Sam Newsome & Global Unity
Sam Newsome & Global Unity (Columbia )
Sam Newsome, a young sax player based in New York, explores black improvisational music and draws heavily on the cadences of Arabia, West Africa, Latin America, and India, as well as the expected North American strains of gospel, blues, funk, and jazz. Global Unity's drummers and bassist Ugonna Okegwo provide an elaborate rhythmic foundation for Newsome and oud player Amos Hoffman.
CHUCK E. WEISS
Extremely Cool (Slow River/Rykodisc)
In his second full-length recording in 18 years, Chuck E. Weiss - West Hollywood legend, alternative singer-songwriter, and the inspiration for Rickie Lee Jones' "Chuck E.'s in Love" - returns with a collection of gutter blues, cool lounge, and old-time jazz. Like his longtime friend Tom Waits, who doubles as his producer, Weiss sings through a set of vocal cords that sound as if they fell into a meat grinder. This hipster calls his music "primitive," in the sense of being raw and unfettered. But it's a sophisticated wit that turns out a song about finding his girlfriend in bed with his mother ("Deeply Sorry"), or "Do You Know What I Idi Amin," a hilarious cross between (off) beat poetry and rap. Irresistibly original and, yes, extremely cool.
Arling & Cameron
All-In (Emperor Norton)
On their début, the Amsterdam-based production duo of Gerry Arling and Richard Cameron eschew stylistic constraints in favor of a Eurasian musical cocktail that blends abstract drum and bass, Japanese kitsch pop à la Pizzicato Five, Kraftwerkian strains, and swizzle-stick exotica. The twosome updates easy listening - integrating clever samples and displaying keen rhythmic intuition - for today's sophisticated audience.
The Hope Blister
... Smile's OK (4AD)
4AD founder Ivo Watts-Russell knows something about peace: It's not always in synch with reality. Indeed, the musically sparse collection of covers he's produced for the Hope Blister's début contrasts subtle, reassuring sounds (fans of This Mortal Coil may recognize vocalist Louise Rutkowski) with deeply cynical lyrics - as on "Is Jesus Your Pal" ("If you reach out for more you'll find nothing but sorrow. / Because knowledge is hollow"). This simple setting of bass and strings melds works by varied songwriters; especially outstanding are John Cale's "Hanky Panky Nohow" and the powerful undertones on Brian Eno's "Spider and I."
Talvin Singh
OK (Island)
Talvin Singh's first full-length solo album challenges the palate with a diverse 11-course offering that includes tastes of Indian classical, drum and bass, Pakistani folk, and electronica. A classically trained tabla player, Singh wrote and arranged each song, uniting Eastern and Western instruments such as the shenai and the MIDI guitar; he recorded at studios all over the world. Like a contestant on Iron Chef, Singh whips up his feast with varied ingredients, unifying the effort with his tabla playing and digital massaging.
Joe Pass
Unforgettable (Pablo)
Even air guitarists owe a serious debt to the late Joe Pass. Nary a strummer exists who hasn't experienced near-nirvana listening to his recordings. Pass played with small groups and large orchestras, but as a solo artist, he set the standard. Throughout the 17 tracks of Unforgettable, he is lead guitar, rhythm guitar, bass, and drums all rolled into one. His time is metronomic; his bursts of melody and harmony - although spontaneous - are strategic to perfection. Like an amazing gypsy minstrel who ravished the goddess of jazz, Joe Pass had it all.
Ben Lee
Breathing Tornados (Grand Royal/Capitol)
Aussie singer-songwriter Ben Lee was a musical sensation at 13, when he recorded with Noise Addict. Now 20, Lee continues - thrillingly - to match his early press and promise. From the pretty pop of "Cigarettes Will Kill You" to the loungey rocker "Nighttime," this album's layers are alternately wounded, sexy, angst ridden, confident.
Various artists
Afro American Spirituals, Work Songs, and Ballads: The Library of Congress Archive of Folk Culture (Rounder)
Recorded by John and Alan Lomax in the 1930s, this vital collection captures the palpable emotion of the time and makes obvious the influence these songs have had on subsequent generations of musicians. The spirituals range from the up-tempo "Blood-Strained Banders" to the cool counterpoint "Lead Me to the Rock." The simple, raw work songs were recorded on prison farms; many feature ax-strike accompaniment that exudes the brutality of chain-gang life. A rich version of "John Henry," the archetypal American folk ballad, stands out in that genre.
STREET CRED
Geek Basics
Let 'Er Rip
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The Art of Getting Along
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America's Cabinet of Curiosities
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ReadMe
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A World for the Taking
High on the Hog
Visual Mixing in Clubland
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