Archive for December 6th, 2010

Vinyl

Half Notes: Rova And The Nels Cline Singers – The Celestial Septet (2010)

Dirty Baby wasn’t Nels Cline’s first 2010 release and Initiate wasn’t even the first Nels Cline Singers 2010 release. That came on March 1, when the Singers got together with the free jazz saxophone quartet Rova to collaborate on an album recorded in 2008, The Celestial Septet. Though both bandsRead More

Vinyl

Half Notes: Lionel Loueke – Mwaliko (2010)

Like Bill Frisell, Loueke is one of those instantly recognizable guitarists. But when I hear Loueke, I think of Bobby McFerrin before I think of any other guitar player. His ability to cover the treble, bass and midrange simultaneously perfectly throughout some densely syncopated rhythms is breathtaking like when McFerrinRead More

Vinyl

Black Dub, featuring Danois Lanois – Black Dub (2010)

Densely layered, with an elegant construction, Black Dub doesn’t start out all that much differently from your average recording by uber-hip producer Daniel Lanois. Then something welcomely dangerous, almost feral, happens. Lanois — famous for his work with U2, Bob Dylan and Peter Gabriel, among others — is the firstRead More