SOUND CHECK.Shannon McNally/``Jukebox Sparrows'' (Capitol) New Jersey's McNally may sound like a Sheryl Crow knock-off at first. But she's truly an exceptional singer and storyteller. On her debut, McNally weaves stripped-down blues-rock and keen observations ripped from everyday life. The heart-wrenching ``It Could've Been Me'' finds her mourning a friend believed to have the victim of roadside murder as she reflects on her own possible life-threatening experience. Her Joni Mitchell-like ``It Ain't Easy Being Green'' paints vivid vignettes of disillusioned dis·il·lu·sion tr.v. dis·il·lu·sioned, dis·il·lu·sion·ing, dis·il·lu·sions To free or deprive of illusion. n. 1. The act of disenchanting. 2. The condition or fact of being disenchanted. characters like the lonely girl ``riding a bus in the middle of the night'' who ``calls herself up to hear a friendly voice.'' On ``I'll Always Be Around,'' McNally rekindles the endearing sentiment of Carole King's ``You've Got a Friend'' with rich, smoky vocals. A songbird songbird Any oscine passerine (suborder Passere), all of which have a complex vocal organ, the syrinx. Some species (e.g., thrushes) produce melodious songs; others (e.g., crows) have a harsh voice; and some do little or no singing. See also birdsong. , indeed. Three and one half stars - Sandra Barrera Chris Richards/``Jam the Breeze'' (Ten High Ranch) Insightfully melancholy singer-songwriter Richards' debut sounds like he's spent a lot of time in a sad cafe where Jackson Browne and Hank Williams Noun 1. Hank Williams - United States country singer and songwriter (1923-1953) Hiram King Williams, Hiram Williams, Williams trade road stories, heartbreaking observations and, when the waitress permits, hot twangy licks. The characters in these songs are usually running to and from something, hoping for a good reason to snag 'em at the next stop. Beautifully orchestrated and produced by the great L.A. roots instrumentalist Rick Shea (Dave Alvin's Guilty Men), Richards' album serves up introspection with real verve. Seek out this stylish seeker's musings at www.milesofmusic.com. Three and one half stars - Bob Strauss Bobby Short/``Piano'' (Surrounded by Entertainment) We couldn't help but think of Short after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks since his version of Rodgers and Hart's ``Manhattan'' rings as one of the quintessential songs about 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 . Short sings on only two songs here (the album is called ``Piano,'' after all), but his tastefully concise renditions of standards from the American songbook make for pleasant Sunday-morning listening. Playing in small combo settings, Short takes an easygoing eas·y·go·ing also eas·y-go·ing adj. 1. a. Living without undue worry or concern; calm. b. Lax or negligent; careless. c. approach, getting to the songs' essence without showboating. Another fine effort from a class act. Three stars - Glenn Whipp Various/``Jools Holland's Big Band Rhythm & Blues'' (Warner) Holland is England's answer to Paul Shaffer
Paul Allen Wood Shaffer , a keyboardist (formerly of Squeeze) who has a late-night television show and a golden touch when it comes to assembling talent. The guest list here includes songs from Sting, Eric Clapton and Van Morrison, but the album has gained notice for the George Harrison number, ``Horse to Water,'' the last cut the ex-Beatle recorded before succumbing to cancer in December. The song, a typically deadpan meditation on spiritual struggles, sounds like a brassy outtake out·take n. 1. a. A section or scene, as of a movie, that is filmed but not used in the final version. b. A complete version, as of a recording, that is dropped in favor of another version. 2. from Harrison's last studio album, ``Cloud Nine,'' and will undoubtedly please both longtime fans and the newly curious. Elsewhere, the album's 22 songs range from the sublime (Mica Paris Mica Paris (born Michelle Wallen on April 27 1969 in London, England) is an English singer. She began singing in church at an early age and then went on to become a session singer at the age of 15, for bands such as Hollywood Beyond and Shakatak. and David Gilmour's soulful ``I Put a Spell on You'') to the ridiculous (John Cale Not to be confused with J.J. Cale. John Davies Cale (born March 9, 1942) is a Welsh musician, singer-songwriter and record producer. He is best known for his work in rock music, particularly as a founding member of The Velvet Underground, and he has worked in a variety of butchers ``I Wanna wan·na Informal 1. Contraction of want to: You wanna go now? 2. Contraction of want a: You wanna slice of pie? Be Around''), but more often than not, the musicians do themselves proud. Three stars - Glenn Whipp Hadacol/``All in Your Head'' (Slewfoot) Brothers Fred and Greg Wickham named their band after a strong liquor that used to sponsor country radio shows, and their guitar-crunching, Midwestern roots-rock no doubt captures the effect of that brew. It's hard-driving, generally depressive stuff, but always melodious and interspersed with tender, tentative odes to the simple homely pleasures. Not a bad song on the album, which includes a high-revved version of the folk classic ``Little Sadie Little Sadie is a 20th Century American folk ballad. It is also known variously as "Bad Lee Brown", "Cocaine Blues", "Transfusion Blues" and other titles. It tells the story of a man who is apprehended after shooting his wife/girlfriend. He is then sentenced by a judge. .'' Four stars - Bob Strauss CAPTION(S): 5 photos Photo: (1) no caption (``Jools Holland's Big Band Rhythm & Blues'') (2 -- 5) no caption (CD covers) |
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