ROBERT
GLASPER EXPERIMENT – ART SCIENCE
Tremendous
material from Robert Glasper – a set that takes us back to the brilliance of
his first few releases for Blue Note – while also encompassing all the changes
he's gone through in recent years too! There's definitely some vocals on the
record – but this time around, instead of being sung by a rotating cast,
they're mostly handled by Casey Benjamin – who plays saxes and additional
keyboards on the set – and helps give the whole thing a nicely unified vibe.
Glasper sings a bit, too – but mostly concentrates on giving us some incredible
lines on Fender Rhodes – in those soulful shapes that have made his keyboard
work a delight since day one – and which continue to open up into so many
wonderful directions. Benjamin uses a vocoder at times, which slides in great
next to the Rhodes – and the group also features wonderful bass from Derrick
Hodge, who also sings on one track too. Really wonderful material – as if the
Experiment side of Glasper's work was folded into his small combo ethos – with
tracks that include "No One Like You", "Day To Day",
"Tell Me A Bedtime Story", "Find You", "This Is Not
Fear", "In My Mind", "Hurry Slowly", "Written In
Stone", "Human", and "Thinkin Bout You". ~ Dusty
Groove
JOHN HOLT –
MEMORIES BY THE SCORE (5-CD)
A stunning
collection of work from the mighty John Holt – easily one of the most soulful
singers in Jamaican music, presented here in a 5CD set that's overflowing with
classic cuts from his best years! The collection features 100 tracks in all –
almost all produced by Bunny Striker Lee, who was Holt's best partner in the
studio during these years – which even include some early tracks done with The
Paragons, the group from which John sprang. But most of the work here features
Holt as a solo act – tripping lightly over grooves that begin in rocksteady,
and continue a similar stepping vibe throughout the 70s – often with themes
that are more personal than the message-oriented music of the roots generation.
The package is a hell of a deal at this price – and a hell of a high-quality
collection – and titles include "A Little Tear", "Mr TV
Man", "Left With A Broken Heart", "Yesterday",
"Walk Away", "The Tide Is High", "Rain From The
Skies", "For The Love Of You", "Why I Care", "I
Need A Veggie", "Up Park Camp", "No Man Is An Island",
"The Clock", "Lonely Boy", "What Life's About",
"Stick By Me", "Lost Love", and "My Desire". ~ Dusty Groove
TONY BENNETT
– THE BEST IS YET TO COME
Rare Tony
Bennett material from a really unique source – a series of recordings that
originally appeared on the Let's Go To Town radio show – a program sponsored by
the National Guard, and never issued on any sort of commercial recordings!
Bennett is at a wonderful point in his career – shaking off some of the more
bombastic modes of his youth, and really opening up to the more jazz-based side
of his style – working with pianist Ralph Sharon, and larger backings from the
orchestras of Larry Elgart and Buddy Morrow. The Sharon backing recalls some of
Tony's more intimate sides for Columbia – and five of the set's sixteen titles
feature only piano behind the vocals – leaving the others to hit a bigger band
mode, not unlike some of Bennett's material with Count Basie. Titles include "You
Can't Love Em All", "Marry Young", "What Good Does It
Do", "The Best Is Yet To Come", "This Could Be The Start Of
Something", "Blue Moon", "Happiness Is A Thing Called
Joe", "Just In Time", "That Old Black Magic", and
"Love Walked In". ~ Dusty Groove
No comments:
Post a Comment