guitar fans waiting for this release, Earl’s 2010 CD
is completely instrumental. There’s a high quality guitar sound
here that draws from the well of masters like Steve Cropper and James
Burton, and that equally draws on the legacy of the blues and even
Gospel strains. Earl showcases his own tunes alongside covers of Albert
Collins, Kenny Burrell and are other tracks are laced with notable
influences and stories behind them. A splendid spin for America instrumental
blues rock guitar listeners, Spread The Love is never less
than satisfying while the CD sound is quite good and benefits from
Earl’s solid back up band The Broadcasters. www.StonyPlainrecords.com
SOUNDSCOPE
/ COTTAGE RECORDS - In previous reviews in both mwe3.com and in
my twelve years as the reviews editor with 20th Century Guitar magazine,
I always singled out great guitarists from Long Island for review.
Although rock legends like Lou Reed and Leslie West are noted Long
Islanders who made it big in the rock world, many great players are
equally deserving of some press. Case in point is Long Island guitarist
Garry Katz. Garry made waves with his 2007 album Straight
On Till Morning, which this writer featured in the February 2007
issue of 20th Century Guitar magazine. You can see the interview on
Garry’s web site where it’s been archived and now in 2010,
mwe3.com is pleased to review Garry’s 12 cut all instrumental
compilation CD, released on his own Soundscope / Cottage Records label.
0 To 60 - Collected features classic previously released
Katz tracks, several newly remixed and overdubbed tracks plus three
brand new tracks. Garry describes the guitar based collection as a
mixture of fusion, rock, funk and acoustic instrumental pieces. With
Garry handling all the electric lead and rhythm guitars, guitar synth,
fretless bass guitar and more, 0 To 60 - Collected also features
key contributions from several other musicians including drummers
Frank Pace and Leo Portuesi. With its mix of cosmic,
New Age-y style instrumental rock or straight ahead, hard hitting
instrumental rock fusion, 0 To 60 - Collected has something
for all types of guitar instrumental aficionados. www.CottageMusicProductions.com
THREEFIFTY DUO MUSIC - Sounding inspired by the spirit of the
best acoustic guitar players on the current music scene, Brett
Parnell and Geremy Schulick—of the Threefifty Duo—sound
equally inspired by both classical guitar and rock music as well.
Coming out of the Yale School Of Music—where they were taught
by classical guitar great Ben Verdery—Threefifty Duo are
gaining acclaim for their 2010 CD entitled Circles.
Released on their own Threefifty Duo Music, the eleven track Circles
features a spirited blend of impeccably written and recorded classically
inspired instrumental guitar music. Utilizing both classical nylon
string guitars and steel string guitars, Threefifty Duo make music
played on time-honored acoustic guitars sound both stately and contemporary
at the same time. I’m thinking here that these guys were no doubt
influenced by the classical, folk and rock eclectic of The California
Guitar Trio. Guitar fans who thrive on diverse instrumental guitar
music are strongly recommended to track down and give a good listen
to Circles by Threefifty Duo. With a little extra refinement
in the recording process and mastering, their next CD should hopefully
be even further on target. www.ThreeFiftyDuo.com
REISSUES & RETROSPECTIVES
BGO RECORDS - Speaking of classic jazz-rock CD remasters from
the giants of Return To Forever on England's BGO label, Al DiMeola
has a couple key titles available in 2010, including a single
CD pairing of his albums Elegant Gypsy and Casino.
Recorded at Electric Lady studios in Manhattan in 1976, Elegant
Gypsy remains a masterpiece of jazz-rock fusion wonder. Of course,
having a killer band on tap to help execute DiMeola’s post RTF
sound didn’t exactly hurt either! In the studio with Al on the
six track Elegant Gypsy album were incredible players such
as Paco De Lucia (acoustic guitars), Jan Hammer (keyboards)
and Mingo Lewis (percussion). Mingo can also take credit for
composing the lead off track “Flight Over Rio,” which perfectly
sets the scene for this 
period
piece jazz-rock classic. Elegant Gypsy is paired on BGO’s
double album, 2-on-1 CD with Casino, which was recorded in
1977. Rejoining Al from the Elegant Gypsy album are Steve
Gadd (drums), Anthony Jackson (bass) and Barry Miles
(keys). Excellent 2010 remastering enhances the proceedings while
the 12 track single disc CD also features 2010 liner notes from Alyn
Shipton, author of the 2007 book A New History Of Jazz. DiMeola
fans will also note that BGO has another 2010 release from the guitar
giant. BGO’s latest DiMeola double CD set combines Splendido
Hotel (on CD 1) with Electric Rendezvous (on
CD 2). This double, 2 CD set pairing Splendido Hotel (originally
from 1979) with Electric Rendezvous (from 1981) should
give DiMeola fans plenty to cheer about. Like the single disc pairing
of Elegant Gypsy and Casino, this double CD set of Splendido
Hotel with Electric Rendezvous features some
excellent remastering and is topped off by more extensive liner notes
from Mr. Shipton.With a catalog of classic rock and jazz second to
none, BGO isn’t only about jazz-rock, and they continue to mine
the vaults of Traffic cofounder Dave Mason with the 2010, 21
track, single CD remaster of Mariposa de Oro /
OLd Crest On A New Wave. Although Dave Mason was key
to the early Traffic sound, he was basically removed from the band
and in doing so, he created quite a successful solo career, chalking
up over a dozen solo albums in the ‘70s alone. The 1978 release
of Mariposa de Oro features Dave in the company of some great
players including Steve Stills, Graham Nash and Gerry
Beckley of America. Mason’s band for the album was top flight
too, including Vanilla Fudge founder Mark Stein on keyboards,
Rick Jaeger (drums) and Gerald Johnson (bass). As indicated
in the fine liner notes for this 21 cut CD—written by John
Tobler—Mason started off the ‘80s with the release of
Old Crest On A New Wave and the CD even included guest
vocals from Michael Jackson, who was recording his Thriller
album in the studio next door at the same time. Many of the same
players from Mariposa joined Dave again and the album also
featured several co-writes from VF's Mark Stein. As the liner notes
from Tobler allude, Traffic had a string of bad luck over the years
and Mason and Winwood have sadly had little or nothing to do with
each other anymore. Yet, Mason thankfully continues on recording—having
released 26 Letters~12 Notes in early 2008. With this latest
archival remaster, BGO keeps Dave Mason’s illustrious rock legacy
front and center. www.BGO-records.com
COLLECTOR’S CHOICE - Although Rhino did a bang-up job
on a box set of his albums, Allan Sherman fans can rejoice
in the first ever individual CD releases of his eight long out of
print Warner Brothers albums by Collector’s Choice Music. Released
back in 1962, 
during
the heyday of the JFK era, Sherman’s debut Lp as a solo artist
made a huge splash and introduced Sherman’s Marx Brothers inspired
Jewish musical comedy and vaudeville style parody to a whole new generation.
Sherman was no newcomer to the entertainment world when he released
My Son, The Folk Singer yet, with the release he shot
to international fame overnight. Kids today have no idea, but in the
early ‘60s, New York / L.A. style Jewish comedy was all the rage
with Jackie Mason, Woody Allen, Jerry Lewis and dozens more filming,
recording and touring—from the city and the Borsht Belt in upstate
N.Y. in the Catskills to Hollywood. Yet for its time, Sherman’s
recording shtick was really unique and with his voice and priceless
comedy parodies—pairing crazy lyrics to classic songs—you
could almost say Sherman was like the Van Dyke Parks of Jewish musical
comedy in the early ‘60s! After the success of My Son, The
Folk Singer, Sherman released his follow up, My Son, The
Celebrity in early ‘63. Perhaps Sherman hit his peak
with his mid ‘63 album, My Son, The Nut. By
that time, Sherman’s fans included JFK and Harpo Marx. Sherman
went all out on My Son, The Nut, recording with a full orchestra.
The album included his all time biggest hit, “Hello Muddah, Hello
Fadduh” and amazingly, the Lp hovered around number one for nearly
two months. "Do you remember Leonard Skinner? He got ptomaine
poisoning last night after dinner!" By early ‘64, JFK
was dead and The Beatles had taken over America's top 40 radio and
pop culture. In that shocking context that a year makes, Sherman’s
comedic routine fell from fashion yet he continued on with the release
of Allan In Wonderland. Also out in 2010 on CD
by Sherman on Collector’s Choice is For Swingin’ Livers
Only (November 1964), My Name Is Allan (1965),
Allan Sherman Live (Hoping You Are The Same) (1966) and
Sherman’s final Warner Bros. album from 1967—the only one
he recorded without a live (and often quite appreciative!) audience
of any kind—entitled Togetherness. On each
CD, Sherman’s unique place in ‘60s pop culture history is
put into context thanks to in-depth liner notes from none other than
pop culture / comedic music authority Barry “Dr. Demento”
Hansen. Although Sherman passed away way too soon, in November,
1973 at age 47, his legacy lives on thanks to these Collector’s
Choice remasters. www.CollectorsChoiceMusic.com
DIAMOND
DOG RECORDS -
One CD spinning on the mwe3.com carousel these past few weeks is a
recent compilation CD from Australian rockers Geisha. (As in geisha
girls, get it?) Anyway, the Geisha group’s 
2010
CD, called Yesterday, Today And Tomorrow is a great
rave up CD filled with one solid rock track after the next, including
several Beatles covers. Track two is a rockin’ Geisha cover of
“Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band,” the same lead
off title track of the Beatles’ album of the same name. The group’s
founder and lead singer, Chris Doheny is quite effective too.
Amid the originals—comprising a cross section of various releases,
with some tracks dating back to the mid ‘80s—there’s
even a cover of “Come Together” that John Lennon would be
proud of. MWE3.com spoke with current Geisha guitarist, Joe Matera
who told us, ‘We had Tom Werman legendary US producer
do some of the tracks on our album. He produced Motley Crue, Poison,
Ted Nugent, Cheap Trick and others. He produced “Birthday”
and “Mystery Writer” for us on the album, He's one of the
biggest producers of the 70s/80s.' So is Yesterday Today &
Tomorrow like a compilation with a couple new cuts? Matera adds,
‘Yes & No. Yes, it is a compilation, and no it has five new
songs, the five songs that feature me as full-time member, “Birthday”,
“Mystery Writer,” “Tin Soldier” and “Sgt.
Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band” and an acoustic version of “Birthday”.
It’s a proper studio album release to tie the past with the present
to the future of the band.’ Joining up with Doheny for the current
Geisha band is a great move for Matera, who adds in some excellent
Mick Ronson-esque electric work on several tracks. The older vintage
originals are amazing, especially the track “Rainy Day,”
which sounds quite modern in a number of ways. The two Beatles covers
are fab as is their take on the Small Faces' early classic “Tin
Soldier”—the
2010 Geisha single—which
really does the original justice. There’s a sort Split Enz kind
of style of Aussie rock in play here but, on this wide ranging decades
spanning compilation, Geisha come up with some quite original rock
sounds of their own. www.DiamondDogRecords.com
RETRO
FRESH - South Africa? Holy smoke Batman, the only rock
god I know from that country was John Kongos who recorded with Caleb
Quaye and Gus Dudgeon back in 1971! So now, lo and behold in 2010
mwe3.com discovers a new record label dedicated to chronicling the
classic vintage rock recordings from South Africa called Retro Fresh.
Who knew? The RetroFresh label has a ton of classic music and reissues
on CD, dating from the late ‘60s / early ‘70s through the
early 2000’s. Case in point is a great rock reissue from South
Africa rockers The Invaders called There’s A Light,
There’s A Way. Insightful 2010 liner notes by
label honcho Benjy Mudie sheds a new light on the Invaders
story. Inspired by the 1961 South African tour by Cliff Richard &
The Shadows, the seeds of the Invaders was sown and featuring the
1963 lineup of John Burke (bass), Joe Moses (lead guitar)
and Dave Burke (drums), they went on to become one of South
Africa’s best bands. With the addition of singer Lionel Petersen,
The Invaders would go on to record their early ‘70s classic There’s
A Light, There’s A Way, which was reissued by
Retro Fresh in 2010. Mixing steamy prog-rock, psychedelic soul and
even guitar driven pop instrumentals, the Invaders album is a really
great rediscovery and serves as a fine introduction to one of South
Africa’s great bands. I was thinking a more cutting edge version
of mid ‘60s American rockers ? Mark & The Mysterians with
a touch of Grand Funk, would be a great analogy, as there’s a
mix of rockin’ originals and some great rave-ups and even a couple
covers of the Rolling Stones and Creedence but the originals keeps
this boat sailing on. Commenting on his work with the Fresh label,
Benjy Mudie adds, 'As for Fresh's mission, it`s simple; I have
always believed that South African rock music, particularly that recorded
in the late 60's and throughout the 70's, was in some cases as good
as that emanating from the US, UK and Europe. Apartheid not only suppressed
the rights of the South African people but also led to a damaging
cultural boycott, ending the dreams and hopes of many progressive
artists. The Retro imprint label seeks to redress this through an
ongoing campaign of reissuing many classic albums by the likes of
Freedoms Children, Hawk, Abstract Truth, The Invaders and many more.
Each release is carefully created with original and extended artwork,
rare photos, bonus tracks and comprehensive liner notes by some of
the country’s leading writers and all tracks have been digitally
remastered.' As Benjy also points out in his liner notes for
the 2010 CD reissue of There’s A Light, There’s A Way,
the Invaders finally take their place alongside South African
rock legends like Freedom’s Children and Otis Waygood. There’s
a ton of CD releases on RetroFresh but this one makes a good starting
point for the uninitiated. www.FreshMusic.co.za
Attention Artists and Record Companies: Have your CD reviewed in MWE3.COM
Send to CD Reviews MWE3, P.O. Box 630249, Little Neck, N.Y. 11363-0249
e-mail: info@mwe3.com
