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November,
2000
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LOUIE
SHELTON Listen to RealAudio sample: Urban Culture
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THE
MIND CLUB
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ANDY
SUMMERS  Last
time around, guitar great and one time Police member Andy Summers explored
the music of jazz great Thelonious Monk with his tribute CD entitled Green
Chimneys. Now Summers wields his guitar chops for a like-minded tribute
album to the late, great, trendsetting bassist and jazz composer Charles
Mingus with his new CD, Peggy’s
Blue Skylight, recorded in New York and California.
In Summers’ own words, “You can’t out-Mingus Mingus. I had to find
my own path but also come up with an approach that would do him justice.”
A moody and meditative affair flavored with the stark, jazzy characteristics
of the Mingus touch, Peggy’s Blue
Skylight pairs Summers’ guitar sound with first rate session cats
including Randy Brecker (trumpet), The
Kronos Quartet, members of The
Jazz Passengers and the long time Summers rhythm section of Dave Carpenter (bass) and Joel
Taylor (drums). Several vocalists guest here including Blondie singer Debbie
Harry and rapper Q-Tip with
his spoken word cover of the Mingus poem “Where Can A Man Find Peace”.
Front and center throughout is Summers’ artistic guitar playing which
ranges in sound from complex and ethereal to a full steam ahead fusion
groove. One thing clear is the guitarist’s dedication to the music of
Charles Mingus, although perhaps the CD is summed up best when Andy adds,
“I hope people will hear Mingus in a way that they haven’t before.” www.andysummers.com
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ALIEN
COWBOYS  In
the spirit of Steve Morse and The Dixie Dregs comes Alien Cowboys.
Influenced by all shades of instrumental rock, from ‘50s rocker Duane
Eddy to the modern hard rock of Joe Satriani, Alien Cowboys really rock
the house on their second full length CD. Among his chief influences,
the group’s guitar ace Ralph
Perucci cites a number of guitar greats including Jeff Beck and
early Larry Carlton. Together with Greg
Jones (bass) Ian Thomson (drums)
and Bruce Stevenson (rhythm
guitar), Perucci adds a new twist to the guitar-based instrumental
rock-jazz genre. So just how does the quartet describe their sound?
According to rhythm guitar ace Bruce Stevenson, “I kind of think of it
as ‘Jeff Beck does The Beatles’. Most instrumental pieces are either
jam-oriented because they’re blues or like Vai or Satriani they go off
on soloing. I think where we’re different there is that we structure,
at the songwriting end, a chart that’s basically like a Beatles song.
Y’know, verse, chorus, verse, chorus, bridge - it’s just that the
lead guitar is doing the singing. We write songs as if the singer’s
gonna sing them, but a guitar player sings them instead.” The
follow-up to the band’s earlier effort, Analogtherapy
is an excellent introduction to an up-and-coming new band and is a
solid spin for jazz-rockers of all ages. www.aliencowboys.com
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PETER
XIFARAS  The
latest album from guitarist Peter Xifaras might seem like a New Age
guitar album, however a variety of instrumentation and styles makes Appassionato
an innovative ambient adventure into a richly textured musical world The
twelve track CD is broken into three different parts: the six part
“Appassionato Suite”, “Two Sketches For Guitar” and the four
part “Greensleeves Variations”. Essentially a one-man band, Xifaras
balances his guitar work with some atmospheric keyboard washes and
minimalist percussive backdrops. All forms of music, from New Age to
Flamenco to Classical guitar effortlessly glide across the sound stage.
Balancing out his original tracks, Xifaras closes out the album with his
innovative adaptation of the traditional English folk song “Greensleeves”,
entitled “Greensleeves Variations”. Crossing musical borders with
ease, Appassionato is a mellow
and imaginative classical guitar album for the new millennium. SambucaRec@aol.com
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CARL
WEINGARTEN Listen to RealAudio sample: Shanghaiway
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DAVIE
ALLAN & THE ARROWS Listen to RealAudio sample: Corridor Of Fear
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ROBBY
KRIEGER
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VARIOUS
ARTISTS  The latest
tribute CD to the legend of the late, great Jim
Morrison and The Doors is
quite a different thing altogether. An orchestral tribute arranged,
orchestrated and produced by Jaz
Coleman and performed by violin virtuoso Nigel
Kennedy with the Prague
Symphony Orchestra, The Doors
Concerto features pensive, dignified classical adaptations of nine
Doors classics like “Strange Days”, “Love Street” and “The
Unknown Soldier”. Coleman’s heavy, yet aesthetic approach to scoring
these Doors’ classics is underscored by the obvious fact that the band
was responsible for writing some of the most trendsetting, interesting
and melodic music of the ‘60s and early ‘70s. With Kennedy’s
violin assuming Morrison’s lead vocal here, the music of The
Doors comes to light with a whole new meaning on The
Doors Concerto. The solemn nature of the performance sometimes
restricts the fun-loving and carefree legacy of the group, yet the album
prevails long enough to pay a fond tribute. So what do the other
surviving members of the fabled band think of The
Doors Concerto? In the words of founding Doors’ keyboardist Ray
Manzarek, “It was an unexpected delight. As we used to say in the
‘60s, it blew my mind.” Following his acclaimed classical tributes
to Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin, Coleman can chalk up another winner with
The Doors Concerto. www.universalclassics.com
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VARIOUS
ARTISTS
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DAVE
BEEGLE
 Clear
The Tracks covers music recorded between 1989-1999. Primarily
instrumental, Clear The Tracks spans
an enormous range of musical styles - from hard rock to acoustic
guitar-based New Age. Clearly a master of the fretboard, Beegle
continues to impress his fans with his guitar wizardry, paving the way
to a wider appreciation of his music and guitar skills. Guitar icon Phil
Keaggy sums up Beegle’s guitar prowess when he adds, “Dave is one of
my favorite players and deserves to be seriously listened to and
appreciated.” www.hapiskratch.com
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TEMPORARY
POWER
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Guitar
legend Louie Shelton recently started up his own label, Nuance Records, and among the first releases is his newest solo
album Urban Culture. Anyone
who has followed the history of pop greats from the ‘60s will remember
Shelton as the session guitarist who appeared on numerous albums by The
Monkees, The Fifth Dimension, The Jackson Five and Boz Scaggs. Shelton
also furthered his prominent guitar reputation with his production work
on all the big hits by the pop group Seals & Crofts. An instrumental
affair that tastefully combines Smooth Jazz with a potent R&B and
blues groove, Urban Culture is a vibrant set of upbeat, mellow guitar
instrumentals scoped out by Shelton’s one of a kind guitar chops. A
modern take on Wes Montgomery’s mid ‘60s sound, Urban
Culture was recorded in Shelton’s new hometown of Nashville and
features strong contributions from Pat
McDonald (drums), Victor
Wooten (bass) and sax legend Jim
Horn to name a few of the top players on board here. Regarding his
third solo album Shelton adds, “There was this spirit of the nightlife
that was going through a lot of the feeling of this album. It sort of
sets a nice mood, not too serious, not too light. Just something that
you enjoy having there.” On Urban
Culture, Louie Shelton takes the smooth jazz scene to the next level
thanks to smart arrangements and skillful musicianship. 
Recalling
the ‘60s lounge-jazz music revival of the mid to late ‘90s, the
album debut from California-based The Mind Club sizzles with a tasty,
retro instrumental groove. Spotlighting the guitar chops of Greg
Williams, Spygroovin’
features smart playing from all the Mind Club members as well as the
various guest artists on hand. Combining jazzy fusion and a ‘60s
soundtrack vibe with hi and lo-fi drums, percussion loops and dialog
samples layered with various swashes and other noises, Spygroovin’
makes for some sublime listening. Williams judiciously implements his
1990 Fender ‘62 reissue Strat within the group sound. According to
Williams, “This CD was definitely a case of the recording process
influencing, and in some cases, becoming, the compositional process.”
Recorded as a computer-based home studio project, Spygroovin’
is all the while a stimulating and atmospheric album and will
provide hours of fun for jazz-rockers, soundtrack fans and lounge music
devotees alike. 
A prominent
guitarist and dobro master, San Francisco-based Carl Weingarten returns
with his latest magnum opus. An expert at combining experimental New
Age, ambient rock and World Music, Weingarten has assembled a stellar
crew of musicians to help shed new light on his expansive musical
vision. Back in the ‘80s Weingarten amazed audiences with his
instrumental rock group Delay
Tactics and with the 2000 release of Blue
Faith he demonstrates just how far he has evolved as both a guitarist and
composer. Blue Faith
spotlights guest appearances from erhu virtuoso Jie-Bing
Chen, singer Sukhawat Ali
Kahn and violinist Forrest
Fang. A number of outstanding electric and acoustic guitarists,
including Barry Cleveland, Michael
Manring (bass), Robert Powell
(pedal steel) and Weingarten (guitars, slide, dobro, ebow, sound
design, efx), add in some well-honed high-tech wizardry to the diverse
nature of the album. Blue Faith is
a fascinating composite where the sounds of the ancient world skillfully
merge with the high-tech musical future. 
The king of
‘60 biker-rock inspired instrumental guitar music, guitar god Davie
Allan celebrates 35 years of sounds with his new live CD on
Burbank-based Total Energy. Allan’s recent studio album for the label, The
Arrow Dynamic Sounds Of Davie Allan & The Arrows was a
modern classic of the instrumental rock genre. Recorded with assistance
from Lee Joseph (bass) and David
Winoground (drums), Live Run, recorded in Van Nuys on 9/8/99, goes for the gusto with a take no prisoners,
heavy metal meets surf-rock sound. Imagine if Jimi Hendrix had produced
The Ventures! Despite the fact the Allan himself eschews the motorcycle
as a means of transportation, the music really does conjure up the
B&W TV intensity of the mid ‘60s. Mixed in with classic Allan
originals such as “Corridor Of Fear” are high octane Allan &
Arrows covers of Henry Mancini,
the late great Bobby Fuller
topped off by the Mann-Weil
album-opener “Shape of Things To Come”. A blast of sonic sound, not
for the faint of heart, Live Run is
Allan & The Arrows in their element and the audience devours every
second. And now so can you.
With all the
renewed interest in the music of The
Doors, the group’s founding guitarist Robby Krieger recently
returned with his new instrumental album. Krieger was responsible for
writing some of The Doors’ best songs including “Tell All The
People” and “Runnin’ Blue”, both from The
Soft Parade. While there’s nothing that melodic or Doors-like on Cinematix,
the album is nevertheless a great showcase for Krieger’s
outstanding guitar skills. Described as a soundtrack for your mind, Cinematix adds in guest appearance from drumming great Billy
Cobham, Jeff Richman (guitar) and the legendary Edgar Winter (sax). There’s also plenty of other fine musicians on
hand as well. Bordering on ambient instrumental rock and high tech
fusion, Cinematix is Krieger
and company burning on all cylinders. As a closer there’s even a
remake of the Doors’ great Morrison
Hotel track “Peace Frog” remixed and renamed here as “War
Toad” complete with cameo vocals from Jim
Morrison. Not overly melodic, yet rich in excitement, atmospherics
and skillful musicianship, the 10 track Cinematix
is a welcome return from one of the ‘60s great guitar legends. 
For the past
few years now L.A.-based CMH
Records have been releasing some enjoyable bluegrass instrumental
tribute CDs to the biggest names in rock history. Among the label’s
recent efforts include Pickin’
On bluegrass tributes to Santana, Jimi Hendrix, ZZ Top and Roy
Orbison to name a few. The latest CD on CMH, Pickin’
On Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young revives a number of gems from
the fabled rock supergroup including “Suite: Judy Blue Eyes”,
“Wooden Ships”, “Southern Man” and “Woodstock”. A huge
ensemble, headed up by multi-instrumentalist David
West (guitars, banjo, dulcimer, tabla and more), provides a new take
on these classic rock tracks and the result is an enjoyable and refined
tribute to the great supergroup. Pickin’
On CSN&Y is clearly one of the finer bluegrass tributes on CMH
as many of the tracks really do derive their sound from the country-rock
genre. Other recent instrumental bluegrass tributes on CMH include the
recently released Gone Phishin’ - A Bluegrass Tribute To Phish and Pickin’
On The Allman Brothers. Fans of the entire CMH series should keep an
ear out for the label’s upcoming Pickin’
On The Beatles. 
The
brainchild of Florida-based guitarist Mike
Ward, Sacred Geometry proves
just how powerful a solo effort of experimental guitar could be. The
closest example would be to compare the CD to the work of Nordic space
guitarist Terje Rypdal. The whole album is quite a unique sounding
effort and attempts to classify it as Space-rock, avant-garde or
Neoclassical would be futile. Clearly falling into the Progressive rock
realm, Sacred Geometry is at
once breezy and meditative as well as enigmatic and challenging. Quite
experimental as well, Sacred
Geometry is a complex, strange affair that’s entertaining as well.
A mainstay on the progressive rock and metal scene in South Florida for
the past 15 years, Mike Ward is clearly on the right path with his
Temporary Music projects.