POPS STAPLES - DON'T LOSE THIS
The last
material ever recorded by the legendary Pops Staples – raw, rootsy tracks that
are surprisingly great overall – even when augmented by Jeff Tweedy and Mavis
Staples! Pops recorded these tracks in the late 90s, and Mavis held the tapes
for years – thinking that they were great, but needed a little something extra
to be fully realized. So, with just a bit of effort, Tweedy added in a bit of
guitar and bass, plus some other light rhythms – and called in Mavis and other
members of the Staple Singers to just provide some slight added backing vocals
– in a way that never dampens Pops' lead at all. We were honestly quite
suspicious of the project, but find we really like it a lot – maybe even more
than some of Mavis' revival recordings in recent years. Titles include
"Better Home", "The Lady's Letter", "Gotta Serve
Somebody", "Sweet Home", "Somebody Was Watching", and
"Love On My Side". ~ Dusty Groove
ABDULLAH IBRAHIM - THE SONG IS MY STORY
Sublime
solo piano from Abdullah Ibrahim – and a set that also features a bit of solo
saxophone as well! The performance was recorded in an Italian concert hall with
a wonderfully resonant sound – and the material is half compositions by
Ibrahim, and half improvisations that have a very poetic feel! There's a
quality here that's more introspective than some of Abdullah's other material –
dark and moody at times, and set free from some of his more rhythmic
conceptions overall – although never entirely free jazz, and certainly never
avant at all. The package features a DVD of the performance as well as a CD –
and titles include "Marinska", "The Song Is My Story",
"Threshold", "Celestial Bird Dance", "For
Coltrane", "Kalahari Pleiades", and "Just Arrived".
(DVD is NTSC, Region 0.) ~ Dusty Groove
RAHEEM DEVAUGHN - LOVE SEX PASSION
Always-great
work from Raheem DeVaughn – an artist who seems to spin out records with
effortless ease, but always makes music that sounds totally wonderful! There's
a flurry of song snippets and sound at the start of this one – almost as if
Raheem's shuffling through his emotive memory bank, before launching into the
rock-solid tracks that build the album together – all with a warm, seductive
style that never promises to be anything it's not – and which is stated by
DeVaughn proudly in the album's title! Heck, you've gotta love a record that's
marketed with a warning – "Opening this CD will cause the population to
spike" – and when it comes from Raheem, we might well believe it. Titles
include "Black Ice Cream", "Father Rock Lovin",
"Countdown To Love", "When You Love Somebody", "Miss
Your Sex", "Strip", and "Never Never Land". ~ Dusty Groove
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