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January 2003

 

     
 

 
TONY LEVIN BAND


THE VIBRATOS

 

 
THE FLYIN' RYAN BROTHERS
 
JOBOJ
 
KEVIN SCHAELLING
 
SCENIC
 
     
  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 CDs—Pieces Of The Sun and Waters Of Eden. Famous for his work with King Crimson and John Lennon, Levin breaks new ground on Double Espresso—an 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 and—featuring compositions from Tony, and TLB covers of Genesis, Peter Gabriel, King Crimson, Synergy and Led Zeppelin—is perhaps Levin’s most rewarding CD release yet. www.narada.com


 
  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


 
  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 it’s obvious there’s a slew of original musical ideas in play here. Two previous releases—Sibling Revelry (1996) and Colorama (1999)—offered a good indication of the brother’s musical integrity, but the group’s 2002, 18 track Legacy album is really their best yet. There’s 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 brother’s guitars along with praiseworthy liner notes from Wishbone Ash expert Leon Tslis. www.ryanetics.com


 
  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. There’s 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


 
  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, Schaelling’s 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 year’s most agreeable and serene recordings of acoustic guitar jazz. www.cypressmusic.com



 
  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 there’s even an appearance by ambient music guru Harold Budd as well. The group’s 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


 
 
 
   
Attention Artists and Record Companies: Have your CD reviewed by mwe3.com. Send to: MWE3.com CD Reviews Editor Robert Silverstein, P.O. Box 630249, Little Neck, N.Y. 11363-0249
 e-mail:
info@mwe3.com