SOUND CHECK.JOHN MAYER
John Clayton Mayer (born October 16, 1977) is an American guitarist and singer-songwriter. : ``Any Given Thursday'' (Aware/Columbia) - Two and one half stars Y'know that touchy feely commercial where the girl 'n' boy have a silly fight, break up, then make up in the rain, all with the aid of cell phones, digital photos, e-mail, faxes and bubble bath? Mayer could be the guy on TV. Warm, cuddly and sensitive all over, he makes breathy breath·y adj. breath·i·er, breath·i·est Marked by or as if by audible or noisy breathing: a breathy voice. breath acoustic pop for DSL DSL in full Digital Subscriber Line Broadband digital communications connection that operates over standard copper telephone wires. It requires a DSL modem, which splits transmissions into two frequency bands: the lower frequencies for voice (ordinary and dial-up couples who just can't bring themselves to put the phone on vibrate. Like fellow cafe-to-arena bards David Gray David Gray can refer to:
adj. 1. a. Living without undue worry or concern; calm. b. Lax or negligent; careless. c. Mayer has some fine moments, and he's working with a highly capable soloist in guitarist Michael Chaves. In this sugary double effort featuring live readings of songs from the multiplatinum ``Room for Squares,'' plus a cover of ``Message in a Bottle'' and other cuts, Mayer's enormous appeal is evident in the adoring hordes finishing his lines for him. The best tunes are the ones you hear everywhere - ``No Such Thing,'' ``Your Body Is a Wonderland'' and ``Why Georgia.'' Sweet though he may be, Mayer can make you feel like you ate too much cookie dough. -Fred Shuster THEE MIDNITERS: ``Thee Midniters Greatest'' (Thump) - Three stars Athough relegated to retirement and the semi-obscurity of record meets, music guides, request shows and lowrider low·rid·er or low-rid·er or low rider n. Chiefly Southwestern U.S. 1. A customized car whose springs have been shortened so that the chassis rides close to the ground, often equipped with hydraulic lifts that can be tape decks, East Los Angeles' golden-age Latino rock 'n' roll rock 'n' roll: see rock music. band is still revered. This terrific hits set shows why. All the legendary oldies-radio staples are included - the street anthem ``Whittier Blvd.,'' the signature cover of Wilson Pickett's ``Land of a Thousand Dances,'' the lush barrio bar·ri·o n. pl. bar·ri·os 1. An urban district or quarter in a Spanish-speaking country. 2. A chiefly Spanish-speaking community or neighborhood in a U.S. city. ballad ``Sad Girl'' - plus little-glimpsed gems like ``Welcome Home Darling'' and ``Never Knew I Had It So Bad.'' For many, Thee Midniters - and its charismatic singer Little Willie G. - will forever be lost in the twilight. But this collection offers ample proof that when it comes to superb pop, the passage of time doesn't matter at all. - Theo Douglas LYLE LOVETT: ``Smile: Songs From the Movies'' (MCA/Curb) - Three stars This compilation of the hair-raising Texan's film tunes includes standards (``Blue Skies,'' ``Summer Wind''), neuvo-standards (``Till It Shines,'' ``You've Got a Friend in Me'') and a couple of gospel rave-ups. Utilizing a generally 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. Large Band and featuring cameos from Randy Newman and Keb Mo, the disc comes off as either a stopgap until the next studio album or Lovett's attempt to become the most deadpan song stylist of his generation. Most of the cuts are nicely arranged, but none match his irony-drenched cover of ``Stand by Your Man,'' used at the end of ``The Crying Game,'' but inexplicably missing here. - Bob Strauss R. KELLY: ``Chocolate Factory'' (Jive) - Two and one half stars Kelly, currently facing kiddie porn charges, pleads guilty only to lovin' you on this set of mostly bedroom ballads. You will, however, have to wade through such trifles as ``I'll Never Leave,'' ``Heart of a Woman'' and ``Forever'' (with its climactic ``marry me'' lyric) before getting to the truffles. Best of the bunch is the bluesy, tortured ``You Made Me Love You,'' but the '70s soul-inspired ``You Knock Me Out'' and ``Stop in the Name of Love'' aren't bad either. Bonus 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. of recent, er, video work not included. -Sandra Barrera THE MARSALIS FAMILY: ``A Jazz Celebration'' (Rounder) - Three and one half stars Family reunions don't get better than this - the first time pianist Ellis Marsalis and his four prodigiously talented sons have recorded together. The occasion was Ellis' retirement from teaching at the University of New Orleans History UNO was founded in 1958 as the New Orleans branch of Louisiana State University, originally as "Louisiana State University in New Orleans" or "LSUNO", but became more independent and changed the name to "University of New Orleans" in 1974. , and despite limited rehearsal time, the Marsalis clan managed to deliver a tremendously spirited and accomplished show. All four brothers - trumpeter Wynton, saxophonist Brandon, drummer Jason and trombonist Delfeayo - have their moments, but it's Ellis, appropriately enough, shining brightest. Added bonus: Harry Connick stops by for a playful reading of ``St. James Infirmary.'' Here's hoping this isn't a once-in-a-lifetime deal. It shouldn't be. - Glenn Whipp CAPTION(S): 6 photos Photo: (1 -- 2) JOHN MAYER: ``Any Given Thursday'' (Aware/Columbia) (3 -- 6) no caption (CD covers) |
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