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G. Love & Special Sauce : Love Saves The Day
A. Everard (Music); P. Miller (Lab)  |  Jul 01, 2016
The eighth album from this Philadelphia-based trio features the familiar line-up of Garrett Dutton (aka G Love) on guitar, harmonica and vocals, bassist Jim Prescott and Jeffrey Clemens on drums, and is a familiar mix of rock and blues styles. It opens with the slam into the title track, but soon settles down into a familiar groove, the three musicians as easy when laying down a good-time chug against which Dutton can solo as they are with the blues-boogie of ‘Back To Boston’ or the horn-laden ‘Let’s Have A Good Time’. But there’s little new ground being broken here, either stylistically or in terms of recording quality. This album may be delivered in 96/24, but there’s little to trouble a system’s hi-res capabilities, and the band’s usual laid-back, ‘rough round the edges’ sound isn’t the most obvious candidate for the audiophile polish treatment.
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Sarah Mckenzie : We Could Be Lovers
A. Everard (Music); P. Miller (Lab)  |  Jun 01, 2016
The shadow of Diana Krall looms large over the school of female singer-pianists, but Sarah McKenzie, though still in her early 20s, brings a freshness and exuberance of voice, allied to delicious phrasing and some demon work on the keyboard, to make even familiar material shine anew. On this album, originally released by ABC Classics Australia and now picked up by associated label Impulse! for wider distribution, she also displays quite a way with a tune on the self-penned tracks. (Sarah McKenzie has a degree in jazz composition, after all. ) Together with compatriots Hugh Stuckey on guitar and Alex Boneham on bass, plus an international supporting cast, she makes a great job of the standards here, beside which her own songs stack up very well.
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Johannes Pramsohler & Ensemble Diderot : Montanari: Violin Concertos
C. Breunig (Music); P. Miller (Lab)  |  Jun 01, 2016
As the British musicologist Michael Talbot explains in a lengthy note, Corelli was as influential a figure in organising performances in 17th century Rome as he was a composer. His appointed successor was Antonio Montanari, little of whose music has survived – five of the concertos here receive premiere recordings. The Paris-based Ensemble Diderot uses period or modern copy instruments, and, as a Toblach concert hall session photograph indicates, the players stand (where practicable) to play – the now fashionable method for Baroque performers. The concertos offer an adventurous, unconventional ride, ranging from the staccato Adagio of Op.
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Patricia Kopatchinskaja, Musicaeterna, Et Al Tchaikovsky: Violin Concerto/stavinsky: Les Noces
C. Breunig (Music); P. Miller (Lab)  |  Jun 01, 2016
Kopatchinskaja is a ‘Marmite’ violinist, as anyone who has loved/suffered her Bartók and Prokofiev recordings will attest. And when you read the booklet at HRA and see its (in part informative) notes are couched in the form of artful love letters between soloist and conductor you might fear the worst from this 2014/13 Moscow/Madrid theatres coupling. All the singers in Les Noces are native and MusicAeterna uses period instruments. The authenticity tells in their marvellously sung, energetic Les Noces, and unusual timbres add to the concerto performance.
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Joe Satriani : Shockwave Supernova
A. Everard (Music); P. Miller (Lab)  |  Jun 01, 2016
Satriani’s latest outing fair shoots out of the traps with the explosive opening of the title-track, placed at the beginning of the album as if to say ‘yup, this is what you’re in for – business as usual’. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, at least provided you’re into the highly distinctive Satriani sound, but this 15th studio album is more like a small ensemble jazz outing, just rocked up a bit. Accompanied by Bryan Beller on drums, bassist Marco Minneman and Mike Keneally on keyboards, this of course is a showcase for Satriani’s guitar playing. Shockwave Supernova ranges from blues to more lyrical pieces, all mixed and mastered by long-time collaborator John Cuniberti, who has delivered a dense, somewhat retro sound.
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David Bowie : Blackstar
A. Everard (Music); P. Miller (Lab)  |  Jun 01, 2016
As albums overtaken by events go, this is pretty definitive. Released amidst much hoo-ha as The Dame’s first new work for ages, it almost immediately became a self-obituary, and was thus subjected to even more analysis and interpretation than previous Bowie releases. Recorded apparently in something of a hurry in the final part of Bowie’s life, the artist working when his illness permitted with long-time collaborator Tony Visconti, this may explain its patchwork nature and the variable formats throughout. This may or may not be his swansong, as there are rumours of more recordings having been made.
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Edgar Moreau : Giovincello
C. Breunig (Music); P. Miller (Lab)  |  May 03, 2016
The young Paris Conservatoire trained cellist’s 2014 debut CD Play was of salon pieces. A year on – Moreau almost 21 – he tackles 18th-century concertos with a period orchestra [see also HFN Album Choice Mar ’15]. The punning title means ‘young lad’. With the finale taken at a real lick, the Haydn C major is the one well-known work here.
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Arvo Part : Tabula Rasa
C. Breunig (Music); P. Miller (Lab)  |  May 03, 2016
Perhaps reissued to mark Arvo Pärt’s recent 80th birthday, this was a ground-breaking album release on LP in 1984 and some of the music was soon taken up by other artists: fellow Estonian Neeme Järvi with Cantus, Tasmin Litle with Fratres. ECM’s programme has 12 Berlin Philharmonic cellists playing it and the violin/piano version with Gidon Kremer and Keith Jarrett. Tabula Rasa is for two solo violins, prepared piano (Schnittke playing, no less) and small orchestra. Cantus, a threnody with strings and final tolling bell, written in memory of Britten, especially had a cult following (though it doesn’t inspire me!).
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Lizz Wright : Freedom & Surrender!
A. Everard (Music); P. Miller (Lab)  |  Apr 13, 2016
Take an artist known for her velvety, soulful voice, add in some class musicians and acclaimed producer Larry Klein, who’s worked with the likes of Tracy Chapman, Madeleine Peyroux, Melody Gardot and Joni Mitchell, and you’re probably onto a winner. That’s exactly the case with this, Lizz Wright’s fifth album, mixing a number of self-composed numbers with two covers: a gospelled-up version of the Bee Gees hit ‘To Love Somebody’ and an unnerving take on Nick Drake’s ‘River Man’, accompanied by Till Brönner on flugelhorn. Wright’s classy, expressive vocals are well-served by Klein’s clean production, imbuing the set with a warm, generous sound. Musicians include Dean Parks and Klein on guitars, Pete Kuzma and Kenny Banks on keyboards, Dan Lutz on bass, and Vinnia Colaiuta and Pete Korpula on drums and percussion.
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Kendrick Scott Oracle : We Are The Drum
A. Everard (Music); P. Miller (Lab)  |  Apr 13, 2016
OK, so Scott Oracle’s début album for the famous Blue Note jazz label lives up to its title by opening with drums, but this isn’t a typical drummer’s album, with the tub-thumping all but dominating the mix to the detriment of the other performers. Yes, there are the inevitable drum solos, but this is much more of an ensemble set, with Scott joined by saxophonist John Ellis, keyboardist Taylor Eigsti, guitarist Mike Moreno, and bassist Joe Sanders, along with vocalist Lizz Wright. Scott seemed happy to play his part in the band rather than being the star turn. As he puts it, ‘The accent is on “we” in the title.
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