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
No comments:
Post a Comment