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June music reviews

Blue Note Perfect Takes (CD and DVD)

EMI

Described as "arguably the most famous engineer in the history of jazz" Rudy Van Gelder has indeed engineered many of the most important jazz recordings of the past 45 years. His association with the famed Blue Note label has remained very active, over recent years working with the label on what has become a favourite reissue series, The Rudy Van Gelder Edition. Commonly referred to as an RVG, these reissues are re-mastered by Van Gelder himself and in many cases contain alternate takes and bonus material.

This CD is an excellent compilation of Blue Note's finest artists taken from the RVG reissues, including Miles Davis, Hank Mobley, Freddie Hubbard, Thelonious Monk, Kenny Burrell, Wayne Shorter, Art Blakey, Jimmy Smith and more.

The DVD contains an insightful documentary (called Rudy Van Gelder: A Work In Progress) that features a rare interview with Rudy Van Gelder talking about his career, his techniques and legendary studio and all the amazing artists he's worked with.

Also included are in-depth bios on all ten of the artists on the CD, an extensive photo gallery of the work of Blue Note co-founder Francis Wolff from dozens of historical recording sessions, a biographical sketch of the history of Blue Note and (believe it or not) a gallery of Blue Note T-shirts based on a number of the RVGs covers. It's the music and the legend behind all of these sessions that counts. A priceless compilation that deserves a place in every jazz collection. Allan McFarlane

Bohren und Der Club Of Gore: Black Earth

Ipecac Records

" It was our aim to play doom ridden jazz music," so said Morten Gass, keyboard player of this intriguing German quartet. I'd suggest that they have succeeded beyond their most florid nightmares. If you check out the band and album name, the cover art, the fact that it's on Mike Patton's label and song titles like Constant Fear, Skeletal Remains , and The Art Of Coffins you'll see that I'm somewhat outside my normal milieu.

The foundation for virtually all the songs is the simply huge sound of Robin Rodenberg's acoustic bass. This has to be heard to be believed. Playing at funereal pace and never even considering walking up the neck, you're left with amazingly deep and heavy throbs which keep the music moving forwards, if only just. (There are two tempos on the album - dead slow, and then for variety sometimes they play even slower.) At this pace what can only be described as the anti-rhythm section is completed by the brushes and cymbals, and occasional kick drum of Thorsten Benning.   The Mellotron adds an otherworldly chorus to many songs, (overdone at times I think) and the piano, rhodes and organ subtly weave in and out.   Christoph Closer's breathy sax is played the most "jazz" of the instruments when it appears, and is used to great effect on my favourite track, Destroying Angels.

What does all this leave you with? That's a really good question. Undoubtedly this is the darkest jazz flavoured music I've heard (Stanko sounds like a stand up comic by comparison) but there is that cinematic aspect that gets me every time. To play convincingly at these almost non-existent tempos is an art in itself and they get it just right. Only one song, Vigilante Crusade, collapses under the weight of the concept but the other eight are well formed, well played and totally believable. This is a beautifully crafted, brilliantly engineered, atmospheric album that perfectly creates the black mood that they aimed for. Unusual, interesting, and perversely enjoyable. Craig Fenemor

Brazilian Girls: Brazilian Girls

Verve Forecast

I associate the Verve label with jazz, and while that's a pretty broad category, the music of Brazilian Girls falls dangerously near the territory of the hippier trippier realms of pop than jazz of the old school. Think a 'liver', ruder and more eclectic Morcheeba, and you're sort of on the right track. This four piece from New York is fronted by a multilingual young lady of Italian extract with a voice of great versatility, while the three guys banging, strumming, and programming in the wings create a bum-motivating groove to back it all up. If you've crossed-over to the dark side (ie you're over 50), you may not resonate to the very modern musical sensibilities of this band, but I reckon everyone else who've grown out of the Top 40 will just like it a bunch. Is it jazz? Maybe, maybe not, but the Brazilian Girls clearly know jazz when they hear it, and that makes all the difference. Brent Burmester

Nat King Cole: The World Of

Capitol

Tread carefully. In an attempt to cover all possible permutations EMI have also released this DVD/CD combo as a separate DVD and separate CD - all with the same title. The review copy CD contains 28 of his greatest hits and a documentary together with extras on a DVD. With five tracks performed by the King Cole Trio and a well-presented 25-page illustrated booklet with notes by Natalie Cole, Harry Connick Jr, Carlos Santana and more, this is the one to get.

If you need an introduction to the master crooner, then use the DVD. Perhaps a fact such as Nat King Cole had his own national (US) TV show in the fifties will make you sit up and become curious. We're talking about a black man here. More importantly is the effortless artistry with which he delivers all his material, initially as a hugely gifted jazz pianist, then a pianist that was asked to sing a bit, then as a singer who plays a bit of piano. Quite an education given the pretenders that continue to briefly enter the charts.

All the must-haves are there - Mona Lisa, When I Fall In Love, Route 66, Autumn Leaves, Rambling Rose and of course the Unforgettable 'duet' with his daughter Natalie. The DVD throws considerable light on his immense achievements, giving an insight into the mana of this great man in his own country. An essential and highly rewarding package. Allan McFarlane

Duo Jackson: Tarariki

(Self published)

The publisher has kindly allowed me to review this CD so long as I declare my interest. Miles Jackson is my partner's brother. He and his wife Margaret are the Duo Jackson. I assisted with technical advice on their previous recording: A Felicidade.

Now that is out the way; I just thought that there may be a few readers out there interested in new NZ music other than the mainstream.   Miles and Margaret respectively play the guitar and the violin. This particular work has been inspired by the paintings of Colin McCahon and the beauty of the New Zealand forest. The name Tarariki is from "a magical place of great beauty by the Karangahake gorge between Waihi and Paeroa".

The music is evocative and ranges from gently capturing the sound of local birds to the pain of the destruction of the forest. There is no external percussion player this time and the recording is tighter and more flowing than their previous album. Percussion when needed is provided by some innovative striking of the instruments. Think of the album as a musical journey starting with a sunrise in the forest, taking you down a stream past dragonflies skimming across a lazy pool, past people panning for gold into a sunset of the erosion of the forest but culminating in another hopeful sunrise.

The recording is simple (using one pair of AKG 414B-uls microphones) and very clean. This is a real piece of Kiwi "do it yourself" all the way from the composition to recording, graphic design and production. It deserves to be well supported.

Recordings are available via www.duojackson.com . John Groom

The Finn Brothers: Everyone Is Here Special Edition

EMI

Call me cynical, but the process of reissuing a successful album as a "special edition" with extra tracks or video disturbs me. It seems as if the record company is just trying to suck in existing purchasers into buying the album all over again. It must work though, as an increasing number of CDs are reissued as a special edition.

Everyone Is Here is an album that the Finns could not have recorded twenty years ago. There's a maturity in outlook that comes through on these songs that only arrives with many years of life under your belt. The production is awful though, a compressed and homogenised mess, stopping the songs from breathing.

The bonus disc includes five in-concert videos, along with the music video for Edible Flowers. Weather With You is particularly poignant, as it includes the late Paul Hester on drums. Also included on the bonus disc are five audio tracks, four of which were recorded in the album sessions but not included on the album, plus Luckiest Man Alive from the original, abandoned recording sessions with producer Tony Visconti. Michael Jones

Peter Gabriel: Long Walk Home

Realworld

People listen to music for different reasons. Some listen to music to relax, some to motivate, some just as background noise. Whatever the reason we listen to it, the music affects the way we feel, it affects our emotions. This is never truer than during a movie where the music helps to tell the story by setting the emotional tone of the scene.

Long Walk Home is the soundtrack to the critically acclaimed film The Rabbit-Proof Fence. Being PGs third movie collaboration he is now getting quite good at it. If you have seen the film, do not be surprised if you can't remember the soundtrack. There are no catchy singles on this one. PG paints the Australian landscape in great swathes of colour punctuated with aboriginal chanting and the didgeridoo. He also uses bird calls and dingo sounds slowed down to create an airy foreboding that is entirely in keeping with the Australian outback. He also uses material from his latest album Up in the form of Sky Blue whose theme pops up from time to time.

This soundtrack portrays the mood of the film beautifully and as such should be commended. However out of context the music is dark and brooding with no lyrical content and little melody. While I realise this is a music review, I strongly recommend that you see the film The Rabbit-Proof Fence. Richard Nelson

Diana Krall: The Girl in the Other Room, New Zealand Tour Edition

Verve

Comes a Diana Krall tour, comes a tour edition of her latest CD. The Girl in the Other Room is quite a change for Krall. Instead of her normal trawl through the great American songbook, her newest album contains several songs written by Krall in collaboration with new hubby, Elvis Costello. The CD seems more purposeful, even more aggressive at times than previous albums. You've probably heard it by now and have made up your own mind about the music.

The bonus DVD contains two music videos of songs from the album (Almost Blue and Narrow Daylight) along with live versions of Temptation, Abandoned Masquerade and Narrow Daylight again. To my surprise, these aren't video recordings from a live concert, but live recording made specifically for this DVD. It's just Krall with three other musicians in a large room. Nice. Michael Jones

Jimmy Lafave: Blue Nightfall

Red House Records

"Jimmy LaFave is in the first rank of roots rockers to emerge from Austin, Texas. His song writing shows equal passion for road-house rock and romantic balladry. . ." - Rolling Stone. What a relief to have this release to hand after the waste-of-valuable-listening-time Tom Russell release below. From the first bar I broke into a relieved grin and it has returned in many subsequent listens.

For those new to the name, Jimmy Lafave is another of those Red House Records artists that combine exceptional performing skills with the common sense to venture into the studio when they have something worthwhile to say. As a guitarist he is as expert as a Austin Texan is required to be (though he couldn't make a living just pickin') and vocally he sits firmly in the tenor range with a few surprising departures. It's his song writing that sets him apart, and the gloriously emotive phrasing he gives to seemingly simple lines. The 1992 release Austin Skyline bought him to international attention, and it is this release that finally announces a worthy sequel. The title track is a stand out, and for once not the first track, though that is engaging enough to take you through. Other tracks that jump out are Rain Falling Down and Bohemian Cowboy Blues. The tracks Though Its Gone, I Wish For You, When You Were Mine are equally wonderful for quite different reasons. I don't want to spoil the impact by building this release up too much, but if you have any empathy with the myriad of Austin based artists and you lean towards a singer with a highly emotive delivery, then don't hesitate, seek this one out. Allan McFarlane

Helge Lien Trio: Asymmetrics

DIW

Talk about blown away. One listen to this CD and I was sold. With an approach that at times heads towards Tord Gustavsen (though never with his level of introspection or quiet) and at others veers towards to EST and beyond, this music can soothe or exhilarate in the space of a few bars. The constant harmonic explorations of pianist and leader, Helge Lien, and bass player Frode Berg give even familiar tracks edge and excitement. A number of the tracks are fairly free, but even then there is a melodic base that stops the songs turning into sound experiments.

Lien can be tender and contemplative ( Spiral Circle , Nav Og Natt ) or equally you can find torrents of notes flowing forth as on Autumn Leaves . Bass player Frode Berg is simply a monster. You just never quite know what he's going to come up with next. No matter if using fingers or bow, his ability to take a line and run with it is amazing. Then there's the very busy Knut Aaleflaer on drums and percussion. Listen to Mann Av Huse Forbi for an absolutely virtuoso performance by this man, generating wonderful textures and rhythms against the interplay of the piano and bass.

The Helge Lien Trio adds yet more weight to the growing feeling that jazz lovers need to now look to Europe (in this case Norway) for inspiration, freshness and innovation. I haven't heard anything like this before but I want to hear more. There's an edge running through this CD, a feeling at times that they're going to run off the tracks, but just before that point another piece of brilliance ties all the threads together. This is what buying CD's is all about - simply magnificent music making by very skilled musicians. Very highly recommended for those jazz lovers who seek vitality and originality and those who want to be rewarded with more depth at each listen. Craig Fenemor

Tom Russell: Hot Walker

Hightone Records

Tom Russell has chosen to tell the story of one Charles Bukowski and the now lost life style he represents for southern North Americans. He uses audio clips, an occasional song, and spoken word in abundance. Perhaps his Mum cares but I don't. This is a real shocker. One of alt-countries finest has flipped his wide-brim hat. What inspired Tom Russel to release this I have no idea, but more than inspiration is required to sit through it, and frankly life's just too short. Buy a copy for someone you never want hear from again otherwise move on... Allan McFarlane

Thirteen Senses: The Invitation

Vertigo

Lustrous debut from a young Cornwall quartet who already know lots about measured atmospheric combinations of rock grit and symphonic sweep. There's strength, richness and lyricism in abundance here. And control: each song swiftly endowed with a poised mood that's subtly or dramatically developed; though there's a suspicion that sharper engineering could get greater mileage out of them, particularly during more forceful passages.

Predominantly, this is keyboard-driven, over which Will South's often gorgeously-phrased vocal lines interchange with Tom Welham's searing or soaring guitar. With thoughtful counter-pointing bass and drums too, the presiding impression is of a band making a very integrated impact with their writing and performance. They have a serious sincerity and a versatility (switching from robust to yearning, aggrieved to inspired) which promises much. And yes, we know the path to elusive glory is strewn with Auspicious Potential casualties, but I'd love to hear how these guys interpret mid-life crises, further down the line.

Meantime, a humble wish-list for the next album: (re)visit Jaco Pastorius, draw in guest spot vocal accompaniment, and don't overlook string and brass power. Paul Green

Toy Love: Cuts

Flying Nun/Festival Mushroom Records

The Toy Love album review is on a dedicated page. Also included is an interview with Toy Love vocalist Chris Knox and comments by recording engineer and producer Glyn Tucker Jnr on recording Rebel and Squeeze, the first single.

La Belle France

Telarc

Treat this album as a sampler and you won't go far wrong. All the works (naturally) are from the extensive Telarc catalogue. Works include those from Debussy, Ravel, Faure Satie, Berloiz and Poulenc. There is nothing here to extend or surprise us. Familiar pieces include Claire de lune, Pie Jesu from Requiem, Pavane and Arabesque No 1. Except as quiet background dinner music I am not to sure what the market for this music will be. The over -all flavour of the album is slightly sickly with too much syrup and not enough bite.

There is one way that this album did work for me. The recording of Debussy Clair de lune reminded me of what a fabulous pianist John O'Connor is; I might just go and buy his album of Piano Classics. See: it does work as a sampler. John Groom

Jonathan Lemalu: Opera Arias  

EMI Classics

It was exciting enough when the New Zealand born Samoan bass-baritone Jonathan Lemalu first recorded for EMI Classics in 2001, on the Debut label, with great critical success, but the sequel on EMI Classics full price label, a selection of popular opera arias, takes this Kiwi export to instant legend status.

The recording took place in Wellington, accompanying him is the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, under the conductor James Judd, the orchestra's director since 1999. The arias on this disc are taken from the some of the most famous bass and baritone roles in the operatic repertoire. Arias such as the comical Der Vogelfänger bin ich ja by the bird catcher, Papageno from Mozart's Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute) and A un dottor della mia sorte sung by Bartolo from Il barbiere di Siviglia (The Barber of Seville) by Rossini, highlight Lemalu's gift for comedy and characterization. Lemalu also sings arias from weightier roles, like Die Frist ist um from Wagner's Der fliegende Holländer ( The Flying Dutchman) and L'onore! Ladri!, sung in the title role of Verdi's Falstaff. The diversity of this programme showcases the now well-known versatility of Lemalu as he proves himself to be as powerful and captivating an actor as he is a singer.

Those of us who have enjoyed Lemalu's performances both locally and on disc find the success of this release comes as no surprise. Regardless of country of origin this is an outstanding recital that will give as much pleasure to the expert as the classical beginner. Well worth investigating by all. Allan McFarlane