Butch Morris - Current Trends in Racism in Modern America 1985

Though Morris had enjoyed a career as a fine cornetist and composer for, among others, David Murray, his first album as a leader found him investigating his own driving passion, the "conduction." He had honed this ability with Murray's big band, organizing riffs and responses for the group on the fly, blurring the distinction between composing and improvising. Here, he assembled a tentet evenly divided between musicians from a jazz background and those from the then nascent downtown New York City scene, including future "superstars" John Zorn, Tom Cora, and Christian Marclay for a live session at The Kitchen. The music owes little to jazz, however, and traverses relatively rough, abstract territory as Morris selects various groups within the ensemble, soloists, duos, etc., and channels them into loose slabs of sound. Here, they're in a dense swirl, harshly bleating while there, a serene, delicate quiet takes hold, Zeena Parkins' harp plucking forlornly. Zorn is in full-on screech and game call mode through much of the evening while Marclay provides some of the more routinely entertaining moments, at one point dropping in some heavily funky rap from his turntable. In the ensuing years, the success of many of Morris' conduction projects would depend critically on the caliber and sensitivity to his conception of the players involved. Here, while the musicians are certainly fine, there is perhaps a lack of familiarity to his approach since the overall effect doesn't quite attain the cohesiveness and sense of scale that one would like to hear. The recording suffers a bit simply by the listener being unable to observe Morris in action, making it unclear as to exactly what his contributions were at any given point. Fragments work fairly well on their own (such as the Eastern-sounding beginning to "Part Two") and the whole idea, at the time, was an exciting and innovative one. This makes Current Trends... worth hearing as a somewhat flawed first attempt at a grand and fascinating idea. AMG.

listen here

Buy @ Amazon: USA

The Flaming Lips - Soft Bulletin 1999

So where does a band go after releasing the most defiantly experimental record of its career? If you'rethe Flaming Lips, you keep rushing headlong into the unknown -- The Soft Bulletin, their follow-up to the four-disc gambit Zaireeka, is in many ways their most daring work yet, a plaintively emotional, lushly symphonic pop masterpiece eons removed from the mind-warping noise of their past efforts. Though more conventional in concept and scope than Zaireeka, The Soft Bulletin clearly reflects its predecessor's expansive sonic palette. Its multidimensional sound is positively celestial, a shape-shifting pastiche of blissful melodies, heavenly harmonies, and orchestral flourishes; but for all its headphone-friendly innovations, the music is still amazingly accessible, never sacrificing popcraft in the name of radical experimentation. (Its aims are so perversely commercial, in fact, that hit R&B remixer Peter Mokran tinkered with the cuts "Race for the Prize" and "Waitin' for a Superman" in the hopes of earning mainstream radio attention.) But what's most remarkable about The Soft Bulletin is its humanity -- these are Wayne Coyne's most personal and deeply felt songs, as well as the warmest and most giving. No longer hiding behind surreal vignettes about Jesus, zoo animals, and outer space,Coyne pours his heart and soul into each one of these tracks, poignantly exploring love, loss, and the fate of all mankind; highlights like "The Spiderbite Song" and "Feeling Yourself Disintegrate" are so nakedly emotional and transcendentally spiritual that it's impossible not to be moved by their beauty. There's no telling where the Lips will go from here, but it's almost beside the point -- not just the best album of 1999, The Soft Bulletin might be the best record of the entire decade. AMG.

listen here

Buy @ Amazon: USA - FR - UK

Harold Mabern - Misty 2007

Harold Mabern is one of many American jazz artists who have found a lucrative market for their recordings in Japan. This solo piano date is one of his very best efforts, opening with a hard-driving take of Bobby Timmons' hard bop masterpiece "Dat Dere," then following it with a thoughtful renditionGeorge Shearing's unjustly obscure ballad "She." The pianist's breezy hard bop treatment of "You Don't Know What Love Is" makes one forget that it began life as a bittersweet ballad. Mabern's upbeat performance of Quincy Jones' "Wail Bait" provokes memories of Bud Powell when he was healthy.Erroll Garner's "Misty" has long been one of the most requested tunes in night club settings, thoughMabern's percussive setting is quite different from the usual low-key approach. Mabern also includes a pair of originals, including his brisk "Mabern's Boogie, which would have been right at home during the genre's heyday, along with his dazzling, hard-charging "Wayne's Blues." AMG.

listen here

Buy @ Amazon: USA - FR - UK

The Bees - Free The Bees 2004

Band of Bees second album Free the Bees is a rollicking, breathtaking romp through the '60s, calling to mind classic band after classic band but also conjuring up a modern and original sound of their own. "These Are the Ghosts," the CD's opening track, gives us echoes of the psychedelic-era Small Faces, the Kinks circa Village Green Preservation Society, and even, at times, Pink Floyd circa Piper at the Gates of Dawn. There are moments on "No Atmosphere" where they sound like the Small Faces quoting the Beatles obliquely from Rubber Soul, and elsewhere it suddenly sounds as though the ghost of George Harrison has stepped into the studio to throw in some licks from a White Album jam. And incidentally, the studio in question where this album was cut was, indeed, EMI Studio No. 2, the very same that the Beatles used, so the Bees re-creating elements of the Beatles' sound is no accident. "Chicken Payback" sounds like some discovery from the vaults of Stax Records, except that it's not -- it's an original, and it is original, and could pass for some 40-year-old Northern soul discovery. "The Russian" comes off like a piece of soundtrack music in search of a movie, circa Blow-Up, like for a chiller (The Deadly Bees, perhaps?) or spy picture where the producers couldn't afford John Barry. And "I Love You" shows off a lyricism and elegance that recalls the soul and psychedelic heyday at EMI, all shimmering guitars, sweet understated harmonizing, and a horn section. "Hourglass" carries us into a rarefied trippy territory somewhere between Pink Floyd and the Small Faces, with an exquisitely memorable chorus accompanied by electric piano, organ, and drums, and some vaguely Byrds-ish guitar, and "Go Karts" recalls the Small Faces at their cheerful, Cockney-inflected best. And the album finisher, "This Is the Land," melds radiant choruses, a trippy melody, and little touches of guitar copped from Between the Buttons and keyboards off of the first two Floyd albums except it's all a lot more cheerful than Pink Floyd ever was. Free the Bees is all worth hearing, a lot more than once, and it could be the Album of the Year -- the only question is if that year is 2004 or 1968. AMG.

listen here

Buy @ Amazon: USA - FR - UK

Laughing Clowns - Law of Nature 1984

Ed Kuepper's Laughing Clowns were a bit more off the beaten path than the Saints, the infamous Australian punk band Kuepper played guitar for during the '70s. Integrating jazz influences into their unique take on post-punk, the Laughing Clowns released several records between 1980 and 1985, before Kuepper began his solo career. They made their debut in 1980 with a self-titled, six-song EP on Aussie independent Missing Link. At the time of its recording, the band was Kuepper on vocals and guitar, Ben Wallace-Crabbe on bass, Dan Wallace-Crabbe on piano, Jeffrey Wegener on drums, and Bob Farrell on saxophone. In 1982, after the release of a clutch of singles and a compilation of old material, called Reign of Terror/Throne of Blood, the group relocated to London and underwent some major lineup shuffling. Only Kuepper and Wegener remained on board, with bassist Leslie Millar, saxophonist Louise Elliot, and trumpet player Peter Doyle filling out the lineup. After another single, they released their 1982 debut LP, Mr. Uddich Schmuddich Goes to Town, on the Prince Melon label. Confusingly, another self-titled release was in Australian record shop bins by the end of the year, which extended the reach of Reign of Terror. An album of new material, Everything That Flies, was also issued by the end of 1982, but it only received distribution in Germany through Rough Trade (in another perplexing move, a truncated version of the record was later released in the U.K. under the title Laughter Around the Table). The Law of Nature studio LP was released in 1984 through Australia's Hot label, followed closely by History of Rock N' Roll, Vol. 1, a best-of package. The band's final studio LP, Ghosts of an Ideal Wife, was released in 1985. After breaking up, Kuepper flew solo and also formed the Aints. In 1995, the repackaged/recycle-happy Hot label released Golden Days: When Giants Walked the Earth, a -- you guessed it -- highlights compilation of Laughing Clowns favorites. AMG.

listen here

Buy @ Amazon: USA - FR - UK

Matt Butler - The Redwood Project 2005

Drummer Matt Butler brings together some Bay Area friends for this enticing trip into music inspired by the earth. Though countless New Age albums are named after natural elements, The Redwood Project actually uses acoustic instruments rather than caked electronics to create lush grooves and a warm, reposed beauty. This refreshing music creates a relaxing, organic ambience.

Butler is able to create through music the sounds that emanate from the vast vegetation of the coastal redwoods. This is a miracle to hear and proof of its accomplishment is in how well the music seeps into the mind.

listen here

Buy @ Amazon: USA - FR - UK

Bitterati - Moebius 2013

The Bitterati formed by The Doozer MC, DJ Specifik and Singer Crystal Carter. New album, Moebius, includes guest spots from some of the UK's finest DJs including DJ Roast Beatz, Jabbathakut and DJ Xrated, with a special appearance by Bitter-breda Project Cee.

listen here

Buy @ Amazon: USA - FR - UK

Bill Wyman's Rhythm Kings - Groovin' 2000

As a member of the Rolling Stones for three decades, Bill Wyman established himself among the greatest bassists in rock & roll history; in tandem with drummer Charlie Watts, he belonged to one of the most stalwart rhythm sections in popular music, perfectly complementing the theatrics of Mick Jagger and the gritty guitar leads of Keith Richards. Born William Perks in London on October 24, 1936, Wyman was playing in a group called the Cliftons when he was asked to join the Stones in mid-1962, replacing bassist (and future Pretty Things member) Dick Taylor. Reportedly asked to join the group mainly because he had his own amplifier, he was, at age 25, by several years the oldest member of the group. Regardless, his chemistry with the other bandmembers was immediate, and with the subsequent arrival of Watts, the classic Rolling Stones lineup was soon cemented.
The rest, of course, is history, and before too long the Stoneswere widely recognized as the World's Greatest Rock & Roll Band. In 1974, Wyman became the first from their ranks to record a solo LP, the all-star Monkey Grip; two years later, he repeated the trick with Stone Alone. In 1981, Wyman scored a solo hit single with the witty dance tune "(Si Si) Je Suis un Rock Star," a song Wyman had originally written for Ian Dury; the song also appeared on his self-titled third solo album, released in 1982. Wyman's next major side project was the 1985 cover band Willie and the Poor Boys; specializing in vintage rock & roll and rhythm & blues, the combo also included Watts, Ron Wood, Jimmy Page, and Paul Rodgers. The project only spawned one studio album, but a live album from the group appeared in 1994. While rarely the recipient of the kind of media attention given his more notorious bandmates, Wyman found himself at the center of scandal in 1989 when he married 19-year-old model Mandy Smith, whom he'd begun dating when she was just 13 years old; they divorced in 1991. In the wake of the scandal, Wyman released a solo album in 1992,Stuff, which was only distributed in Japan and Argentina.
In January 1993, Wyman confirmed long-simmering rumors when he publicly announced his departure from the Stones, and revealed plans to publish an autobiography, Stone Alone, which arrived in book shops in in 1997. Also in 1997,Wyman formed a new band, the Rhythm Kings, a project similar to Willie and the Poor Boys devoted to classic R&B, which featured guitarists Peter Frampton and Albert Lee as well former Procol Harum keyboardist Gary Brooker. The group debuted with the LP Struttin' Our Stuff, followed in 1999 by Anyway the Wind Blows. Wyman greeted the new century with a string of albums including Groovin' (2000),Double Bill (2001), Just for a Thrill (2005), and numerous live recordings and compilations. In 2007,Wyman and the Rhythm Kings were the opening act for Led Zeppelin's wildly anticipated reunion concert at London's O2 Arena. In 2015, Wyman announced he was releasing a new studio album,Back to Basics, his first collection of original songs in over two decades, in June 2015. AMG.

listen here

Buy @ Amazon: USA - FR - UK

God Street Wine - $1.99 Romances 1993

God Street Wine, a New York-based jam band in the tradition of the Spin Doctors and Blues Traveler, blend funk, reggae, folk-rock, post-punk, pop/rock, and blues-rock into a cohesive whole that is unique and original. God Street Wine formed in New York City in the late '80s and lived there until they moved to Westchester County, NY, in 1991. Comprised of Lo Faber on guitar and lead vocals, Aaron Maxwellon guitar and lead vocals, Dan Pifer on bass guitar and vocals, Jon Bevo on piano, organ, and vocals, and Tomo (or John Thomas Osander) on drums, God Street Wine played their first show on December 13, 1988, at the Nightingale Bar in New York City.

They became legendary for putting on shows in excess of three hours, and with their two guitarists and reliance on improvisation, began to draw comparisons to another great twin-guitar band, the Allman Brothers. Even though God Street Wine's sound was considerably less bluesy, the band wasn't afraid to take chances in front of a live audience, not unlike the Spin Doctors or Blues Traveler. They maintained a large mailing list, in excess of 15,000 names, and continued developing a dedicated fan base often referred to as "Winos." It was this grassroots following that attracted the attention of record executives, not unlike the way Phish took off up in that band's home state of Vermont.

God Street Wine's first album, Bag, a self-produced affair, was released in 1992. They followed it up with a live compilation, Who's Driving?, in October 1993 on the Ripe and Ready label. After attracting the attention of Geffen Records executives and a management company, McGhee Entertainment, they signed with Geffen in January 1994 and released $1.99 Romances in September on a label co-venture between Geffen and McGhee. Since no one at Geffen knew the band, there was little promotion or advertising of the record. They signed with Mercury Records in 1995 after an executive there caught them at the Beacon Theater in New York. The partnership produced Red the following year and the eponymous God Street Wine in 1997. The group continued to tour until 1999 and disbanded the following year. They released Good to the Last Drop, a collection of highlights from their farewell tour, in July of 2000. AMG.

listen here

Buy @ Amazon: USA - FR - UK

Ângela Ro Ro - Acertei no Milénio 2005

Ângela Ro Ro studied classical piano from an early age. Her nickname Ro Ro is derived from her rough and low voice. She began to play around the Carioca neighborhood of Ipanema, and soon, influenced by her idol Ella Fitzgerald (along with Maysa and Jacques Brel), she moved to London during the military regimen, where she survived upon small jobs while performing around the city. Returning to Brazil in 1979, she was hired by Polygram, recording her first album in that year, Ângela Ro Ro, which had the hits "Amor, Meu Grande Amor," "A Mim e a Mais Ninguém," and "Tola Foi Você." Always faithful to her dramatic, irreverent, sexually unconventional, and explosive character, Ro Ro followed her career, recording in 1980 the LP Só Nos Resta Viver, which had a great success with the title track; "Tango da Bronquite" also was a hit. "Escândalo," by Caetano Veloso, is from the 1981 LP of the same name, and made reference to the headlines accounting the explosive rupture of her affair with singer Zizi Possi. In 1982, she had another hit with "Simples Carinho" (João Donato/Abel Silva), included in the 1983 same-titled LP. Maria Bethânia, who had recorded "Gota de Sangue" in her Mel LP (1979), re-recorded "Fogueira" (1983), which was recorded by Ângela Ro Ro in the same year for the Simples Carinho LP. A Vida é Mesmo Assim (1984) had success with the title track. Besides her participation in the Songbook series (Lumiar), she recorded the following solo LPs/CDs: Eu Desatino (1985), Prova de Amor (1988), Nosso Amor ao Armagedon (Ao Vivo) (1993), and Acertei no Milênio (2000). In 1996, Barão Vermelho had a hit with the re-recording of "Amor, Meu Grande Amor." In the same year, Polygram reissued in CD the 1982 LP Simples Carinho. In 1997, Eldorado reissued in CD the 1988 LP Prova de Amor. AMG.

listen here

Buy @ Amazon: USA - FR - UK

Jose James - The Dreamer 2008

On the debut album from New York New School vocalist Jose James, he makes a move toward a new era of jazz vocals. While jazz elements have been making their way into underground hip-hop for years, James turns the other direction. He sings contemporary jazz with a strong sense of respect for the classics, but quietly puts hip-hop instrumentation behind his vocals, and multi-tracks himself for accentuation. James is in the midst of creating an entirely modern approach to jazz singing here over a set of originals with a few covers thrown in (the highlight being Rahsaan Roland Kirk's "Spirits Up Above"). [A Japanese release adds the classics "Body and Soul" and "Moanin'."] AMG.

listen here

Buy @ Amazon: USA - FR - UK

Chuck E. Weiss - 23rd & Stout 2006

After more than 30 years in the music biz, Chuck E. Weiss is still best known (a) as one of Tom Waits' best friends, and (b) for being the subject of Rickie Lee Jones' hit "Chuck E.'s in Love." The latter distinction hasn't done much for him lately, but he seems to be counting on the former to draw interest in his fourth album, 23rd & Stout. Most of 23rd & Stout sounds like some unreleased Tom Waitsalbum that walks in a Twilight Zone between the Beefheart-influenced throb of Swordfishtrombonesand the laid-back beatnik vibe of Blue Valentine. While it's entirely possible that Waits has borrowed a bit of his buddy Weiss' schtick over the years, there's also little argument that Waits is far better at it, and it doesn't help that Weiss' band here (headlined by Tony Gilkyson on guitar and Don Heffingtonon drums) isn't able to deliver the gloriously strange groove of Waits' more recent work, though the group sounds great on the jazz-leaning material. When Weiss goes into a shaggy-dog story like the title cut or a lurching stomp such as "Prince Minsky's Lament," it's all but impossible not to compare him to Waits, but in all fairness Weiss is a better than average songwriter, and when he lets his funny side take over (like he does on "Half Off at the Rebop Shop," "Sho Is Cold," or "Piccolo Pete"), he's an enjoyable and absorbing performer. (His sly interpretation of "Primrose Lane" also suggests he could deliver a fine set of standards if he were so inclined.) Too much of 23rd & Stout makes Chuck E. Weiss sound like the Baja Marimba Band to Tom Waits' Tijuana Brass, and the shame of that is he's clearly talented enough establish a more distinctive creative identity by now, as the best moments of this album confirm. AMG. 

listen here

Buy @ Amazon: USA - FR - UK