Here’s a run down — with a few of our thoughts — on some notable music projects, both new and reissue, slated for release for the week of Jan. 16, 2012. That includes fresh product from Ani DiFranco, Jack DeJohnette and Wadada Leo Smith — as well as interesting updates of older items by B.B. King, Coldplay, Dio, Frank Sinatra and others.
NEW MUSIC MONDAY FOR THE WEEK OF JAN. 16, 2012 …
Adam Arcuragi – Like a Fire That Consumes All Before It … (Pop/Rock)
Amy Cervini – Digging Me, Digging You (Jazz)
ANI DiFRANCO – WHICH SIDE ARE YOU ON? (POP/ROCK): Highlighted by a new take on the title track — a 1930s-era composition that later became a hit for Pete Seeger, who makes a notable contribution on banjo and vocals. The album also features guest appearances by Ivan and Cyril Neville of New Orleans’ Neville Brothers, avant-saxophonist Skerik, singer/songwriter Anaïs Mitchell, guitarist Adam Levy, and a host of New Orleans-based horn players known for their work in such outfits as Galactic, Bonerama and the Rebirth Brass Band. This is DiFranco’s first release in more than three years. (More here.) — Nick DeRiso
Attack Attack! – This Means War (Pop/Rock)
Authority Zero – Less Rhythm More Booze (Pop/Rock)
B.B. KING – SINGIN’ THE BLUES (BLUES): A seminal 1956 compilation album from King’s early sessions for the Crown label, featuring several must-have charters for the blues legend like “Bad Luck” — a No. 3 smash on Billboard’s “Black Singles” chart. Also included: King’s original version of Memphis Slim’s immortal “Nobody Loves Me” — which became No. 8 hit under the new title “Every Day I Have the Blues,” “Ten Long Years” (No. 9), “Crying Won’t Help You” (No. 15) and the great double-entendre ballad “Sweet Little Angel,” which went to No. 6. (More here.) — Nick DeRiso
Bill Monroe – The Father of Bluegrass (Country)
Blue Cheer – Vincebus Eruptum; Outsideinside (Pop/Rock)
Blue Hawaii – Blooming Summer (Electronic)
Bob Willis – The King of Swing (Country)
Brandon McHose – Late Night (Pop/Rock)
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Candlemass – From the 13th Sun (Pop/Rock)
Candy Dulfer – Crazy (Jazz)
Charlie Wilson – Playlist: The Very Best of Charlie Wilson (Blues)
Chick Corea, Eddie Gomez, Paul Motian – Further Explorations (Jazz)
COLDPLAY – MYLO XYLOTO [SPECIAL EDITION] (POP/ROCK): Their band’s fifth studio album, another post-modern mixture of chest-bursting arena rock and quirky lyricism, charted at No. 1 in 17 countries, including the U.S. Lead singles “Paradise” and “Every Teardrop Is a Waterfall” received a total of three Grammy Award nominations. Key album cuts included “Charlie Brown” — which, after a thumping intro straight out of U2, cuts and runs in the way of every anthematic Coldplay favorite, even as Chris Martin’s vocal — again, this is right there in the playbook — works in direct contrast. So, yeah, lost boys meet in a desolate downtown, as the light drains away from the day. There then follows scarecrow dreams, smashed to smithereens inside a cartoon heart. Forget all that. The lyrics, as always, are lines from a tone poem, meant to trigger emotional, not intellectual, responses. And, well … they do. (More here.) — Nick DeRiso
David Bowie – Hours [Collector’s Edition] (Pop/Rock)
DIO – HOLY DIVER (POP/ROCK): I’m not sure what the advantages of owning this on a gold CD are over the normal CD that I’ve been rocking out to for 20-plus years, but this is definitely one of the iconic albums in metal history. There’s not a bad moment on it from start to finish, and it really launched Ronnie James Dio as the star of the show. Though no one can deny the strength of his performances with Rainbow and Black Sabbath, his vision was never the heart and soul of those bands. Holy Diver was different, and that’s why it remains one of the most well-respected metal albums ever. The reissue comes with a fold-out copy of the original LP liner, which features photos from Dio’s days with Rainbow and Black Sabbath. If there were CDs that I’d be willing to pay twice the price of a normal CD to get in gold, Holy Diver would definitely be one of them. — Fred Phillips
Eddy Arnold – The Smooth Operator (Country)
Eric Marienthal – It’s Love (Jazz)
Ernest Tubb – The Texas Troubadour (Country)
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FRANK SINATRA – THE CONCERT SINATRA [Remastered & Expanded] (POP/ROCK): A new reissue of an under-appreciated gem. Frank Sinatra, working with long-time collaborator Nelson Riddle as arranger and one of the largest orchestras in his storied history as a vocalist in 1963, reimagines a series show tunes by Richard Rodgers and others. Included are “Bewitched,” “Lost in the Stars,” “Ol’ Man River,” “Soliloquy” (an amazing one-man show in and of itself) “You’ll Never Walk Alone,” and others. Sinatra had earlier done a pair of these for Columbia, but the renditions here — thanks to the singer’s maturing command of his instrument, but also to Riddle’s smartly effective charts — are far superior. — Nick DeRiso
Grant Green – Sunday Mornin’ (Jazz)
Gretchen Wilson – Playlist: The Very Best of Gretchen Wilson [Remastered] (Country)
Guided By Voices – Let’s Go Eat the Factory (Pop/Rock)
Hugh Masekela – Jabulani (Jazz)
JACK DeJOHNETTE – SOUND TRAVELS, GOLDEN BEAMS/EONE (JAZZ): A genre-spanning, nine-song collaborative effort from the drummer known for stints with the Charles Lloyd Quartet and with Miles Davis during a pioneering fusion phase that included Bitches Brew. Standout cuts include the funky “Dirty Ground,” featuring a guest turn by vocalist Bruce Hornsby. Esperanza Spalding plays bass on seven tracks. DeJohnette also welcomes contributions by Bobby McFerrin, and Jason Moran, among others. But make no mistake: His voice is at the center of this project, as DeJohnette wrote or co-wrote all of the tunes, while playing drums and piano (!) throughout as well. — Nick DeRiso
James Booker – King of the New Orleans Keyboard, Junco (Blues)
Janis Joplin – Classic LP Collection (Pop/Rock)
Jason Kao Hwang’s Spontaneous River – Symphony Of Souls
Jeremy Pelt – Soul (Jazz)
JOHN HAITT – CROSSING MUDDY WATERS; THE TIKI BAR IS OPEN (POP/ROCK): A pair of reissues featuring offbeat turn-of-the-century efforts by John Haitt. His 15th and 16 albums found Haitt collaborating with Davey Faragher and David Immerglück on a wiry trio recording (Crossing) cut in just three days, then a long-waited reunion with his best band, the Goners (Tiki), that opens the door for a return to his initial sound an edgy pub rocker. Neither is as essential as 1987’s Bring the Family, but both provide a welcome jolt for those who’ve worn that classic out over the years. — Nick DeRiso
John Lee Hooker – Motor City Blues Master; Plays & Sings The Blues (Blues)
John Zorn – Mount Analogue (Pop/Rock)
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Juvenile – Rejuvenation (Rap)
Lilacs & Champagne – Lilacs & Champagne (Pop/Rock)
LMFAO – Sorry for Party Rocking [Clean] [Deluxe Edition] (Pop/Rock)
Lost Horizon – A Flame to the Ground Beneath; Awakening the World (Pop/Rock)
Marc Rossi – Mantra Revealed (Jazz)
Matt Flinner Trio – Winter Harvest (Jazz)
MAYNARD FERGUSON – THE NEW SOUNDS OF MAYNARD FERGUSON/ COME BLOW YOUR HORN (JAZZ): New Sounds, recorded for the Camden label in 1964, finds the vibrant Maynard Ferguson offering a series of big-band warhorses like “Take the “A” Train,” “Cherokee,” “One O’Clock Jump” and “I’m Getting Sentimental Over You,” even while mixing in left-turn surprises like Herbie Hancock’s “Watermelon Man” and the fun “Bossa Nova De Funk.” 1963’s Come Blow Your Horn, meanwhile, nverts the formula, including a slew of more unexpected compositions mixed in with the odd standard like “Chicago (That Toddlin’ Town).” Highlights on the second disc include the theme from the film “Anthony and Cleopatra,” the title track (from the Neil Simon play) and Elmer Bernstein’s “Blues for a Four String Guitar.” Extensive new liner notes have been added by Bret Primak. — Nick DeRiso
Melissa Manchester – Playlist: The Very Best of Melissa Manchester (Pop/Rock)
Meredith d’Ambrosio – By Myself (Jazz)
Michael W. Smith – Decades Of Worship (Religious)
Mickey Thomas – Over the Edge (Pop/Rock)
Modern English – Ricochet Days (Pop/Rock)
Montgomery Gentry – Playlist: The Very Best of Montgomery Gentry (Country)
Patricia O’Callaghan – Matador: The Songs of Leonard Cohen (Folk)
Sheila Jordan – Yesterdays (Jazz)
Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra (Bratislava) – Hermann: Jane Eyre (Stage & Screen)
STEVE HOWE – TIME (CLASSICAL): Blending classical, jazz and country, the legendary guitarist with Yes/Asia/GTR collaborates with TV and film composer Paul K. Joyce and an uncredited orchestral ensemble. This 2011 project, as different from Steve Howe’s wheelhouse work in the prog and prog-pop genres as it could possibly be, includes several intriguing originals by Howe as well as some offbeat reinterpretations of pieces by Bach and Vivaldi. — Nick DeRiso
STEVIE NICKS – THE LOWDOWN (SPOKEN WORD): A two-disc interview package from MTV with sections from the famous Fleetwood Mac frontwoman on her hit songs, her private life, relationships and obstacles she’s overcome on the way to superstardom.
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TEARS FOR FEARS – ELEMENTAL (POP/ROCK): A reissue from 1993, this is Tears for Fears in name only — since Roland Orzabal was carrying on without longtime bandmate Curt Smith. That might have been why fans pretty much turned a deaf ear to both this and TFF’s subsequent release Everybody Loves A Happy Ending. (Elemental included the modest hit single “Break It Down Again,” and reached No. 5 in the UK — yet was barely a Top 50 charter in the U.S.) But as with all things of this nature, I have to ask myself that if they didn’t have the burden of living up to the TFF moniker, wouldn’t most fans have loved them? Most likely, they really weren’t all that much different than the more serious pieces on Seeds Of Love, if maybe they indulged in the big sappy balladeering too much. Well, why not, when you’ve got the glorious golden pipes of Roland Orzabal pushing them forward? (More here.) — Tom Johnson
Terry Riley – Terry Riley: Aleph (Classical)
The Big Pink – Future This (Pop/Rock)
The Fresh Beat Band – Music from the Hit TV Show, Sony Legacy (Pop/Rock)
The Hooters – Playlist: The Very Best of the Hooters (Pop/Rock)
The New Trio – Melting Game (Jazz)
The Soul Rebels – Unlock Your Mind (Jazz)
Tim McGraw – Emotional Traffic (Country)
Tony Rice – The Bill Monroe Collection (Country)
United Stated Air Force Symphony Orchestra – Duke Ellington: The Symphonic Portrait (Classical)
University of Texas Jazz Orchestra – In The Thick Of It (Jazz)
Various Artists – Acoustic Tribute to Adele (Pop/Rock)
Various Artists – Music From & Inspired By Pan Am (Stage & Screen)
Various Artists – Putumayo Presents: Brazilian Beat (International)
Various Artists – Smooth Jazz Tribute to Michael Jackson’s ‘Thriller’ (Jazz)
WADADA LEO SMITH – DARK LADY OF THE SONNETS (JAZZ): After trying out the French horn, drums and mellophone, the young Smith settled on the trumpet, and embarked on a career playing, teaching and studying free improvisation and avant-garde jazz; a path he’s steadily stayed on since. He’s recorded and performed with a wealth of other heavies in his arena as peers, such as Henry Kaiser — with whom Smith later joined forces to celebrate Miles Davis’ electric period. Smith in fact owes much of his playing style to Miles; like the older master, Smith possesses an innate sense of note placement and playing the silence between the notes as much of the notes themselves. He’s got a full, rich tone that just short of Lester Bowie brassy. This new album, released to coincide with Smith’s 70th birthday celebration, features five compositions new originals, including a tribute to his late mother Sarah Bell Wallace and a title-track inspired by Billie Holiday. (More here.) — S. Victor Aaron
Wyclef Jean – Playlist: The Very Best of Wyclef Jean (Rap)
Zack Browning – Secret Pulse (Jazz)
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- Angell & Crane, “Himalayan Dial-Up” from ‘Angell & Crane’ (2024): Video Premiere - November 22, 2024
- Michael Attias, “Avrils” from ‘Quartet Music Vol. II- Kardamon Fall’ (2024): Streaming premiere - October 11, 2024
- Bryn Roberts, “Aloft” from ‘Aloft’ (2024): Video Premiere - September 20, 2024
