New Music Releases: Dionne Warwick, Trio Trio featuring Dave Scott & Rich Perry, Trilok Gurtu

Dionne Warwick - Deja Vu – The Arista Recordings 1979 to 1994 (12-CD set)

A huge run of music from the legendary Dionne Warwick – all of it very different than her early work with Burt Bacharach, and brought together as a strong testament to her ability to change and grow over the years! Although Dionne started as a sweeter singer in the 60s, and had a few great Warner Brothers moments during the 70s – she really reemerged strongly on Arista at the end of that decade – thanks to strong help from a label that really knew what to do with a top-shelf female singer, and help them move past some of the pop and disco pitfalls that brought down some of their contemporaries in the decade! Warwick really returned to the American consciousness with these records, then kept on growing and maturing – really able to shift through a range of styles as the 80s moved into the 90s, even ending up with a bit of jazz in the mix – as you'll hear on this long run of records. The box set features twelve full albums, a great value for the price – records that include Dionne, No Night So Long, Hot Live & Otherwise, Friends In Love, Heartbreaker, How Many Times Can We Say Goodbye, Finder Of Lost Loves, Friends, Reservations For Two, Sings Cole Porter, Friends Can Be Lovers, and Aquarela Do Brasil. ~ Dusty Groove

Trio Trio featuring Dave Scott & Rich Perry - Nice Treatment

The tight Trio Trio combo gets some great horn help here – as the trumpet of Dave Scott and tenor of Rich Perry are added to the core lineup of Jacob Sacks on piano, Dave Ambrosio on bass, and Vinnie Sperrazza on drums! The tunes include two older gems by Thad Jones, two more by Herbie Nichols, and a Blue Note classic from Kenny Dorham – and there's definitely an old school sense of interplay here – not just in the way the trio gives these guys such great attention at the core, but also in the way that Perry and Scott have this way of leaping out with great colors and tones on the head arrangements, then really spinning off into strong solos of their own, along with Sacks – who sounds especially great on the Nichols numbers. Titles include "50 21", "Hangover Triangle", "Step Tempest", "The Interloper", "Grooveyard", "Lotus Blossom", and "Never Let Me Go". ~ Dusty Groove

Trilok Gurtu - God Is A Drummer

We're not sure if God is a drummer, and we're pretty sure that Trilok Gurtu isn't a god – but the drummer more than lives up to his long legacy of music here – blending jazz with bits of funk and a few global currents too all at a level that definitely lives up to his classic work! There's some especially strong use of tablas – inflected by Gurtu with a warm sensibility that's as melodic as it is rhythmic – and the leader is set up in a group that also includes trumpet, keyboards, electric bass, and trombone – plus just a touch of vocals and violin. Titles include "Obrigado", "Holy Mess", "Still Connecting", "Madre", "Samadhan", and "Indranella". ~ Dusty Groove