SADAO WATANABE - OUTRA VEZ
One of our favorite sides of music from Sadao Watanabe – his
ongoing love of Brazilian jazz and the bossa nova format – served up here in a
sweet small group set that's got all the sparkle and charm of his vintage bossa
albums of the 60s! Watanabe's alto has this wonderfully feeling sort of quality
– sharp edges that evoke just the right sort of tristesse to make the tunes
work just right – all original numbers penned by Sadao, and cuts that go way
past the usual bossa standards! The group's got a gentle rhythm approach, but
swings strongly in a straight jazz style too – with a lineup that includes
Fabio Torres on piano and Swami Jr on guitar – plus mighty nice bass and
percussion. Fabiana Cozza sings a bit on the record, but the set's mostly
instrumental – and titles include "Cabo Verde Amor",
"Pelourinho", "Outra Vez", "Color Of Spring",
"Reqiuem Of Love", and "Simpatico". ~ Dusty Groove
BOB JAMES - ALONE: KALEIDESCOPE BY SOLO PIANO
A side of Bob James that we maybe never knew existed – a
solo piano mode, but spun out here with all the fluid sensibility we love from
Bob's Fender Rhodes days! The acoustic keys are filled with warmth and tone –
and the playing here definitely shares James' traditional love of space between
the notes – especially the left hand lines, which wash out gently while Bob
pushes a more complex agenda with his right! The "kaleidoscope" in
the title is very well-put – as the album shifts in these surprising and
cyclical ways throughout – waves of pianistic brilliance that never let up
throughout. Titles include "Restoration", "Karensansui",
"Wild Stallion", "Never Let Me Go", "Garbo
Redux", "Put Our Hearts Together", and "Scarborough
Fair". ~ Dusty Groove
SOULFUL ORCHESTRA - A MOOD SO
A group that really lives up to its title – and one with a
sound that's proudly in the mode of the best Northern Soul of the 60s! The
backings are full, and done in a style that's strongly inspired by Detroit soul
of the Motown years – a bit rougher and more funky overall, given the indie
level of production – and a nice change from some of the more 70s-oriented
combos on the market! Maya Giglio sings leads on most tracks – with a quality
that's nicely gritty at most points, and mostly in English – except for a few
very cool numbers that feature lyrics in Italian. A few tunes have slight
contemporary touches, but the overall sound is pretty 60s all the way through –
and tracks include "Don't Freeze On Me", "Occapella",
"I'm Mad At You", "Questo Mondo Non Mi Va", "Secret Love",
and "Bring It On Home To Me". ~ Dusty Groove
No comments:
Post a Comment