LARRY CORYELL - THE HEAVY FEEL
Joining Larry are Saxophonist George Brooks, Drummer Mike
Hughes, and Bassist Matt Montgomery. The album sounds like a collect of Larry's
career. Big open sounding tracks like Ghost Note, Polished and Heavy Feel
juxtapose tracks like River Crossing and Oasis Path showing Larry's acoustic
side. 2011 East Sharing Air and The Way It Was are sure to be radio pleasers. The guitar virtuoso Larry Coryell has had and up and down
career. And quite unjustified being overshadowed by others - be it Jimi Hendrix
or John Mclaughlin - for most of his long time as a first class musician. Starting of as psychedelic pioneer with Free Spirits and
then producing a string of fabuluos jazz/rock albums likeAt the Village Gate
and Coryellbefore almost hitting the big time with the splendid Eleventh House.
And performing and recording with the likes of Jack Bruce, John Mclaughlin,
Carla Bley, Gary Burton. But after that he seemed to loose focus and producing
a string of rather dissatisfactory albums - except for some forrays into world
music, Larry like McLaughlin always been inspired by Indian music. As one of the pioneers of jazz-rock -- perhaps the pioneer
in the ears of some -- Larry Coryell deserves a special place in the history
books. He brought what amounted to a nearly alien sensibility to jazz electric
guitar playing in the 1960s, a hard-edged, cutting tone, phrasing and note-bending
that owed as much to blues, rock and even country as it did to earlier,
smoother bop influences. Yet as a true eclectic, armed with a brilliant technique, he
is comfortable in almost every style, covering almost every base from the most
decibel-heavy, distortion-laden electric work to the most delicate, soothing,
intricate lines on acoustic guitar. Unfortunately, a lot of his most crucial
electric work from the '60s and '70s is missing on CD, tied up by the erratic
reissue schemes of Vanguard, RCA and other labels, and by jazz-rock's
myopically low level of status in the CD era (although that mindset is slowly
changing). ~ Amazon
MELODY GARDOT – CURRENCY OF MAN
The highly-anticipated ‘Currency of Man’ is an intensely
creative milestone, transcending musical distinctions of jazz, blues and
R&B, to offer a stirring social and musical statement. On the new album,
Melody joins forces again with Grammy Award-winning producer Larry Klein. This
striking musical partnership saw their last collaboration, 2009’s ‘My One and
Only Thrill’, sell over 1.5 million copies, and produce songs that have become
modern classics. ‘Currency of Man’ marks a substantial leap forward indeed, as
we see Gardot take her gift for songwriting in a completely different direction
to her last record, the critically acclaimed release ‘The Absence’. ~ Amazon
DAYME AROCENA – THE HAVANA CULTURA SESSIONS EP
Brownswood and Havana Cultura are delighted to announce this
new EP from Cuban singer, composer, arranger, choir director, and band leader
Daymé Arocena. At just 22 years old, Daymé is already a skillful, charismatic
presence in Cuban music. Recorded in just a few days in London and Havana, The
Havana Cultura Sessions EP is a great introduction to Daymé’s broad ranging
musical talent. Drama showcases her trademark mix of jazz and Latin styles. El
Ruso is what Dayme calls ‘a funny song.’ Its story covers her mother’s enforced
study of Russian during the heyday of Cuba’s relationship with the Soviets.
“Life never says it; does truth tell a lie?” she sings. On Sin Empezar Daymé
glows with the range and use of tones in a superb song. Mellow and slow, its
moving and stunning inclusion of the trumpet playing slowly with elongated
notes. The sharp and crisp drumming and the piano’s impressively subtle phrases
all work in harmony with the chorus and Dayme’s unusually delicate voice in
response to some lyrics. A deep rumba re-imagining of the American torch song
'Cry Me a River' completes the package. ~ Six Degrees
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