Wednesday, October 15, 2014

NEW RELEASES - KENNY WERNER - COALITION; PHILLY CREAM - GROOVIN'; TOMEKA REID - SOUNDTRACK TO HAIRY WHO

KENY WERNER / LIONEL LOUEKE / MIGUEL ZEON / FERENC NEMETH / BENJAMIN KOPPEL - COALITION

Kenny Werner assembles a new band, borne out of his desire to extend his reach and play alongside path-finding instrumentalists. Guitarist Lionel Loueke and altoist Miguel Zenon are two such individuals. Once coupled with drummer Ferenc Nemeth and Danish saxophonist Benjamin Koppel, a true Coalition emerged. Werner's singular sensibilities may have initiated the group as his own, yet Coalition proves itself a rare manifesto on collaborative interplay. This studio project - Werner's sixth recording for the Half Note label - reinforces his reputation as a conceptualizer and 'effortless master' without peer. ~ Amazon

PHILLY CREAM – GROOVIN'

The wonderful return of Philly Cream – a group who made some great records at the end of the 70s, and who seem like they haven't missed a beat at all! The style here is really in the old school Philly harmony mode – maybe the modern soul variant, with some slight contemporary touches in the instrumentation – but an overall feel that has all the vocals coming together wonderfully! Old group member Art Austin is working here with younger female singers Simone Talley and Adrienne Aje – and the record has plenty of musical support from Ingram, with Butch Ingram at the production helm – in a similar mode to the other great recent sides on Society Hill. Titles include "Somebody Told Me", "A Beautiful Morning", "Crystal Blue Persuasion", "Slow Down", "Cowboys To Girls", and "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For".  ~ Dusty Groove

TOMEKA REID – SOUNDTRACK TO HAIRY WHO & THE CHICAGO IMAGISTS


Some of the coolest music we've ever heard from Tomeka Reid – a soundtrack for a film based on the Chicago school of imagist painting in the 60s – nicely scored with music from the windy city itself! Reid composed the different selections on the soundtrack – most of which are different themes for Hairy Who artists, such as Ed Paschke, Ray Yoshida, Jim Nutt, and others – and the music features Reid's cello and the percussion of Adam Vida, plus some slight vocalizations at a few haunting moments! The music is surprisingly tuneful at most points – and quite beautiful as well – and titles include "Jizz & Jazz", "Hairy Shoes", "Tin Eared Tenor", "Dappled Pleasure Dress", "O Number I", "The Design & The Dilemma", and "Snooper Trooper".  ~ Dusty Groove


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