Monday, August 07, 2017

NEW RELEASES: REGGIE YOUNG – FOREVER YOUNG; GREGORY HOWE; ROSCOE MITCHELL – DUETS WITH TYSHAWN SOREY & SPECIAL GUEST HUGH RAGIN

REGGIE YOUNG – FOREVER YOUNG

He is the guitarist on Elvis Presley’s “Suspicious Minds” and “In The Ghetto,” Dusty Springfield’s “Son Of A Preacher Man,” Willie Nelson’s “Always On My Mind,” Neil Diamond’s “Sweet Caroline” and Dobie Gray’s “Drift Away,” among so many other legendary songs.  His name is Reggie Young. Reggie is now featured on a brand new album by an artist making his debut as a bandleader.  That artist is – wait for it – Reggie young! At 79, after six decades of stellar appearances, backing megastars and super stars alike, and receiving accolades from names like Clapton and George Harrison, Reggie is at last responsible for an album of his own materials, the aptly titles Forever Young.

Recorded primarily at La La Land Studio in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, Forever Young features seven instrumental tracks written and produced by Young.  They showcase his unique and supremely soulful six-string sound.  Not only that, the rest of the performers on the record include mainstays of the Memphis, Nashville and Muscle Shoals eras of the 60’s and 70’s.  Forever Young is excellent news for fans of tasty southern-style country-soul, and good news for Young, who finally gets to emerge from the shadows cast by some of the greatest performers in rock music history to stand-on his own, and at long last, in the spotlight.

GREGORY HOWE - GREGORY HOWE

A very different set from Gregory Howe – an artist who you might know from jazz recordings as part of the Wide Hive Players, and on other projects for that label as well – stepping out here as a surprisingly compelling singer/songwriter in a whole new mode! Gregory supplied the lyrics for all tunes, and sings in this raspy style that's really great – offset by warmer guitar work, and some nice use of additional strings, too – gently, with production that's almost in a cool 70s mode – never overdone, and really fitting the spirit of the tunes. Titles include "The Things We Do", "Life Is Rain", "Work It Out", "Flower In The Weeds", "Chasing Shadows", "Reaching Higher", and "Concertina".  ~ Dusty Groove

ROSCOE MITCHELL – DUETS WITH TYSHAWN SOREY & SPECIAL GUEST HUGH RAGIN

Very spare sounds from Roscoe Mitchell and drummer Tyshawn Sorey, but still very sharp-edged too – and in a way, a mix of deeper thoughts and spontaneous energy that reminds us a lot of some of the more "out there" moments of the Art Ensemble back in the 70s! Roscoe's reeds have those complex qualities that we've heard in recent compositional work – but the overall approach is a bit looser, too – and clearly dictated by the range of percussion added by drummer Tyshawn Sorey. Trumpeter Hugh Ragin blows a fair bit on the record too – adding in sounds that shift from textural to musical – and overall, it may well be his tracks that we like the best. Titles include "The Horn", "Bells In The Air", "Out There", "A Cactus & A Rose", "Meadows", "A Game Of Catch", "Waves", and "Windows With A View".  ~ Dusty Groove


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