Chavela Vargas - Cupaima 2007

Chavela Vargas is a woman who manages to be both a Mexican institution and an iconoclast at the same time. Almost 90 at the time of this release, she has shown that ranchera and bolero can be feminine forms, and not exclusively the preserve of very macho artists like José Alfredo Jiménez. Titled for her nickname, this CD/DVD package is a remarkable piece of work about an artist who deserves wider recognition outside her homeland. The DVD is fascinating, with an excellent interview that illustrates her philosophy of life, but it's the music that's most telling, like "Las Simples Cosas," where her voices aches with passion over a spare, very Mexican sound. Even at her age there's an almost magical presence in her singing, full of lust, romance, and fate. Her take on the classic "La Llorona" is a prime example -- you can practically feel the desire dripping from her words. She's one of the most important singers ever to have come out of Mexico, and this does her proud. AMG. 

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Gil Scott-Heron - Spirits 1994

With Spirits, Gil Scott-Heron made a triumphant return to the studio after a 12-year absence. Though the politically charged R&B singer's voice had deteriorated, much of his soulfulness comes through. His songwriting is consistently excellent, and songs ranging from "Message to the Messengers" (which advises young rap artists to use their power wisely) to "Work for Peace" leave no doubt that his sociopolitical observations are as sharp as ever. One of the most riveting cuts is "The Other Side," an extended remake of his early-'70s classic "Home Is Where the Hatred Is" (which describes a drug addict's struggle). The East Coaster had been battling addiction himself during his absence from recording, and this heartfelt song isn't for the squeamish. Scott-Heron had successfully dabbled in jazz over the years, and in fact, among the CD's many strong points are the lyrics he adds to John Coltrane's "Spirits." One cannot help but wish Scott-Heron still had a great voice to go with this material, but even so, Spirits is powerful listening. AMG.

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dEUS - Following Sea 2012

Announced and released on the same day, Following Sea is the rather unexpected seventh studio album from Belgian experimental art rock quintet dEUS. Arriving just nine months after 2011's Keep You Close, the closely guarded secret was recorded on tour with producer Adam Noble and features songs that tackle the subjects of soldiers' post-traumatic stress ("Hidden Wounds") and the Costa Concordia tragedy ("The Give Up Gene") alongside their first ever French-sung track ("Quatre Mains"). AMG.

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Israel Kamakawiwo'ole - Alone In Iz World 2001

The most popular entertainer in Hawaii until his tragic death in 1997, Israel Kamakawiwo'ole formed the traditional Makaha Sons as a teenager in the mid-'70s, went out on his own in more of a contemporary style by the 1990s, and released four immensely popular recordings before passing away just after the release of 1996's N Dis Life. Born in the Honolulu suburb of Kaimuki, Kamakawiwo'ole later moved to nearby Makaha. In allegiance to his new home, Israel formed the Makaha Sons of Ni'ihau with brother Skippy plus Louis "Moon" Kauakahi, Sam Gray and Jerome Koko. The Makaha Sons recorded No Kristo in 1976 and released five more albums during as many years, though Skippy's death of a heart attack in 1982 came as quite a blow to his younger brother. The group soldiered on, and became Hawaii's most popular traditional group with breakout albums like 1984's Puana Hou Me Ke Aloha and its follow-up, 1986's Ho'ola.

Israel Kamakawiwo'ole decided to begin recording on his own with 1990's Ka 'Ano'i, which became the most popular Hawaiian album of the year. Though he continued his solo career, by 1991 he had recorded with the Makaha Sons of Ni'ihau again, and that year's Makaha Bash 3 set still more records in Hawaii, thanks in part to the single "Broken Promise." Another Makaha LP, Ho'oluana, appeared in 1992, though it was the last with Israel. His second solo effort, Facing Future, appeared in 1993, and 1995's E Ala E featured a reunited duet with Skippy, thanks to studio technology. Israel continued to win awards and sell very well with 1996's N Dis Life, but his ballooning weight problem (at times, he weighed over 750 pounds) caused his early death at the age of 38. AMG.

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Spiritualized - Amazing Grace 2003

After the arduous process of making 2001's hyper-orchestrated Let It Come Down and hearing the fierce, back-to-basics rock of bands like the White Stripes and Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Jason Pierce vowed that the next Spiritualized album would be a departure from the excesses of his previous efforts. In some aspects, Amazing Grace makes good on his word: right down to its cover art -- a photo of a naked arm, free of any ornament (or track marks) -- the album makes a show of its simplicity. The pair of rockers that begin Amazing Grace are just as driven as anything that has come out of the recent wave of garage rock revivalism, but save for some lo-fi affectations, could easily appear on any of Spiritualized's other albums. Indeed, lyrics like "This little life of mine/I'm gonna let it slide" and song titles like "She Kissed Me (It Felt Like a Hit)" are so quintessentially Spiritualized that they border on parody. The album's softer moments also have a slightly rehashed quality and are still fairly ornate. While "Hold On" and "Oh Baby" are more restrained than Pierce's Let It Come Down material, that just means that their excesses are less excessive -- there's only one orchestra and gospel choir per song. However, the processes thatPierce used to craft the album aren't as important as the fact that its songs aren't especially distinctive.Amazing Grace touches on all of Spiritualized's song archetypes: fiery rockers ("Never Going Back," "Cheapster"), gospel-tinged pleas for salvation ("Lord Let It Rain on Me"), ethereal laments ("Rated X"), and forays into jazz ("The Power and the Glory"), but, despite energetic performances and a relatively simple approach, very few of the songs connect. If anything, the stripped-down production magnifies the album's nondescript songwriting. The standout track is "The Ballad of Richie Lee," a bleakly beautiful song that truly does use the orchestra in a restrained and powerful way, making a logical progression from where Pierce's music has been to where it could be going. Amazing Grace is far from a bad album, but it's not an especially compelling one, either. The yin and yang of Spiritualized's symphonies and rock make for a sharp contrast in his work, but they can also settle into a rut, as is the case here. Die-hardPierce fans may find a lot to like about Amazing Grace, but then again, they may find another spin ofLadies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space more rewarding. AMG.

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Gillian Welch - Revival 1996

After looking at the cover of Gillian Welch's debut album, Revival, and listening to the first two cuts, "Orphan Girl" and "Annabelle," you'd be tempted to imagine that Welch somehow stumbled into a time machine after cutting some tunes at the 1927 Bristol, TN, sessions and was transported to a recording studio in Los Angeles in 1996, where T-Bone Burnett was on hand and had the presence of mind to roll tape. It takes a closer listen to Revival to realize that Welch and her partner, David Rawlings, are not mere revivalists in the old-timey style; Welch's debts to artists of the past are obvious and clearly acknowledged, but there's a maturity, intelligence, and keen eye for detail in Welch's songs you wouldn't expect from someone simply trying to ape the Carter Family. What's more, the subtle, blues-shot menace of "Pass You By" and "Tear My Stillhouse Down" and the jazzy undertow of "Paper Wings" point to the breadth and depth of Welch's musical vision, which encompasses a spectrum broader than the rural musics of the 1920s and '30s. If Welch and Rawlings often reach to sounds and styles of the past onRevival, they do so with an unaffected sincerity and natural grace, and the album's best moments ("Orphan Girl," "One More Dollar," and "Tear My Stillhouse Down") are the work of a gifted singer and songwriter who knows how to communicate the sounds of her heart and soul to others, and producerBurnett gets those sounds on tape with unobtrusive skill. A superb debut. AMG.

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Dave Valentin - In Loves Time 1982

Dave Valentin, who has recorded over 15 albums for GRP, combines together the influence of pop, R&B, and Brazilian music with Latin jazz to create a slick and accessible form of crossover jazz. At age nine,Valentin enjoyed playing bongos and congas. He gigged at Latin clubs in New York from age 12 and it was not until he was 18 that he seriously started studying flute. Valentin's teacher, Hubert Laws, suggested that he not double on saxophone because of his attractive sound on the flute. In 1977, he made his recording debut with Ricardo Marrero's group and he was also on a Noel Pointer album. Discovered by Dave Grusin and Larry Rosen, Valentin was the first artist signed to GRP and he has been a popular attraction ever since. Since the mid-2000's, Valentin has been signed to Highnote Records releasing World On A String in 2005 and Come Fly With Me in 2006. AMG.

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Lo'Jo - Bazar Savant 2005

Lo'Jo are as much about an idea as the music they make. The band, founded in 1982 in the small French town of Angers by singer/keyboardist Denis Péan, they've been involved in multimedia shows, circuses, politics, and even hosted a festival in the Malian desert; not your basic group, by any means. Lo'Jo Triban -- to give them their full title -- had been in existence for a year when Richard Bourreau (violin/kora) joined and the music began to gel. For several years, with a rotating cast of members, they played events locally, working with dancers and film as part of their overall presentation. And by the end of the decade, they were playing throughout Europe and had even made a couple of trips to the U.S. with an artists' collective to appear in New York. Curiously, though, they didn't enter the studio to record until 1992, when they made Fils de Zamal, which appeared the following year along with G7 of Destruction & Artisans of Peace, a firm statement of political stance. Things really began to come together in 1995 with the addition of singer/saxophonist Yamina Nid El Mourid and her sister, Nadia, who brought a strong North African influence to the music. In 1996, the new lineup recorded "Sin Acabar" with sympathetic English producer Justin Adams, and 1997 saw them complete the Mojo Radio disc with Adams. Upon its release in 1998, they found plenty of open ears in the world music community, getting them on the WOMAD circuit, which introduced them to a global audience and they proved to be the hit of the first WOMADUSA. But far from content to rest on their laurels, they looked outside their own career to produce an album for Benin's Gangbe Brass Band, whom they'd met, and see it was released. In 1999, they also journeyed to Bamako, Mali, to begin work on their next disc, with Adams again producing. Boheme de Cristal appeared in 2000 (2001 U.S., followed by the belated domestic release of Mojo Radio in 2002), and the band once more undertook a U.S. tour. While in Mali, they'd come into contact with the nomadic Tuareg people in the form of the musical group Tinariwen, and they became involved in the organization of Festival of the Desert, held in the Sahara in Mali in January 2001. AMG. Thanks MFP.

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Dalto - Dalto 1984

Composer of the hits "Bem Te Vi," "Leão Ferido," and "Muito Estranho," Dalto had his songs recorded byBiafra, Roupa Nova, Ray Conniff, Zizi Possi, and Marina Lima. Several of his compositions were used in soap opera soundtracks. Dalto started his career in the early '70s as the lead vocalist of the experimental rock group Os Lobos, with which he recorded successfully the singles Fanny (Dalto/Cláudio Rabello) and Santa Teresa (Luís Carlos Sá), and the LP Miragem. In 1974, he started his solo career, recording a single with "Leila Ly" and "Flash Back" (both written with Cláudio Rabello). In spite of the relative success of the latter, Dalto decided to leave the music scene to finish his medical school studies. In 1981, he had his first hit as a composer with "Bem-Te-Vi" (with Cláudio Rabello), recorded by Renato Terra; 250,000 copies were sold. In 1982, he had a smash as a composer and interpreter with "Muito Estranho (Cuida Bem de Mim)," that sold 1,500,000 copies and reached the top positions in the charts. He also had other successes as a composer, like "Leão Ferido" (with Biafra), recorded by Biafra in 1982; and, in the following year, "Anjo" (with Renato Correia and Cláudio Rabello), recorded by Roupa Nova. In 1994, he launched the CD Guru, that had some success with "Quase Dá Pra Ser Feliz."  AMG.

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Michael Jackson - Dangerous 1991

Despite the success of Bad, it was hard not to view it as a bit of a letdown, since it presented a cleaner, colder, calculated version of Thriller -- something that delivered what it should on the surface, but wound up offering less in the long run. So, it was time for a change-up, something even a superstar as huge asMichael Jackson realized, so he left Quincy Jones behind, hired Guy mastermind Teddy Riley as the main producer, and worked with a variety of other producers, arrangers, and writers, most notably Bruce Swedien and Bill Bottrell. The end result of this is a much sharper, harder, riskier album than Bad, one that has its eyes on the street, even if its heart gets middle-class soft on "Heal the World." The shift in direction and change of collaborators has liberated Jackson, and he's written a set of songs that is considerably stronger than Bad, often approaching the consistency of Off the Wall and Thriller. If it is hardly as effervescent or joyous as either of those records, chalk it up to his suffocating stardom, which results in a set of songs without much real emotional center, either in their substance or performance. But, there's a lot to be said for professional craftsmanship at its peak, and Dangerous has plenty of that, not just on such fine singles as "In the Closet," "Remember the Time," or the blistering "Jam," but on album tracks like "Why You Wanna Trip on Me." No, it's not perfect -- it has a terrible cover, a couple of slow spots, and suffers from CD-era ailments of the early '90s, such as its overly long running time and its deadening Q Sound production, which sounds like somebody forgot to take the Surround Sound button off. Even so, Dangerous captures Jackson at a near-peak, delivering an album that would have ruled the pop charts surely and smoothly if it had arrived just a year earlier. But it didn't -- it arrived along with grunge, which changed the rules of the game nearly as much as Thriller itself. Consequently, it's the rare multi-platinum, number one album that qualifies as a nearly forgotten, underappreciated record. AMG.

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Professor Longhair - Tipitina The Complete 1949-1957 New Orleans Recordings 2008

Henry Roeland Byrd (Professor Longhair, or just Fess, to his fans, admirers, and friends) distilled and synthesized New Orleans R&B piano playing to a fine art, mixing Caribbean rhumba rhythms with stride style and even a hint of Dixieland in his approach, topping it all off with seemingly effortless vocals that made everything he sang feel like a rockin' party was in full swing. Fess first recorded in 1949, and sides like "Big Chief," "Go to the Mardi Gras," and "Tipitina" became Crescent City classics in the 1950s and early '60s, but unfortunately he never saw the kind of commercial success that other New Orleans piano players like Fats Domino were able to achieve. Longhair's influence and presence in New Orleans have always been immense, though, and this two-disc, 46-track set shows why, including all of his early recordings between 1949 and 1957 from the Star Talent, Atlantic, Mercury, Wasco, Federal, and Ebb imprints. AMG.

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Jimi Hendrix - Blues 1994

While Jimi Hendrix remains most famous for his hard rock and psychedelic innovations, more than a third of his recordings were blues-oriented. This CD contains 11 blues originals and covers, eight of which were previously unreleased. Recorded between 1966 and 1970, they feature the master guitarist stretching the boundaries of electric blues in both live and studio settings. Besides several Hendrix blues-based originals, it includes covers of Albert King and Muddy Waters classics, as well as a 1967 acoustic version of his composition "Hear My Train a Comin'." AMG.

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James Cotton - Deep in the Blues 1996

Deep in the Blues is a fascinating jam session between James Cotton, guitarist Joe Louis Walker, and jazz bassist Charlie Haden. The trio runs through a number of classic blues songs written by Muddy Waters,Percy Mayfield, and Sonny Boy Williamson and a few originals by Walker and Cotton. The sound is intimate and raw, which is a welcome change from Cotton's usual overproduced records. AMG.

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