Saturday, December 31, 2016

Roy Rogers & Shana Morrison - Everybody's Angel

Here is a surprise pairing: Roy Rogers, one of the greatest slide guitarists in the world, John Lee Hooker producer and sometime band member, and Shana Morrison, Van Morrison's daughter and new emerging songwriter talent. Together they have released an excellent album. Sassy-voiced Shana's jazzy blues delivery and Roy's country-edged vocals work warmly together - and those arrangement, Wow! The darkly laid-back opening track 'Molly O & Dog Boy' with it's steel guitar touches and acoustic percussion leads you into an album which demonstrates the incredible versatility of Rogers' guitar and confirm what many know - that Roy is a superb producer. Previous albums from Roy can flay you alive with their slide riffs. Here he is never bludgeoning, never subservient, just scarily perfect in his discretion and appropriateness. Tight musicianship: drums and percussion from Jimmy Sanchez, accordion and keyboards from Phil Aalberg, bass from Scoop McGuire, Dana Pandey's tabla and Robert Powell's pedal steel, underpin a great collection of songs and a must-have album. What can I say? It's so good I bought it twice.- by NetRhythms, Amazon.com

Artist: Roy Rogers & Shana Morrison
Album: Everybody's Angel
Year: 1999
Label: Roshan Records
Runtime: 50:48

Tracks:
1.  Molly O & Dog Boy (David Gionfriddo / Steve Gordon / Shana Morrison / Roy Rogers) 4:32
2.  Joey (Roy Rogers / Shana Morrison) 2:57
3.  You Choose (Roy Rogers / Shana Morrison) 3:58
4.  Nothing Left to Lose (Roy Rogers / Shana Morrison) 4:54
5.  Here We Go (Shana Morrison) 3:43
6.  Mate of Fate (Roy Rogers / Shana Morrison) 3:44
7.  Hello Stranger (Barbara Lewis) 4:02
8.  Therapy (Shana Morrison) 3:50
9.  Amy Sky (David Gionfriddo / Steve Gordon / Roy Rogers) 3:57
10.  Playin' the Feel (Roy Rogers / Shana Morrison) 4:48
11.  Lover's Moon (Roy Rogers) 4:51
12.  Everybody's Angel (David Gionfriddo / Steve Gordon / Shana Morrison / Roy Rogers) 5:27

Personnel:
Shana Morrison (Vocals)
Roy Rogers (Vocals, Guitar, Slide Guitar, Percussion)
Scoop McGuire (Bass Guitar)
Jimmy Sanchez (Drums, Percussion)
Phil Aaberg (Keyboards, Accordion)
Dana Pandey (Tabla)
Robert Powell (Pedal Steel Guitar)

Tuesday, December 20, 2016

Quincy Jones - Songs for Pussycats + Quincy in Rio

An impresario in the broadest and most creative sense of the word, Quincy Jones’ career has encompassed the roles of composer, record producer, artist, film producer, arranger, conductor, instrumentalist, TV producer, record company executive, magazine founder, multi-media entrepreneur and humanitarian. As a master inventor of musical hybrids, he has shuffled pop, soul, hip-hop, jazz, classical, African and Brazilian music into many dazzling fusions, traversing virtually every medium, including records, live performance, movies and television.

Artist: Quincy Jones
Album: Songs for Pussycats - Quincy in Rio
Year: 1962 - 1965 (Mercury Records)
Label: Verve (2012)
Runtime: 66:22

Tracks: 
1.  What's New Pussycat? (Burt Bacharach / Hal David) 2:44
2.  A Taste Of Honey (Bobby Scott / Ric Marlow) 2:36
3.  Sermonette (Nat Adderley) 2:51
4.  A Walk In The Black Forest (Horst Jankowski) 2:52
5.  Mack The Knife (Kurt Weil / Berthold Brecht) 2:33
6.  Moon River (Henry Mancini / Johnny Mercer) 2:34
7.  Take Five (Paul Desmond) 3:31
8.  Gravy Waltz (Ray Brown / Steve Allen) 2:43
9.  I Hear A Symphony (Brian Holland / Lamont Dozier / Eddie Holland) 3:08
10.  Mr. Lucky (Henry Mancini / Jay Livingston / Ray Evans) 2:26
11.  Cast Your Fate To The Wind (Vince Guaraldi) 2:46
12.  Manha De Carnaval (Luiz Bonfa)  2:55
13.  Samba De Una Nota So (One Note Samba) (Antonio Carlos Jobim / Newton Mendonca) 2:01
14.  Desafinado (Antonio Carlos Jobim / Newton Mendonca) 2:54
15.  Bossa Nova U.S.A. (Dave Brubeck) 3:13
16.  Se E Tarde Me Pardoa (Pardon Me If I'm Late) (Carlos Lyra / Ronaldo Boscoli) 4:23
17.  (I Love You) And Don't You Forget It (Henry Mancini / Al Stillman) 2:53
18.  Non-Stop To Brazil (Luiz Bonfa / Matt Dubey / Norman Gimbel) 2:41
19.  The Gentle Rain (Luiz Bonfa / Matt Dubey) 2:18
20.  Baia (Ary Barroso) 3:57
21.  Jive Samba (Nat Adderley) 2:43
22.  Chega De Saudade (No More Blues) (Antonio Carlos Jobim / Vinicius de Moraes) 5:31

Personnel:
Quincy Jones (Arranger, Conductor)
Snooky Young (Trumpet)
Thad Jones (Trumpet)
Joe Newman (Trumpet)
Ernie Royal (Trumpet)
Melba Liston (Trombone)
Curtis Fuller (Trombone)
Billy Byers (Trombone)
Jimmy Cleveland (Trombone)
Kai Winding (Trombone)
Urbie Green (Trombone)
Julius Watkins (Flugelhorn)
Phil Woods (Alto Saxophone)
Oliver Nelson (Tenor Saxophone)
Zoot Sims (Tenor Saxophone)
Roland Kirk (Tenor Saxophone)
Jerome Richardson (Baritone Saxophone, Flute)
Patti Brown (Piano)
Lalo Schifrin (Piano)
Gary Burton (Vibraphone)
Jim Hall (Guitar)
Kenny Burrell (Guitar)
Toots Thielemans (Harmonica)
Milt Hinton (Double Bass)
Chris White (Drums)

Thursday, December 8, 2016

Thierry 'Titi' Robin & Gulabi Sepera - Rakhi

Thierry "Titi" Robin is an exceptional artist both for his personality and his artistic sensitivity. His previous musical achievements were characterised by a coherence of style, derived from his still deepening interest in Gypsy culture, which for him is an inexhaustible source of inspiration and the basis for colourful artistic marriages with Roma artists from all over the world. His first encounters with traditional Gypsy music (as well as Arabian music, which also has had an enormous influence on his artistic development) started when as a teenager he moved from the village of Rochefort Sur
Loire in the east of France, to Angers, a city crowded with immigrants, mainly Arabs and Gypsies. It was there, during his first playing sessions with peers of different cultural background, that his musical sensitivity was formed. It allowed him to treat those musical traditions as his own. In the early 80s he initiated his co-operation with Hameed Khan, a tabla player from Rajasthan, who has accompanied him for many years. His project with Breton vocalist Erik Marchand is also worth mentioning. As a trio they explored the themes of both central Brittany and the Orient. But the recording that was received with greatest acclaim from the critics and listeners was not released until 1993. On Gitans, Robin and Khan were joined by Roma musicians from Spain to Rajasthan, including 'The Gypsy Queen of Rajasthan,' Gulabi Sapera, a vocalist of unique voice timbre, who enriched this project with warmth and tenderness. His friendship with Sapera has led to their co-operations on numerous occasions, resulting in Rakhi. The opening track, "Holi Yaad," introduces the listener to the unique atmosphere of the album. Gulabi's singing is calm and nostalgic; the minimalist but balanced rhythm section and the delicate sound of Robin's guitar immerse the listener in a pleasant swing. The following tracks intensify this feeling. As it progresses, a reggae vibe appears and becomes a pervasive element of some of the tracks to follow. Gulabi's voice often converses with male voices (Bruno El Gitano, Farid, Roberto Saadna 'Yakeen,' Saway Nath 'Neem,' and 'Rumba de India'), making the music more complete. Tensions subtlely rise and fall down. Paradoxically the most ascetic track 'Bichu Rap' draws the greatest attention. It is a kind of a dialogue between a woman and a man or even a quarrel. It is overflowing with emotions: joy, anger, grief are expressed in a theatrical way, to leave no one indifferent to what is being sung. "Shadi ke badh" comes back to the mood of some previous tracks. Robin's first solo reminds us that it is their common achievement, even as he devotes it almost entirely to Sapera. In his previous work the instruments he played - oud, bouzouki or guitar - were always in the forefront. This time is different; his instrument is still important but is played consciously in the background to expose what is most valuable in this project, Gulabi Sapera's voice. Rakhi is not so directly appealing as Gitans or other earlier works. But it is uniquely successful, fully linked to the previous achievements of the artist and a continuation of his chosen path. The sense of artistry and authenticity makes the album undoubtedly worth listening. - by Piotr Pucylo, Rootsworld.com

Artist: Thierry 'Titi' Robin & Gulabi Sapera
Album: Rakhi
Year: 2002
Label: Naive Records
Runtime: 54:10

Tracks:
1.  Holi Yaad (Traditional) 3:45
2.  Yakeen (Gulabi Sapera / Thierry Robin) 4:16
3.  Chirmi Mala (Traditional) 4:09
4.  Chundri (Traditional) 3:09
5.  Neem (Traditional) 3:58
6.  Agni Sha Kshi (Traditional) 3:45
7.  Dhora (Traditional) 3:45
8.  Bichu Rap (Gulabi Sapera / Banwari Sapera / Thierry Robin) 4:35
9.  Shadi Ke Badh (Traditional) 3:54
10.  Pyari Pankaru (Traditional) 4:49
11.  Reggae Rajasthani (Gulabi Sapera / Thierry Robin) 3:21
12.  Judai (Traditional) 2:48
13.  Rumba De India (Thierry Robin) 4:07
14.  Rumal (Traditional) 3:49

Personnel:
Thierry "Titi" Robin (Guitar, Drum Programming, Lute)
Renaud Pion (Baritone Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone, Cor Anglais)
Gulabi Sapera (Vocals)
Pascal Stalin (Bass)
Francois Laizeau (Drums)
Jorge "Negrito" Trasante (Drums)
Amar Saadna (Rhythm Guitar, Handclaps, Vocals)
Farid Saadna (Rhythm Guitar, Handclaps, Vocals)
Saway Nath (Harmonium, Vocals)
Gabriel Levasseur (Keyboards, Accordion)
Bijan Chemirani (Daf, Cajon)
Sarwan Nath (Daf)
Banwari Nath (Daf, Dafil, Dholak)
Kishan Lal Rana (Dhol, Percussion) - 1,2,4-14
Ram Swarup (Dhol, Percussion) - 3
Banwari Sepera (Vocals) - 8

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