SOUND CHECK.Gillian Welch/``Time (The Revelator rev·e·la·tor n. One who reveals, especially one who reveals divine will. )'' (Acony) For their third outing, Welch and longtime partner David Rawlings David Rawlings is a professional guitarist. He is best known as the longtime musical partner of bluegrass singer-songwriter Gillian Welch. He is also known in his own right as a producer, having produced Welch and bands such as Old Crow Medicine Show. not only launch their own label but follow a comfortably dusty trail into new territory. While the melancholy sound of these Hollywood-bred neo-Appalachians is authentically rustic - just Welch and Rawlings pickin' and singin' - the down-homey stuff is kept to a charming fling here, a melancholy waltz there. More interestingly, Welch builds the collection around music-biz subjects ranging from Elvis to Napster. The breakthroughs are the Dylanesque, impressionistic im·pres·sion·is·tic adj. 1. Of, relating to, or practicing impressionism. 2. Of, relating to, or predicated on impression as opposed to reason or fact: impressionistic memories of early childhood. epics, a two-part ``April the 14th''/``Ruination Day'' and the 14-minute album-closer, ``I Dream a Highway,'' suites bathed in historical references and allusive al·lu·sive adj. Containing or characterized by indirect references: an allusive speech. al·lu poetry that wouldn't be out of place on ``Highway 61 Revisited.'' Down from the mountain indeed. Four stars - Bob Strauss Charlie Haden/``Nocturne'' (Verve) Haden is no stranger to Cuban music, having explored the genre years ago with his Liberation Music Orchestra Liberation Music Orchestra is a large jazz ensemble led by US-American jazz bassist Charlie Haden. The ensemble has been an occasional operation, with shifting personnel. Aside from Charlie Haden, composer and arranger Carla Bley has had a great impact on the ensemble as she . This disc, though, is devoted to boleros, those soft, sensuous ballads full of melancholy romanticism. The jazz bassist's partner here is lyrical Cuban pianist Gonzalo Rubalcaba Gonzalo Rubalcaba (born May 27, 1963 in Havana, Cuba) is one of the most important pianists in jazz today. A prolific virtuoso and composer, he fuses Cuban and American influences into a powerful and innovative hybrid. and together they explore the form, coming up with enough subtle shadings to make each of the 11 cuts distinct. Haden, appearing Monday through Wednesday at the Knitting Factory The Knitting Factory is a New York City and Hollywood music club, originally specializing in jazz and experimental music. It was opened in 1987 by Michael Dorf and Bob Appel, both from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Hollywood, doesn't like labeling his music. It's all about beauty, he says, and a better summation can't be found. Three and one half stars - Glenn Whipp Cake/``Comfort Eagle'' (Columbia) Quirky to the core, Cake's John McCrea describes his dream woman to the accompaniment of mariachi trumpets, funky bass and pep rally cheers. The typically twisted ``Short Skirt/Long Jacket'' is among many confections found in the quintet's tuneful and irreverent fourth disc. Cake once again goes ``The Distance.'' Three and one half stars - Sandra Barrera Clarence ``Gatemouth'' Brown/``Back to Bogalusa'' (Blue Thumb) The 77-year-old multi-instrumentalist returns to the state of his birth for a smooth and spirited tribute to Louisiana and vicinity's sounds. Not too Cajun, not too New Orleans New Orleans (ôr`lēənz –lənz, ôrlēnz`), city (2006 pop. 187,525), coextensive with Orleans parish, SE La., between the Mississippi River and Lake Pontchartrain, 107 mi (172 km) by water from the river mouth; founded r&b, not too Delta blues For the racehorse, see . This article may contain original research or unverified claims. Please help Wikipedia by adding references. See the for details. This article has been tagged since June 2007. and not too Memphis soul, but a perfectly blended gumbo of all, the record features bodacious bo·da·cious also bow·da·cious or bar·da·cious Southern & South Midland U.S. adj. 1. Remarkable; prodigious. 2. Audacious; gutsy. adv. 1. Completely; extremely. 2. new renditions of a half-dozen songs previously available on European labels (including Little Feat's late Lowell George's favorite take on ``Dixie Chicken''). Stay to the end because you don't want to miss Gate's encounter with a giant 'gator. Three and one half stars - B.S. Pat Martino/``Live at Yoshi's'' (Blue Note) Martino cut his teeth in organ trios but has rarely revisited the format, making this date a sweet homecoming. The guitarist, opening a six-night stand Tuesday at Catalina's, is joined by Hammond B-3 player Joey DeFrancesco and drummer Billy Hart for a fabulously funky reading of five originals, a swinging version of Sonny Rollins' ``Oleo'' and two cuts from Miles Davis' ``Kind of Blue.'' It's on the latter's ``All Blues'' that the players make their tastiest music, trading solos that get better with each chorus and ending with a dizzying flight from the leader. You won't go wrong with this album. Four stars - G.W. CAPTION(S): 5 photos Photo: (1) no caption (Gillian Welch) (2 -- 5) no caption (CD covers) |
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