MUSIC
NEWS & NOTES SPOTLIGHT
JANUARY
2011 RECORD LABEL SPOTLIGHT
POP
& ROCK
BLUE
COLOR STONE RECORDS - Earlier in 2010, guitarist Kenny Håkansson
emailed me to say that Bo Hansson had died. Sort of shocking, that
Kenny took it in his usual stride, never letting on to me his sadness.
So in late 2010, Kenny surprises again, this time in a positive way,
with his new CD Psychedelic Dream. Perhaps an
allusion to his fantastic early ‘70s recordings with Bo, the
music is dark and psychedelic in a bluesy way with Kenny singing on
most of the songs. His fantastic guitar playing is right there along
the way, but these songs reveal another side of Kenny, the rock side,
that hasn’t been heard since his amazing rock ‘n’ roll
covers album, as his alter ego Beno Zeno back in 1981. The track “Losing
You” is dark and somber, at once reflective of losing after a
deeper darker kind of love. Haunting stuff really and only a guitarist
of Håkansson’s stature could pull this off. Even with all
this rocking around from one of the architects of European instrumental
rock, Kenny manages to execute a number of his brilliant, patented
guitar feats.
To know him is to love him, but to hear him is to enter Håkansson’s
realm of rock guitar sorcery. www.KennyHakansson.se
/ www.psychedelicdream.se
MUFFIN MUSIC - Back in the summer of 1980, Canadian band Martha
And The Muffins were blowing the minds of music lovers with a
fresh type of New Wave rock sound—mixing pop and post-punk with
what would come to be known as alternative art-rock. Early 
‘80s
Lp classics Metro Music, Danseparc and This Is The Ice Age
would cement the band’s reputation among the in crowd. Despite
continued musical innovations and several hugely popular albums during
the late ‘80s and early ‘90s, following 1992’s Modern
Lullaby M+M put their sound on ice. In an amazing bout of good
luck, late in 2010 Martha And The Muffins released their long awaited
comeback album, Delicate. Still featuring the
team of singer Martha Johnson and guitarist Mark Gane,
on Delicate the pair are joined by Eric Paul (drums)
and Leo Valvassori (keyboards, bass). Gane and Johnson are
veritable legends on the alternative rock scene and, although it’s
just about 31 years since their heyday, on Delicate it sounds
like they haven’t missed a step or a beat in the 18 years since
they stopped releasing albums. Martha And The Muffins have been described
by some as the Canadian version of Roxy Music or King Crimson and,
thanks to the artful electric guitar sound of guitarist Mark Gane
and Martha Johnson’s unique vocal presence, M+M have legions
of loyal fans who still attest to their greatness. Delicate is
a fitting testament to the band’s enduring legacy and, with eleven
newly penned tracks, it’s a most welcome return to form indeed.
For those just tuning in who might have missed the 30+ history of
this amazing band, the band’s self-owned Muffin Music label also
has a CD reissue of 1983’s Danseparc, which
was co-produced by long time M+M associate Daniel Lanois. Also
released is a 1983 interview CD entitled Parctalk,
featuring an interview, edited as a 30 track interview CD, with
Gane and Johnson discussing the album complete with a CD closing original
mix experiment of the title cut by Lanois. Last but not least is the
CD single release of Echo Beach: 30th Anniversary Version,
recorded June 2010, and featuring a quite different, neo-jazz
version of “Echo Beach”, celebrating the band’s
first huge hit released way back in the summer of 1980. www.MarthaAndTheMuffins.com
ROUNDER RECORDS - By the time he released Led Zeppelin III
in 1970, Robert Plant was the number one rock star on the planet.
His earthy rock vocal edge remains in fine form on his 2010 solo album
Band Of Joy. Commenting on his latest foray into
Americana and working with Nashville guitar legend Buddy Miller
Plant adds, ‘Buddy’s zone is beautiful, with a lot of reflections
going back into mid-Fifties rockabilly, the singing fisherman and
all the great country stuff, along with the soul and R&B from
Memphis.’ Plant superbly conjures a range of musical styles and
genres. Backed by some great players—including multi-instrumentalist
Darrell Scott, Patty Griffin and Byron House—the
twelve cut Band Of Joy even rivals some of the more acoustically
driven moments on that famous third Zeppelin album. www.rounder.com
SAGUARO
ROAD - With A&R handled by the esteemed Bas Hartong,
the 2010 CD release of Listening Booth: 1970 from singer
Marc Cohn honors a truly sacred year in the history of rock
music. The 12 track Listening Booth: 1970 touches on
some key moments of song classic from the big ‘70. Cat Stevens,
John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Van Morrison and more are given a fresh
coat of sonic paint with these vital new interpretations by Cohn,
who is ably prodded on by the deft touch of producer / guitarist John
Leventhal, who, by the way also supplies a bulk of the instrumentation
here. Sure it’s a low-key approach, with Cohn echoing traces
of J.J. Cale inspired subtlety that gives it a cool kick. J.J. is
also covered here with Cohn’s treatment of “After Midnight”.
Cohn receives excellent support by the albums co-producer Rick
DePofi and a number of esteemed musicians, including drummers
Shawn Pelton and Dan Reiser, with guest spots
here including the harmony vocals of Aimee Mann and Jim
Lauderdale. The studio sound and mastering is very good too as
is Cohn’s memorable liner notes about discovering these classic
rockers back home, while growing up in Cleveland. www.MarcCohn.com
/ www.SaguaroRoadRecords.com
SCRUB BRUSH RECORDS - Chicago-based rockers Flame Shark cut
loose on their 2010 CD Farm Life. Formed in 2005,
the band comes into their own on Farm Life, featuring solid
musicianship from all five members including guitarists Justin
Jahnke and Mike “Goldenwings” Meske. The keyboard
/ organ sound of Rusey “LaRue” Lee is reminiscent
of Garth Hudson of The Band, the ‘60s classic rockers who clearly
have a big influence on these young rockers. Backing up the three
is a pair of drummers, Doug Gay and James Ratke.
Also appearing with some tasty electric guitar work is Flame
Shark’s musical soul brother Marc Ford. With blazing guitars
and some fine tracks, the album works because it’s superbly performed,
recorded and mastered. Also dig that crazy cover art! Farm Life
indeed. www.FlameSharkMusic.com
THE NORTHSTAR SESSION - The cover art of Winter Collection
from L.A. based pop-rock group The Northstar Session looks
really cool. Looks like a beat up old Lp jacket from the ‘60s
and the catchy pop music is also kind of ‘60s oriented in a way
that says a lot about a rising group of musicians in the early 21st
century. There’s only seven cuts here but the whole mini-album
is so well done, it’ll have you coming back for seconds. Guitarist
/ vocalist Matthew Szlachetka gets solid support from Kane
McGee (drums) and Dave Basaraba (keyboards) along with
a number of guest artists filling up the soundstage. www.thenorthstarsession.com
INSTRUMENTAL
ABSTRACT LOGIX - Jazz rock fusion fans will be in for a real treat
upon picking up the 2010 solo CD from U.K. drumming ace Gary Husband.
Entitled Dirty & Beautiful, the 12 cut CD
shines a light on Husband’s exceptional drumming and percussion
skills and also spotlights his compositional strengths. Whether playing
hard blues rock—as he did so successfully with Jack Bruce and
Robin Trower on the 2008 Seven Moons album—or experimental
fusion as he explored on his 2008 double CD archive on Angel Air entitled
The Complete Diary Of A Plastic Box, Husband always rises to
the occasion. Case in point is the jazz-rock instrumental release
of Dirty & Beautiful on the Abstract Logix label. For the
new album—to back up his drumming and compositions, Gary has
lined up an amazing bunch of players to help assist his vision including
(in no special order) guitarists Allan Holdsworth, Robin
Trower, John McLaughlin, Steve Hackett and Steve
Topping. And that’s just guitarists. Also on hand are a number
of bass players as well as fusion legends Jan Hammer and Jerry
Goodman. Commenting on the release, Gary states that the album
‘actually resembles closely what my diary looks like. It documents
some of the many relationships and avenues of participation I am fortunate
to enjoy in my working life as a musician, with artists that I both
love and admire.’ Well said indeed, and fans lucky enough to
hear this should note that Gary Husband is promising a Dirty &
Beautiful volume two in the spring of 2011. www.GaryHusband.com
/ www.AbstractLogix.com
BIG DEAL RECORDS - This brutal winter in NYC is killing me.
One antidote might be a trip to Hawaii, another might be to give a
listen to Crescent Shores, the 2010 CD release
by renowned Florida guitarist Les Sabler. Les has remained
a mainstay on the jazz fusion scene for much of the past two decades
and, much like the unique and picturesque cover art of some drop dead
gorgeous Florida 
beach
(or is that Hawaii?), the eleven cut Crescent Shores takes
you to a scenic and quite relaxed musical destination. Ostensibly,
you might call Sabler’s surf ‘n’ sun flecked instrumental
guitar sound smooth jazz, but in the spirit of guitar heroes like
George Benson, his chops speak the language of jazz. Sabler's tastefully
performed arrangements are light ages beyond merely straightforward
and the whole CD just sounds better with each repeated spin. A solid
band—including drummers Erik Hargrove and David “Frankie”
Toler along with percussionist Joe Lala—puts some
musical muscle behind Sabler’s tangy guitar grooves. If it’s
hard to find a high point (though “Peace River Suite” is
an guitar instro gem), it’s because the album moves quite smoothly
from start to finish and truth be told, the CD works best as a whole.
Spin after spin, Crescent Shores hardly wears out its welcome.
Coupled with that mirage like island palm tree cover art, Crescent
Shores will have you coming back for more. www.BigDealRecords.com
/ www.LesSabler.com
COORDINATE RECORDS - It’s great to hear an acoustic guitarist
who so clearly has such a fondness for the rock edge. That’s
the story with the 2010 CD from El Paso based guitarist Dan Lambert
entitled The Double Drum Trio. Already creating
a stir in the guitar world, Lambert is joined by multi-percussionists
Ricardo Amaya and Erik Hickerson. Lambert turns in a
fine performance on acoustic guitars as well as more exotic Middle
Eastern instruments like sarod, oud and ruan. Perhaps the coolest
thing here is just how well the double drum sound embellishes Lambert’s
moods and guitar tracks. Not only is it derivative of the acoustic
guitar genre but Lambert isn’t afraid to bring in shades of World
Music, rock, New Age, jazz and surf-rock. Even though mainly acoustic
and very easy on the ears in general, some tracks feature an electric
guitar sound in an astoundingly simulating way. In fact, the lead
off track “Wadi A Go-Go” is like a surf music possessed
Leo Kottke and Ralph Towner jamming with The Ventures. The CD is superbly
recorded and the artwork kind of captures that bizarre early ‘60s
vibe when Martin Denny, The Ventures and John Fahey were all in their
prime. Amazing beyond words, follow The Double Drum Trio down
to Lambertland. www.DanLambertGuitar.com
DAPTONE
RECORDS -
On their 2010 album, III, the Brooklyn based
Budos Band inflict some serious musical damage with a steamy,
hot mix of horn based Afro-Soul jazz. With their full bodied band
sound blending the sounds of Africa with driving, pulsating horn driven
neo soul-rock, there’s nods here to ‘60s soundtrack music,
R&B and definitely jazz. On the eleven cut CD there’s plenty
of original music ideas with the cool album closing cover of the Beatles’
classic “Day Tripper” gets a solid makeover by The Budos
Band. I could see John Lennon digging this eclectic, Afro-tinged soul
rock brew! www.DaptoneRecords.com
DECLASSIFIED
RECORDS - A legend of the ‘70s jazz-fusion scene, bass great
Percy Jones returned in 2010 with his latest project. The CD
release of Casting Shadows by the trio known as Bangtower
takes a fresh look at Percy’s penchant for hard hitting jazz-rock
instrumentals. Backing up his famous fretless bass and keyboards,
Percy gets solid support from Neil Citron (guitars/keyboards)
and Walter Garces (drums/percussion). Echoing his pioneering
‘70s era, instrumental rock work with Brand X, Percy rocks hard
throughout the CD yet his dedicated, artful, fusion virtuosity always
comes shining through. Amazingly, drummer Walter Garces also worked
with the latest incarnation of ‘60s rockers The Electric Prunes,
so there’s also a trace of psychedelia in the mix. And don’t
forget that harrowing CD cover art—just amazing! From jazz and
funk to fusion flavored instro rock—it’s all there in the
Bangtower mix. www.bangtower.com
/ www.DeclassifiedRecords.com
DOUG JOHNS - A venturesome and volatile trip into funkified
fusion, the mainly instrumental Stank is a solid 2010
CD release from jazz-rock bassist Doug Johns. Describing his
music as ‘Extreme Funk Bass’, Johns gets top notch backup
from his band including the drumming of Chris Ceja and more
including key spots by fusion fretboard ace Oz Noy. Stank
is funk fusion for the future. If Johns can’t get your ass
moving you might be dead, although the zombie couch crowd will get
equally slammed by these fat, slammin’ stank funk instrumentals.
www.DougJohns.com
ELECTRO-FI
- Italian guitarist Enrico Crivellaro smokes the stuff
out of his electric guitar on the 2010 CD release of Mojo Zone.
Citing huge instrumental, blues-rock guitar heroes such as Ronnie
Earl, Duke Robillard and the legendary Phil Upchurch as well as jazz
guitar icon Kenny Burrell among his biggest guitar influences, Enrico
gets solid backing from his band including Pietro Toucher (keys),
Simone Serafini (bass) and Silvio Berger (drums). Whether
you did the hard hitting, instro blues rock swing of Ronnie and Duke
or the elegant blues / jazz sound of jazz guitar giants such as Mr.
Burrell, Enrico has you covered on the tasty, groove guitar based
sound of Mojo Zone. www.EnricoCrivellaro.com
FAVORED
NATIONS - Watching Tommy Emmanuel play a live show is the
aural equivalent of watching a freight train steaming down the line.
The energy, excitement and thrill of watching Emmanuel seize command
and control of his acoustic guitar is an experience unmatched in modern
music. Recent live albums from Tommy on Favored Nations—including
the acclaimed Center Stage CD and DVD—lays any argument
about that to rest. Same pretty much can be said about Tommy’s
2010 double CD set on Favored Nations entitled Little By Little.
Although he was greatly impacted by American guitarists Les Paul
and Chet Atkins, over the years Tommy has truly developed his own
trademark instrumental guitar sound. For his 24 track double CD set,
Tommy chose a Swahili proverb as the inspiration for the title Little
By Little. Tommy explains, ‘The proverb holds a special significance
to me because it’s a lesson I had to learn in my life—to
take things one day at a time and not be so concerned about tomorrow
and I think that’s an important lesson to learn.’ Although
Little By Little is primarily an acoustic based instrumental
music showcase for Tommy’s distinctive finger style solo guitar
sound, the set also features guest appearances from a number of artists
including Rick Price, Victor Wooten, Doyle Dykes
and a track with singers Anthony Snape and Pam Rose,
who join forces with Tommy on the title track “Haba Na Haba”—Swahili
for “Little By Little”—which is featured twice, both
as an instrumental and a vocal version. In the well crafted booklet
accompanying the double CD set, Tommy goes deep in his liner notes
about how ‘life is not a rehearsal’ and then he speaks about
the need to ‘find our mission and run to it with all our strength
and energy.’ Guitarists and guitar lovers will find much to applaud
on Little By Little and perhaps two words that best describe
the fretboard mastery in play here are: Mission Accomplished. www.TommyEmmanuel.com
/ www.FavoredNations.com
GEOMAGNETIC RECORDS - Once again, London based guitarist Phi
Yaan-Zek turns in a brilliant instrumental rock fusion recording.
Amazingly, the entire track list of Dance With The Anima is
recorded in and around a 51 minute drum solo by drummer Marco Minnemann,
who is featured here along with the keyboards of Lalle Larsson
and several guest artists as well. What follows 
musically
sounds like navigating uncharted waters with daring ears. Described
as a dazzling film score, and a prog-rock fusion journey, Phi Yaan-Zek's
Dance With The Anima is a poly-rhythmic instrumental rock fusion
masterpiece that owes as much to European music icons such as Sweden’s
Zamla as it does to modern fretboard aces like Steve Vai and Mike
Keneally. Funny how, while listening to certain Dance
With The Anima tracks,
I was imagining some pretty far out scenarios—like how about
Frank Zappa producing a rock album by the exotic Island music bandleader
Martin Denny? That’s how truly offbeat and how musically all
inclusive Phi Yaan-Zek is. Signaling further unique musical approaches
here, the rhythmic percussive backdrop for this unusual album—Minnemann’s
“Normalizer 2”—is actually the latest in a series of
Minnemann
releases
comprised of 50+ minute drum solos that also, not so randomly appear
as the basis for other albums by pioneering fusion guitar figures
including Mike Keneally, Trey Gunn, Jason Sadites and others including
Marco himself. Witnessing Minnemann’s latest drumming merger
with cutting edge musicians—it’s just incredible to hear
how masterfully Phi and Larsson duck and dive in and around Minnemann’s
startling, precise and innovative drum work. The 22 track CD sounds
as fantastic as the music therein, and coupled with some high tech
recording and mastering innovations, the CD really captures the esprit
de corps with audiophile clarity. Plus, the Dance
With The Anima CD
cover art is also quite intriguing, featuring some fantastic, surreal
paintings enhanced by an unusual glossy packaging sheen. Somewhere
in heaven, Lars Hollmer is smiling down on us mere mortals. www.PhiYaan-Zek.com
/ www.normalizer2.com
IF
A IS B PUBLISHING - A guitarist’s guitarist, Bill Burke
is a master of the tap style guitar. Similar to the stick in sound,
Burke’s 8 string guitar gets excellent support for his 2008 album
With. Burke’s hypnotic tap guitar is backed
up by Bruno Nasta (violin) and Jim Donovan (drums).
Highly listenable, Burke enhances his artful instrumental sound with
rhythmic classical and smooth jazz sound tastefully sketched out with
traces of New Age. Burke has several guitar masterpieces to his credit
including 2005 masterpiece, Comma. On With, Burke’s
neo-guitar sound travels to some highly imaginative and scenic musical
destinations. Keep your ears open for Bill's upcoming 2011 recording.
www.BillBurke.net
NABOPHONE
- Like an Ingmar Bergman movie—where darkness and despair
sometimes overshadow hope and light—the music of guitarist Peder
Nabo engulfs your senses and darkens your world. Actually, I first
heard Nabo back in the mid ‘70s. As the guitarist / keyboardist
in ‘70s Swedish prog-rockers Ragnarök, Nabo recorded that
bands all time classic Fjärlar I Magen back in 1979 and
he also took part in the Ragnarök reunion Path album from
2009. Although not featuring any of his ‘70s era Ragnarök
band mates, Nabo’s 2010 album Nattens Prinsessa makes
for an intriguing spin, especially for Ragnarök fans who continue
to enjoy that band’s amazing approach to instrumental rock. The
sound here is processed but quite organic too. It’s rock but
in the spirit of Scandinavian guitar giants such as Terje Rypdal,
it’s a mercurial kind of instrumental rock that allows the dreamy
and atmospheric moodiness of folk, lite psychedelia and even New Age
to overtake the sound spectrum. Commenting on the album Nabo adds,
‘The title of the album during process was “Dark Twang”
and I wanted us to make music for electric guitar that was subdued.
Music that didn’t fear being calm and melancholic.’ Nabo
also adds, ‘Nattens Prinsessa (Selenicus Pteranthus) is the white
flower. "Princess Of The Night", directly translated. It
comes out in the sunset and fades before the sunrise.’ For Nattens
Prinsessa, Nabo has surrounded himself with some fine players
such as fellow guitarist Niclas Höglind on 8 string guitar
as well as drummer Kristofer Johanson. There’s also a
cover here of a cool instrumental Nabo wrote for the first Ragnarök
album back in 1975. Those lucky enough to have heard Ragnarök
back in the ‘70s and early ‘80s will enjoy this intriguing
instrumental rock album. One other thing worth noting here is the
amazing packaging of the CD itself which is a really cosmic looking
origami style of CD packaging, which to my knowledge has never been
done before. Contact the artist directly: Peder_Nabo@yahoo.com
/ www.soundcloud.com
www.kalligrammofon.com
PARTIAL
MUSIC - A pioneering musician who is well established in the avant
gard / progressive guitar world, Robert Spalding Newcomb presents
another side of his muse with his 2008 double CD set, Anastasia
Of The Gardens - Electronic Works 1988-1997. Guitarist
yes, but knew Rob was such an electronic music aficionado? His double
CD set sounds more like Wendy Carlos than say, Carlos Santana. Reflective
of the daring vision of artists in the mid and late 1980’s, Spalding
Newcomb’s electronic music set uses computer software programs
that skillfully implement nylon string MIDI guitar with keyboards,
but the end result is anything but solely guitaristic. Amazingly,
Spalding Newcomb’s late ‘80s music is also superbly recorded
and sounds great 22 years later. Recorded in NYC, New Hampshire and
Michigan, the sound throughout is highly experimental but the soundtrack
/ audiolog type results are quite listenable. The two CD set is superbly
packaged and is filled with all kinds of information and historic
liner notes on these early recordings. Another Spalding Newcomb CD
worth giving a listen to is Undiscovered. A 2007
live recording from Ann Arbor, Michigan, the 62 minute CD is broken
into two parts—”Connecting The Dots” (“Suite For
Guitar In The Present Moment”) and “Light Of Life”,
which is an experimental foray using the sound of amplified sitar.
The sound throughout is more guitar-centric sounding yet it’s
also highly experimental. For a look and a listen to Spalding Newcomb’s
more direct yet amazing guitar work in action you can always look
back and listen to his 2004 Native Planting CD, which
combines thirteen concert and studio recordings from 2001 to 2004
featuring Newcomb’s deft approach on amplified sitar, nylon string
MIDI guitar and assorted high tech computer gear. These three CD releases
combine for an up close and personal look at one of America’s
most sonically adventurous, eclectic guitar figures. www.PartialMusic.com
PROJEKT
- One of the top Goth Rock and ambient / experimental recording
labels in the U.S., Projekt released a 2010 CD from Norwegian guitarist
Erik Wøllo entitled Gateway. Dark
and dreamy New Age oriented electronics is Wøllo’s forte,
and on Gateway he doesn’t disappoint. Like German electronic
music masters Tangerine Dream, Wøllo paints stark sonic portraits,
yet his Teutonic influences are etched by his more pastoral Scandinavian
side. Wøllo blends his guitar sound quite deep in the mix with
heavy electronic synth scapes dominating but overall, the moods conjured
are done with stunning authority. With the entire twelve track CD
composed, performed and produced by Wøllo, the instrumentation
of choice blends in a stellar mix of electric guitars, guitar synthesizers,
keyboards, Wollo VST instruments, percussion and programming. Striking
cover art and packaging seals the deal on this modern e-music classic.
Projekt founder / guitarist Sam Rosenthal also has a new for
2010 album out on his label featuring his band Black Tape For A
Blue Girl. Entitled 10 Neurotics, the CD features
Rosenthal’s vocals and guitar supported by various players including
vocalist Athan Mauoulis, guitarist/vocalist Valerie Gentile
and others. Some have described Black Tape For A Blue Girl as Tom
Waits meets Serge Gainsbourg and as such the sound is theatrical,
epic and gloomy with mixed but always startling results. www.wollo.com
www.Projekt.com
ROPEADOPE
- Some say English must be the international language but in reality,
music is the international language. Especially instrumental music,
and to prove the point, guitarist Todd Clouser released an
amazing new album entitled A Love Electric in 2010.
I guess Todd got tired of those brutal Minnesota winters, so he now
calls Baja Mexico home these days. Perhaps inspired by the beautiful
palm trees and beaches of Mexico, Clouser cuts loose on an adventurous
instrumental jazz-rock fusion album that transcends genres by merging
a swirling palate of musical styles and sounds. Clouser, like many
of us, grew up
listening to Hendrix, King Crimson and Led Zeppelin but in a bold
move, Clouser blends his love of progressive rock with an appreciation
of jazz giants like Miles Davis and John Coltane along with current
guitar influences like Bill Frisell and Nels Cline. Even with these
influences looming, A Love Electric is a remarkably innovative
and cohesive listening experience, start to finish. Clouser’s
electric guitar work dominates the sound stage and his music is colorful
and captivating, often sounding like three different bands in one
during the course of the song. Clouser gets solid backing from a number
of players—including occasional trumpet blasts from New York
City trumpeter Steven Bernstein—and the CD is quite well
recorded and mastered. Another thing that blew my mind here is how
sometimes, Clouser sounds like a television theme music writer, sounding
inspired by any number of mid ‘70s TV anthems. Wild stuff really.
Another great highlight here among the Clouser originals is a solid,
and driving sentimental instrumental cover of the Harry Nilsson chestnut
“One”. The imaginative sounds inside are colorfully encased
in the excellent cardboard CD packaging. www.ToddClouser.com
WHITE STRAND RECORDS - The Celtic Harp is a beautiful looking
and sounding instrument and in the hands of harpist Patrick Ball
it just oozes music magic. Patrick’s 2010 CD The Wood
Of Morois was released on the Sebastopol, CA. based White
Strand Records label and start to finish, this amazing 13 track, 45
minute CD just flies by. You can file The Wood Of Morois under
New Age, but the lore and legacy of the Celtic Harp takes its cues
from the time honored traditions going back to the mythical characters
Tristan and Iseult, who took refuge in the woods of Morois to escape
the vengeance of King Mark Of Cornwall. Legendary stuff really but
Patrick Ball works magic reenacting the emotions and medieval legacy
from the Celtic lands Tristan and Iseult knew so well. On The Wood
Of Morois, Patrick Ball’s impeccable performance on the Celtic
harp is sheer genius. Featuring 32 strings of solid brass and a body
of soft maple, Patrick’s instrument is a fascinating recreation
of the magnificent harps that were played in Ireland at least a thousand
years ago. With its impressive recreations of traditional, yet mostly
unknown music, The Wood Of Morois is a great place to discover
the magic of Patrick Ball and his magical Celtic Harp. www.PatrickBall.com
REISSUES & RETROSPECTIVES
BGO
RECORDS - Over in England, BGO continues unearthing classic rock
albums and a few rarities, case in point being a 2010 double CD anthology
from Clouds entitled Up Above Our Heads - Clouds 1966-71.
Signed by famous rock entrepreneur Terry Ellis, founder
of Chrysalis Records, Clouds took a back seat during Terry’s
dynasty building years with Jethro Tull and verifying, in the extensive
liner notes, as to all of this is the group’s lead singer Billy
Richie, who worked on the Clouds story with BGO liner notes writer
David Wells. Richie may 
have
been on to something. Towards the end, when Chrysalis released their
final album Watercolour Days, for some reason Ellis left off
some of the best tracks here, much to Richie’s surprise. Also
towards the end of the band's heyday, during the period when their
third and final Clouds album came out, Richie also started to sing
like Jim Morrison, who had recently died, so it’s kind of eerie.
There’s also a cool Clouds cover of “America”—the
Paul Simon song from the Marquee in London—that, while not especially
well recorded is nevertheless quite well performed in a prog-rock
fashion. But one studio track Ellis left off the final album (according
to Richie), “Why Is There No Magic” sounds like a left field
FM radio hit, almost in the spirit of Badfinger. Of course, Ellis
would devote much of this early ‘70s period to his incredibly
pioneering career building work with Jethro Tull, and for good reason.
As interesting as Clouds was then, Tull was really where it was at
for Chrysalis back in the late '60s / early '70s. The final cut on
CD 2 of the double Clouds set, “Clockwork Soldier” makes
quite an eerie audio epitaph indeed. Even so, taking a look at a missing
piece of early ‘70s rock history, BGO does a great job combining
all three of the Clouds albums on a double CD set, including the eight
tracks that Ellis left languishing in the vaults. Speaking of BGO,
they just keep coming up with some great two on one CD packages, including
a 28 track, two albums on one CD by Fats Domino comprising
Million Seller Volumes 1 & 2. Released on
Lp in 1962 and 1963 respectively, both albums feature all the classic,
original tracks by Fats as recorded in the late ‘50s. Another
artist that is well represented in the U.K. by BGO, Shirley Bassey
has a number of double CD remasters on BGO and you can add in
the 2010 release of I Capricorn and And I Love
You So—both originally released in 1972. Bassey
is a great torch song vocalist in the spirit of Barbara Streisand,
and the mostly orchestral backed tracks on Ms. Bassey’s 2010
double set on BGO includes classics from the pens of John Lennon,
Burt Bacharach, Jacques Brel and more, including her famous version
of “The Look Of Love” from the movie Casino Royal. BGO
once again delves into the back catalog of smooth jazz guitar king
Earl Klugh with a 2010 double CD set comprised of three Klugh
classics—the self-titled Earl Klugh, Living
Inside Your Love and Magic In Your Eyes. Back
when Earl’s first GRP album came out, he was kind of dismissed
as smooth jazz during quite a turbulent era of the fusion world. Well,
turns out Earl was right because, hearing them again today, these
guitar instrumentals he recorded back in the ‘70s holds up really
well, as this BGO double CD points out. www.BGO-records.com
MUSIC
VIDEO DISTRIBUTORS - Even since the DVD first appeared, about
ten years or so ago at the end of the ‘90s, MVD has truly helped
pioneer the DVD art form and make it something of value to music fans.
There was some debate about just how the DVD would function but, despite
those pesky region codings, clearly it’s exceeded all expectations
and is a vital tool for artists and music companies to promote new
and historic music. Case in point is a 2010 DVD from Wienerworld—handled
in the U.S. by MVD—called David Bowie—Rare
And Unseen. Wienerworld has done amazing things with
their Rare And Unseen series, their David Bowie DVD
follows the same path. Although veering towards the sensational side
of Bowie’s prismatic musical make-up, Bowie’s Rare &
Unseen contains some intriguing segments including an interview
circa 1975 between Bowie and British TV journalist Russell Harty,
which features Bowie discussing his upcoming movie The Man Who
Fell To Earth. The rest of the DVD features rehearsal and backstage
footage from the Never Let Me Down album from the late ‘80s,
including interview footage with Bowie and guitarists Peter Frampton
and Carlos Alomar. Not essential but nevertheless David
Bowie - Rare And Unseen sheds further light on Bowie’s image
as a mythical figure in rock music history. MVD also has quite a good
relationship with the German DVD music company Inakustik, and
in 2010 they released a DVD entitled John Scofield - New Morning:
The Paris Concert. Filmed in hi-definition TV at the
New Morning theater in Paris on April 23rd, 2010, the DVD offers further
proof as to why Scofield is considered one of the top American jazz
guitarists. For The Paris Concert, “Sco” is backed
up by a top band including Bill Stewart (drums), Ben Street
(bass) and Michael Eckroth (piano). Scofield has kept up
quite an amazing schedule of concerts and recordings in the first
decade of the 21st century and The Paris Concert keeps his
star shining brightly. Extras on this two hour DVD include a bonus
video track called “Soundcheck Sketches.” Keeping up with
their devotion to guitar-centric DVD releases, in 2010 MVD also released
Ana Popovic - An Evening At Trasimeno Lake: Live From The Heart
Of Italy. A rising star in the guitar world, Ms. Popovic
is gaining acclaim in the blues, rock, jazz and funk worlds of music
and this two hour DVD also includes several acoustic tracks filmed
at Rocca Medievale—a medieval castle that was built in 124. Filmed
during the guitarist’s ‘Blind For Love’ tour, before
a 5000+ audience, the DVD was filmed with a six camera shoot and also
adds in an interview with Ms. Popovic. Also in 2010, MVD continues
on with their wild and crazy Final 24 series that depicts
the last day in the lives of some of pop cultures most visible heroes
and heroines. Up and out in 2010 are Final 24 DVD releases
of John F. Kennedy Jr., John Belushi and Jim Morrison.
Produced by John Salzman and John Vandervelde, these
DVDs are reenactments with actors playing the part, but to balance
the dramas, the DVDs are also filled with actual historic documentary
footage of the real people whose lives were cut tragically short.
Each of these Final 24 DVD titles are guaranteed to send shivers
up your spine. Who’s next? www.MVDb2b.com
TIME
LIFE -
2009 was the 35 anniversary of the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame and
celebrating that institution, in 2010 Time Life released a triple
DVD set entitled The 25th Anniversary Rock & Roll 
Hall
Of Fame Concerts. Clocking in at five and a half hours,
the concerts were filmed at Madison Sq. Garden over two nights on
October 29th and 30th, 2009 and the DVD serves as a collectible relic
of that event. The usual hall of fame suspects appear and more than
acquit themselves with some well honed performances of the songs that
made their careers and, over the past six decades, formed the soundtrack
for generations. DVD 1 features live performances of rock and roll,
folk-rock and soul music icons like Jerry Lee Lewis, Crosby,
Stills & Nash, Stevie Wonder, Simon & Garfunkel
and Aretha Franklin. DVD 2 features Metallica, U2,
Jeff Beck and Bruce Springsteen while the party continues
on DVD 3, a bonus DVD, that compiles more performances from Crosby,
Stills & Nash, Stevie Wonder, Simon & Garfunkel and more.
Interestingly, appearing with all these artists on a various songs
here, sort of combining forces, are other certified legends like Ray
Davies, James Taylor, Ozzy Osbourne, Dion,
Billy F. Gibbons, Mick Jagger, Buddy Guy, B.B.
King and many more. A very cool look back, Time Life's triple
DVD set was immaculately filmed and features extensive notes in a
booklet with rare pics from this historic event. www.rockhall.com
UNDISCOVERED
CLASSICS - Over in England, singer-songwriter Andy Leek finally
got back the tapes to his 1990 solo album Say Something and
he puts it back out there in 2010 with a new track on the 13 track
Say Something Revisited. Humorously called a
“Special 
21st
Anniversary Edition” Andy’s reissue CD takes you right back
to what made this UK import so amazing back in 1990. Coming out on
Atlantic Records, the original album was superbly produced by Sir
George Martin and featured notable players like guitarists Steve
Howe and Clem Clemson. Not even near prog or blues, Say
Something Revisited is a stately, lush, Martin-eque production
in the spirit of Abbey Road or even The Man In The Bowler
Hat. As Andy points out, Say Something was the only debut
album of original material that George Martin produced since the Beatles.
Commenting further, Leeks adds, ‘The tapes had deteriorated so
they had to be cleaned by hand and baked for several days in order
to transfer them to CD. I then added one new song “All Around
The World” to complete what is now Say Something Revisited’.
The CD sounds great plus you get a fabulous new cut that sounds
like Andy is back, all topped off by booklet of happier times filled
with pics a plenty of Andy with Sir George. www.AndyLeek.co.uk
VOICEPRINT/
ISOLDE FILMS / MVD - Finally after 40 years, in 2010 veteran
U.K. filmmaker Tony Palmer released his historic 1969 Rope
Ladder To The Moon movie about Cream cofounder and pioneering
jazz-rock-blues bassist / song writing icon Jack Bruce. Just
before Cream broke up in late 1968, their manager Robert Stigwood
enlisted Tony Palmer to make movie documentaries about each of the
Cream founders so Tony produced films about Jack and Ginger Baker
but by the time they’d broken up it was too late for Tony to
make the post-Cream Clapton film. That said, the movie on Jack Bruce,
Rope Ladder To The Moon is one of Palmer’s finest moments
on film. To his credit Palmer works brilliantly here with Jack Bruce,
encapsulating in video form that pivotal period after Cream when Jack
had just gone solo. In fact, the movie is not only biographical but,
now in the era of digital electronic press kits, the movie also was
way ahead of its time as a virtual promotional video for Jack’s
first solo album, 1969’s Songs For A Tailor. Highlighting
post-Cream footage of Jack, Palmer brilliantly juxtaposes video
footage and live performance footage of music from Jack’s solo
album, along with Jack, Eric and Ginger as Cream at the Albert Hall
plus footage of Jack returning to his home turf in Scotland, where
he lived before world wide fame. In addition to the original 55 minute,
1969 Rope Ladder movie documentary, this historic DVD also
features a recently filmed half hour interview with Tony Palmer discussing
the movie. MWE3.com has a new interview with Jack Bruce coming in
January 2011 discussing in depth the historic DVD release of Rope
Ladder, his new solo album and much more. www.MVDb2b.com
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
