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November music reviews

Amici – The Opera Band: Forever

Victor

If you have to be a classical snob to hate this release then count me in. This surely is a sick joke (thanks Editor), if only I found it funny.

Take some of your favourite songs from whatever, blow them up into senseless arrangements then get some agreeable looking ‘singers’ with average voices to blast away into a highly manipulated processed recording and you get the idea. Truly, truly tragic. Required only if you are have one of those bad taste collections that come out when boring guests overstay their welcome.

Painful. Excruciating. I’d rather go to a bagpipe recital. Any day. Allan McFarlane

Patricia Barber: Live - A Fortnight in France

Blue Note

Coolly modern jazz. Patricia Barber and her trio have done it again. This time they give you the full experience of being at a concert in an album with a wonderful mix of 50% covers and 50% original material.

It ranges all the way from the progressive and purely instrumental Crash to the haunting Laura to the cutting and perceptive new track Gotcha with great paranoid lines like ‘I gotcha comin’ /I gotcha goin’ /…your edifice is starting to crack and peel/ your girlfriend is starting to panic and steal’. This is a songwriter and singer at the height of her craft.

This CD will not be for everyone as some of the tracks like Whiteworld are experimental and there are variations in the tone and speed of tracks that does not make this an easy listen. My favourite album of hers is still the intimate album Companion recorded at the Green Mill in Uptown Chicago. But for the more adventuresome this is a tightly produced and recorded album that even with the addition of the Copy Control technology gives a real sense of being there. John Groom

Tony Bennett: Cloud 7

Columbia

The desire or otherwise of this very welcome and hugely informative release comes down to one factor, the voice. Judging by the reaction in our household you will either love or hate Tony Bennett’s voice, but there is absolutely no denying the meticulous phrasing, an education it itself, the effortless delivery and the excellence of the material chosen on this, his very first Columbia recording (1955) finally reissued on CD in Bennett’s self-chosen Tony Bennett Master Series.

Now classic songs such as My Baby Just Cares For Me, Old Devil Moon and Love Letters are wondrously interpreted, placed in a small group setting featuring guitarist Chuck Wayne. If you have an interest in the early work of Sinatra, Dean Martin and the like, then this would be well worth seeking out. Allan McFarlane

Candido & Graciela: Inolvidable

Chesky Records

Comeback albums are all the rage, but who would have thought that an album from 82 year old Candido Camero and 88 year old Graciela would be possible, let alone great. Graciela, who was known as the “first lady of Afro-Cuban jazz”, is hobbled by arthritis and rarely performs in public anymore. Her voice is full-bodied and does not shake (save a little vibrato every now and then) and her timing is perfection. Through the late 1940s and 50s Candido Camero played congas with Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker who pioneered the fusion of Cuban rhythms and big band jazz that came to be known as Cubop. Candido is responsible for the evolution of the triple conga set-up and was featured as a soloist with Stan Kenton’s band in the mid-1950s.

These two old friends have been lured out of semi-retirement to perform a number of traditional Cuban songs. To provide authentic Latin sound they are joined by an all star Latin jazz band. Chesky have a done an excellent job of recording the music, and the flute on Cachita captures the ambience of the recording venue, a Manhattan church. The natural acoustics of the recording venue give the album a live feel that is entirely in keeping with the music.

It is unbelievable that these octogenarians have created this album that is Inolvidable, unforgettable. Richard Nelson

The Finn Brothers: Everyone Is Here

Parlophone

Between them the Finn brothers have had more hit singles than the rest of New Zealand’s pop artists put together. Some of their more memorable music has been performed together, and so I had high expectations for this joint collaboration. On Everyone is Here, Neil and Tim balance each others excesses and I’m not sure that that is a good thing. That is not to say that this album is weak, it has twelve songs, any one of which could be a hit single, but I found myself just wanting more substance.

The homesick brothers are nostalgic about easier times on Disembodied Voices. All Gods Children sounds like a 70s Bowie number and the prize for catchiest chorus goes to Luckiest Man Alive. Edible Flowers is pure Tim Finn introspection and the sweetest ballad on the album.

The slick American production is on the dry side of parched and instruments like B J Cole’s pedal steel and Don McGlashan’s euphonium are unfortunately pushed way down in the mix. Part of Tim, part of Neil, this album has some glorious moments right up to the final track Gentle Hum.  This pop may be spelt with a capital P, but it just felt too light. On the cover Neil and Tim face away from each other and perhaps that is where true Finn nirvana can be found. Richard Nelson

Janis Ian: Billie’s Bones

Rude Girl Records/Oh Boy Records

Having paid only a passing interest in Janis Ian since the seminal Between The Lines (1975 eek!), I wasn’t quite prepared for the impact this release would have in our household. This is a truly awe-inspiring release.

Janis Ian has an enviable reputation as one of the most poignant of all lyricists, touching on relationships, death, betrayal, global issues and more without once descending into a self-serving banality. Couple this with a true gift for melody and some not half bad guitar playing all wrapped up in a meticulously produced album and you have a sure fire winner on your hands.

Stand out tracks include the achingly beautiful My Tennessee Hills (somewhat surprisingly a duet with Dolly Parton), the chillingly memorableForever Young, the atmospheric Amsterdam and the ‘must hear’ Dead Men Walking. Highly recommended. Allan McFarlane

kd lang: Hymns Of The 49th Parallel 

Nonesuch

On an album of covers, what fresh treatment does the artist bring? Attempt (apparent) increased intensity through revving it up and wringing more overt emotion out of the lyrics – or play it cool and subdued, amending inflections here & there, and scoring subtle (or slumped) incarnations of the originals?

In her Canadian songbook, kd lang generally opts for the former approach – an impression reinforced by the sound engineering which, with its persistent volume-boosting of every element, is often too heavy handed. Nonetheless, there’s plenty that’s well worth listening to. The selection stems largely from circa 1970 and circa 1990, and includes two songs each from Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, Leonard Cohen, and Jane Siberry. This is Lang paying homage to those who have “nurtured my musical DNA”, so the sentiment stakes are accordingly high. Her voice swirls through the songs, reverentially delivering lyrics that invariably have clout and resonance.

Sometimes she sounds serene, for instance in Siberry’s The Valley, when she draws a phrase of seven notes out of a single syllable word with fluent grace. Around her voice, the instrumental ensemble of keyboards, guitars, and strings (drums were rejected on the basis that they would too readily attach each song to a genre) also assiduously supports the ‘songs of praise’ notion of the album. And perhaps, ultimately, it is this declared intent to express respect which inhibits the overall impact of this collection. Sure, you do the covers because you think the originals have class… but maybe too many together, arranged with the same personnel, with a shade too devotional an approach, just risks straining the earnestness factor too far. Maybe. Paul Green

Bucky Pizzarelli, Michael Moore, Johnny Frigo, Howard Alden: Hot Club of 52nd Street

Chesky Records

Picture this. You’re seated in a small New York basement jazz club. On the naked brick walls are photos of jazz greats like Miles Davis and Duke Ellington. The air is thick with the smell of cheap whisky and cigars. An overweight bouncer leans against the wall by the stairs. Two women drinking cocktails with umbrellas talk to the bartender. Why did you drive in from the suburbs? The music starts. It’s a string ensemble consisting of two guitarists, bass and violin. You forget the drab surroundings as the musicians get into their work. The gypsy inspired jazz is upbeat, uplifting, melodic and romantic. The violin of Johnny Frigo sings; the strumming and plucking of Bucky Pizzarelli’s guitar propels the music over the warm earth tones of the bass.

Hot Club is a live concert performance that brings together four talents “to celebrate the enduring musical visions of gypsy guitarist Django Reinhardt.” These are not cardboard cutouts of Django’s music but a re-interpretation that attempts, and I think successfully, to capture the spirit of the legend’s music. Bucky Pizzarelli is a master seven string guitar player. Under his leadership the ensemble revive Reinhardt staples like Nuages and standards like I’ve Got Rhythm in a style befitting the gypsy legend. The superb recording has you seated at the centre front table able to hear every detail of the performance.

Gypsy music is not to every ones taste, but the performance and quality of this recording make it a joy to listen to no matter what your taste. I have no idea what the 52nd Street Club looks like, but this music transports me to my 52nd Street. It can transport you too. Richard Nelson

Josh Rouse: The Smooth Sounds of Josh Rouse DVD

Ryko

One of 2003’s best albums was the delightful 1972 from Josh Rouse. You really ought to go out and buy it right now. Don’t worry, I’ll wait for you.

Rouse, a talented singer-songwriter with a lovely melodic touch, and his band are captured live in concert on New Year’s Eve 2003 in Nashville, Tennessee. About half of the songs are from 1972 with the remainder from Rouse’s previous three albums. The studio performances are well played live, in front of an adoring crowd.

The package also contains a CD of b-sides and rarities, which will appeal to Rouse completists. A documentary film, The Many Moods of Josh Rouse, is on the DVD and, yes, it’s almost as pretentious as it sounds.

Smooth Sounds will reinforce the talent of Rouse to existing fans. But if you’re new to Josh Rouse, then I urge you to seek out his album 1972. You won’t be disappointed. Michael Jones

The Searchers: The Collection

Audio Fidelity

Liverpool’s second biggest group were very popular worldwide through 1963 and 1964. Their jangly guitars and harmony vocals made popular hits from Sweets For My Sweet, Sugar and Spice, Needles and Pins, Don’t Throw Your Love Away and When You Walk In The Room. After a couple of years the hits were over, as musical fashions moved on and expectations were that groups wrote their own material. The 17 songs cover the period 1963 to 1967 and are a superb overview of the career of the Searchers.

Remastered by the talented Steve Hoffman, this disc uses the original 15ips Pye Studio original stereo master tapes. An Ampex mixer of the period was restored and utilised, in order to achieve the sound that the engineers and band would have heard. The analog output of the mixer was mastered straight to high resolution DSD. This disc is a hybrid SACD, playable on both SACD and CD players.

This is an excellent disc. Musically, it’s a great Searchers compilation. Sonically, it’s the best you’ll hear of the music from this Liverpool band. Highly recommended. (This disc may be difficult to source in New Zealand) Michael Jones

Carly Simon: Reflections – Greatest Hits

Rhino/Electra/Warner Music

Gosh, it’s almost thirty years since The Best of Carly Simon came out in 1975 and some 33 years since some of these songs first hit the airwaves. Reflections covers the whole of Simon’s career, from 1971’s That’s the Way I Always Heard It Should Be through to Touched by The Sun from 1994.

Naturally, the emphasis is on Simon’s most successful years in the 1970s, with You’re So Vain, Nobody Does It Better and Simon’s duet with then-husband James Taylor, Mockingbird, being highlights. The 1980s are represented by Coming Around Again and Jesse. Not all the singles from her career are here of course. Perhaps the biggest missing hit is Attitude Dancing, a US #21 hit from 1975.

Sound is pretty good, with the safe hands of Bill Inglot and Dan Hersch handling the remastering. Michael Jones

Triumph – NZ Music Supports The Breast Cancer Research Trust

Sony Music

This fun-raiser collection of recent home-grown chart hits provides a fresh reminder of the strength and depth of contemporary New Zealand music. Greg Johnson observes, on the liner notes, “the more money, the more research, and the sooner a cure”; and the statistics bear out the need for continued urgent attention: an average of 40 New Zealand women a week diagnosed with breast cancer, and 50 a month dying of the disease – one of the highest rates in the world.

The majority of the songs are from the last two years, so it’s very much an ABC (Anika, Amber, Brooke, Bic, Carla, Carly…) of the current kiwi scene. It’s the accessibility of so much of this music that’s immediately apparent. Neat catchy chord sequences, confident adjustments in pace or instrumentation, lyrics that often convincingly combine poetry and punch… distinctive songs which will stand the test of time for a lot of people. Not surprisingly, the selection avoids risking more fringe, less conventional elements of today’s national musicscape, but they’ll have their say on other platforms. Meantime, this will be a safe-bet soundtrack for barbeques for months to come. Paul Green

Women Of Latin America

Putumayo World Music

Ah, the languour, the lustre! And the lingua – those relished rolled ‘r’s and singularly exquisitely enunciated syllables. Of course, it’s sensuous and sultry, spirited and irrepressible – just as one would expect with influences such as salsa, bolero, samba, bossa nova, and/or Cuban, Caribbean, Native American, and (lots of) African tradition washing through the Mexican, Chilean, Colombian, Peruvian, and Brazilian performances presented here.

Add to this diversity the backgrounds of nomadic journeying or exile which many of the eleven women featured have experienced, and you’re beginning to get a measure of the depth that this selection is imbued with. The various permutations of instrumentation (percussion, acoustic guitar, flute, cello, horn) are consistently absorbing. And those voices… just wonderful.

Putumayo’s liner notes offer concise snapshot bios of the artists, and translated samples of the lyrics. Their slogan is ‘Guaranteed to make you feel good!’ No disputing that. Paul Green

Yulia: Into the West

Sony

It is the season for beautiful young women who can sing. At eighteen and quite photogenic, Yulia easily qualifies on two of the criteria. Her singing in several languages is all the more remarkable, when we remember that she only arrived in NZ two years ago from Russia. Whether she is caressing old favourites like Scarborough Fair or tackling Russian ballads her voice is smooth, always in control, expressive with clear diction and easy to listen to.

Her voice is not perfect as there are times of a little nasalness in the upper registers but that is being nit-picking for some one so young and relatively under developed. As her agent so modestly puts it she ‘is an exciting and important discovery in the New Zealand music scene’ and she does in fact have ‘this magical beauty in her voice’. This just goes to show that all promotional material is not hype.

The production of this CD from Sony is at their usual level, and that is not a complement! It is as though Sony cannot believe in their own artists and has to provide every track with complex and luscious backgrounds. Only on the track Russia is she left more alone so that we can start to appreciate the marvelous voice. All we need to do now is to wrap the engineer on the knuckles every time that he touches the reverb button.

In the meantime this will be a long term favourite with all the family and great stocking filler at Xmas. John Groom