Tuesday, October 15, 2013

NEW RELEASES - SADAO WATANABE, BOB JAMES, SOULFUL ORCHESTRA

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


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