SOUND CHECK.Joe Pass/``Guitar Virtuoso'' To the unsuspecting, Joseph Anthony This article is about the American playwright and director. For the U.S. Representative from Pennsylvania, see Joseph Biles Anthony. Joseph Anthony (May 24, 1912– January 20, 1993) was an American playwright and director. Jacobi Passalaqua, better known as Joe Pass, looked like a favorite uncle. But Pass, who died of cancer in 1994 at the age of 65, was one of the great jazz guitarists See also
tr.v. a·stound·ed, a·stound·ing, a·stounds To astonish and bewilder. See Synonyms at surprise. [From Middle English astoned, past participle of astonen, capacity for harmonic and melodic invention. He was consistently brilliant. His solo concerts were quietly dazzling affairs in which he'd play melody, hint counterlines, reharmonize and suggest a rhythm section Noun 1. rhythm section - the section of a band or orchestra that plays percussion instruments percussion section, percussion section - a division of an orchestra containing all instruments of the same class with casual ease. That's captured in ``Guitar Virtuoso,'' a four-CD, 63-track retrospective. This set includes studio and live performances - solo, duos, small groups and accompaniment for Ella Fitzgerald Noun 1. Ella Fitzgerald - United States scat singer (1917-1996) Fitzgerald and Sarah Vaughan Noun 1. Sarah Vaughan - United States jazz singer noted for her complex bebop phrasing and scat singing (1924-1990) Vaughan . Pick any song - ``A Time For Love,'' live with his trio, or Sonny Rollins' ``Oleo'' with a quartet, ``Giant Steps'' solo in the studio or ``You Took Advantage of Me,'' playing acoustic guitar behind Fitzgerald - and then just lean back Verb 1. lean back - move the upper body backwards and down recline lean, tilt, angle, slant, tip - to incline or bend from a vertical position; "She leaned over the banister" fall back - fall backwards and down and marvel. Four Stars ?13- Fernando Gonzalez Miami Herald Beach Boys/``The Pet Sounds Sessions'' This long-promised and frequently delayed three-disc set (plus a fourth disc consisting of the original mono version of the ``Pet Sounds'' album) is already generating controversy. Who wants to hear a classic album pulled apart and analyzed track by track, vocal by vocal, horn by horn? Can't we leave well enough alone with the works of pop's greatest artists, and enjoy them in the form they were first heard? Sure, we could, but there's little to be learned that way. Purists - or the simply uninterested - still have the option of listening to ``Pet Sounds'' in mono; that CD has been in the racks for several years. But to finally hear the album in stereo and then be offered the further treat of hearing the glorious vocals and meticulous backing tracks separately, is a Brian Wilson lover's dream come true. Simply put, stereo is an improvement over the original version of the album, and anyone who enjoys intricate harmony singing - or trying to figure out how the pieces of a pop-music masterpiece fit together - will adore this package. It's music scholarship in its purest form, and it's great listening. Four Stars ?13- Rick Shefchik St. Paul Pioneer Press
The St. Paul Pioneer Press is a newspaper based in St. Paul, Minnesota, primarily serving the Twin Cities metropolitan area. 2Pac/``R U Still Down: Remember Me?'' There are moments on ``R U Still Down,'' such as the chilling ``I Wonder If Heaven Got a Ghetto'' and ``Nothing to Lose,'' when Tupac Shakur comes across as a honest, articulate voice from the 'hood and an artist of real poignancy. And there are others when the late rapper's quest to keep it real would be merely pathetic had it not led to such a tragic end. But those are the two sides of 'Pac, and this 26-track, double-CD set of largely unreleased material cut between 1991 and 1994 offers a fair sampling of his strengths and weaknesses. Next time, though - and there's plenty more on the way - it would be nice to hear fewer obvious outtakes and see a CD booklet that included recording dates rather than ads for 2Pac T-shirts and beanies. Three Stars ?13- Dan DeLuca Philadelphia Inquirer Tindersticks/``Musique Originale du Film `Nenette et Boni' '' These days, movie soundtracks are rarely more than a dustbin for misfired modern-rock singles 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. a second chance at mass approval or classics from another era trotted out yet again. Seldom is a band commissioned to create the whole score, and rarer still is the band that can come up with a CD of music as engaging outside the context of the film as it is accompanied by the imagery on screen. London's Tindersticks, long acclaimed for suave, noirish song stylings, have done just that. Largely a collection of bewitching be·witch tr.v. be·witched, be·witch·ing, be·witch·es 1. To place under one's power by or as if by magic; cast a spell over. 2. To captivate completely; entrance. See Synonyms at charm. instrumentals - circular arrangements of spooky vibes, gently brushed snare drum, and moody piano and organ motifs - it's the perfect rainy-Sunday sound track for the nouveau easy-listening crowd. Three and One Half Stars ?13- Jonathan Valania Philadelphia Inquirer The Derailers/``Reverb re·verb Informal n. 1. A reverberative effect produced in recorded music by electronic means. 2. A device used for producing this effect. intr. & tr.v. Deluxe'' On their second album, the Derailers again tap into classic country sounds, from Bakersfield honky-tonk to steel-stoked shuffles. These vintage styles possess timeless vigor, but with solid songwriting and instrumental fire, the Austin, Texas, quartet gives the music a contemporary vitality all its own. ``Reverb Deluxe'' also expands the band's fiercely traditional approach: ``You Don't Have to Go'' offers Spanish-flavored balladry bal·lad·ry n. Ballads considered as a group. , ``Dull Edge of the Blade'' ventures toward atmospheric pop, and ``No One to Talk to But the Blues'' sounds like country doo-wop, if you can imagine such a thing. Less successful is the hidden track - Prince's ``Raspberry Beret'' just doesn't lend itself to honky-tonk. Three Stars ?13- Nick Cristiano Philadelphia Inquirer Hanson/``Snowed In'' Red-hot teen group Hanson wastes no time following its popular debut album ``Middle of Nowhere'' and its inescapable summer hit single ``MMMBop'' with a Christmas CD. The clean-cut brothers wrote three new tunes in the spirit of the season and cover such chestnuts as ``Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree Christmas tree Evergreen tree, usually decorated with lights and ornaments, to celebrate the Christmas season. The use of evergreen trees, wreaths, and garlands as symbols of eternal life was common among the ancient Egyptians, Chinese, and Hebrews. ,'' ``Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)'' and a ``Silent Night Medley'' all in the exuberant, wall-of-sound pop style of ``MMMBop.'' Would we play this CD 'round the Christmas tree? MMMMaybe. There's no denying the infectious spirit of the boys' delivery. Their harmonies are thickening a bit, and the hooks of the new songs dig deep. But it's all a bit much - like that last mug of eggnog you didn't really need. A little more ``Silent Night'' might have done the trick. Two Stars ?13- Howard Cohen cohen or kohen (Hebrew: “priest”) Jewish priest descended from Zadok (a descendant of Aaron), priest at the First Temple of Jerusalem. The biblical priesthood was hereditary and male. Miami Herald Harry Connick Jr./``To See You'' Harry Connick Jr. has written, produced, arranged, conducted, sung and played the piano on his 12th record, a collection of romantic ballads. But these tunes won't get you in the mood; they'll put you to sleep. And though the orchestrations are lush and the mood 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. , the songs seem indistinguishable from one another. More like whining than crooning, Connick's vocals just drag on and on. With a new movie, ``Hope Floats,'' on the horizon, we're hoping his film career takes off. One Star CAPTION(S): 2 Photos Photo: (1) ``The Pet Sounds Sessions'' by the Beach Boys breaks down the studio masterpiece part by part and reassembles it in full-bodied stereo. (2) ``R U Still Down: Remember Me?'' by the late Tupac Shakur is double-CD set of 26 songs the gangsta Noun 1. gangsta - (Black English) a member of a youth gang AAVE, African American English, African American Vernacular English, Black English, Black English Vernacular, Black Vernacular, Black Vernacular English, Ebonics - a nonstandard form of American English rapper cut between 1991 and 1994. |
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