Ruben Blades, Nick Finzer and Joe Bailey are part of the latest edition of Five for the Road, an occasional look at music that’s been in my car lately …
JOE BAILEY – GHOSTS (PROG ROCK): Out now on Reficul Records, Ghosts grabs the listener by the scruff of their necks with the opening track “Haunted House,” and doesn’t let go until the last song, the title track. Part of the reason the album works so well is Joe Bailey’s ability to craft inviting melodies with hard-hitting instrumentation. A one-person band, Bailey includes tasty orchestration to infuse his compositions with an epicness. “Waiting” displays an ‘80s-era art-rock feel with touches of Rush while “Abracadabra” – my favorite song on Ghosts – is AOR at its finest, with relatable lyrics and keyboard work worthy as the Downes-Braides Association. Joe Bailey delivers over 40 minutes of compelling rock.
THE ARISTOCRATS – FREEZE!: LIVE IN EUROPE 2020 (PROG ROCK): Wait a minute, how many Aristocrats live albums are there? How can this release, taken from their pandemic-shortened European tour, top 2015’s Culture Clash Live? Maybe it doesn’t, but that may be an impossibly high bar to jump. It is clear after listening to the opening notes of “D Grade Fuck Move Jam” that all the musical interplay, instrumental humor and ballsiness is alive and well. The performances are taken from the band’s February 2020 run in Spain, just before lockdown, touching on material from 2019’s You Know What…? “Get It Like That” is of note, as Marco Minnemann displays a flight-of-fancy drum solo as a tribute to Neil Peart. Unfortunately, at just six songs, Freeze! Live in Europe 2020 is just a tease of the Aristocrats’ true greatness. However, given the turn the live music industry took in 2020, this results are a minor blessing.
RUBEN BLADES with ROBERTO DELGADO and ORQUESTA – SALSWING (JAZZ): Composer, singer, actor and activist Ruben Blades does not seem to be slowing, and Salswing shows how multi-faceted he remains. Working with the esteemed Roberto Delgado Orquesta, Blades fuses Afro-Cuban, touches of salsa and jazz to create an infectious and compelling album. “Paula C” demonstrates the versatility of Blades’ voice. The contrast with the song “Pennies From Heaven” is equally striking. Ruben Blades goes for broke, utilizing the full range of the Delgado’s group. The arrangements are lush yet spacious enough to allow the individual soloists to contribute. The result is what Blades refers to as “mixtura,” a concept which expresses the hope that good music prevails and is accepted, if done with quality and good intent. Ruben Blades and the Roberto Delgado Orquesta have taken this concept to heart on Salswing, and the results speak for themselves.
NICK FINZER – ‘CAST OF CHARACTERS’: LIVE FROM DENTON EP (JAZZ): At just three songs, Nick Finzer’s ‘Cast of Characters’: Live From Denton isn’t a complete representation of his brilliant 2020 LP. However, in this time of closed jazz venues and limited opportunities to hear great players, these three songs provide a welcome release. Finzer and his band (Lucus Pino on tenor sax, Quincy Davis on drums, Dave Meder on piano, and Etic Hitt on bass) also deliver animated versions. “A Sorcerer (is a Myth)” features a lively tug of war between Finzer and Pino. “Patience, Patience” is an elegant ballad, and the group allows the melody to flow while giving bassist Hitt an opportunity to shine. “The Evolution of Perspective,” in its expanded form here, builds on its original theme with robust trombone/tenor interaction, and muscular rhythmic backing. Nick Finzer has recorded at least two other versions of this song, but this update eclipses the other strong versions – and that, by itself, makes this EP and the video series on Finzer’s YouTube channel a must hear.
T BEAR – FRESH BEAR TRACKS (BLUES ROCK): I’ll admit I tend to run away from cute album titles. Luckily for me, I got to dig into T Bear’s Fresh Bear Tracks. Richard T Bear has a catalog of quality blues-based rock. It’s hard to believe that it’s been 25 years since his last studio work. Despite the gap in new music, Fresh Bear Tracks picks up where T Bear left off. “River of Resurrection,” which features Edgar Winter and Walter Trout, is a bluesy mid-tempo song which wears a Memphis feel on its sleeve and proves that Bear’s voice has maintained its power. “Give It Up” is just as effective, and the added muscle of Trout and Stephen Stills act as icing on the cake. Of course, icing isn’t necessarily needed, but it’s an excellent addition to this tasty collection of songs.
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