|
ROGER McGUINN
on Sundazed
|
THE BEATLES WITH
TONY SHERIDAN
on Polydor
|
SAM THE SHAM
& THE PHARAOHS
on Collectables
|
MAY
/ JUNE 2004
MUSIC & RECORD LABEL SPOTLIGHT
ALIEN
GUITAR - Indiana-based guitarist Denis Taaffe remains on
the cutting edge of instrumental guitar improvisation with the 2003
release of his fourth independent CD release—this time recorded
live on October 29, 2002. An excellent example of Taaffe’s cogitative
and engaging approach to electric guitar performance, Modern
Guitar Vol.4 follows in the footsteps of his earlier
instrumental rock releases, yet this time out Taaffe takes a hypnotic,
almost meditative approach to his solo improvisational electric guitar
sounds. Reminiscent of the experimental side of Jerry Garcia or even
some of Robert Fripp’s more congenial guitar musings, Modern
Guitar Vol.4 reveals new sonic treasures with every spin. Taaffe’s
hypnotic, languid guitar lines makes him a likely prospect for New
Age listeners on the lookout for the latest in cutting edge guitar
sounds, yet as this CD points out, Taaffe’s music is really perfectly
geared for use as film and documentary background music. Commenting
on his new CD, Taaffe adds, “Well, this CD was a real pleasure
to do, as it really captures not only a live concert, but also, just
clean guitar and true improvisation. In fact, when I hear it, it definitely
takes me back to when I played that particular concert.” www.dtguitar.com
APPLE / CAPITOL - A 2003 Beatles DVD from Capitol, The
First U.S. Visit, offers a fantastic DVD reissue
of the entire uncut version of the movie of the same name made by
Albert and David Maysles. Beginning with the Beatles’
arrival on Pan Am Flt. 101 at the newly named JFK Airport on February
7th, 1964, the The First U.S. Visit documents the dawn of Beatlemania
and covers a three week period of unparalleled excitement in American
pop culture. Depicting the Fab Four during their sensational first
tour of NYC, Washington D.C. and Miami Beach, the expertly filmed
cinema verite classic by the Maysles brothers now features a unique
spoken word commentary track by Albert Maysles accompanying the original
uncut 80 minute film. Also spotlighting the historic Beatles performances
from their three different live Sullivan shows plus their concert
at the Washington Coliseum, the 2+ hour DVD is capped off by an amazing
50 minute documentary within the documentary entitled Making Of
The Beatles First U.S. Visit. The brilliant film making of the
Maysles brothers is now perfectly encapsulated for posterity with
these now historic live music Beatles performances. www.thebeatles.com
ARISTA - The third Arista Records release by guitar
legend Carlos Santana, Ceremony is actually a CD collection
of unissued music from his two prior albums for the label, Supernatural
(1999) and Shaman (2002). Actually, the album
may be hard to find because Arista released Ceremony as a limited
edition of one hundred thousand copies. Quite a respectable number
by any artist’s standard, but just consider that combined, Santana’s
first two albums for the label sold over thirty million. A collector’s
album, the eleven track Ceremony features five previously unrereleased
brand new songs, newly recorded versions or remixes of five tracks
from the first two albums and one key album track. Carlos further
explains adding, “there was so much great material recorded at
those sessions, with so many great musicians, songwriters, producers
and arrangers contributing their talents. I am honored that Arista
has chosen to gather the unissued music together in this package.”
Showing another side of the exciting Santana Latin / Afro-Cuban fusion
sound, Ceremony rocks with a fervor. www.santana.com
BMG
- The BMG Heritage label group keeps their Platinum
& Gold Collection line going strong with a 2004 release from
the Michigan-based rock group The Verve Pipe. Featuring the
gifted pipes and songs of singer Brian Vander Ark and the electric
guitar sound of A.J. Dunning, the twelve track CD features
music from their three RCA releases including Villains (1996),
The Verve Pipe (1999) and their brilliant 2001
album, Underneath, produced by Adam Schlesinger. Featuring
cool liner notes by Michael Hill, the Verve Pipe’s Platinum
& Gold Collection is a solid introduction to these underrated
rockers. Another 2004 Platinum & Gold Collection on RCA
worth hearing is a best of from rocker Matthew Sweet. Although
Sweet came to the attention of pop fans with his ‘80s releases
on Columbia and A&M Records and his membership in The Golden Palominos,
the twelve tracks on his Platinum & Gold Collection are
culled from five different albums recorded on the BMG affiliates,
Zoo and Volcano Records. With newly penned liner notes and top remastered
sound, the CD offers further evidence of Sweet’s impeccable reputation
as a power-pop savant. Other 2004 Platinum & Gold Collection
CDs on BMG Heritage include superstar compilations from calypso
singer Harry Belafonte, country music icon Merle Haggard,
soul music sensations The Pointer Sisters and disco king Rick
Astley. www.bmgsmg.com
BACKBEAT BOOKS - Among the Backbeat titles rolling off the
press in 2004 is an excellent 352 page soft cover book detailing the
heyday of British rock greats The Kinks. Written by rock historian
Doug Hinman and packed with 160 b&w photos, The Kinks:
All Day And All Of The Night chronicles hundreds of Kinks
concerts, the band’s TV and radio broadcasts, stage shows, recording
sessions while also providing in depth discography information on
all their U.S. and U.K. record releases. Presented in an easy to read
format, The Kinks: All Day And All Of The Night covers just
about every fact and detail surrounding one of the greatest British
invasion rock groups—from the humble beginnings of Ray &
Dave Davies in London in the early ‘60s through till their
final 1996 To The Bone album as well as 2003 rumors surrounding
a possible Kinks reunion for their 40th anniversary in 2004.
A 200 page hard cover book written by Rich Maloof,
entitled Jim Marshall: The Father Of Loud tells
the story of the man who’s incredible amplifiers provided guts
and glory for guitar heroes like Pete Townshend, Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy
Page and Billy F. Gibbons. Starting with Jim Marshall’s early
years as a young boy diagnosed with a rare bone disease to his years
as a singer and big-band drummer all the way to the rise of the ‘Marshall
Stack’, Jim Marshall: The Father Of Loud spotlights the
man behind the amps while also offering a wealth of info on Marshall
amps past and present.
Regardless of your skills on the fingerboard, Backbeat’s Chord
Master: How To Find And Choose The Right Guitar Chords is
a worthwhile read for guitarists. In addition examining the particulars
of chord construction, the 192 page paperback book by Rikky Rooksby
underscores the differences between electric and acoustic guitar chords
and offers a number of chord shapes and patterns useful to songwriters
and guitar enthusiasts of all proficiency levels. www.backbeatbooks.com
BEAR RECORDS - With colorful looking cover art to match the
tremendous sounds inside, Electric Circus, the
latest CD from guitarist Joe LoSchiavo covers an incredible
range of instrumental guitar sounds. While the melodic title track
owes a musical debt of gratitude to classic composer Aaron Copeland,
there’s plenty of fine original music to keep the energy at peak
level. Assisted by Charlie Schmid (drums), Jay Salomone
(bass) and Tara Marie Pritchard (harmonica), Joe tackles
the fretboard with technical prowess and compositional diligence usually
associated with the finest players. The nine tracks here fall into
the hard rock / instro jazz-rock fusion genre, yet as the title implies,
Joe’s CD is a veritable electric circus. www.joeguitar.org
BIG TENT ENTERTAINMENT - Ardent Beatles watchers will
recall the name Robert Freeman from his excellent photography
of the Fab Four during the early Beatlemania years. In fact it was
Freeman’s photography that graced the covers of five of the band’s
U.K. albums—including With The Beatles, A Hard Day’s
Night, Help, Beatles For Sale and Rubber Soul. Freeman’s
respected Fab Four photography is the subject of a massive, 176 page,
2003 coffee table style hardcover book on NYC-based Big Tent entitled
The Beatles: A Private View. With 200 photographs
of the early Beatles—including 30 never before seen or published
and various written essays by Freeman and others—A Private
View is a fine expose on the Beatles’ massive visual appeal
garnered during their early rise to fame. Among the many photo highlights
is Freeman’s proposed, but ultimately abandoned Lp jacket design
for Revolver. www.beatlesprivateview.com
BLUE THUMB RECORDS - Revived by Verve Music Group and
still dedicated to vital new music, Blue Thumb made flamenco guitar
fans quite happy with their 2004 release of Cositas Buenas from
Spanish guitar legend Paco de Lucia. After twenty five albums
and numerous kudos, the 56 year old guitarist still maintains a special
ability to transcend guitar idioms. Thanks in part to his ground breaking
collaborations with jazz greats such as Chick Corea and fellow guitar
icons like McLaughlin, Coryell and DiMeola, Paco has earned a enormous
respect among guitar buffs over the years. On his first new studio
recording in five years, Paco’s latest variation of the flamenco
artform is a one of a kind World Beat extravaganza, teaming
nylon string guitar playing with his lute, bouzouki and mandolin all
topped off by accompaniment from seven flamenco vocalists including
Paco. Diverging from the currently popular Latin-flavored / smooth-jazz
Nuevo Flamenco phenomenon, Cositas Buenas takes an authentic
look back at the embryonic years of flamenco. www.pacodelucia.org
BRASH - Best known as the lead singer and main songwriter with
The Verve Pipe, Brian Vander Ark steps to the fore with
his solo debut Resurrection. With Vander Ark
sharing the guitar and percussion work alongside a number of fine
guitarists and support players, the eleven track CD once again captures
that radio-friendly Verve Pipe pop-rock sound and makes a fine companion
spin for anyone who enjoyed the VP’s 2001 rock classic Underneath.
Another fine display of Vander Ark’s solid grasp of the pop songwriting
medium—enhanced by his innate skills as a dramatic actor and
soundtrack composer—Resurrection a fine return to form.
www.bvamusic.com
COLLECTABLES - One of the leading American reissue labels,
PA.-based Collectables have a 2004 CD from ‘60s Tex-Mex
pop legends Sam The Sham & The Pharaohs. Pairing the group’s
albums Lil’ Red Riding Hood and Wooly Bully,
the 24 track, 60+ minute CD features their huge hit singles “Wooly
Bully” and “Lil’ Red Riding Hood” in addition
to their first indie single “Haunted House” and a rousing
cover of “Hanky Panky”. Both “Wooly Bully” and
“Lil’ Red Riding Hood” were huge million sellers and
turned the AM radio pop world on it’s ear during that incredible
1965 era. “Wooly Bully”—composed by Sam The Sham himself
(a/k/a Domingo Samudio) remains one of the great ‘60s
pop singles and the Collectables two-fer reissue features loads of
cool color artwork and the original liner notes from both albums.
Also worth hearing from Collectables is Beacon From Mars and
Other Psychedelic Side Trips from West Coast rock legends
Kaleidoscope. Combining 23 tracks from various Kaleidoscope
releases on Epic Records, the CD contains the group’s complete
ten track Side Trips album from 1967 along with various tracks
recorded between 1967-69. An early vehicle for guitar legend David
Lindley, Kaleidoscope also featured valuable contributions from
multi-instrumentalist David Solomon Feldthouse, who’s
performance on exotic instruments like bouzouki and doumbeg gave the
group a wild, ethnic sound. The inclusion of the original liner notes
to their ‘67 Side Trips album on the CD, provides some
background history on these eclectic rockers.
Originally released on Reprise Records, Lou Monte’s Golden
Hits was reissued on Collectables in 2004. Proclaimed as “The
King Of Italian American Hit Records”, NYC music legend Lou Monte
sold more than six million records and gained acclaim on the Ed Sullivan
Show with his huge early ‘60s pop hits “Pepino, The Italian
Mouse” and his all time classic “What Did Washington Say
(When He Crossed The Deleware)”—both of which are included
in this twelve track Collectables reissue along with the original
album’s liner notes. www.oldies.com
DK BOOKS - Described by music fans and historians as ‘mandatory
reading for Stones fans’, Rolling With The Stones is
a first rate account of the history of The Rolling Stones as
told by the band’s founding bass great Bill Wyman. Although
no longer a member of the current Stones lineup, Wyman makes excellent
use of his elephant’s memory with his own massive 2003 expose
on the Stones’ enormous rock legacy. Totaling 515 pages—and
filled with abundant facts and unseen photos—Rolling With
The Stones is the definitive book on the band that, along with
The Beatles, defined the essence of the British pop sound of the mid
‘60s. Incredible color photos from various shows, photo shoots
and recording sessions alone makes Wyman’s book a priceless primer
on the ‘60s rock greats. Wyman’s first hand narrative of
the highlights—as well as the caustic trials and tribulations—of
the Stones’ story, is put into fitting focus with Rolling
With The Stones.
Another essential Bill Wyman book, released in 2002 by NYC-based
DK, is Bill Wyman’s Blues Odyssey: A Journey to Music’s
Heart & Soul. Described in the sleeve notes as,
“Bill Wyman’s personal tribute to the music and musicians
that inspired him to pick up a bass guitar”, Blues Odyssey
examines the genre-bending impact of 38 blues giants—including
Robert Johnson, Bessie Smith, Sonny Boy Williamson, Howlin’ Wolf,
Chuck Berry, Albert King through till modern masters like B.B. King,
Buddy Guy and Eric Clapton. With chapter titles like “From Africa
To The New World”, “The Roots Of African-American Music”,
“The Fabulous Fifties”, “By The Time We Got To Woodstock”
and “Long Live The Blues...And Rock ‘N’ Roll Too”,
the impressive 400 page book chronicles the sociological implications
of the blues as well as Wyman’s first hand account of the blues
during his years as bassist with The Rolling Stones. www.dk.com
DIT-DA - Sometimes you need music to take the edge off things
with a cool groove and laid back social study. Such is the musical
message of the 2004 CD from Jon Dalton entitled The Gift.
Relocating to Southern California after being active on the U.K.
jazz scene for many years, Dalton’s guitar phrasing on The
Gift echoes the breezy, jazzy instrumental styles of Wes, Kenny
and Pat Metheny. Joined by the sporadic sax of John Barton and
the live percussion work of John O’Hara, Dalton’s
work on archtop electric is exemplary throughout and he balances things
with added fretboard finesse on acoustic and MIDI guitar. Although
the beat is smooth and cool, the ten track CD is steeped in classic
‘60s guitar jazz and the lineup of memorable Dalton originals
arrives like a familiar, musical destination. www.cdbaby.com/cd/jondalton
DUSTIN EHRLICH - A stylistic mixture of atmospheric jazz and
post-bop spontaneous combustion, the 2003 CD from N.Y.C.-based guitarist
Dustin Ehrlich features a cool combination of instrumental tracks.
Multi-tracked to great effect by Ehrlich on electric guitar, acoustic
guitar, classical guitar, bass and synthesizer, A Distant Star
is like a sublime soundtrack. Having studied with Bay-area jazz
guitarist Mark Stefani and N.Y.C. guitar legend Sal Salvador, Ehrlich
clearly has the chops and from another viewpoint, he’s well versed
in a variety of musical genres. The introspective and intimate arena
in which Ehrlich works makes him a suitable choice for music fans
interested in neo-jazz fusion guitar icons such as Pat Metheny and
Ralph Towner. www.dustinehrlich.com
EMI - EMI Records in England and Capitol Records have enjoyed
a long partnership of sounds over the past 50 years. While The Beatles
were huge in the States right from the start, EMI had less of a break
with Capitol when it came to their hugely successful instrumental
pop band The Shadows. Featuring the lead guitars of Hank
Marvin and rhythm ace Bruce Welch, the legendary quartet
are anthologized yet again with a 2003 CD collection entitled The
Essential Shadows. No surprises here for those who
know the band as this 20 track collection more or less mirrors their
huge 1977 comeback compilation, 20 Golden Greats. Brief liner
notes and select discography photos make The Essential Shadows
a fine sounding introduction to a historic pop band. Just about
the time that Cliff Richard and The Shadows were breaking through
in 1958, another English guitarist by the name of Bert Weedon was
introducing U.K. audiences to his somewhat less rocking version of
instrumental guitar pop, the best of which is collected on another
2002 compilation on EMI UK. Although The Shadows would dominate the
guitar instrumental sound of early '60s England, these 30 tracks of
easy on the ears, lightweight guitar pop featured on The Very
Best Of Bert Weedon is a good introduction to one of England's
early guitar instro heroes. www.btinternet.com/~shadows_archive/index.htm
EMI AUSTRALASIA - Leave it to Collector’s Choice Music
to scour the globe in search of the coolest instrumental music
compilations. A recent compilation added to the CC catalog and released
in the early 2000’s by EMI Music Australasia, Instrumentals
Complete: 90 Original Instrumental Hits features the usual
instro guitar pioneers like The Shadows, The Ventures,
Al Caiola, Link Wray, Chet Atkins, The John
Barry Seven and more, but this five CD box set also brings out
a wealth of instrumental rarities and is divided into five genres
like Easy Listening Favorites, TV And Movie Themes, Easy Listening
Favourites, and more. Well worth the time to check out, each disc
features a mix of well known classics and more. For instance, check
out disc three, ‘60s & ‘70s Favourites, featuring
18 bonafide original instro smashes by The Shadows, The Atlantics,
Floyd Cramer as well as lesser known instro tracks from The
Bob Crewe Generation, The T-Bones, Sounds Incorporated,
Lieutenant Pigeon, Peter Posa and tons more including
a rarely heard Jonathan Richman & The Modern Lovers instro
from ‘79 called “Egyptian”. Compiled from the viewpoint
of a ‘60s rocker and an easy listening addict, this box deserves
a medal for sheer ‘60s ear candy diversity. www.ccmusic.com
HAMMOND BEAT - Returning once again to his ‘60s roots
as a pivotal member of The John Barry Seven, U.K. guitar hero Vic
Flick teams with a crew of younger bands on a fabulous, 26 track
2004 CD release that relives the essence of the eternally young ‘60s
beat group phenomenon. An instrumental soundtrack for a new spy/action
film, The Sound Of Danger: A Soundtrack From The World Of Wilson
Chance merges the atmosphere of John Barry with the
funk and ‘Hammond’ groove spirit of Booker T. & The
MGs with a dose of Lalo Schifrin intrigue added in for excitement.
In addition to the cool new Vic Flick tracks—teaming Vic with
co-conspirator Les Hurdle—The Sound Of Danger also
features some guitar-heavy instro rockers from a bunch of other bands
hell-bent on reliving the groovy sounds of the 6T’s including
The Link Quartet, The Special Agents, The Men From S.P.E.C.T.R.E.,
and Mike Painter and The Family Shakers. For more information
check out the Hammond Beat web site. It’s a veritable treasure
chest of musical information—all devoted to keeping the sounds
of the ‘60s alive and well. www.hammondbeat.com
HARMONIC WARRIOR - A graduate of Oberlin College, where he
studied jazz and classical guitar, L.A.-based guitarist Bill Shafton
released his CD debut in 2004. Although relatively unknown, Shafton
has worked as a session guitarist, songwriter and producer for a number
of artists including Dolly Parton and Carly Simon. In Shafton’s
words, “With the guitar in my hands, I can communicate in ways
that are beyond words. Music gives us the freedom to say what we truly
feel”, and his statement rings true on In My Hands.
Assisted by players on the same wavelength—including Zaza
(piano), Luis Conte (percussion) and Ed Monjillo (drums)—Shafton
makes music that can best be described as breezy guitar jazz with
a heartfelt core. Featuring fine studio mixing by Jerry Jordan,
In My Hands features a dozen memorable guitar workouts including
a swinging cover of the Beatles’ evergreen “Norwegian Wood”
and the splendid, Metheny-flavored “No Regrets”. www.billshafton.com
HOMEN DE OURO - It’s hard to believe he hails from the
hinterlands of Minnesota because guitarist Scott Anderson (a/k/a
Scottinho) has such a solid grasp of Brazilian music. For his
2003 CD, Batizado, Scottinho has written some
splendid instrumental and vocal numbers that evoke the spirits of
Brazilian legends like A.C. Jobim and Milton Nasciemento. Anderson’s
work on electric and acoustic guitars—as well as his dobro, keyboards
and vocal work—leaves a favorable impression. Batizado
even features tracks named after his heroes, such as “Milton”
and “Toninho”, named for Brazilian guitarist Toninho Horta.
Assisted by a number of players, Anderson’s excellent work on
the nylon string is matched throughout by his enthusiasm for Brazilian
music. Another standout track here, an Elton John-inspired torch song
ballad, entitled “Melting Of The Snow”, shows an equally
compelling side of Anderson’s eclectic musicianship. www.scottsguitar.com
HUNTER HILL PERRIN MUSIC - When he’s not jamming with his
rock band High-Five or teaching uptown at Columbia or down at Turtle
Bay, Brooklyn-based guitarist Hunter Perrin is writing and
recording his solo guitar music. Having studied at University of Texas
at Austin and at Yale—where he was given the Eliot Fisk award—Perrin
follows his self-titled 2000 debut with his cinematically-inspired
2003 CD entitled Subtitles. Much like the way
instrumental music was used to a wide range of moods in the silent
films back of the ‘20s and ‘30s, Perrin parlays his expertise
on steel string acoustic guitar to create a lineup of eighteen emotive
solo acoustic guitar pieces. A fascinating mixture of blues, Americana
and ragtime that clocks in at just over a half hour, Subtitles
is an album that simply gets better with each spin.
www.hunterperrin.com
IMAGE ENTERTAINMENT - An excellent video companion to the DK
book of the same name, Bill Wyman’s Blues Odyssey: A Journey
to Music’s Heart & Soul was released on DVD
by L.A.-based Image Entertainment. The 2003 DVD succinctly
merges Wyman’s experiences as a member of The Rolling Stones
during the British R&B boom of the early ‘60s with essential
tales of the black cotton pickers who escaped the Mississippi Delta
armed only with guitars and ample gut emotions. The nearly two hour
Image DVD brings Wyman’s vision of the blues to the screen through
the magic of rare archival footage, an array of essential blues songs
and interviews with icons like John Lee Hooker, Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley,
Buddy Guy, T-Bone Walker, Wilson Pickett and many more 20th Century
blues giants. www.image-entertainment.com
INSIDE OUT MUSIC AMERICA - One of the great 2004 IOMA releases
bound to stir the waves in the rock world is Come Somewhere
by King’s X drummer Jerry Gaskill. On his solo
debut CD, the N.J.-based Gaskill also proves himself as a fine singer-songwriter,
guitarist and keyboardist. In Gaskell’s words, “I think,
Come Somewhere makes it clear that we three guys of King’s
are all good songwriters.” An tasty blend of prog-pop, rock psychedelia
and Beatles-esque orch-pop, Come Somewhere rocks to a different
drummer although a range amazing musical signposts makes it a memorable
trip to an unmistakable musical destination. www.jerrygaskill.com
Also on IOMA in 2004 is the fourth CD from Tiles entitled Window
Dressing. Celebrating ten years of experimental prog-rock
/ hard rock music making, Window Dressing features the original
Tiles lineup with guitarist Chris Herin and Paul Rarick
(vocals). Experts at conjuring daredevil rock fusion, Tiles are
assisted on Window Dressing by a number of players and the
CD also features graphic cover art by keyboardist Hugh Syme.
In related news, IOMA have also reissued the first three Tiles albums
in early 2004 complete with bonus tracks, remastered sound and expanded
artwork. www.insideoutmusic.com
KRYPTON ENTERTAINMENT GROUP - Written and performed entirely
by multi-instrumentalist Clark Colborn, the twelve track Clark
Plays Guitar is the 2003 CD release by the Rockford, IL.-based
guitarist. With his focus on harmonies, melodies and musical ambience,
Colborn sounds like a graduate of the Steve Vai / Joe Satriani school
of guitar and with plenty of high action guitar riffing, the album
clearly falls into that instrumental hard rock zone. With his CD liner
notes adding, “I must play the guitar the way other people must
breathe and this album is the result of that need”, you best
believe Clark means business. www.clarkplaysguitar.com
LION MUSIC - Finland-based Lion Music released a
fine new classical guitar album from Italian-born guitar virtuoso
Alex Masi. Entitled In The Name Of Mozart,
the seven track CD features Masi performing Mozart’s solo
classical guitar music with several tracks featuring the Stuttgart
Symphony Orchestra. Influenced early on by prog-rock innovators
like Yes and Gentle Giant, Masi went on to become a notable figure
on the hard rock and instrumental heavy metal scene. A tasteful guitarist
with impeccable rock and classical credentials, Masi has achieves
a new musical milestone with the 2003 CD release of In The Name
Of Mozart, which is incidentally his follow-up CD to his other
recent guitar homage to another classical icon, entitled In The
Name Of Bach. www.alexmasi.net
/ www.lionmusic.com
LYALL STEEL - Canadian nylon string guitar ace Lyall Steel
released his first solo debut Emanations at the dawn of the
new millennium while a second solo CD—his own solo guitar tribute
to The Beatles called Revolutions...Remembering the Beatles—elicited
further rave reviews. In early 2004 Lyall Steel returns with Alchemy,
perhaps his most impressive CD yet. Featuring track by track liner
notes, Alchemy draws on Steel’s expert ability to merge
a wealth of classical, jazz and pop sounds on the nylon string guitar.
The lone Alchemy cover of the Bach cantata “Jesus,
Joy Of Man’s Desiring” (complete with jazzed up intro and
ending) and a tribute to Argentinean tango legend Astor Piazzolla,
entitled “Homage To Piazzolla” a just a couple of the highlights
on Steel’s latest and greatest solo guitar masterpiece. www.lyallsteel.com
MUSEA - Back in the mid ‘70s the French record label Musea
was releasing all sorts of exotic and progressive instrumental music,
mostly by French and European artists who were unknown in America
except for a devoted bunch of prog-rock fans. Resurrected by prog-rock
mavens back in the ‘90s, Musea have been keeping the prog-rock
banner burning brightly ever since. One American group who fits in
quite nicely with Musea’s original musical prog philosophy is
the Wisconsin-based Kopecky. Featuring a gifted musical alliance
of three brothers—Joe Kopecky (electric guitars), Paul
Kopecky (percussion) and Bill Kopecky (bass, keyboards,
sitar)—Kopecky have released a superb 2003 album on Musea entitled
Sunset Gun. A dramatic instrumental assault that
blends the best aspects of ‘70s fusion with exotic World Beat
motifs, Sunset Gun rocks hard yet keeps the progressive flame
burning brightly. Perhaps it’s the fact that these guys are brothers,
but there’s a musical chemistry at work here that makes Kopecky
one of the most intriguing progressive instrumental outfits currently
working on either side of the Atlantic. www.kopecky.8m.com
NOT LAME - Continuing to prove why they’re experts when
it comes to new pop and classic pop reissues, Colorado-based Not Lame
have a full plate of new pop platters on hand. Comparable to music
by Peter Frampton, Cheap Trick and Badfinger, the sixteen track Perfect
World Radio by The Hawks is a fine reintroduction to
an underrated Midwestern pop group. The Hawks released two power pop
album on Columbia in 1980 and 1982 and the Not Lame reissue of Perfect
World Radio, under their Archive series, collects tracks
that represent the band’s third unreleased album along with a
selection of demos of some of their classic songs recorded during
‘79-82. Kicking off with a 1981 Hawks cover of The Hollies’
smash, “I’m Alive”, Perfect World Radio is an
ear-opening revelation for power-pop fans looking for some classic
undiscovered pop. Track by track liner notes and new notes from the
band round out this classic Not Lame Archive reissue. www.notlame.com
OR - One of the new instrumental bands to emerge from the recent
jam band circuit, Particle released their latest opus in 2004,
appropriately titled Launchpad. Described as
a mix of high-octane funk and electronic soundscapes, the quartet
is fueled by the driving fusion guitar sounds of Charlie Hitchcock
and the sizzling synth riffs of Steve Moliltz. Although
there’s a jam band / acid house music vibe here, the band’s
all-instrumental approach also owes a musical debt to ‘70s fusion
kings Return To Forever as well as English space-rockers like Ozric
Tentacles and the original space rock band, Gong. Maybe this is a
good time to bring back the ‘70s! www.particlepeople.com
POLYDOR - Celebrating the 40th anniversary of the arrival of
The Beatles on American shores, Polydor / Chronicles released
a 2004 DVD audio / video compiling the very first sessions recorded
by The Beatles and singer-songwriter Tony Sheridan entitled
The Beatles With Tony Sheridan - The Beginnings In Hamburg:
A Documentary. These early Beatles sessions, recorded with
lead singer Tony Sheridan, during 1961 and ‘62 in Hamburg, is
still the stuff of legends. The fact is, that pre-Beatlemania, John,
Paul, George and the group’s first drummer, Pete Best made some
cool tracks with front man Sheridan and the audio portion of the DVD
features 16 of them—accompanied to great effect by 200 vintage
photographs—including the poignant Sheridan-penned “Why”
along with cool covers of early ‘60s pop favorites like “Ruby
Baby”, “Nobody’s Child” (later covered by George
Harrison and The Traveling Wilburys), “Kansas City”
and “Ain’t She Sweet” (featuring John Lennon
on vocals). Another fine reason to check out this vital slice of early
Beatles history—besides the incredible packaging—is the
16 track DVD video portion of the single disc set featuring recent
documentary style clips with early Beatles luminaries like early manager
Allan Williams, Beatles cohorts Klaus Voorman and Astrid
Kirchner as well as Sheridan himself. www.umusic.com
RAIN CORPS. LTD. - They started out as a band back in 1975
and finally in 2002 Rain released their first Beatles tribute
CD entitled Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! Featuring thirteen tracks
recorded live and in the studio, Rain: A Tribute To The Beatles,
features the quartet doing spot on covers of huge Beatles hits,
from the lead off version of “I Saw Her Standing There”
to the CD closer “The End”. All four members of Rain—including
(Paul) Joey Curatolo (bass and production) and guitarists Steve
Landes (rhythm) and Joe Bithorn (lead)—have
been members of the Broadway production of Beatlemania at one
time or another and with Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! they carry on the
timeless Fab Four sound and spirit. www.raintribute.com
RITMO FLAMENCO - Rarely is flamenco guitar performed as eloquently
as it is on the latest CD by Canadian flamenco master Roger Scannura.
Having recorded four studio albums over the past ten years, the guitarist
assembles ten of the finest tracks in his repertoire on his fifth
CD—a career overview entitled Encore! Originally
from Malta, Scannura studied for years with the flamenco guitar masters
in southern Spain, absorbing the lifestyle and music of the Gypsies.
In 1995, Scannura formed the Toronto-based Ritmo Dance Company with
his wife, flamenco choreographer Valeria Scannura. Amid the
guitar mastery on Encore!, Scannura even breaks out the electric
guitar on “Angelica”. An eight track masterpiece of flowing,
accessible Nuevo Flamenco and Afro-Cuban sounds tastefully seasoned
with artful violin, percussion and palmas/vocal accompaniment, Encore!
is an intriguing and artfully recorded instrumental flamenco guitar
music played with just the right amount of passion and grace. www.ritmoflamenco.com
ROCKET / UMG - Back in the days of platform shoes, big hair
and double albums, pop idol Elton John shot back on the scene
with a double Lp still widely accepted as being among his best and
most celebrated. Featuring timeless Elton John & Bernie
Taupin classics like “Love Lies Bleeding”, “Grey
Seal” and “Saturday Night’s Alright For Fighting”,
Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, spent eight weeks
in the #1 spot after it’s October ‘73 release and has sold
millions since. The competition was pretty steep back in 1973 yet,
if anything, Elton’s emergence as one of rock’s leading
thespians insured the album’s immense popularity over the years.
A slew of UMG related label’s, including Elton’s own Rocket
Records, have joined forces for their 30th anniversary Deluxe
Edition of GYBR. Produced by the late, great Gus Dudgeon,
the album has been remastered and remixed complete with bonus b-sides
and an acoustic version of the album’s centerpiece, “Candle
In The Wind” in two formats—a two SACD hybrid and a double
SACD hybrid packaged with an hour long DVD rockumentary on the making
of the album. Remastered from the original multi-tracks, the new deluxe
GYBR boasts the expert audio tweaking of Greg Penny.
Spotlighting timeless performances by Elton and his band—including
guitar ace Davey Johnston, drummer Nigel Olsson and
orchestrater Del Newman—Goodbye Yellow Brick Road provided
a pivotal pop moment that in retrospect captured the essence of that
golden early ‘70s post-Beatles pop era. www.eltonjohn.com
SHELLFACE / JEFF CURTIS MUSIC - Although he claims that British
guitar hero Jimmy Page was "probably the biggest influence on
my playing and approach to composition", Long Island native Jeff
Curtis sounds equally influenced by the acoustic ramblings of
guitar masters like Alex De Grassi, Jorma Kaukonen and Leo Kottke.
Back in 1998 Curtis released a fine solo CD debut, entitled Dreams,
and with the 2003 release of The Next Place he
takes his acoustic guitar vision to new heights. Assisted by a
number of players, including Andy Lowe (on electric 6-string
fretless bass and electric 6-string upright bass), Curtis and his
Taylor 314CE takes center stage on an instrumental fingerstyle album
that’s both serene and thoughtful. A meditative, orchestral acoustic
guitar soundtrack, The Next Step might be considered New Age
by some, yet there’s enough original, rootsy Americana guitar
sounds on the 17 track CD to make it clearly of interest to anyone
who appreciates the finest of the ‘New Acoustic’ genre.
Among the many highlights on The Next Step is an excellent
Curtis solo cover of the Led Zeppelin IV classic, “The
Rain Song". www.jeffcurtismusic.com
SHOUT! FACTORY - The Stax Records story comes to life
again with a 2004 CD / DVD entitled Soul Comes Home: A Celebration
Of Stax Records And Memphis Soul Music, on Shout!
Factory. Captured at the opening of the Stax Museum in Memphis
on April 30, 2003, the star-studded live concert event features spotlight
performances from some of the biggest and best Stax artists appearing
before a seasoned and awe-struck audience of long time Stax fans.
Backed by the great Booker T. & The MGs, featuring guitar
great Steve Cropper, Stax legends like Eddie Floyd,
The Bar-Kays with Chuck D, Mavis Staples, Isaac
Hayes and more recreate some of their trademark Stax sounds of
the ‘60s. In addition to capturing the entire once in a lifetime
concert event, the nearly two hour DVD adds in special feature chapters
on the Stax Museum, the Stax family, remembering Otis Redding,
“Cooking Up “Green Onions” with Booker T. & The
MGs and “The Birth Of The Bar-Kays”. www.soulsvilleusa.com
SPLASC(H) - A Professor of Guitar at Boston’s Berklee
College of Music since 1977 and a recording guitarist who tours extensively
throughout Europe, Garrison Fewell released his sixth CD late
in 2003. Recorded in Milan and released on the Italian Splasc(h)
Records label, Red Door Number 11 is an elegant jazz date
teaming Fewell’s guitar with longtime collaborator George
Cables (piano) and the Italian rhythm section of Attilio Zanchi
(bass) and Gianni Cazzola (drums). The ten track CD features
some of the smoothest and coolest instrumental guitar jazz in recent
memory and the originals by Fewell and company are balanced by fine
readings of jazz classics by Billy Strayhorn, Irving Berlin,
Harry Warren and Thelonious Monk. Centered around the
cinematic feel of the original title track, Fewell’s evocative,
intuitive guitar lines and phrasings evoke the spirits of masters
like Kenny Burrell and Jim Hall while the fine interplay between all
the musicians sets a new standard in modern jazz guitar. www.garrisonfewell.com
SUNDAZED
- Sundazed has a great selection of Byrds
titles that they’ve reissued, believe it or not, there’s
quite a bit on big old black vinyl Lp records. They’ve also issued
a classic Byrds early years double CD collection entitled The Preflyte
Session. In early 2004, Sundazed simultaneously reissued CDs of
the first two solo albums from Byrds legend Roger McGuinn.
The beefed up Sundazed reissue of McGuinn’s 1973 solo CD, simply
titled Roger McGuinn tags on a pair of bonus tracks
and new notes by Jud Cost. Recorded in L.A. in the aftermath
of McGuinn’s final dissolution of the Byrds name, interestingly
at the behest of co-founder David Crosby, the Roger McGuinn
album is oozing with the classic Byrds psych-pop sound
further enhanced with contributions from Bob Dylan, Beach Boys
surf-rocker Bruce Johnston, Byrds buddies Gene Clark,
Michael Clark and Crosby in addition to L.A. session guns Jerry
Cole, Hal Blaine and Jim Gordon. Taking additional
songwriting credits are McGuinn songwriting cohorts Jacques Levy
and Bob Hippard. Best known for the album’s radio
friendly Beach Boys send-up simply known as “Draggin”—featuring
Johnston’s Wilsonian harmony and one time Beach Boys sax man
from the Surf’s Up era Charles Lloyd—the Sundazed
reissue of Roger McGuinn marks the album’s long awaited
U.S. reissue. Another McGuinn title reissued in 2004 on CD by Sundazed
is Peace On You. Like his self-titled ‘73
album, the 1974 release of Peace On You found McGuinn in the
company of album producer Bill Halverson, resident L.A. wild
men Flo & Eddie, guitarists Tommy Tedesco and Al
Perkins and the legendary rhythm section of Russ Kunkel and
Lee Sklar. Another key element in the Peace On You album
was the songwriting and arranging contribution of Blood, Sweat &
Tears founder Al Kooper, who also added keyboards and guitar,
with McGuinn adding, “Al Kooper was one of the great things that
happened with Peace On You. I’d always liked his work.”
Both of these pivotal Sundazed reissues features a wealth of classic
Byrds-inspired pop and with bonus tracks on each, there’s more
than enough data to fill in the blanks regarding McGuinn’s arrival
as a solo artist. www.sundazed.com
TELARC - Guitarist John Pizzarelli covers a wide range
of Brazilian-inspired music, both old and new on his fifth CD for
Telarc, the appropriately entitled Bossa Nova.
Of note on this 2004 release are new Pizzarelli covers of five classic
songs composed by bossa nova king Antonio Carlos Jobim, including
‘60s favorites like “The Girl From Ipanema”, “One
Note Samba” and “Desifinado”. Backed by a range of
fine players including Ray Kennedy (piano) and Martin Pizzarelli (bass),
Pizzarelli supplies all the guitars and his cool-jazz vocals interpretations
of Jobim’s tropical Brazilian standards offer fresh revelations
for long time fans and will introduce a whole new generation of listeners
to the magic of Jobim and Brazil. Bossa Nova was produced by
Russ Titleman and also features Paulinho Braga, who played drums with
Jobim for years. Surely, alot of Jobim music was playing back in the
‘60s in the home of New Jersey-native Pizzarelli, who’s
father, Bucky Pizzarelli is among the living legends of the jazz guitar
world. Furthering the Bossa Nova Studio finesse is Don Sebesky
who arranged the flutes and strings as well the vocals of Jobim’s
grandson, Daniel Jobim. Highlights include Pizzarelli’s splendid
vocal of the Jobim favorite “Water’s Of March” and
a soaring set closing guitar instrumental, composed by Pizzarelli,
called “Soares Samba”. www.johnpizzarelli.com
Attention Artists and CD
and DVD Companies:
Have your release reviewed in MWE3.com and 20th Century Guitar. Send
to Reviews Editor Robert Silverstein, P.O. Box 630249, Little Neck,
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