Mayer
Hawthorne just keeps on rising and rising with each new record – to a level
where he's not just sounding like those 70s influences that have always been a
force in his music, but actually manages to fit right in alongside them with a
seamless sound and completely confident vibe! The album's a near-perfect
reworking of an older AOR vibe – as catchy as Hall & Oates at their best,
as cooly compressed as Chris Rainbow working on his own, and a beautiful a mix
jazzy grooving and soulful vocals as anything to come from the best LA studios
in the 70s! Mayer's tunes are great – extremely catchy without being too
commercial – and he's got this blue-eyed way of putting over his vocals without
ever sounding too self-conscious – quite a rare quality in this era of so many
retro-styled soul singers. Titles include "Book Of Broken Hearts",
"Breakfast In Bed", "Fancy Clothes", "Love Like
That", "Get You Back", and "The Valley". ~ Dusty
Groove
ALEXANDER HAWKINS / EVAN PARKER – LEAPS IN LEICESTER
Some of the
most beautiful work we've heard from Evan Parker in a long time – sublime duets
on tenor with pianist Alexander Hawkins – on long, improvised tracks that build
up with a really sort of special energy between the players! Parker's got a way
of being every bit as sharp and experimental as ever, yet blows with a current
of soul at times – quite a surprise, and a quality that seems to be unlocked by
Hawkins' thoughtful work on piano – in a style that lays out blocks of tones
from the keys, which provide a perfect foil for Evan to explore with a raspy
reed style. We've loved Parker for year – but it's a really special record like
this that makes us sit up and take notice all over again! Titles include
"Jump Start", "Capriole", "The Shimmy", and
"Gambade". ~ Dusty Groove
WALT
WEISKOPF – THE WAY YOU SAY IT
Tenor,
vibes, and organ – a great combination here in the hands of leader Walt
Weiskopf, who also wrote most of the tracks on the record! Walt's records have
been some of our favorites on the Posi-Tone label in recent years – and here,
he works with label heavyweights Behn Gillece on vibes and Brian Charette on
Hammond – with drums from Steve Fidyk in a beautifully balanced quartet!
Charette's got these long-flowing lines on the Hammond that are both
melodically matched and periodically punctuated by Gillece on vibes – with
sounds that can brew slowly together, or really take off – as Walt blows these
nicely-edged solos throughout! Titles include "Dreamlining",
"Separation", "Coffee & Scones",
"Envisioned", "Invisible Sun", "Manny Boy", and
"The Way You Say It". ~ Dusty
Groove
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