Archived Reviews A-C

Altan: The Blue Idol

Narada World

Back again and sounding better than ever on an album that encpomasses, as usual, mostly trad. Irish. It all kicks off with a brilliant version of "Daily Growing" (aka "The Trees They Do Grow High") as Paul Brady guests. Dolly Parton acquits herself well a few songs later, and inevitably Donal Lunny is there, too (it seems there's a law that he has to be on every Irish album). Bottom line is that the band goes from strength to strength on their own talents. The instrumentals sizzle, and the songs are gorgeous beats. It's easy to understand why they're considered the best Irish band around.

Aly Bain & Ale Möller: Full Rigged

Northside

A superb collaboration between two old hands who find common ground in music (mostly) from Bain's native Shetland Isles. Settled by Vikings centuries ago, there are flavors of both Nordic and Celtic here, the two so firmly interwined by time that they can't be pried apart. And nor do the players attempt to do so. They revel in the connections, and even add a few others, like the traditional American tune, "Bonaparte's Retreat," the tuning for which is ineffably Nordic, extending the web even further. An absolute joy.

Antibalas Afrobeat Orchestra: Talkatif

Ninja Tune

A vast improvement on the band's debut, this finds them working far more happily within the Afrobeat format, and sticking mostly to instrumentals - probably just as well, because where the singer tries to sound like he's from Nigeria (instead of New York) is quite patronizing. There's little to fault in the music, though - they know how to get their teeth into a groove and never let go, and they can wail with the best of them while keeping it all very funky indeed. It's fair to see the style as an extension of American music, at least in some ways, but it'd be far more interesting to hear a live record by the band - all the indications are that they'd shine more there than in the studio.

Axiom of Choice: Unfolding

Narada World

Billed as "a trans-global exploration of Omar Khyyam's mystic vision" it's a little Persian-inflected gem that defies easy categorization, but never falls into an simple musical traps. The magical guitar work of Lago Ramin Torkian forms the core of something quite adventurous, a leap ahead from their debut, while the delicious, dreamy voice of Mamak Khadem pushes things along. Thoughtful, delicate compositions that capture the flavor of a place without being a slave to it. Surprisingly beautiful.

Azam Ali: Portals of Grace

Narada

Lovely disc from the female singer of Vas. Her take of medieval songs, both sacred and profane, mixes early instruments with Middle Eastern flourishes for something very satisfying, with a gorgeous air of myster, without ever being precious. She's eclectic in her research, slipping easily from Sephardic songs to Swedish instrumentals, and covering many points inbetween. But there's no doubt that her voice does it all justice. World music? Maybe, but from a time when the world was a much smaller place.

Bebel Gilberto: Tanto Tiempo Remixes

Six Degrees

Gilberto's Tanto Tiempo certainly has legs, selling hundreds of thousands of copies worldwide. Now 18 months after Tanto's release, the new remix version will keep Bebel Gilberto's name alive on the dance floor and in the chill out room. Although Gilberto's own electro-samba might be languid and sexy, the best of the remixes, like Rae & Christian's take on "Bananeira," have a latent energy that makes the songs more upbeat. Da Lata, with plenty of experience in clubland, are brilliant on "August Day Song," and Trüby Trio's rattling percussive take on "Sem Contencão" turns pleasantly mellow before it ends. Enjoyable as it all is, though, this collection seems more like stopgap than weighty addition to her catalog, and leaves you wishing she'd hurry up and get a new album out.

Black 47: On Fire

Gadfly

New York's favorite Irish-American group return with another live album, at least their third. But, for all their aspirations of being a serious band, like the Pogues fronted by Brice Springsteen, they're a party band, at their best when exhorting the crowd through the rough Beastie Boys style rap of "Rockin' The Bronx." There's plenty of emotion in Larry Kirwan's singing, although subtlety isn't exactly his style - nor that of any of the members, really - as he goes for over the top as often as possible. That's fine, but when Kirawn gets serious, as on "Bobby Sands MP" or a roar through Peter Gabriel's "Biko" the impact is diluted. Still, if you're in the mood for a few Guinnesses and Jameson's chasers and getting rowdy, this is exactly the party animal you want around.

Black Uhuru - Destiny

RAS

With one original member - Derrick 'Duckie' Simpson - Black Uhuru soldier on. The glory that made up their first three albmus, almost two decades ago, had never really been recaptured, although this comes closer than a lot of efforts, mostly thanks to the rhythmic ingenuity of longtime instrumental cohorts Sly and Robbie. That said, it's ultimately about the songs, and while there's some great singing and playing, there's very little memorable about the songs themselves to keep them in the mind. So, a good one, but not a gold star, sadly.

Big Jack Johnson: The Memphis Barbecue Sessions

M.C. Records

The bluesman steps out on his own - well, not quite on his own, since he gets able harmonica accompaniment from former Fabulous Thunderbirds fromtman Kim Wilson. The results are nothing less than splendid, with Johnson laying down a set mixing originals and classics, and Wilson offering licks that make him the hair to Little Walter. The venerable Pinetop Perkins adds his inimatable keyboards to two tracks, connecting generations, but ultimately, this is Johnson's album, and his voice and guitar work make it into one of the better blues albums to come along in years.

Bill Jones - Panchpuran

Compass

Not a bloke - Bill's a woman, and quite a find as a singer and interpreter of traditional English music. Excellent piano and accordion playing, with strong support, especially on "Tam Lin," from a string quartet - enough to make you forget the Fairport version, which is high praise indeed. This is her sophomore effort, but first U.S. release, and it bodes well for the future. Alongside the older material, much of it off the beaten path, is her original title cut, and a cover of the Goffin/King classic "Goin' Back" which show a thoughtfulness and maturity that belies a young ago. A new addition to the folkbabe pantheon.

Campbell Brothers- Sacred Steel on Tour!

Arhoolie

The Campbell Brothers bring church on tour with them, tearing it up wherever they play in a sanctified mood. They can jam like the Allman Brothers at their height, bring the house down, and uplift the soul with their blend of gospel that also oozes into soul, blues, and even a touch of psychedelia. The playing's never less than magnificent, although some of the singers really leave a little bit to be desired. But if you want to be moved, this is the way - live they catch fire, leaving their studio release in the dust.

Cascabulho - Hunger Gives You a Headache

Piranha

From Northeast Brazil, music that incorporates touches of hip-hop, forro, funk, and rock, without being really any of it, creating a new, interesting, and vibrantly political hybrid. Essentially a percussive and vocal collective, the melodies come from 'invited' musicians. This is the music of mangue beat - a youth culture sound that's as much global as it is local. While ineffably Brazilian with its sophisticated polyrhythmic grooves, it's also truly global - and the kind of thing to find a huge audience if they'd ever hear it.

Chris McGregor's Brotherhood of Breath - Travelling Somewhere

Cuneiform

The late South African jazz pianist McGregor pushed at the boundaries of music in the '60s, a good time to be doing that, and the various incarnations of his band played a music that, while rooted in some township jive in feel and rhythm, was also very European and avant-garde. That mix is perfectly illustrated here, on a live album that's not for those who want things sweet and neat. Wonderful playing, and players, and the musicians poke at the dark corners and crevices of the pieces in their improvisations in a manner that still sounds fresh. It's world music, world jazz, but expect to be challenged - and, in return, rewarded.

Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown - Back to Bogalusa

Blue Thumb

Quite why Gatemouth isn't a huge icon is a mytery - perhaps it's because his musical curiosity is such that he refuses to stick to one genre. On here there's blues, jump blues, R&B, and even zydeco; no one's going to pigeonhole him easily. But whatever he undertakes, he does superbly, as on the slowed-down cover of Little Feat's "Dixie Chicken," which funks as much as the original, but manages to bring it close to country. Everywhere his playing is as superb as we've come to expect, as if fretwork was as natural to him as breathing, which it probably is. Nothing obviously flashy, just some tasteful playing, perfectly placed. The man is part of the fabric of American roots music, and really deserves to be honored as such.

Colin Reid - Tilt

Topic

If anyone's looking for a successor to the Penguin Cafe Orchestra, look no further. Guitarist/composer Reid, with his small ensemble, even covers PCO - but the meat here is in the original, melodic, and quite lilting work. Never flashy, Reid leads from the back, letting his playing create moods and fill the gaps, while the strings do the showy things. There's a slightly deconstructed version of Fleetwood Mac's "Never Going Back Again" that features the ever-wonderful Eddi Reader, and plenty to entertain the discerning ear. It's not folk, but so what? It's great.