Lynn Cardona - Ophelia
Lynn Cardona’s newest project, Ophelia, is an EP featuring
three original compositions about love – both unrequited and the kind of love
that is ecstatic and slowly burns with longing and lust. Cardona is a
contemporary jazz and soul artist living in Los Angeles. She is a true original
-- her voice has a dreamy quality and an utterly distinctive character. Her
first CD, Lovin’ You, was released in 2016. Cardona’s lyrics reflect her
troubled heart and difficult upbringing. She had been grappling with depression
most of her life, brought about by being raised in a family with an abusive
stepfather. Indeed, the title tune, “Ophelia,” which she co-wrote with
well-known Memphis organist Charlie Wood, is about suicide. Cardona wears her
heart on her sleeve. Her emotions, vulnerable and exposed, flow through her
music like a gentle stream. Her voice is sinuous and lyrical, and the
musicianship on these three tunes is superb. As Cardona puts it, “I want my
music to convey the nuances of the experiences I’ve had. I want listeners to
feel that they can relate to me on the deepest level.”
Bronze - East Shore
An album with a vintage AOR look on the cover – and a set
that really follows in that spirit too – thanks to the masterful production
talents of Bronze! Bronze handles most of the instruments on the set – plenty
of keyboards, plus bass, drums, guitar, and even a bit of flute – all crafted
in warmly soulful grooves that are tight, but never too commercial – opened up
nicely by guest vocal contributions from a range of Japanese singers who
include Sumin, Kirin, Horan, Amin, and others – plus work from Jungwoo Lim and
Jason Lee. The mood shifts a bit from track to track, depending on the singer –
but there's a nicely unified vibe to the whole thing, thanks to the warmth of
Bronze's production. Most vocals are in Japanese – and titles include
"Forget Me Not", "Bubble", "Bird's Eye View",
"One More Time", "Afterglow", "Rendezvous", and
"Seaside". ~ Dusty Groove
David Grubbs /Mats Gustafsson / Rob Mazurek - The Underflow
A fantastic meeting of the musical minds – coming together
here in a set of live improvisations recorded at a record store in Greece! The
setting's an unusual one, and the music is too – sounds that really move past
the usual for all three players, but especially David Grubbs and Mats
Gustafsson – both of whom seem very comfortable here in some of the sonic
territory that we normally hear more from Rob Mazurek! Grubbs' guitar is quite
different than on some of his own records – especially the solo acoustic
moments – and Mats reminds us that he's not just a hell of a saxophonist, but
also a master of many other ways to disturb the flow of air – delivering work
here on flute, fluteophone, and live electronics – the last of which is matched
with more electronics from Rob Mazurek, who also plays piccolo trumpet and wood
flute too. Every song has a different shape and texture, which is a further
testament to both the sensitivities of the musicians, and their sympathies with
each other – and titles include "Not In A Hall Of Mirrors",
"Creep Mission", "City Stones Sleep", and "Goats &
Hollers". ~ Dusty Groove
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