SOUND CHECK.Morphine/``The Night'' (DreamWorks) Morphine's moody aesthetic always stood out. Eschewing guitars, the trio used sliding two-stringed bass, baritone saxophone The baritone saxophone, often called "bari sax" (to avoid confusion with the baritone horn, which is often referred to simply as "baritone"), is one of the larger and lower pitched members of the saxophone family. It was invented by Adolphe Sax. and Mark Sandman's sardonic vocals to create an atmospheric, bluesy noise that gained a sizable audience in Europe and seemed tailor-made for neo-noir film soundtracks. Morphine was 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 breakthrough when bassist-singer Sandman Sandman induces sleep by sprinkling sand in children’s eyes. [Folklore: Brewer Dictionary, 966] See : Sleep Sandman - The DoD requirements that led to APSE. suffered a fatal heart attack onstage last summer while performing in Italy. Now comes ``The Night,'' Morphine's most accomplished work, recorded and produced by Sandman with help from such friends as organist John Medeski of Martin, Medeski & Wood. The album builds on the uncompromising minimalism minimalism, schools of contemporary art and music, with their origins in the 1960s, that have emphasized simplicity and objectivity. Minimalism in the Visual Arts that defined the often mournful-sounding trio, adding piano, trombone trombone [Ital.,=large trumpet], brass wind musical instrument of cylindrical bore, twice bent on itself, having a sliding section that lengthens or shortens it and thus regulates the pitch. The descendant of the sackbut, it was developed in the 15th cent. , guitar and even strings to flesh out such gritty highlights as ``Top Floor, Bottom Buzzer,'' ``Like a Mirror,'' and the haunting ``Take Me With You.'' Meanwhile, the Eastern-tinged ``Rope on Fire,'' with its earthy, exotic orchestration, points to destinations the now-defunct Morphine can never revisit. Three stars - Fred Shuster Roogalator/``Cincinnati Fatback'' (Proper) Formed in London during pub-rock's heyday in the mid-'70s, the genuinely eccentric Roogalator missed the big time when the quartet's funky, r&b-tinged sound was decimated by the punk explosion. The little-known band was led by nerdy-looking expatriate Danny Adler, born and raised in Cincinnati before crossing the pond and developing a surprisingly original instrumental style that made his old Fender Jazzman sound like a cross between a pedal steel and a foghorn fog·horn n. 1. Nautical A horn for sounding warning signals in fog or darkness, used especially on ships, buoys, and coastal installations. 2. A booming, insistent voice. . On top of that were inventive numbers like Roogalator's signature tune, ``Cincinnati Fatback'' (six minutes of elegant Meters-style funk that perfectly mimics a riverboat riv·er·boat n. A boat suitable for use on a river. cruise), ``All Aboard'' and ``Zero Hero.'' This wonderful import compilation gives the whole history of this sadly overlooked outfit. Worth looking into. Three stars - F.S. McCoy Tyner/``McCoy Tyner With Stanley Clarke and Al Foster'' (Telarc) Bassist Stanley Clarke rarely plays straight-ahead jazz, so the treat with this album is to listen to his forceful, funky playing and see how he prods the 70-year-old Tyner to some of his best piano work in years. The 10-song set (which includes two versions of one number, ``I Want to Tell You 'Bout That,'' with Clarke alternating between acoustic and electric bass) features six Tyner originals, and the percussive per·cus·sive adj. Of, relating to, or characterized by percussion. per·cus  sive·ly adv. pianist plays with characteristic ringing power and inventiveness. Clarke's lively playing and Foster's steady drumming make this a formidable trio, one that would be a joy to hear sometime in a club setting. Three and one half stars - Glenn Whipp The Handsome Family/``In the Air'' (Carrot Top) The Chicago-based husband and wife team of Brett and Rennie Sparks - the Handsome Family - makes sad, creepy old-time country music that could be a cousin to the Louvin Brothers. There's a wicked sense of humor Noun 1. sense of humor - the trait of appreciating (and being able to express) the humorous; "she didn't appreciate my humor"; "you can't survive in the army without a sense of humor" sense of humour, humor, humour at play on such songs as ``Grandmother Waits for You'' and the title track, while the spare, precise instrumentation lends a vivid feel to this very grown-up grown-up adj. 1. Of, characteristic of, or intended for adults: grown-up movies; a grown-up discussion. 2. country disc. If you like Gillian Welch or Sally Timms, you'll get a kick from ``In the Air.'' Three and one half stars - F.S. Hank Williams III/``Risin' Outlaw'' (Curb) First things first: Indeed, Hank III (nee Shelton) Williams' voice remarkably recalls his legendary granddad's heartbroke, nasal yodel yodel or yodle (both: yō`dəl), type of wordless singing, joyous in nature, usually associated with the Swiss. It is, in fact, practiced throughout the Alps and, as an importation, in the mountains of Kentucky. , and the true spirit of honky tonk rings more authentically through this finely crafted solo debut than on just about any of Daddy Jr.'s recordings. But lineage notwithstanding, the key achievement here is III's deft blending of folk/country traditions and a rockin' contempo Nashville sound, fast acoustic pickin' and demonically demented pedal steel in furious concert with strong beats and loud guitars. Still, however distinctive the grandson's sound may be, the mournful mourn·ful adj. 1. Feeling or expressing sorrow or grief; sorrowful. 2. Causing or suggesting sadness or melancholy: the mournful sound of a train whistle. , haunted wail on his own composition ``On My Own'' can't help but transport you to the '53 Cadillac's fateful backseat. Which is a good thing, too. Four stars - Bob Strauss Michael Penn/``MP4: Days Since a Lost Time Accident'' (Epic) It's easy to see why Penn and Aimee Mann (most recently spotlighted on the ``Magnolia'' soundtrack) married. Both share an affinity for emotion-packed songs about lost souls looking for Looking for In the context of general equities, this describing a buy interest in which a dealer is asked to offer stock, often involving a capital commitment. Antithesis of in touch with. love and truth. Penn's latest continues his winning streak as an artist with another melodic batch of pop that tips a hat to its influences (the Beatles, Phil Spector) without ever being a slave to them. Mann and Grant Lee Phillips provide gorgeous background vocals to the alternately soaring and melancholy songs, while Penn's clever, cutting lyrics realistically detail the uncertainties of love and life with a minimalist's eye for detail. Three stars - G.W. Nicholas Payton/``Nick @ Night'' (Verve) The night, the jazz musician's constant companion, is the stated theme for trumpeter Payton's latest solo effort, although the concept is rather loosely used. The album features Payton's working and recording band of four years - saxophonist Tim Warfield, pianist Anthony Wonsey, bassist Reuben Rogers and drummer Adonis Rose - and their accumulated telepathy telepathy, supposed communication between two persons without recourse to the senses. The word was formulated in 1882 by Frederic William Henry Myers, English poet, essayist, and a leading founder of the Society for Psychical Research in London. is much in evidence in this program of mostly original music. Payton's warm brand of bop has always made for enjoyable listening, even if his composing skills remain a work in progress. The album's gem is its one cover, Maurice White's ``Sun Goddess,'' which spotlights Wonsey's effervescent ef·fer·vesce intr.v. ef·fer·vesced, ef·fer·vesc·ing, ef·fer·vesc·es 1. To emit small bubbles of gas, as a carbonated or fermenting liquid. 2. To escape from a liquid as bubbles; bubble up. 3. keyboard work. Three stars - G.W. Caravana Cubana/``Late Night Sessions'' (Rhino) When the Grammy award for traditional Tropical Latin album (how's that for a category?) is announced later this month, Caravana Cubana will be competing against two Buena Vista Social Club The Buena Vista Social Club was a members club in Havana, Cuba that held dances and musical activities, becoming a popular location for musicians to meet and play during the 1940s. alums - singer Ibrahim Ferrer and guitarist Eliades Ochoa. Caravana Cubana hasn't received the same publicity, but the music from this all-star assemblage of Cuban musicians is every bit as enjoyable. The standout group, which includes pianist Chucho Valdes and bassist Al McKibbon, jams on a lively variety of Afro-Cuban and Cuban songs, delivering an album that will please anyone who has relished the recent revival in this venerable genre of music. Three stars - G.W. CAPTION(S): photo Photo: no caption (Morphine) |
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