SOUND CHECK.John Scofield/``A Go Go'' After the elegant, stylized styl·ize tr.v. styl·ized, styl·iz·ing, styl·iz·es 1. To restrict or make conform to a particular style. 2. To represent conventionally; conventionalize. vision of his last album, ``Quiet,'' guitarist John Scofield has decided to get down and get funky with ``A Go Go,'' a relentlessly riffing work that will sound great over plates of greasy ribs this summer. Scofield makes a primal groove connection with the organ-bass-drums trio of John Medeski, Chris Wood and Billy Martin, laying down 10 tracks full of soul and virtuoso playing. Organist Medeski really is the co-star here, perfectly complimenting Scofield on songs like the mysterioso title track and the boogie soul of ``Chank.'' Great fun. Three Stars - Glenn Whipp Pete Droge/``Spacey spac·ey adj. Slang Variant of spacy. Adj. 1. spacey - stupefied by (or as if by) some narcotic drug spaced-out, spacy unconventional - not conventional or conformist; "unconventional life styles" and Shakin'' Pete Droge should call himself Pete Drone. Writing and singing in a style that crosses John Hiatt with Tom Petty, he's stuck in midgear for nine of these 11 songs. He's got an enjoyably scratchy and spacey voice, but there's not much shakin' going on here. The instrumentation suggests psychedelia psy·che·de·li·a n. The subculture associated with psychedelic drugs. Noun 1. psychedelia - the subculture of users of psychedelic drugs , but only on the flat-out rocker ``Evan's Radio'' and the country-flavored ``Blindly'' does Droge hit what could honestly be called a groove. This stuff is better and more tuneful than speed metal or electronica, so speed isn't everything. But it would be better if he'd kick it up to boogaloo Boogaloo (shing-a-ling, popcorn music) is a genre of Latin music and dance that was very popular in the United States in the late 1960s. Boogaloo originated in New York City among teenage Cubans and Puerto Ricans. , or ratchet it back to clinch. Two Stars - Rick Shefchik St. Paul Pioneer Press
The St. Paul Pioneer Press is a newspaper based in St. Paul, Minnesota, primarily serving the Twin Cities metropolitan area. Soundtrack/``Bulworth'' ``Bulworth'' features the most impressive aggregation of hip-hop artists in some time. Old-school visionaries LL Cool J (in booming tandem with Dr. Dre on ``Zoom Zoom''), Public Enemy and KRS-One are on hand, as are Ice Cube, B-Real of Cypress Hill, many a member of the Wu-Tang Clan, plus newcomers Black Eyed Peas This article is about the American hip hop group. For the vegetable, see Black-eyed pea. The Black Eyed Peas are an American hip hop group from Los Angeles, California, who have enjoyed worldwide pop success. The group is currently composed of will.i.am, apl.de. and fierce Philadelphia native Eve. The standouts, however, feature the talents of Fugees main man Wyclef Jean. For summertime singles, it's not likely to get much better than ``Ghetto Supastar (That Is What You Are),'' which Jean co-wrote and produced and is credited to the Fugees' Pras Michel featuring ODB ODB Our Daily Bread ODB Object Database ODB Old Dirty Bastard (Wutang clan & rap group) ODB Old Dirty Bastard ODB Open Database ODB Ontario Drug Benefits ODB Cordoba Spain (airport code) and Mya. Even more ear-grabbing is ``How Come,'' in which the ecumenical Jean brings Senegalese griot griot African tribal storyteller. The griot's role was to preserve the genealogies and oral traditions of the tribe. Griots were usually among the oldest men. In places where written language is the prerogative of the few, the place of the griot as cultural guardian is still Youssou N'Dour together with motor-mouthed rapper Canibus to astonishing a·ston·ish tr.v. as·ton·ished, as·ton·ish·ing, as·ton·ish·es To fill with sudden wonder or amazement. See Synonyms at surprise. effect. Three and One Half Stars - Dan DeLuca Philadelphia Inquirer Tori Amos/``from the choirgirl choir·girl n. A girl member of a choir. hotel'' Having mastered the solo piano format, Tori Amos has turned her attention toward producing, arranging and performing as an instrumentalist/vocalist within a band - an approach she tested on her 1996 opus, ``Boys for Pele.'' On this, her fourth full-length solo effort, Amos is in full bloom full bloom the stage of a crop when two-thirds of the plants are in flower; the crop is mature. as the leader of an inspired, experimental ensemble that helps her realize her large artistic visions. Also distinguished by its more melody-friendly tunes, this album is likely to expand Amos' huge global fan base, which is among the most ardent in the industry. Highlights of ``choirgirl'' include the soulful, plaintive ``Playboy Mommy''; the dark, tribal ``Cruel''; the gorgeous ``Black-Dove (January)''; and lead single ``Spark,'' a hit on modern-rock radio. An album with tremendous potential with alternative rockers, college kids and popsters, as well as club spinners, who are encouraged to check out the electrifying e·lec·tri·fy tr.v. e·lec·tri·fied, e·lec·tri·fy·ing, e·lec·tri·fies 1. To produce electric charge on or in (a conductor). 2. a. ``Raspberry Swirl.'' Three and One Half Stars - Billboard Stabbing Westward/``Darkest Days'' Although its title accurately conveys its content, Stabbing Westward's third offering is more likely to signal bright days ahead for the Chicago-based quintet. Progressing seamlessly beyond its hard-rock core, Stabbing Westward proves it can master electronic beats and grooves, notably on the propulsive ``Drugstore.'' Other highlights include mainstream and modern rock hit ``Save Yourself'' and a remixed version of its ``Spawn'' soundtrack entry, ``Torn Apart.'' A band with the potential to build on its already considerable fan base. Three Stars - Billboard Randy Travis/``You and You Alone'' Randy Travis' return to prominence in country music is a welcome signal that the genre has returned to its core strengths: simplicity, traditional values, and songs that tell stories. Experienced emotion, rather than attitude, is what separates a veteran country artist like Travis from newer hat acts whose artistry is often wafer-thin. Travis, who rallied country music back to its center in the late '80s, may be doing the same again with this collection of strong songs. The first single, ``Out of My Bones'' - a well-crafted song by veteran writers Gary Burr, Sharon Vaughn and Robin Lerner - is Travis at his introspective in·tro·spect intr.v. in·tro·spect·ed, in·tro·spect·ing, in·tro·spects To engage in introspection. [Latin intr best. Vince Gill, Melba Montgomery, and Alison Krauss & Union Station make guest appearances. Two and One Half Stars - Billboard Giuseppe Tartini/``The Devil's Sonata'' Andrew Manze has become the new hot fiddler in the baroque violin field. Playing with a period instrument and bow, Manze has recorded solo works with an exuberance and directness uncommon among players in his field. The instrument itself resists such an approach. Gut strings speak slowly and the bow does not bite the same way a modern bow does, yet Manze attacks the instrument boldly, winning color and resonance to make the music seem less remote, less precious to modern ears. Played without harpsichord harpsichord, stringed musical instrument played from a keyboard. Its strings, two or more to a note, are plucked by quills or jacks. The harpsichord originated in the 14th cent. and by the 16th cent. Venice was the center of its manufacture. or continuo continuo or basso continuo In Baroque music, a special subgroup of an instrumental ensemble. It consists of two instruments reading the same part: a bass instrument, such as a cello or bassoon, and a chordal instrument, most often a harpsichord but sometimes accompaniment, the virtuosity of the writing of this familiar Tartini piece is plain, as is the violinist's security in flying through the famous trills in the third movement. The disc also contains other solo works by Tartini, including a splendid set of variations from his teaching work, ``L'arte del arco.'' These are robust, colorful works played with flair and impulsiveness. Three and One Half Stars - Daniel Webster Philadelphia Inquirer CAPTION(S): 3 Photos Photo: (1) On the group's third album, ``Darkest Days,'' Chicago-based Stabbing Westward adds electronic beats and grooves to its hard-rock sound. (2) Singer-songwriter Tori Amos sheds her solo piano persona for a band-oriented approach on ``from the choirgirl hotel.'' (3) It's a groove thing for jazz guitarist John Scofield, who blends with organ, bass and drums on ``A Go Go.'' |
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