Sons Of Champlin - Hip Li'l Dreams 2005

While never major-league San Francisco hitters back in the day, the Sons of Champlin made some pleasantly soulful noises, and this return to the studio could make longtime fans drool. In many ways the music is what they always did, just a bit longer in the tooth and more sophisticated. Certainly the opener, "For Joy," gets off to a cracking start. Time has only sharpened their musical chops, and their sound is often as smooth as cream. Sometimes, however, that's a bit too much -- "Bring Home the Gold" ends up sounding unfortunately as if they're auditioning to be a Chicago tribute band, and "I'm Not Your Lover" could almost have come out of the '80s Cyndi Lauper ballad book. At times they try to make the rhythm sound programmed, to offer a contemporary edge, and the "Yo" at the beginning of "Star Outa' You" gives that very faint urban touch. But for the most part, other than the production gloss, this album could have stepped straight out of the 1970s, although whether that's a good thing or not depends on your point of view. "Swim" has Tal Morris' guitar flying all over the place, but for the most part it's Bill Champlin's voice and unobtrusive keyboard style that glues everything together. The vocal harmonies are so tight you couldn't slip a dime between them, and the songwriting is good, but not always inspired. But whether it will really appeal to anyone who's not already a long-term committed fan remains to be seen. AMG.

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Snatam Kaur Khalsa - Prem 2002

Prem translates as Love and this is the energy that is carrying you from the first moment on like a warm wave of joy. Prem was Snatam Kaur's first album and marked the beginning of her extraordinary carreer as a milestone of her outstanding talent.
Snatam Kaur's album Prem is carried by her warm and wonderful voice which fascinates lots of listeners worldwide and is the guiding light on all of her CD's. From the six tracks of this album, the title "Aadays Tisai Aadays" was initially played at the White Tantra Yoga course and at the European Yoga Festival an was offered for the first time in Europe through us. Within 24 hours, Prem became one of the best selling albums ever and remains so until today! Snatam Kaur's debut album is universal, as beautiful as a sweet dream, timeless and a brightly shining jewel of spiritual music.

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Robert Walter - Cure All 2008

Robert Walter has no problem getting into funky, down-home soul-jazz when he wants to, but the organist/keyboardist/pianist also has his intellectual side. He obviously appreciates the soul-jazz that B-3 icons likeJimmy Smith, Richard "Groove" Holmes, Johnny "Hammond" Smith, and Jack McDuff offered in the '60s, but he has also shown his appreciation of Medeski, Martin & Wood as well as the post-bop and fusion that Larry Young explored after he moved beyond soul-jazz. And both sides of Walter's artistry serve him well on Cure All. If Walter (who forms a trio with bassist James Singleton and drummer Johnny Vidacovich) set out to offer a healthy balance of intellect and funkiness, he achieves that goal on enjoyable tracks such as "Maple Plank," "Snakes and Spiders," "Measure Up," and "Coupe." Most of the material is more cerebral than a typical soul-jazz performance would be, but at the same time,Cure All is less cerebral than Medeski, Martin & Wood's albums. Whether he is on organ, acoustic piano, or electric keyboards, Walter usually avoids becoming either too simple or too abstract. Not that there is anything wrong with either simplicity or abstraction; the straightforward, groove-loving bluesiness of Big John Patton and Gene Harris is every bit as valid a part of jazz as the most challenging pieces that John Medeski has had to offer. But Walter obviously wanted to avoid going too far in either direction, and that outlook yields consistently worthwhile results on Cure All. AMG.

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Spin Doctors - Pocket Full of Kryptonite 1991

After nearly a year of solid touring, the Spin Doctors scored a huge, unexpected success with the incessantly catchy "Little Miss Can't Be Wrong." The rest of Pocket Full of Kryptonite will please fans of that song; the album is full of the loose, leisurely three-chord pop/rock jams the Spin Doctors specialize in. It may be unfair to compare them to the Grateful Dead, but the Doctors often suggest a lighter, more pop-oriented version of that band. While all of the best tracks were issued as singles ("Jimmy Olsen's Blues," "Two Princes," and "Little Miss"), there are still enough good moments on the rest of the album to please anyone who loves the hits. AMG.

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Shuggie Otis - In Session Great R&B 2002

Capitalizing on the unexpected resurgence of acclaim for Shuggie Otis in 2001 due to Luaka Bop's reissue of 1974'sInspiration Information, Blues Spectrum/GoldenLane turned out the compilation In Session: Great Rhythm & Bluesthe following year. Despite the appearances -- the same photographs from the Luaka Bop edition of Inspiration are all over this disc, including the same picture used for both front covers -- this is hardly a disc for those newly converted fans, since there is none of the trippy, one-man psychedelic soul that distinguished that record. This is Shuggie, the session-man, from the mid-'70s, when he was playing guitar and co-engineering the Great Rhythm & Blues Oldiesseries for his father, Johnny, who produced this series for Blues Spectrum records. The idea behind the series was simple: Bring a bunch of R&B and blues legends into the studio to record new versions of their classic songs, backed by Johnny Otis' house band, featuring Shuggie on guitar. Not a bad idea on the surface, and it was not unpleasant in practice, but it's also hardly noteworthy, either, since these were pretty much guys doing their hits with a pickup band, captured with indifferent '70s sound. Some of these guys rise above the occasion -- Louis Jordan sounds lively, for instance, on both of his cuts -- but this is all latter-day recordings by artists past the peak of their game. Sometimes, they update their sound a bit (Richard Berry takes a stab at funk), but most everybody simply brings their trademark sound into the '70s, with a band that's competent but lacking character -- and that includes Shuggie, whose playing here is standard blues/R&B licks that are perfectly fine, but never distinctive. It's a very nicely produced package, particularly in how it reproduces the artwork for all of the albums in the series, but the music is what matters and anybody that hears this, either as a fan of the featured artists or Shuggie, will be disappointed by these passable but undistinguished latter-day re-recordings. AMG.

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The Oliver White Group - Control 2008

Oliver White grew up in Marietta, Oklahoma, a small town just a few miles north of the Oklahoma/Texas state line. Both of his parents taught at the local school, his father was the band director, and his mother was the choir director. The White house was always enriched with all types of music, from Beethoven to Blood, Sweat, & Tears. Oliver's father eventually retired from teaching to get involved in a music ministry with his church. This part of Oliver's childhood included playing southern gospel music with his parents in churches all across the south. A little later in life, Oliver played the trumpet in the school band, but it wasn't long before boredom set in and he picked up his first guitar. After graduating from Marietta High School, he attended college at Southeastern Oklahoma State University in Durant, Oklahoma with the intention of becoming a band director like his father. It didn't take long, however, for Oliver to realize he'd much rather MAKE music than teach it. A short time later, he and some friends put together a blues band called "Little Brother" with Oliver on lead guitar and lead vocals. He learned the ropes and honed his guitar chops before leaving the band and taking his music in his own direction. And so, "The Oliver White Group" was born. The OWG, as they have come to be known, have covered many styles of music, such as Stevie Ray Vaughan, Chris Duarte, Buddy Guy, Ian Moore, and Doyle Bramhall II. However, their true strength is their original material. These songs are enriched with a blend of blues, roots, and modern folk that defy the boundaries of any genre. Songs about real life, real problems, real love, and real people. The Oliver White Group is currently riding the success of their album "Control", released early 2008 by Overdrive Records. The Oliver White Group delivers on Control, which of course features guitarist Oliver White, an awesome, top-shelf, soul-powered bluesy heavy guitar rocker from Texas. Special guest guitarists on Control include Lance Lopez and Wes Jeans. The disc offers twelve tracks (60 minutes) of outstanding, killer blues/rock riffage with tons of serious six-string "Texas Attitude". An excellent diverse and dynamic debut disc from this Texas axeslinger that will burn your good jam house down to the ground. Excellently produced by Don Moore and highly recommended to fans of SRV, Doyle Bramhall, Ian Moore, Wes Jeans and Lance Lopez.

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Request: Spiritualized - Lazer Guided Melodies 1992

The group's seminal debut album is aptly titled: The melodies shimmer and drone and hum like otherworldly pop tunes, and Radley and Pierce's vocals hover gently in the mix. One of the premier dream pop albums, Lazer Guided Melodies is both beautiful and innovative. AMG.

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Rui Mingas - Canções de Angola com Rui Mingas 2001

Rui Mingas is an Angolan singer. He was Angolan Sports Minister and Ambassador to Angola in Portugal. Rui Mingas belongs to an influential family of Angolan musicians from whom he received a new way of interpreting the Angolan music rhythms and developed his sound and influenced future generations of Angolan musicians.

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The Pahinui Brothers - The Pahinui Brothers 1992

Hawaiian standards sung in English, island takes on country & western, plus a reggoid cover of a John Lennon song, would seem to forecast a tropical depression; but this disc is brilliant, its boundary-busting all enhancement and no dilution. The cowboy version of the Fijian classic "Isa Lei" is a natural-born transformation, "Do You Love Me," a duet with Dwight Yoakam, is even stronger, and if Youssou N'Dour can diddle with mainstream rock, why shouldn't these Hawaiian jalis -- sons of slack key guitar pioneer Gabby "Pops" Pahinui -- spread their toes in the grass a little by laying a heartfelt reggae consciousness on a poignant version of Lennon's "Jealous Guy"? AMG.

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Sean Riley And The Slowriders - Only Time Will Tell 2009

Sean Riley & The Slowriders is a Portuguese band from Coimbra with a sound close to music of americana roots such as folk, rock and blues. The band is slated to represent Portugal at the 2010 Eurosonic Festival. Afonso Rodrigues, the front-man, started out by writing songs on his own under the alter-ego Sean Riley. While DJing at Rádio Universidade de Coimbra he met other radio hosts, Bruno Simões (ex-Tu Metes Nojo) and Filipe Costa who joined in. Filipe Rocha was the fourth musician to complete the band.

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The Mackrosoft - Antonio's Giraffe 2006

A Dust Brother (Cheeba), a peripheral Beastie Boy (Money Mark), a Headhunter (Mike Clark), and a slew of other musicians join producer Aja West's tribute to Antonio Carlos Jobim. Throw in the fact that the album is mastered by Brian "Big Bass" Gardner, better known for his work with gangsta rap acts like N.W.A., and you start to see the hodge-podge of influences involved in this record.

Antonio's Giraffe is funky electric jazz. In that, it hints at the music of the other Antonio, but there the similarities end. While Aja West's original compositions harken to the era of Jobim, this is not a cover record.

Rhodes, horns, and drums ride high throughout. The percussion is exceptional as you might expect with a Headhunter manning the kit. There's nothing extravagant, just good solid rhythm for the other players to work from. The strength here is the Rhodes of both West and Alex Veley and the horn interplay.

"Hold Up" gives a perfect example of the Rhodes getting busy. While songs like "The Mighty Loconchu" show the coordination of the horn players at their best.

This is billed as a tribute to Antonio Carlos Jobim, but outside of the title, I wouldn't have picked up on that. In the end, it doesn't really matter. This is good music that stands on its own without any reference needed.

This is funk-jazz of the absolute highest order. Showcasing fabulous tunes, brilliant playing, and imaginative production, Antonio's Giraffe is my left-field disc of the year.

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Steve Turre - One 4 J 2003

Leaving his conch shells -- and more offbeat ideas -- home this time, Steve Turre's motive for this release was to honor the fountainhead of bop (and thus, modern jazz) trombone, J.J. Johnson, who had tragically taken his own life in 2001 in the face of a terminal illness. In doing so, Turre loads his front line with nothing but trombones -- as many as six, but usually fewer. Besides himself, the other trombonists on the album are Robin Eubanks, Steve Davis, Andre Hayward, Douglas Purviance, and New York Philharmonic principal trombonist Joe Alessi (who also plays good jazz). It's a fairly conservative recording by Turre's standards, with an emphasis mostly on the straight-ahead bop thatJohnson championed. Indeed, many of the duo-trombone charts sound like latter-day echoes of the famous K and J.J.(Kai Winding/J.J. Johnson) records of the 1950s and '60s. But there are, thankfully, exceptions to the pattern as the disc unfolds -- which is only right since Johnson himself displayed an experimental streak away from bop now and then. "Mr. Johnson," penned by Harold Mabern when he was Lee Morgan's pianist and not unrelated to Morgan's own "Mr. Kenyatta," switches to a modal vamp; "Kelo" is treated to a mild yet unmistakable funk backbeat; and "Wee Dot" is a blues jam with a difference, modulating up the scale in five different keys just to give everyone a challenge. Turrealso borrows Slide Hampton's full-sounding, infinitely subtle four-trombone chart of "Lament" and adds Senegalese percussionist Abdou Mboup to drive "Minor Blues." Ultimately it is Turre who makes the most individual impression among the soloists, particularly in his quirkier moods on plunger ("Kelo") and with a Harmon mute ("El Camino Real"). Pianist Stephen Scott, bassist Peter Washington, and drummer Victor Lewis comprise the standard-issue rhythm section. Turre's liner notes for each track are so detailed -- a virtual play-by-play -- that you almost don't have to hear the CD in order to know what's on it. But do hear it anyway. AMG.

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Sarah White - Hiding Blind 2008

Sarah White’s voice can be described as hypnotic at times, with breathy, soothing soliloquies, and deep, seductive stanzas. What’s impressive is her ability to effortlessly transform from singer to emcee, as in the introspective song, C Train.The smoky-eyed chanteuse is a songbird of a different flock with a sound fusing electrodub, crunk sounds, hip-hop, tribal and jazz-soul among other genres and interesting lyrical content. White does something rather odd: she sings in a somewhat haiku, on topics ranging from sexual encounters and unrequited love to rather interesting music.

 In this selection, she combines a spitfire flow, with dancehall style chatting and soulful melody, to create her own unique ‘scatois’. Each of Sarah’s songs is a perfectly balanced moment, reflecting the full spectrum of her vocal abilities and bringing a positive focus to the issues of growth, fulfillment, and love. Songs “Big Dance,” “Dance on Mars,” “Freakness” and the EP’s title track are all magical surprises especially for a record only housing nine songs on its playlist.Sarah White has opened for artists such as Jill Scott, J*Davey, K-Os, Camp Lo, Amy Winehouse, Fishbone, and The Roots.She was also featured in 2007’s Black Lily Festival in Philly, and is poised to become the next post-genre fixture, much like fellow Minnesota export Nikki Jean of Philadelphia’s Nouveau Riche. Sarah White has clearly found her calling, and we should all join in her commute to the top.

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