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Album Reviews

Music Worth Hearing

	Bennie Maupin Quartet: Early Reflections (Cryptogramophone) – While perhaps best known for his work with Herbie Hancock’s Headhunters and his atmospheric bass clarinet playing on Miles Davis’ Bitches Brew, Maupin’s periodic solo recordings hold many joys unto themselves. With support from an ensemble of lesser known Poland based artists, reedsman Bennie Maupin’s Early Reflections finds him in an introspective, contemplative mood. The album has a spacious ECM feel throughout. Recommended.
	Dosh: Wolves and Wishes (Anticon) - Dosh does his indie-electronic thing with the help of his many friends this time around.  Will Oldham, Andrew Bird, Odd Nosdam, members of Fog, Dark Dark Dark and the Bad Plus all make appearances on this, Dosh's fourth LP.  Despite all the help, this is clearly still a Dosh album.  His looping melodies, complex arrangements and electronic jangles are all there as strong and beautiful as ever, and all the help only adds to his sound.  This is probably an album that should rightfully be listened to in its entirety, not song by song, but even standing alone, these are incredible pieces of sound.  Highly Recommended
	Pink Skull: Zeppelin 3 (Free News Projects) - Zeppelin 3 is the debut album from Philadelphia electro-psych ensemble Pink Skull. Take a trip into the laptop mayhem of leftfield house, acid freakiness, stoner metal and free-jazz. Synths and programming are bolstered by live drums, bass, guitar, horns and periodic vocals/ chants. Ensemble leader Julian Grefe calls it "a tribute to the birth of the electronic music dance subculture in the early nineties; a time when electronic music was new and limitless and a house record didn't have to be between 126 and 130." Recommended.
	Animal Collective: Water Curses [ep] (Domino) - Four new songs from experimental indie posterboys Animal Collective.  This is fairly stripped down compared to the fireworks of Strawberry Jam, but it is just as mesmerizing.  The songs flow into each other beautifully, working nicely with the water theme of the album's name.  Even taken separately, the songs have a definite sense of fluidity - the haunting vocals and sparse background noise wash over you in a strange and beautiful wave of sound. Highly Recommended
	Nik Freitas: Sun Down (Team Love) - Los Angeles singer/songwriter Nik Freitas sets an intimate, gentle mood with his fourth album and Team Love debut.  Striking pop melodies, clever lyrics, understated and complex influences ranging from R&B to blues to jazz to americana flavor this album, but at its heart it is a sunny LA pop album, and a very good one.
	Kassin +2: Futurismo (Luaka Bop) - In 2001 the trio of Moreno Veloso / Domenico Lancellotti and Kassin began their +2 series. The series concludes as Rio native Kassin takes center stage. As the album’s main songwriter, producer and singer- Kassin tempers his avant-garde side in favor of a classic, melodic sounding album that he says reflects the heart of his own record collection. It’s a moody affair that meanders among samba, bossa nova, garage rock and bolero, all of which are kissed by electronic flourishes. Features additional production and vocals from John McEntire (Tortoise) and Sean O'Hagan (High Llamas) on the bonus tracks. Recommended.
	Eli ‘Paperboy’ Reed & The True Loves: Roll With You (Q-Division) - Throwback soul and R&B from Brookline, MA. The son of a music critic, Eli ‘Paperboy’ Reed grew up listening to his father’s collection of gospel, blues, country, soul and R&B records - eventually teaching himself to play guitar, piano and harmonica. Multi-part horns, keys, electric guitar, acoustic bass and drums set the stage for his passionate vocals on classic themes. Recommended. RIYL: Stax, Sharon Jones, Otis Redding, James Brown
	JamBang: Connecting (SST) - Founded by guitarist Greg Ginn, SST Records was home to many forward thinking artists in the early 1980’s. Black Flag, Descendents, Minutemen, Bad Brains, and Richmond’s own Hotel X were some of their key artists. From the hardcore punk, to punk/reggae, to avant groove - you could count on something interesting. Well, Ginn is back and now leading the ensemble Jambang. It’s a heavy, instrumental Jazz fusion project blending electronics and organics. Conceptualized as a multimedia event- guitar, bass, mandolin and drums meet electronics and visuals from Joey Keeton. This is head music for the 21^st century.
	Does It Offend You, Yeah?: You Have No Idea What You're Getting Yourself Into (Almost Gold) - The debut from Reading-UK quartet Does It Offend You, Yeah? fuses synthesized dance music and indie rock. Synths, guitar snarls, bass, cowbell and live / machine drums meet distorted vocals and vocoders. References include !!! and B52s. Embrace your inner groove and summon the disco-punk spirits. Recommended.
	Various Artists: Colombia! The Golden Age of Discos Fuentes. The Powerhouse of Columbian Music 1960-76 (SoundWay) – Unless you are lucky enough to have some Lisandro Meza sides or even rarer Disco Fuentes titles in your collection, this will likely be all new to you. This collection is bursting with energy. When you think Columbian music, you think Cumbia. With its folkloric origins along the Caribbean coast, Cumbia is dance music. Discos Fuentes documented the cross-pollination of those folkloric origins with far-flung tropical styles. [features extensive color liners and original album art images]
	Cinematic Orchestra: Live at the Royal Albert Hall (Domino) – On November 2, 2007 London’s prestigious Royal Albert Hall hosted the Cinematic Orchestra. For the event, Jason Swinscoe expanded the group to over 40 members, including the entire 24-piece Heritage Orchestra. Turntablist PC and vocalists Heidi Vogel, Lou Rhodes and Grey Reverend were featured as well. True to their name, these contemporary works blend electronics with symphonics for nine tracks that bring orchestral jazz and downtempo together under a film music umbrella. Recommended.
	Gene Harris Quartet: Live in London (Resonance) – With a focus on the art form, Los Angeles based upstart non-profit Rising Jazz Stars Foundation, led by George Klabin, offers an alternative to traditional business side of music with a revenue sharing model for its studio and Resonance Records label. Their inaugural release is this previously unissued May 1996 live performance from Pizza Express in London, England. The late pianist is joined by British musicians Jim Mullen on guitar, bassist Andrew Cleyndert and Martin Drew (whom worked with Oscar Peterson) on drums. Though just meeting, the quartet comes together for an exceptional performance Recommended
	Various Artists: Nigeria Special: Modern Highlife, Afro-Sounds and Nigerian Blues 1970-6 (SoundWay) - The folks at UK label SoundWay deliver once again. With the conclusion of the Nigerian civil war (Biafran war) in January 1970, peace came to Nigeria and an incredible phase in its musical history was born. Emphasizing the obscure, this collection of gems focuses on electric highlife and Afro-rock from Nigeria’s golden early 1970's period. Priced under $25 (USD) it’s a must buy. Highly Recommended. [Extensive color liners feature track details & original cover images] [Available as a four panel digipack double-disc or two-part vinyl] Accurate a-list press quotes: 'A deep selection that yields more with each listen, this is recommended for aficionados and passing fans alike' **** (Songlines magazine) 'Nigeria Special is an aural and design classic' ***** (Mojo)

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