SOUND CHECK THE SPARE ARRANGEMENTS AND DEEP SERENITY OF NEVILLE'S DISTINCTIVE VOICE MAKE THIS, HIS FIRST GOSPEL DISC, A WINNER...Aaron Neville/``Devotion'' (Silverline/Tell-It) Neville's emotionally pure, sturdy voice is custom-built for spirituals, and on this lovely collection, comparisons to Sam Cooke have never been more justified. With peaceful intensity, Neville delivers some of the genre's classics, including ``Mary Don't You Weep "Mary Don't You Weep" (alternately titled "O Mary Don't You Weep", "Oh Mary, Don't You Weep, Don't You Mourn", or variations thereof) is a Negro spiritual that originates from before the American Civil War. ,'' ``Jesus Love Me'' and ``Banks of the River Jordan,'' combined with well-chosen pop covers with sacred themes, like ``Morning Has Broken,'' ``I Shall Be Released'' and ``Bridge Over Troubled Water.'' Two originals, ``What Would Jesus Do?'' and ``Jesus Is a Friend of Mine,'' both co-written by Neville, fit the reflective mood perfectly. The spare arrangements and deep serenity of Neville's distinctive voice make this, his first gospel disc, a winner, whether you go for spiritual music or not. The album, by the way, is among the first DVD DVD: see digital versatile disc. DVD in full digital video disc or digital versatile disc Type of optical disc. The DVD represents the second generation of compact-disc (CD) technology. audio CDs, providing six- channel surround sound that comes across wonderfully on the conventional two speakers. Along with 13 musical tracks, the disc contains interview footage and a documentary of Neville's heartfelt performance at Angola State Penitentiary penitentiary: see prison. . Four stars - Fred Shuster Rachelle Ferrell/``Individuality (Can I Be Me?)'' (Capitol) Eight years is a long time for a recording artist to go between making records. Still, one listen to Ferrell's latest and you'll see she hasn't missed a beat. This multioctave vocalist has turned out a disc that's jazzy jazz·y adj. jazz·i·er, jazz·i·est 1. Resembling jazz in form or nature; rhythmical. 2. Slang Showy; flashy: a jazzy car. , groovy groov·y adj. groov·i·er, groov·i·est Slang Very pleasing; wonderful. groov  i·ness n. and soulful in equal parts. Standout tracks include
``Sista,'' a tribute to women that finds Ferrell's voice
slip-sliding from breathy breath·y adj. breath·i·er, breath·i·est Marked by or as if by audible or noisy breathing: a breathy voice. breath to husky to piercing, ``Individuality (Can I Be Me?),'' a celebration of her own uniqueness, and the spiritually content ``Satisfied.'' Ferrell, who recently topped the contemporary jazz charts with this disc, appears Jan. 20 at the Wiltern Theatre. Four stars - Sandra Barrera Chris Smither/``Live as I'll Ever Be'' (Hightone) Smither's soulful songs and masterful blues guitar playing have been around for 30 years, but it has only been in the past decade - since Smither kicked his various addictions - that he has achieved some prominence on the coffee-house circuit. This collection of live songs stands as a great introduction to Smither's poetic work. The 15 cuts feature just Smither's gravelly grav·el·ly adj. 1. Of, full of, or covered with rock fragments or pebbles: a gravelly beach. 2. Having a harsh rasping sound: a gravelly voice. voice, slinky slink·y adj. slink·i·er, slink·i·est 1. Stealthy, furtive, and sneaking. 2. Informal Graceful, sinuous, and sleek: wore a slinky outfit to the party. guitar and rueful rue·ful adj. 1. Inspiring pity or compassion. 2. Causing, feeling, or expressing sorrow or regret. rue songs about sin, salvation and hard-earned wisdom. Without a backing band, the program suffers slightly from a sameness, but that's a small quibble QUIBBLE. A slight difficulty raised without necessity or propriety; a cavil. 2. No justly eminent member of the bar will resort to a quibble in his argument. . Smither is one of our unsung songwriters. To see him ``live as he'll ever be,'' check him out tonight at the Neighborhood Church in Pasadena, where Smither will open for Dave Alvin. Information: (626) 791-0411. Three stars - Glenn Whipp Peter Case/``Flying Saucer Blues'' (Vanguard) This folked-up former Plimsoul has once again produced an album of strong pop poetry with delightful roots flourishes. Though energetic and upbeat, the songs evoke a powerful sense of fate's caprice and blown opportunities (``the apocalypse is over and I still owe rent,'' he notes with cheerful resignation on ``Paradise Etc.''). The guy can paint with lyrics, telling a multicharacter crime comedy (``Two Heroes'') and a love-murder story from the killer's exultant point of view (``This Could Be the One'') with surprising aplomb, while such serious ballads as ``Cold Trail Blues'' reach haunting emotional depths. Case opens for Dave Alvin at the Neighborhood Church in Pasadena on Saturday and will appear at Largo on Jan. 25. Three and one half stars - Bob Strauss Larry Barrett/``The Big Slowdown'' (Barking Music) Seattle guitarist (and multi-instrumentalist) Barrett sounds like one of those Byrds-inspired jangle revivalists - at first. But once you start understanding the words coming out of his parched parch v. parched, parch·ing, parch·es v.tr. 1. To make extremely dry, especially by exposure to heat: The midsummer sun parched the earth. , Roger-McGuinn-after-a-wake voice - which can take effort, due to the sometimes poorly mixed, stately sound wall of acoustic strings, harmonica harmonica. 1 The simplest of the musical instruments employing free reeds, known also as the mouth organ or French harp. It was probably invented in 1829 by Friedrich Buschmann of Berlin, who called his instrument the Mundäoline. and organ - you realize that Barrett is making devastatingly personal, poetically haunting dirges. I don't know Don't know (DK, DKed) "Don't know the trade." A Street expression used whenever one party lacks knowledge of a trade or receives conflicting instructions from the other party. how close to the actual bone these songs cut, but the album is ``Dedicated to the life of Yumiko Isabel Barrett 1978-1997,'' and its mentions of a ``departed daughter,'' invocation of Kurt Cobain and song titles like ``Pull the Plug'' and ``ICU'' indicate, well, right through to the marrow. And even though the disc concludes with the sound of a Northwest downpour, its earthy, honest yet Dylan-esquely elusive expression of grief is anything but depressing. Whatever price he may have paid, Barrett knows how to turn loss into art. Three and one half stars - B.S. CAPTION(S): 5 photos Photo: (1) no caption (Aaron Neville) (2 -- 5) no caption (CD covers) |
|
||||||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion