Unconditional love.
She’s My D.O.G., originating from Freebo’s first solo-cd The End Of The Beginning, is the starting point for this second one. In that swinging rock song he confesses his feelings for his dog Garbo, which was audibly present during recording. Now he fills a CD with doggish songs and although it only contains eight songs, his feelings for that species are abundantly clear.
Apparently he holds the opinion that it is better to have the listener Continue reading
Stylishly composed grieve.
Randall Bramblett already played once in Chuck Leavell’s Sea Level, did all kinds of session work and was part of Traffic’s line-up a few years ago. Continually, jazz was not very far off in this sax player/keyboardist’s work.
On his all-in-all fourth solo disc that is Continue reading
Wisdom River
Young at heart.
In the twelve original songs on his second CD Bruce Brittain combines jazz, rock and ballads. The latter balance between melancholy and sentimentality, with country influences in themes and style of singing.
Brittain proves to be a Continue reading
Late calling.
Spike Flynn is an Australian live veteran of well over fifty. Still, it is only now that he releases his self-released debut containing nine original songs.
He starts surprisingly with the almost nine minutes long title song, an evocative ballad full of restrained melancholy about comfort in a derelict town. The jazzy influence is strong because of Continue reading
Second life.
Dave Wilkinson releases his solo debut as David Philips. That is because the Englishman, now operating as a singer-songwriter, is also active in soul and funk bands Phat Fred and Fast3. Charles St. Charles plays the drums again here and in some songs an ethereal flute, Abel Boquera plays keyboards and Philips himself bass, acoustic and electric guitars and mouth organ occasionally.
The singer/guitar player, who recorded at home in Barcelona, confidently chooses for a semi-acoustic atmosphere in the open production, Continue reading
Strong stuff.
Singer-songwriter Tori Sparks made her debut in 2003 with a self-released EP that seemed to open a door for her. Platinum Plus Universal released her first full-length cd Rivers + Roads and paid for a video, but it meant no breakthrough, as that small label went bankrupt.
Since then Sparks tours continuously through the US and Europe and made her third CD. On it, she sings and plays guitar with Steve Bowman – drums, Viktor Krauss – bass, Will Kimbrough – guitars, Fats Kaplin – accordion, pedal steel, fiddle and David Henry (R.E.M., Josh Rouse and Cowboy Junkies a.o. – cello, keyboards, trumpet, euphonium and percussion behind her.
Sparks’ thirteen songs were inspired by stories that people told her on one of her American tours. She sings an alternative catalogue about love from within: Continue reading
Direct hits.
Ruby James’ first CD from 2008 contains twelve songs, ten of which written with Rene Reyes.
In rootsy rocking opener The Words Goodbye James proves to be an eager and convincing singer, just like in When I’m Gone, based on a dirty rhythm ‘n’ blues riff, and the melodically disappointing Suicidal Serenade.
In these songs, it is understandable that James cannot escape the relentless rhythm and her great strength only shows itself fully during nine varied ballads.
In those spaceous songs Continue reading
Their own lively tunes.
After launching their own label Little Feat, except for Fred Tackett’s solo CD, only released four double live CDs. The fourth, as far as repertoire and rendering all too easy-going, created doubt about their new studio CD, for the band had almost been touring for three years, rediscovering live jamming in the process.
Surprisingly enough the band harmoniously combines quirky grooves with inspired, naturally flowing medium tempo songs and ballads in eleven self-penned songs, lasting 71 minutes. The seven broaden the already not too narrow horizon in Continue reading
Monument for love.
Ruby James’ debut Desert Rose went by unnoticed in the Netherlands. That proves to be more than sad now, because that record contains almost only impressively beautiful songs.
Fortunately, Happy Now is at least just as good and even rootsier. Still, it almost had not been recorded. James, then living in LA, wanted to give up singing after that first one for lack of succes in music and love, but this successor was born from despair, necessity and chance. Continue reading
Voodoo master.
According to critics plagued by a strong homesickness for their own youth, Dr. John’s best work stems from the early seventies, but Mac Rebennack strings together one pearl after another unhesingtatingly in his third youth, like beads on a Mardi gras-chain from hometown New Orleans.
They are made of plastic, but the sixteen songs on Tribal’s European version are not: one Harold Batiste song, two new gems from Allen Toussaint and thirteen songs (co)written by Rebennack radiate mostly inspiration and pleasure in playing music in a crystal clear production by himself and Lower 911-drummer Herman Ernest III.
With bassist David Barard, guitarist John Fohl and new percussionist Kenneth “Afro” Williams they practise the art of Continue reading
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