VOICES Notes on the latest from the Concord Music Group family
Rock 'n' Roll Heaven
28 NOV 08 CHRIS SLAWECKI on POP & ROCK
Sometimes life lifts a curtain to give you just enough of a glimpse that you know that it truly exists: Rock 'n' roll heaven, where blues and soul and R&B and gospel all melt into one exhilarating, liberating frenzy. James Hunter's latest tour stop in Philadelphia delivered one such brilliant look. MORE
The Flavor of Flamenco
24 NOV 08 JOHN C. BRUENING on WORLD & LATIN
Although Sabor Flamenco is Spanish-born guitarist Juan Serrano's sole entry in the Concord Picante catalog (released in 1991), this 10-track set has plenty to offer. MORE
Three Soulful Sirens
21 NOV 08 DAVID NATHAN on R&B, BLUES, SOUL & STAX
For a long time, Carla Thomas ruled the roost at Stax. She was indeed "The Queen Alone," as the title of one of her albums suggested. But it wasn't long before the label would welcome three other sirens whose hits ushered in a new era of soul. MORE
Enchanting Prokofiev
20 NOV 08 VIVIEN SCHWEITZER on CLASSICAL
Kids may have access to all kinds of high tech entertainment these days, but most will still be enchanted by Prokofiev's "Peter and the Wolf." This Telarc re-release features André Previn as the narrator, charming telling the story while the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra vividly illustrates the musical scenes and adventures. MORE
Jimmy's Really Big Jam
19 NOV 08 CHRIS SLAWECKI on JAZZ
Producers are often praised when they make each individual voice shine. But on Jimmy Heath's Really Big!, Orrin Keepnews deserves credit for creating a genuine group voice from 10 individuals. MORE
Two On A Match
18 NOV 08 DAVID VIENNA on COLLECTOR'S CORNER
I wasn't going to write this post. I put the Merl Saunders and Jerry Garcia release Well-Matched on the writing schedule last month. A week later Saunders passed away and staffer Jeffrey Spector wrote a thorough and thoughtful piece about him. Here's why I decided to write the post anyway: I was surprised by how much I like this album. MORE
Electric Bass Innovator
17 NOV 08 JONATHAN WIDRAN on CONTEMPORARY JAZZ
Christian McBride once called Jaco Pastorius "the Charlie Parker of the electric bass." His album The Word Is Out!, co-produced and conducted by Peter Graves, features bass monsters who owe much of their inspiration to Jaco -- Victor Wooten, Gerald Veasley, Richard Bona, Jimmy Haslip and Jeff Carswell, as well as Israel "Cachao" López, Jr., Mark Egan, Oteil Burbridge and Will Lee. MORE
CJP Wins Latin Grammy
14 NOV 08 DAVID VIENNA, Editor-In-Chief
Heads Up recording artist Caribbean Jazz Project nabbed a Latin Grammy in the Best Latin Jazz Album category for the 2008 release Afro Bop Alliance, which is also the name of the group CJP enlisted to rework tracks for the album. MORE
A SPECIAL NOTE from our VOICES AT LARGE
Bringing Past To Present
11 NOV 08 ANNE FARNSWORTH on AMERICAN SONGBOOK
If I told you the beautifully packaged Ray Sings, Basie Swings is a relatively new release, you might scratch your head. After all, Count Basie passed away in 1984 (though the Basie band lives on) and we lost Ray Charles in 2004. MORE
Honoring The Chairman
24 OCT 08 ANNE FARNSWORTH on NEW RELEASES
Michael Feinstein continues his love affair with the American Songbook in his latest release The Sinatra Project. Informed by Feinstein's research, the collection covers decades of The Chairman's repertoire, adding little-known verses and additional lyrics. MORE
Playing For Peanuts
21 OCT 08 JONATHAN WIDRAN on SPECIAL OFFERS & SALES
Peanuts creator Charles Schulz once said, "I think one of the best things that ever happened for our shows was that we had Vince Guaraldi's music, and then we were blessed again to have David Benoit pick up the baton and keep it alive." Eight years after Schulz's death, the legacy endures, and groovingly so, on Benoit's Jazz For Peanuts - A Retrospective of the Charlie Brown Television Themes. MORE
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