SOUND CHECK.Nocentelli/``Live in San Francisco'' Captured live at last, ex-Meters guitarist Leo Leo, in astronomy Leo [Lat.,=the lion], northern constellation lying S of Ursa Major and on the ecliptic (apparent path of the sun through the heavens) between Cancer and Virgo; it is one of the constellations of the zodiac. Nocentelli turns in a solid set of jazz-funk and New Orleans r&b classics that gives the people what they want while showing off his considerable chops at the same time. Sharing the spotlight with Meters chum Joseph ``Ziggy'' Modeliste on drums, Nocentelli sticks mostly to the tried and true, and syncopated syn·co·pate tr.v. syn·co·pat·ed, syn·co·pat·ing, syn·co·pates 1. Grammar To shorten (a word) by syncope. 2. Music To modify (rhythm) by syncopation. standouts include simmering extended readings of Meters faves ``Fire on the Bayou,'' ``Hey Pocky pock n. 1. A pustule caused by smallpox or a similar eruptive disease. 2. A mark or scar left in the skin by such a pustule; a pockmark. tr.v. Way,'' ``Africa'' and ``People Say.'' Leo's all about feel, but even he would have to agree that 10 minutes of ``Que Sera, Sera'' is about eight minutes too much of a good thing. Three Stars ?13- Fred Shuster Imani Coppola/``Chupacabra'' New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of college sophomore Imani Coppola is clearly on the verge On the Verge (or The Geography of Yearning) is a play written by Eric Overmyer. It makes extensive use of esoteric language and pop culture references from the late nineteenth century to 1955. of a big breakthrough on the basis of this irresistible debut. ``I'm a Tree,'' ``Legend of a Cowgirl'' and ``Naked City (Love to See U Shine),'' the first three tracks on this thoroughly appealing and very modern-sounding disc, are earmarked for a variety of radio formats, from modern-rock to adult alternative to urban. That's because Coppola and her collaborator, producer Michael Mangini, crafted this music using seductive beats, instantly likable melodies and cleverly chosen samples (slivers of the Doors' ``Soul Kitchen'' and Donovan's ``Sunshine Superman''). Coppola puts her streetwise street·wise adj. Having the shrewd awareness, experience, and resourcefulness needed for survival in a difficult, often dangerous urban environment. lyrics across with swagger and ``Chupacabra'' will be the soundtrack of the next six months. Three and One Half Stars ?13- Fred Shuster Dusty Springfield/``The Dusty Springfield Anthology'' A blue-eyed soul diva with the ability to pull off Motown, Southern r&b as well as '60s Britpop, Dusty Springfield has been the subject of anthologies before, but never as thorough as this triple-CD collection that kicks off with her days in the Springfields (``Silver Threads and Golden Needles''), follows with a steady stream of British chart hits (``Stay Awhile,'' ``I'll Try Anything''), touches on those glorious ``Dusty in Memphis'' years (``Son of a Preacher Man'') and sorts out some obscure but still swell '70s, '80s and '90s material. Dusty rules. Three and One Half Stars ?13- Fred Shuster Roni Size & Reprazent/``New Forms'' Winner of Britain's prestigious 1997 Mercury Music Prize for the year's most adventurous sounds, Bristol drum 'n' bass producer Roni Size truly has come up with something sublime that holds up for the better part of this project. The trademark use of acoustic bass lends several of these ultra-funky tracks a natural, 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. vibe while the addition of Philly hip-hop vet Bahamadia reveals how energizing energizing, adj giving energy to; revitalizing; rejuvenating. rap can be when a sharp wit is part of the mix. The good stuff here, including ``Brown Paper Bag'' and the title track, is so good that you can't help but feel let down when the disc fizzles Samuel Beckett used the word "fizzles" to describe eight short prose pieces: For to end yet again, Still, He is barehead, Horn came always, Afar a Bird, I gave up before birth, Closed place, and Old earth. out in a haze of what can only be dubbed breakbeat
?13- Fred Shuster R.L. Burnside/``Acoustic Stories'' Listening to Delta bluesman R.L. Burnside caught live in the studio without overdubs, you'd be forgiven for thinking the blues was still in its pre-Chicago infancy. Burnside, who a few years ago cut a dense blues-rock album with Jon Spencer, harkens back to the early days of Son House and John Lee Hooker, and on this disc belts out gruff, anguished tales of betrayal and love lost or stolen, while lightheartedly telling the tale of a pool-shooting monkey. It's the real deal. Three Stars ?13- Fred Shuster Soundtrack/``I Know What You Did Last Summer'' The teen-scream movie smash of the month boasts an equally competent soundtrack. Opening with Kula Kula can refer to: Geographic locations
?13- Fred Shuster Various artists/``Music From the Coffee Land'' This compilation from Putumayo World Music Putumayo World Music is a New York City based record label, specialising in folk, Latin and Afro-Cuban music, as well as other genres that may be classified as world music. It was established in 1993 to introduce people to the music of the world’s cultures. provides a sampling of music from coffee-growing regions, among them Cuba, Kenya, Hawaii, Brazil, Costa Rica and of course Columbia, home to the fictional Juan Valdez and the sweet songs of Claudia Gomez, whose catchy ``Soltarlo'' is included here. Thomas Mapfumo adds stature to this collection, but his chimurenga-flavored ``Hanzvadzi'' isn't among his most gripping work. Reggae/ska guitarist Ernest Ranglin reprises REPRISES. The deductions and payments out of lands, annuities, and the like, are called reprises, because they are taken back; when we speak of the clear yearly value of an estate, we say it is worth so much a year ultra reprises, besides all reprises. 2. the tasty title track from his solo album of last year, ``Below the Bassline A bassline (also spelled bass line) is the term used in many styles of popular music, jazz, blues, trance and funk for the low-pitched instrumental part or line played by a rhythm section instrument such as the electric bass, double bass or keyboard (piano, Hammond organ, ,'' while Peruvean diva Susana Baca's ``Maria Lando'' - also included on Luaka Bop's superior but less varied compilation ``Sounds of Black Peru'' - displays the big voice for which she's now well-known. Coffee Kids, a nonprofit group that provides education in small coffee-farming communities, will receive some proceeds from the sale of each CD, a compilation that is rich, sweet and never bitter. Three Stars ?13- James Hames hames linked metal, curved bars that fit around the horse collar and serve as the attachment for the trace chains and traces. Mike Watt/``Contemplating the Engine Room'' It hardly seems like fodder for a concept album: Twenty-four hours in the lives of three guys in the engine room of a boat. But Mike Watt, the bassist known as an anchor of the proto-punk Minutemen, has thrown himself into the task and come up with a surprisingly inventive, if loosely connected set of reflections on hard work, bad coffee and the turbulence of daily life. Just about everything nautical on ``Contemplating'' can be read as a metaphor for something else. When Watt describes the pressures of life in the hot engine room, he might as well be discoursing on the gnawing tension of relationships. Helped by guitarist Joe Baiza and drummer Steve Hodges, Watt reinforces his semi-profound observations with driving, seriously energetic music that sometimes paraphrases vintage thrash (``Topsiders''), but just as often abandons the rigors of verse and chorus to follow the open, exploratory currents of free-form jazz. Three Stars ?13- Tom Moon Philadelphia Inquirer Murray Perahia/``Handel, Scarlatti: Keyboard Works'' Murray Perahia has for years endured charges that he aspires to be a latter-day Vladimir Horowitz. But tackling his idol's punishing repertory has not thus far served the younger pianist well. He doesn't seem suited to the rigors of Rachmaninoff and Liszt. Yet here is proof that Perahia and Horowitz can comfortably share common ground if the music is right. For like Horowitz, Perahia has unlocked the magic in Domenico Scarlatti's gemlike sonatas. Listen to the well-known D major Sonata (K. 491), where Perhaia's bell-like tone lends ebullience to the music. In the melancholy C sharp minor (K. 247), his exceptional concentration captivates, as though he were carefully imparting some breathtaking secret. Conversely, bravura bra·vu·ra n. 1. Music a. Brilliant technique or style in performance. b. A piece or passage that emphasizes a performer's virtuosity. 2. A showy manner or display. adj. 1. technique a la Horowitz distinguishes another D major work (K. 29), in which Perahia's chiseled chis·eled or chis·elled adj. Made or shaped with or as if with a chisel: a finely chiseled nose. Adj. 1. playing is the chief reward. But Scarlatti is only half the story. The CD opens with music by Handel, which Horowitz never performed. Here, too, in three suites and a chaconne cha·conne n. 1. A slow, stately dance of the 18th century or the music for it. 2. A form consisting of variations based on a reiterated harmonic pattern. , Perahia reveals a strong affinity for music few pianists embrace. Three and One Half Stars ?13- David Mermelstein The New York Times CAPTION(S): 7 Photos Photo: (1) Imani Coppola's ``Chupacabra'' may appeal to more than one radio format. (2--7) no caption (CD covers) |
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