BETTE SMITH – JETLAGGER
The debut album by Bette Smith – a singer with a definite
70s look on the cover, and a definite sound to match! Bette was raised in
Brooklyn, where she worked for years to hone her voice to a uniquely raspy
style – but she recorded this album in Mississippi, with a deep soul vibe that
really fits the spirit of her vocals – certainly different than if she were
singing with a funk band up north! Jimbo Mathus is the second creative vision
on the project – as he produced, wrote most of the songs, and even plays guitar
and keyboards – with an overall vibe that maybe feels like some of the rootsier
Malaco productions in the 70s. Titles include "Jetlagger",
"Moaning Bench", "Shackle & Chain", "Durty Hustlin",
"Manchild", "City In The Sky", "I Will Feed You",
and a nice remake of Isaac Hayes' "Do Your Thing". ~ Dusty Groove
HERMETO PASCOAL – NOS MUNDO DOS SONS
Fantastic sounds from Hermeto Pascoal – an artist who first
set the world of Brazilian music on fire in the early 70s, and has continued to
be one of its most creative talents for decades! One of the great things about
Hermeto is not only his own talents as a composer and instrumentalist, but also
his warmly collaborative style, and strong sense of mentorship – which often
has him working with younger players who not only realize his vision perfectly,
but help spur him on to new creative heights! This double-length set is a
fantastic testament to that tradition – as it has Hermeto working alongside his
son Fabio, who helped organize the date – plus other instrumentalists who
provide a range of sharp sounds with the sort of fast changes and inventive
timings that we've really come to expect from Pascoal at his best. Most tracks
are instrumentals – in a mode that's somewhere near jazz, but very much in its
own territory – but the set also has one especially amazing number with
indivdual associates speaking a bit with very cool backing. Titles include
"Viva Piazzolla", "Som De Aura", "Para Miles Davis",
"Salve Pernambuco Percussao", "Viva Edu Lobo", "Um
Abraco Chick Corea", "Rafael Amor Eterno", "Ilza
Nova", and "Para Ron Carter".
~ Dusty Groove
OTTO - OTTOMATOPEIA
That's a pretty clever title from Otto – but then again, the
man's always been one of the most clever artists of his generation – and that's
saying a lot, given that Otto rose up on a big wave of newly creative Brazilian
talents at the start of the 21st Century! All the promise we've loved in his
music is still strongly in place here – wonderful songwriting, of the sort that
can make the tunes completely compelling, even if you can't understand their
lyrical language – served up with inventive production that folds together
acoustic and electric elements to resonate the gentle soul of the lyrics. We've
always wondered why Otto's talents have never broken bigger on a global scale –
but his underground status is maybe one of the reasons we've always enjoyed him
so much too – as we greatly do this time around, on titles that include
"Teorema", "Orunmila", "Bala", "Atras De
Voce", "Caminho Do Sol", "Carinhosa", and "Meu
Dengo". ~ Dusty Groove
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