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| CD Reviews | Feature | Reviews & Features Archive | Photo Archive | Contact | MWE3 Home |
| Email: Info@mwe3.com |
Copyright
©1999-2009 MWE3.com, Inc. |
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BIG MACHINE RECORDS - Taylor Swift defied the odds
and in doing so became the most incredible pop success story of 2009.
Released late in 2008, her album debut, Fearless has
remained a fixture on the Billboard top albums chart for weeks on
end and word has it, that it has sold better than any album since
2000. Not only is the girl a knockout but she writes her own material
and has a golden voice to match.
CENTRE
CITY / WIENERWORLD - I never knew there was such a prolific
soul and R&B scene in Northern England but there you go! Check
it out on Centre City / Wienerworld's CD/DVD release of an excellent
various artist collection called Northern Soul. I’m
not sure if there’s a region free DVD half but the 28 track DVD
and 24 track CD presents some really cool, newly recorded, uptempo
‘60s inspired soul music that falls, at times somewhere between
a Four Tops / Motown sound, a little hip kind of Ska music vibe and
the female / male vocal team sound of say The 5th Dimension. Americans
might not know these English artists I presume but they’ll know
where this cool sound is coming from once they pick up on it. Also
noted here on several cuts is that kind of ultra slick sound that
Barry White pioneered back during the heyday of the disco years. The
groove is really great and most of the songs here are also geared
to the dance music market too. The DVD is cool too, with four bonus
cuts more than the CD, featuring all the artists here singing against
a light show backdrop in a near surreal karaoke style. This ain’t
your typical shake your booty kind of release. These tracks are all
memorable, catchy upbeat soul-rockers that will amaze and delight
listeners. A few younger artists appear with mixed results, but it's
the seasoned old time soul singer veterens here that really busts
a move on this modern R&B / soul pop classic from England. 
CRYPTOVISION
RECORDS - Commenting on his new solo album Late Music,
under the name Dennis Diken with Bell Sound, the long time
Smithereens drummer adds, ‘I’m really proud of our work
on this album. And I got to sing lead on most tracks. I guess you
can say that vocals are my second love...next to playing drums.’
The Smithereens are known for their pop finesse and on Late Music
Diken emerges with a fully blessed, self-styled tribute to the
classic SoCal '60s pop sound. To make his L.A. pop dream come to life
in a kind of musical time tunnel, Diken enlists the help of Brian
Wilson’s band—or some key elements of over the past 14 years
or so—including
The Wondermints, famed producer and Brian Wilson collaborator
Andy Paley, as well as Wilson’s first wife Marilyn
Wilson featuring a reunion of her famous '60s group, The Honeys
who appear doing backing vocals. Regarding the Honey’s
contribution, Diken states, ‘It was a thrill to have Marilyn,
Ginger and Diane on board,’ while commenting on working with
Darian Sahanaja and Nic Walusko and their wonderful,
minty fresh sound Diken claims, ‘Their sun-splashed spirit is
evident, especially on “Let Your Loved One Sleep.' As if all
this left coast uber pop class wasn’t enough, pop wunder-kind
Jason Falkner seals the deal with his own contribution. Clearly,
Diken’s love of the wall or sound of the classic '60s harmony
vocal groups such as The Move, L.A. pop innovators The Association,
The Bee Gees and of course Wilson and his Beach Boys conquers the
brave new world of 21st century pop music. Fans who also enjoyed Andy
Paley’s fabled mid ‘90s sessions with Wilson will want to
catch this wave. 
E1
MUSIC - Koch Entertainment changed their name to the more easy
to pronounce E1 Music in 2008. E1 has released a number of fresh rock
and jazz titles and fresh on their release schedule is a 2009 CD from
guitarist Jeff Golub. Golub has impeccable credentials in the
jazz and smooth jazz world and even though many of his prior releases
are instrumental based jazz, on his eleven track Blues For You
he stretches out on a set that also merges rock, blues and
jazzy vocal tracks. Produced by John Porter and recorded in
Manhattan N.Y., Blues For You spotlights a number of vocalists
who worked with Golub in the past including Billy Squire, Marc
Cohn, John Waite and original J. Geils Band singer Peter
Wolf. Even with such an illustrious group of singers appearing,
Golub doesn’t forget his bluesy, jazz-fusion instrumentals. Track
three here, “Goin’ On”—also featuring jazz sax
great Kirk Whalum—smolders with Golub’s fiery fretboard
work, pitting some great soloing between him and Whalum while “The
Blink Of An Eye” is a solid bluesy fusion instro featuring Golub’s
soaring electric guitar sound. Also in Golub’s recording lineup
this time are Shawn Pelton (drums), Tony Garnier (bass)
and Kenny White (keys) in addition to a three piece horn section
including famed trumpeter and long time Golub producer Rick Braun.
Commenting on branching out on the rock and blues vocals side of his
musical makeup, Golub adds, ‘I don’t really differentiate
between styles of music. It’s either from the heart of it’s
not. Even though we love a more sophisticated jazz approach, we can
still appreciate the emotion of a bent guitar string.’ Jazz guitar
fans who enjoyed Golub’s earlier CDs as well as blues and rock
fans will catch a buzz off of Golub’s bluesy rock and jazz combination
here. 
EAGLE
ROCK ENTERTAINMENT - Among the best heritage rock and DVD labels
in the world, Eagle Vision’s 2009 release of Double Down
Live 1980 - 2008 presents two eras of live concert footage
from Texas rock legends ZZ Top. Disc one titled, “Definitely
Then” features 22 tracks caught live on tour in Germany in 1980.
The ‘80 show captures the band in prime form on the famous German
Rockpalast show.
the CD shakes things up with an infectious brew of catchy rock songs
dressed up with power chord pop vibes that goes bluesy when it has
to. The cover art is great and the group lineup still features long
time group guitarists Francis Rossi and Rick Parfitt and
company with further production by Pip Williams. The sound
is vintage ‘70s British rock and roll and there’s a catchy
classic rock vibe in play here that’s kind of reminiscent of
early ‘70s U.K. bands like T. Rex and Slade. Although the CD
was released over in England in 2007, it’s Stateside release
on Eagle is just the ticket to reintroduce Status Quo to American
ears. Also planned for release by Eagle is a DVD release of Status
Quo live at the 2009 Montreux Jazz Festival. 
EMARCY
- Superbly recorded modern jazz, So In Love features
Italian born / NYC based singer Roberta Gambarini backed up
in the studio by a solid band while adding in guest appearances from
top jazz cats including James Moody (tenor sax), Roy Hargrove
(trumpet), George Mraz (bass) and more. The latest in a
lineage of jazz singers in the spirit of greats like Ella, Sarah and
Peggy, Ms. Gambarini is as much at home singing covers of Willie Nelson
and Cole Porter as she is on her jazzy, lounge spectacular Beatles
medley of “Golden Slumbers” and “Here, There And Everywhere”
as well her tribute to Italian movie music maestro Ennio Morricone.
The modern audience tuning in to Ms. Gambarini will not only hear
a fine jazz-pop songstress, but will also witness an album that spotlights
the significance of the songwriter as a continuing source of inspiration
for today’s jazz artists from diverse musical backgrounds. 
EMI
RECORDS- A huge part of the music scene in pre-Beatles England,
Cliff Richard And The Shadows were the biggest pop act in the
world back in 1960. Huge everywhere except the U.S. Cliff, Hank
B. Marvin, Bruce Welch and Brian Bennett are still
alive and well on the 2009 CD release of Cliff Richard &
The Shadows: Reunited. On the 50th anniversary of their heyday,
the 20 track studio CD features new versions of classic cuts. Hank’s
guitar playing is amazing and Cliff Richard’s new performances
of these songs, some written by The Shadows, shows exactly why he
was considered the U.K. Elvis 50 years ago. Recorded and released
to coincide with their 50th anniversary world tour, Reunited also
features Cliff and his original Shadows backed up by Bennett’s
son Warren Bennett (on keyboards), long time Shadows bassist
Mark Griffiths in addition to a number of strings and horns.
Although tracked together in England, in this age of recording by
internet, Cliff’s vocals were recorded in Miami while Hank’s
guitar tracks and vocals were recorded at his famous Nivram studios
in Perth, Western Australia. Can’t wait to see the DVD. 
The
guitars are superbly recorded, both acoustic and electric, and among
the fine players here, Scott Cornette is listed as contributing
guitar textures. It would be expedient to call Church a modern day
Jackson Browne or to compare him to late period Byrds and even The
Eagles. Let’s just say Church takes a page from the folk-rock
legends from years past and jump starts it yet again for a new generation
of music fans. If they’re lucky enough to hear him, early fans
of the the above legends will probably enjoy The Heartbreaks You
Embrace too. 
GEFFEN
RECORDS - Orianthi Panagaris was set to play guitar on
the 2009 Michael Jackson tour in London but after June 25, 2009 it
wasn’t to be. Originally set to be released following the Jackson
tour, the 2009 CD release of Believe introduces Orianthi
as both a gifted guitarist and a dynamic singer-songwriter in her
own right. American groups like The Bangles and Go-Go’s featured
formidable female rock talent, but Orianthi goes the distance, aligning
herself more as a modern guitar sensation in the spirit of her heroes
Steve Vai and Carlos Santana. One look as this demure ingenue and
it’s hard to believe she can belt out a tune like Ann Wilson
of Heart and cut a heavy guitar sound like Prince or Slash for that
matter. It’s gonna take time for the death of Michael Jackson
to set in for Orianthi and millions of other pop fans. But if fans
who dug Michael give Orianthi a listen they’ll find out why Jackson
thought so highly of her guitar gift and stage presence. Backed up
by a rocking band of like minded rockers, Orianthi establishes herself
as a vital new guitar icon for the millennium. 
HUMAN
NATURE - Singer songwriter Jeff Larson is pals with some
of the finest singers and pop artists in the history of West Coast
pop. Larson’s alliance with Brian Wilson’s guitarist Jeffrey
Foskett goes back to the start of the 2000’s. Larson also
worked with surf-guitar great John Blakeley on their great 2001 Daytrips
CD. Now on his 2009 CD, Heart Of The Valley,
Larson once again teams with producer Gerry Beckley. Beckley,
of course, is also a founding member of the group America and mapping
out those influences, Heart Of The Valley features eleven new
songs mainly written by Beckley himself. Larson is a fine songwriter
on his own, so laying down eleven new Beckley tracks, featuring Larson
on lead vocals makes for an interesting twist in Jeff’s career
story. With Beckley not only producing but also writing much of the
music here, Heart Of The Valley is something of a superstar
session with additional guest artists appearing, including Beckley’s
America partner, Dewey Bunnell, Poco pedal steeler Rusty
Young and the aforementioned Jeff Foskett. Also appearing is long
time Larson collaborator Hank Linderman, who shares acoustic,
lead and rhythm guitar chores with Beckley. Fans of Larson’s
many fine solo albums, as well as America fans are strongly advised
to check out the tasty West Coast pop vibe of Heart Of The Valley.
ISLAND
RECORDS - There’s so many flashing musical signposts in the
music of The Yeah You’s that it’s a miracle their
CD debut, Looking Through You works so well. You can
hear a late period Pet Shop Boys dance beat with a blinding musical
sheen that almost conjures up a late ‘80s Yes and possibly a
late ‘70s Buggles sound and so on. Recorded in England and L.A,
the 2009 CD features the English pop duo of keyboardist / vocalists
Mike Kintish and Nick Ingram, produced and recorded
in L.A. by Greg Wells. Their effervescent songs are injected
with big percussive beats, sing along choruses and pulsating electric
keyboards and chiming guitars. Track seven, “Clifftop” has
got to be one of the most infectious driving power pop classic rockers
of the double 0’s. It’s a tough one to get out of your head!
Either way, this is a great modern rock album. Looking Through
You is a fab spin, from start to finish. 
PARADISE
MUSIC - One of the top New Age and music as therapy labels in
the world, U.K. based Paradise Music released Moon Chants
from singer Marie Bruce in 2009. The label has a presence
in the U.S. with the Florida based division of Paradise Music. Even
in this world of global climate change, deadly war and stolen elections,
I still feel there’s still a need for this kind of music. Marie
Bruce has a great voice and she’s written a number of pagan chants
as she describes them, while summoning up the magical wishes and dreams
of those who believe in all things metaphysical. Ms. Bruce has a great
voice, and having written all the lyrics and much of the music, she
receives fine support from multi-instrumentalist Chris Conway as
well as Paradise Music mainstays, Llewellyn and Juliana
who both appear on backing and harmony vocals. Filled with gorgeous
graphics of all their releases, the catalog of Paradise Music is a
real trip in itself. Filled with the ultimate collection of New Age
musical releases, the catalog is the gold standard when it comes to
healing and relaxation music, uplifting and inspirational music, Native
American music, Celtic music, natural sounds, meditations CDs, yoga,
psychic and reiki related CD releases. All these incredible releases
on Paradise summons up the inner angel in your spirit. 
RAINBOW
QUARTZ - Cutting a classic pop album is no easy task. With such
an illustrious legacy of American and British pop always on our mind,
some North American listeners have found new territory in faraway
lands like Holland and the Northern European Scandinavian country
of Norway, home to the very intriguing Wonderwheel. NYC based
Rainbow Quartz released the 2009 CD from Wonderwheel, entitled Safe
And Sorry. Billed as two pop masters, one band, Wonderwheel
is actually a side project from Øyvind Holm (the one
with the funny letter in the first name!) and Ulf Risnes. These
guys sing in English of course and clearly, they’re pretty respectful
to the pop gods of the past like The Beatles, Zombies, Kinks and more,
all the while bringing the classic vintage pop sound of the past into
the future. Well engineered, recorded and mastered, the CD sound is
full bodied and, backed up by a number of players, it quite nicely
captures the sound of what some are calling the new Simon & Garfunkel
of Norway! 
ROUGH
TRADE - Wow, Rough Trade has been a big deal label since the ‘70s.
Hard to believe it's been 30 years! They're a veritable U.K. institution
and long may they thrive. Lo and behold, the label actually released
the 2009 CD from Super Furry Animals. I had a the unique opportunity
to interview SFA guitarist Bunf for 20th Century Guitar back
in early ‘08 on the occasion of the late ‘07 release of
Hey Venus!—commonly referred to as the holy grail of Beatle-esque
pop in the 21st century. Well anyone who knows SFA front man Gruff
Rhys knows he’s an unpredictable beast and true to form he
takes a left turn on the 2009 CD release of Dark Days / Light
Years released on the aforementioned Rough Traders.
During the interview, I became slightly effusive with old Bunf as
I blabbered on about the spot on top 40 style Spector / McCartney
vibes on Hey Venus, so it’s almost a relief to find a
much more kind of less emotive, less infectious yet very much Stravinsky
meets Brian Wilson in the Twilight Zone effect on the Dark Days
CD. After all, these have been dark days and years indeed!
Anyway a few cuts on Dark Days make it back to the best of
the Hey Venus sound including “White Socks / Flip Flops”
and “The Very Best Of Neil Diamond,” while “Cardiff
In The Sun” comes off like a post New Wave meets the Moody Blues
in the 21st century. The cover art is also reflective of the Hey
Venus! artwork packaging and is something you could spend hours
with alone. Like a flashback to just about every genre of music of
the past 50 years, Dark Days Light Years closes out the double
0’s in style. What will the preteens and teens bring us ten years
after? 
heat
on 16 new tracks of rockin’ blues guitar magic. Handling all
the guitar work and a hefty chunk of the vocals, Duke is joined by
top players like Mark Teixeira (drums), Jon Foss (acoustic
/ electric bass), Bruce Bears (piano), Sunny Crownover (backing
/ lead vocals) and much more. Covers of classic rockin’ R&B
giants like Lowell Fulson, Wynonie Harris, Ike Turner, Roy Milton
and more rub shoulders with Duke’s originals. Described as one
of the most versatile guitarists alive today, Duke has done sessions
with Bob Dylan, Dr. John and the late Long John Baldry to name a few.
He’s also cut a number of instrumental sides for Stony Plain
with his New Guitar Summit trio. Guitar driven rockin’ R&B
at it’s finest, Stomp! offers proof that in the right
hands, you can bring the best music of past back to life with new
verve and insight.
VANGUARD
RECORDS - Vanguard continue to amaze with new CDs from rock and
blues legends like Levon Helm and Robert Cray. Also notable among
Vanguard’s mid ‘09 releases is the latest from Carbon
Leaf. The band’s third for Vanguard, Nothing Rhymes
With Woman is full of catchy uptempo rock meets country vibes
that yields some fine results. With electric and acoustic guitars
ringing out, singer Barry Privett has a great selection of
music to sing. Somewhere between U2 and String Cheese Incident, many
of the uptempo numbers boast torch song type choruses that bear well
with repeat spins. A tight rhythm section, excellent studio production
from John Morand and a fine demonstration of multi-instrumentation
on guitars and e-keyboards from Carter Gravatt and Terry
Clark add much fuel to ignite the Carbon Leaf signature sound.
Nothing Rhymes With Woman is clearly a fine introduction to
the Carbon Leaf catalog. 
VANGUARD
RECORDS / NOZZLE RECORDS - Modern blues rock guitar hero
Robert Cray made a solid album back in 2004 called Twenty,
an album marked by a powerful antiwar title track. A label change—Sanctuary
to Vanguard—and the advent of his self-owned Nozzle Records is
the big wheel behind the 2009 release of This Time by
The Robert Cray Band. In the spirit of the searching blues
rock music on Twenty, front and center on This Time
is Cray’s bluesy, soulful vocals and always on target guitar
skills. Still at the core of the Cray band is keyboardist Jim Pugh,
who also co-composed several tracks here, appearing here along with
Richard Cousins (bass) and Tony Braunagle (drums). Even
though Cray always mixes his music with influences from rock, soul,
jazz, blues and gospel, it’s clear his love of the liberating
rock and soul music from the ‘60s that is always central in his
musical message. Blues and rock guitar fans who dig Jimi Hendrix,
B.B. King as well as George Harrison will find much to like about
Cray and his latest studio work. 
ACOUSTIC
TONIC MUSIC - A devout Beatle-maniac, who in his own word admits,
‘Like so many others of my generation I was in front of the TV
set as The Beatles made their first appearance on the Ed Sullivan
show,’ guitarist Bob Evans pays tribute to The Fab 4 on
his recent solo CD, 4 On 6 - The Beatles For Solo Guitar.
The 4 Bob is talking about is obviously The Fab 4 and the 6 he’s
talking about is his six string acoustic. The Beatles have been covered
by everybody from jazz icon George Benson to the Hollyridge Strings,
and on his 4 On 6 CD, Evans does justice to a number of Beatles
favorites. What a golden time it was when the Beatles dominated the
pop charts and had music fans glued to their AM radios or like Bob
said, to our B&W TV sets for the occasional U.S. performance.
On 4 On 6 CD Bob has recorded eleven deftly performed solo
instrumental Beatles covers and he even closes the CD out with his
own vocal / guitar version of “She’s A Woman.” In addition
to that very cool cover art—copying the Capitol Lp label artwork
that graced so many classic Beatles albums—4 On 6 also
features a neat booklet with Bob’s Beatles related background
and info on his guitar tunings. 
Much the same could be said about Tarquin’s 2009 instrumental
guitar tribute to Eric Clapton entitled Eric Clapton
Salute - I Feel Free. BHP did such a great job on their
Hendrix tribute so it’s not surprising that their various artists
Clapton CD features some of the same guitar slingers performing their
favorite Clapton related track without words. Highlights include a
cover of “Badge” by James Ryan, a soulful cover of
“Tears In Heaven” by Doug Doppler and two covers
of “I Feel Free,” the first Cream single—written by
BLACK
HEN MUSIC - I’ve always liked guitarist Steve Dawson.
Recording up in Canada on his Black Hen Music imprint, Dawson released
a classic bluesy pop tribute to Mississippi Sheiks in 2009 entitled
Things About Comin’ My Way. Just before the Sheiks tribute,
Dawson released an intriguing steel guitar based instrumental album
in 2008 entitled Telescope. Backed by a solid
band—including drummer Scott Amendola—Dawson turns
in a very respectable performance on pedal steel, acoustic, electric,
baritone and slide guitars as well as ukulele, banjo, pump organ,
marxophone, piano and glockenspiel. On 
Telescope
Dawson covers a staggering range of instrumental moods and modes.
This is the kind of steel guitar recording that would appeal to fans
of Robbie Robertson and The Band. It’s just that melodically
and systematically eclectic. Of course there’s some fantastic
steel and pedal steel players around—including the renowned Greg
Leisz, who Dawson claims taught him quite a lot. Even so, wiith the
rock music underpinning to the Telescope framework, Dawson
sets himself up as a modern day purveyor of rock based instrumental
steel guitar sounds. Rock fans who love great guitar instrumentals
as well as country pickers and jazz-fusion buffs who take it kind
of way out there will get a charge while listening to Telescope.
Telescope and Black Hen’s ‘09 blues-pop tribute to Mississippi
Sheiks are completely different in sound and style, yet both are connected
by Dawson’s impeccable credentials as guitarist, artist and producer.
The CD cover art is also quite amazing. 
DREADNOUGHT
RECORDS - American music is really an amalgam of a variety of
music—from the old world folk music of England and Brittany to
the percussive tribal beat coming out of countries in Africa going
back hundreds if not a thousand years. One guitarist who has his pulse
firmly on the distillation of American music is guitarist David
Grier. Grier received accolades in Guitar Player magazine for
his 2007 CD, Live At The Linda, recorded upstate in Albany,
New York. Grier’s unique grasp of American music comes to further
fruition on his 2009 studio album Evocative. Although
he can entertain with an acoustic guitar, Grier joins forces with
a number of musicians on what has to be among the finest guitar based
instrumental albums of 2009. Some of these melodies sound like they
could hark back to America in the 19th century, yet the steady drum
beat and electric guitar leads bring it well into the 21st century.
Assisting Grier on Evocative are top players including John
Gardner (drums), Jeff Taylor (keyboards) and Victor
Wooten (electric fretless bass). The pedal steel guitar sound
of Paul Franklin is noticeable as is the acoustic bass of Byron
House and others. Franklin’s pedal steel works wonders with
Grier’s electric and acoustic guitar playing. Being all instrumental,
the full bodied group sound of Evocative could easily cross
over and make inroads with fans of bluegrass, New Age, smooth jazz
and guitar instrumental genres. Fans of guitar innovators like Chet
Atkins, Mark Knopfler, Hank Marvin and even Peter Frampton’s
recent guitar instrumental releases should take note of Grier. Grier
devotee Martin Mull puts pen to paper so to speak with liner
notes while the neat digi-pak packaging enhances an all around excellent
set of instrumental guitar artistry. 
GSP
RECORDINGS - Anyone who thinks playing guitar is all about sex,
drugs and rock and roll should spend a few years trying to master
the time honored craft of classical guitar performance and technique.
Perhaps that’s what made rock audiences sit up and take notice
of early rock guitar icons like Robbie Krieger of The Doors and a
few years later, Steve Howe and Steve Hackett of Yes and Genesis.
Not only could these guys play rock but they had a healthy respect
for classical guitar icons like Segovia, Julian Bream and John Williams.
INNER
PEACE MUSIC / HALPERN SOUND / DIAMOND SOUND PRODUCTIONS
- If there is such a thing as ‘therapeutic music’, and
I know for sure there is, then the music of guitarist Michael Diamond
falls under that category. As a solo musician, Diamond has 20
years experience, as both musician and journalist, that makes him
uniquely qualified as a therapeutic music master. Released though
the company of New Age music guru Steven Halpern, the 2008
CD release of Diamond’s latest solo release, Indigo Moon
works on a number of levels—from New Age therapy to a
more ambient form of ‘well-chilled’ ethereal guitar based
instrumental fusion sounds. Assisting Diamond on the eleven cut CD
are top players such as Steven Halpern, Jefferson Starship keyboardist
Pete Sears, bass player Michael Bloch and vocalist Eve
West, who lends her Enya-esque vocals to a pair of tracks on this
otherwise instrumental CD. Diamond’s gear includes a number of
high tech devices, all further enabling his synths / samplers and
electric guitars. Filled with an abundance of information about this
unique and satisfying album, the CD artwork is excellent too. If you
enjoy cosmic instrumental music that combines a New Age vibe with
the meditative aspects of spatial rock fusion, that is kind of in
the spirit of mid period Pink Floyd, then you’ll find much musical
inspiration in the music of Michael Diamond, and specifically his
excellent Indigo Moon CD. 
PMB
MUSIC - Based up in Canada, guitarist Paul Blissett released
his latest solo album in 2009. The twenty track Fire And Soul
is a guitar lover’s dream come true. Clearly influenced
by many of the great instro guitar legends—from Les Paul to modern
rock and roll guitar masters like Duane Eddy and Hank Marvin, Blissett
displays a nimble grasp of both rock and roll and country flavored
instrumental guitar music. Although a number of the instro classics
on Fire And Ice have appeared hundreds of times before on Hank’s
albums with The Shadows and various Ventures and Duane Eddy albums,
Blissett makes them his own combining some fiery fretboard moves with
his soul filled affinity for these songs. In the spirit of large ensemble
works of Duane Eddy and Al Casey, Blissett calls on a number of musicians
to fill up his sound stage and for the most part, the album succeeds
with it’s rocking tribute to these guitar classics of yesteryear.
Described
by Gandalf as, ‘A refuge of balance and peace. A place to withdraw
from the noise and craziness in the world,’ the twelve track
CD features Gandalf performing a number of instruments including piano,
acoustic / electric guitars, electric sitar, bells, synths, cello,
percussion and more. A couple guests add in cello and djembe, but
this CD is Gandalf’s masterpiece all the way. If you can’t
chill out or relax listening to this CD, you probably need medical
attention! Gandalf has now recorded five instrumental New Age / meditation
masterworks for Real Music and with Sanctuary he’s still
clearly at the top of his game. Another artist who has built a solid
reputation with his Real Music releases is meditation music master
Chuck Wild, who also goes by the name Liquid Mind. The
latest Liquid Mind release on Real Music, Liquid Mind IX: Lullaby
continues Chuck Wild’s penchant for making music to slow
down life with, to help relieve stress and enhance meditative and
therapeutic practices. With the 2009 CD release of Liquid Mind
IX: Lullaby, Wild devotes the music to the youngest members of
society and surviving loss while celebrating the continuity of life.
The CD is also dedicated to Wild’s dad who passed in 2008. Mostly
ethereal, New Age meditation music, Wild’s music is less structured
than Gandalf, say, but clearly no less sincere and deep. With the
release of his ninth Liquid Mind CD, Chuck Wild continues on at the
forefront of the modern New Age music movement. Also released from
Real Music in 2009 is the latest CD from guitarist / multi-instrumentalist
Mike Howe entitled Time Stands Still. Described
by Howe as ‘An observation and acknowledgment of the beauty and
wonder of nature and a celebration of the joy of learning,’ the
fifteen track CD features Howe performing acoustic guitar, bass, keys
and percussion. Dreamlike and meditative, Time Stands Still is
a perfect fit for the laid back, New Age vibe of what Real Music stands
for. Another ‘09 release on Real Music, Endless Blue Sky
features Kevin Kern performing all piano and synths
while receiving support from Dean Magraw on acoustic guitar
as well as a number of string players. Kern is a Steinway Artist,
(Steinway makes the finest pianos in the world) and clearly if you
enjoy the warm sound of acoustic grand piano instrumentals, Kern’s
meditative approach to piano based New Age is just the ticket. Last
but not least of Real Music’s 2009 CD releases is the latest
from Germany’s Bernward Koch entitled Gentle Spirit.
Similar somewhat to Gandalf’s music, Koch is certainly a
gifted player and he lives up to his reputation as one of the top
New Age instrumental music makers early in the 21st century. Koch
has three other Real Music releases so clearly, Gentle Spirit will
no doubt please long time fans of this legendary instrumental New
Age music maker. Performing piano, keyboards, guitar, bass and glockenspiel,
Koch receives some subtle support from added flute and light percussion
and his meditative mission succeeds here. In addition to the fine
music on these 2009 Real Music CD release, each release features excellent
digi-pak artwork graphics and liner notes. It’s great to see
Real Music continue on their musical journey that label founder Terrance
Yallop started way back in the heyday of the mid 1990’s.
SHOSE
RECORDS - Hailing from New Orleans, guitarist Shane Theriot
was a member of the U.K. prog-rock group The Syn back in
2006 for a spell and he even recorded a DVD with the group on their
brief yet influential American tour in January 2006. Anyway, Shane
is back with an electrifying solo album of high voltage, bluesy, rocky
guitar instrumental tracks entitled Dirty Power.
Featuring a solid band, including tracks with drummer legends, Jim
Keltner and Richie Hayward (of Little Feat), the ten track
Dirty Power also features guest slots by slide master Sonny
Landreth and bass virtuoso Adam Nitti to name some. You
can hear why Syn founders Chris Squire and Steve Nardelli would dig
Theriot’s multi-genre style of guitar playing. Easily merging
from rock and blues to funk and jazz, Theriot straddles the guitar
universe with often fascinating results. The album is well recorded
and will clearly appeal to fans of Ry Cooder as well as Peter Frampton’s
instrumental album Fingerprints. 
Good
buddy Bryon Thompson hails from Indiana and likewise, guitarist Patrick
Woods hails from Fort Wayne, Indiana. Woods made a lot of guitar
fans quite happy with his earlier CD releases—Guitar Expeditions
(2007) and Power Fields (2004). The 2009 CD from Woods,
Vortex Of Discovery solidifies his reputation
as one of the brightest up and coming instrumental finger style acoustic
guitarists in America. Patrick cites legends such as the late Michael
Hedges and Preston Reed as prime influences on his unique blend of
percussive, string snapping acoustic guitar playing that combines
guitar technique with intricate percussion and melodic action. His
‘one man band’ sound has sometimes been compared to a mix
of Andres Segovia meeting Black Sabbath and while that comparison
may be a little extreme, Patrick’s acoustic guitar sound is clearly
influenced by guitar masters of the past as well his love of rock
music, which can be detected in his rhythmic, percussive guitar approach.
Back in the 1980’s the Windham Hill label made acoustic guitarists
such as Michael Hedges, Alex DeGrassi and of course Windham Hill founder
Will Ackerman into well known names. Fans of those guitar giants as
well as modern acoustic guitar heroes such as Pete Huttlinger, Tommy
Emmanuel, Toulouse Engelhardt, Richard Gilewitz, all the way back
to early rock/acoustic guitar pioneer Steve Howe (of Yes), should
give Patrick Woods a chance to impress them with his own unique and
incredible guitar technique and approach. A great example of Patrick’s
acoustic guitar technique merging with his love of rock music can
be heard on track seven, “Lightning’s Kiss,” with its
storming, melodic intro as well as track eight “The Golden Country”
with it’s Steve Howe-inspired wide screen guitar moods. The ten
track, all instrumental Vortex Of Discovery was tastefully
produced by Jay Bentoff. The CD has a crisp and clear studio
sound, capturing all of Patrick’s intricate percussive guitar
slaps and snaps and melodic twists and turns and makes for a very
cool way for guitar fans to spend an hour. Vortex Of Discovery
is a solid spin and before you know it, you’ll be reaching for
that replay button again! 
COMING
HOME MUSIC - One of the best DVD’s ever featuring the king
of rock ‘n’ roll, Elvis Presley, the 2009 release
of Love Me Tender - The Love Songs Of Elvis remembers
Elvis Presley the romantic. Featuring narration by Ashley Judd,
the 80 minute DVD features 22 video clips of classic Elvis love song
tracks—some original, some non-performance and tailor made—each
loaded with vintage historic B&W and color film footage of the
greatest American rock and roll singer. This is more than just a video
collection, with Ms. Judd’s narration and story line succinctly
connecting the tracks to it’s special history. Key elements include
videos from classic Elvis movies, TV shows clips (including his famous
duet with Frank Sinatra), videos from the King's famous ‘68 special
and his Aloha special. Interesting how this DVD shows the tender,
romantic side of the King that endeared him so to his fans, especially
his female fans. In addition to the video clips, the DVD also features
30 minutes of bonus features, interviews and never-before seen footage.
There’s also a companion CD, sold separatedly, compiling twelve
songs featured in the DVD including classics like “It’s
Now Or Never” and of course the title track, “Love Me Tender”.
If you can’t make it down to Graceland to pick up your copy in
the gift shop you can always stop my the DVD’s web site. 
FANTASY
RECORDS - Back in the early ‘70s the release of a new album
from Creedence Clearwater Revival was a cause for celebration, or
at least worth a trip down to Sam Goody! I can still remember being
scared shitless as a young 14 year old kid listening to “Born
On A Bayou” back in early ‘69. Another cool thing about
each new Creedence album was that there was sometimes a wild cover
featured in the band's repertoire. In fact, Creedence first established
themselves on American AM radio with their 1968 cover of the Screaming
Jay Hawkins penned “I Put A Spell On You,” featured
on their first Fantasy album. Like all of the twelve tracks on the
band’s 2009 covers compilation, Creedence Covers The Classics,
Creedence would make these songs their own, further establishing the
group’s connection classic American music history. To their credit,
Fantasy Records has done a fine job assembling and compiling all the
Creedence cover tracks from most of their album releases. Complete
with track by track history of the recordings here, Creedence Covers
The Classics puts a new spin on vintage music from a classic band.
HI-Q
/ MVD VISUAL - Following the Beatles and Stones, simply
put, The Yardbirds were the third coolest band during the heyday
of the first British invasion circa 1965. Didn’t really matter
that Eric Clapton played on “For Your Love” or Jeff
Beck played on “Shapes Of Things.” All that mattered
back then was the band and their new song—guitar
stars came later with Clapton and Hendrix. Song for song, the Yardbirds
had fantastic hit after hit during the swinging '60s and despite the
huge egos of Clapton, Page and Beck, the band soldiered on until they
literally morphed into Led Zeppelin and Renaissance. A most fitting
way this band with the ultimate split personality should turn out.
I was living in L.A. in 1975 and deeply saddened when I heard the
news that Yardbirds singer Keith Relf was found dead. As the
song goes...still I'm sad. Years after their mid to later ‘60s
zenith, The Yardbirds are remembered on a fantastic documentary DVD—mostly
filmed in 1992 and repackaged
and
reissued
in 2008—that expertly encapsulates the group’s brief yet
highly influential existence within the context of their 5 decade
long legacy. A DVD available Stateside, The Story Of The Yardbirds:
The Documentary features incredible interviews with all the
members—including
Slowhand, Beck and Page—along
with rare live b&w footage from the U.S., England and Germany,
where for that memorable time, the band ruled the pop charts. In addition
to the great Yardbirds 'rave up' live video clips of the band in concert
and assorted significant memories is some way cool interview footage
with late great rock impresarios including first Yardbirds manager
Giorgio Gomelsky, Led Zeppelin manager Peter Grant and
late period Yardbirds producer Mickie Most. 
NOBLE
ROT - The mid ‘80s saw the advent of the compact disc and
the myriad of new musical styles that instantly took advantage of
all the dynamic it could offer. One of Seymour Stein’s better
signings back during his then early Madonna era at Sire Records was
the group Book Of Love. Consisting of Susan Ottaviano,
Jade Lee, Lauren Roselli and producer / songwriter Ted
Ottaviano, Book Of Love recorded four killer synth pop albums
for Sire, all of which were reissued during the fall of 2009 by Noble
Rot Records. The band’s catchy synth pop sound is well represented
on these four excellent reissues including their debut CD Book
Of Love (1986 12 tracks + a second CD with 11 bonus cuts),
Lullaby (1988 + 5 bonus cuts), their best album Candy
Carol (1991 + 4 bonus cuts) and their last gasp as a band,
Lovebubble (1993 + 4 bonus cuts). A best of in 2001
brought the group together for some live dates and as Michael Paoletta
points out in his February 2009 liner notes for each of these
Noble Rot CD reissues, Book Of Love may again be on the verge of another
comeback in the coming months. 
PAST
& PRESENT - Over in England, the top reissue label Past &
Present continues plumbing the vaults for a number of strange and
beautiful CD compilations of pop/rock and instrumental music. Released
in December 2009 is Piccadilly Sunshine Part Two: British Pop
Psych And Other Flavours 1966-1971. The heyday of 20th
century music, ‘66 to ‘71 were crucial years in British
pop and rock, often rememberd with the Beatles and Stones dominating
the pop charts. For their 20 track, second Piccadilly Sunshine
compilation, Past & Present comes up with 20 different yet interesting
unknown flower power flavored tracks that, all together, have been
lovingly restored complete with a comprehensive CD booklet filled
with detailed liners. Clearly, with so much amazing pop music coming
out of England then, Piccadilly Sunshine offers yet another
sampling of (mostly unheard of in the U.S.) classic ‘60s U.K.
pop. Still mining the vaults for cool ‘60s instrumental singles,
Past & Present strikes instro gold with the 2009 CD reissue compilation
entitled Get Smarter: ‘60s Instrumental Grooves From Around
The Globe!!!! Again, this compilation is mostly comprised
of unknown artists clearly influenced by ‘60s soundtracks as
well as artists such as U.K.'s John Barry and America's Booker T.
& The MG’s. Described in the liners as 18 tracks of freaky
go-go-phased Hammond wig-outs, groovy party rave-ups, trippy psych
weirdness and laid back lounge influenced funky pop jazz, Get Smarter
is one cool retro instro experience. Again, Past & Presents
packs their set with detailed liner notes on each band here. 
RAVEN
RECORDS - The coolest reissue label in Australia, Raven continues
finding unique ways to pair original masters with rare music. Case
in point is Raven’s 2009 double CD set from Spirit entitled
Live From The Time Coast: The Best Of 1968-1977.
With disc one focusing on key tracks from the original Spirit’s
late ‘60s Ode and Epic Records years, disc two comes off as the
more revealing, kicking off with rare cuts from lesser known Spirit
albums like 1972’s Feedback and a range of music composed
by Randy California for various albums including his famous
Kapt. Kopter as well and a sampling from Spirit’s four
albums on Mercury Records from the later ‘70s. Raven’s 44
track Spirit best of features picture packed liner notes from Raven’s
Ian McFarlane. Also from Raven in 2009 is a two on one reissue
from country rock vocalist Linda Ronstadt. For this‘09
reissue Raven joins together two early Rondstadt efforts—Hand
Sown...Home Grown (1969) and Silk Purse (1970).
Twenty one tracks from the two combined albums feature Ronstadt covering
the best songwriters of that classic first rock era including Dylan,
Randy Newman, Fred Neil, Gene Clark and Bernie Leadon all the while
backed by stellar sessioneers like steel guitarists Red Rhodes
and Weldon Myrick, guitarists Clarence White and
Pete Wade and many more. Of course, a clear highlight from
Silk Purse, and a song played everywhere on FM radio in 1970,
is Ronstadt’s popular classic “Long Long Time,” her
first solo hit single, written by one Gary White. The CD closes
out with a rare, previously unreleased on CD, bonus cut of Ronstadt
singing “(She’s A) Very Lovely Woman,” penned by pop
icon Emitt Rhodes. Raven’s Ronstadt CD is tastefully packaged
with original art, rare pics and detailed liners. Also available from
Raven is a CD featuring Ronstadt’s early band The Stone Poneys.
