GABRIEL TAJEU – AN INTRODUCTION TO GABRIEL TAJEU
A great introduction to the voice of Gabriel Tajeu – a
singer who has this way of grabbing us right from the very first note, with a
vibe that's classic enough to have made him huge way back in the 70s! Gabriel's
music has a sound that's as sunny as the image on the cover – a style that
reflects both his roots in Alabama, and his handling here by an overseas funk
label – a mixing of modes that's maybe even greater than the sum of its parts,
and served up at a level that's mighty fresh! Tajeu sings in a way that slides
right into the lyric beautifully, and the backings are often light, but with a
slight sense of groove – slightly jazzy around the edges to warm things up and
maybe point just slightly towards 70s AOR territory. Titles include "Down
To The Wire", "Raindrops", "Weight Of The World",
"Someone To Love", "Sunday's Best", "The Beat Goes
On", and "All I Want Is You". CD also features five bonus
acoustic versions of songs on the album.
~ Dusty Groove
TRIBALISTAS – CAPA PROVISORIA
Beautiful work from Tribalistas – that groundbreaking group
forged from three Brazilian stars who rose in the 90s – Arnaldo Antunes, Marisa
Monte, and Carlinhos Brown – who somehow found a perfect way to come together,
and make their music even more special as a trio! We've always loved their
records, but this time around there's something maybe even more incredible –
this instant classic vibe that rings out right from the very first note, as the
voices of the singers trade back and forth, and blend – and the instrumentation
follows suit with this subtle weaving of acoustic and electric elements. Monte
produced the record, but really with help from everyone else involved – and
there's this close-up, collaborative spirit to the whole thing that maybe makes
the record the most intimate, personal offering from the group – and maybe the
most mature as well. Titles include "Diaspora", "Um So", "Fora
Da Memoria", "Anima", "Feliz E Saudavel", "Lutar
E Vencer", "os Peixinhos", "Baiao Do Mundo", and
"Alianca". ~ Dusty Groove
NICOLE WILLIS & UMO JAZZ ORCHESTRA – MY NAME IS NICOLE
WILLIS
A wonderfully fresh change for the mighty Nicole Willis –
who works here with the decades-old UMO Jazz Orchestra – who have been as
important to the Finnish scene as Willis has with her music in recent years!
The sound is still in that mix of soul and funk that Nicole's given us on
previous records – but with the larger group, she also brings in some jazzier
shadings too – really rising with a sense of majesty, over arrangements handed
by Jimi Tenor, her longtime partner – whose vision has really helped Nicole's
talents over the years! The set is both classy and classic – but not in any
sort of easy-retro, or overstated way – as Tenor and Willis really know how to
strike the best sort of balance to showcase the strength of Nicole's original
material for the set – songs that seem to have even more righteous power than
before. Titles include "Break Free", "Haunted By The
Devil", "No Child Denied", "Together We Climb", "When
We Go Down", "Final Call", and "One In A Million". CD
features the bonus track "Still Got A Way To Fall". ~ Dusty Groove
No comments:
Post a Comment