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Genere: Rock

Durata: 66:16

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Trama: I discovered Rufus upon the release of his self titled debut album, and ever since then, it's been love at first listen with each cd he releases. With "Want One", he proves that he is at the top of his form; this album is in turns uplifting, beautiful, sad, meditative, alive with the pure joy of making music for music's sake. I can't really pinpoint a favorite song in particular to choose from, as they are all tremendous in their own right-however, stand outs are "Oh What A World", "I Don't Know What It Is", "Beautiful Child", "Vibrate", "14th Street", and "Pretty Things" actually makes me want to cry (not that that's a bad thing). Rufus proves that he is more than multi-talented on many levels, with lush orchestrations, vocals, and lyrics that make you think and touch your heart...he truly pours himself completely into his craft, and the results are never short of gorgeous. "Want One" shall also grace my top picks in music for 2003, although I am not surprised that it should do so; I would expect nothing but the best by a true maestro of the genre. With his flair for the theatrical, dramatic, and melancholy, Rufus Wainwright stands alone...and for those of you who are about to discover his musical genius, that really IS a wonderful thing.

Genere: Rock

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Genere: Rock

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Trama: Seven years passed between the release of <i>Bone Machine</i> and <i>Mule Variations</i>. During that time Tom Waits eschewed cutting another "conventional" (the term used loosely here) song collection, occupying his time with acting projects, a soundtrack (<i>Night on Earth</i>), a stage project (<i>The Black Rider</i>), and sundry smaller diversions. What's surprising about <i>Mule Variations</i> is how little he's strayed from the old <i>Bone</i> yard through the years. As with his Grammy-winning 1992 outing, Waits intersperses the tough and the tender, mixing exercises in creative noisemaking with tunes that fall on just the right side of maudlin. As with <i>Bone Machine</i>'s "The Ocean Doesn't Want Me", "What's He Building?" is an experiment in word jazz that owes a debt to its creator, Ken Nordine. Waits has again assembled a crew of attuned sidemen (including Primus and steadfast backers Ralph Carney, Larry Taylor, and Joe Gore). And, as always, Waits and his wife-co-songwriter-co-producer Kathleen Brennan exhibit an uncanny ear for the arcane. In the end, <i>Mule Variations</i> is the aural equivalent of a salvage shop that, while largely familiar, still has a few secluded chambers and trap doors. <i>--Steven Stolder </i>

Genere: Rock

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Trama: The middle album of the trilogy that includes <i>Swordfishtrombones</i> and <i>Franks Wild Years</i>, <i>Rain Dogs</i> is Waits's best overall effort. The songs are first-rate, and there are a lot of them--19 in all, ranging from grim nightlife memoirs ("9th and Hennepin," "Singapore") to portraits of small-time hustlers ("Gun Street Girl", "Union Square") to bursts of street- corner philosophy ("Blind Love", "Time"). The album also contains the original version of "Downtown Train", which Rod Stewart turned into a smash hit. The image of "rain dogs"--animals who've lost their way home because the rain has washed away their scent--is an appropriate symbol for the entire cast of characters Waits has brought to life over the years, and this album has thus far proved to be his most enduring effort. <i>--Daniel Durchholz</i>

Genere: Rock

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Genere: Country

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Trama: It's ironic that the man who made his reputation by writing "Mr. Bojangles," one of the most enduring and oft-covered tunes of the late 20th century, succeeded in his career as a performer by singing the works of others, but that's the case. Walker has always been a fine judge of material, and over the years, picked up on some great stuff, such as Billy Joe Shaver's "Old Five and Dimers Like Me," Guy Clark's "Desperados Waiting for the Train" and "L.A. Freeway," Gary Nunn's "London Homesick Blues," Ray Wiley Hubbard's "Up Against the Wall Redneck," and Rusty Weir's "Don't It Make You Wanna Dance." This set gathers those remarkable cuts together with some of Walker's own songs, such as the party anthem "Sangria Wine," "Railroad Lady" (written with Jimmy Buffett), and, of course, "Bojangles." <i>Great Gonzos</i> gives you the flavor and the laid-back aesthetic of Jerry Jeff's seminal work of the '70s. There's more to the story, but this is where it all began. <i>--Daniel Durchholz</i>

Genere: Country

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Genere: Country

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Genere: Country

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Genere: Country

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Genere: Blues

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Genere: Blues

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Trama: Joe Louis Walker's <I>JLW</I> has never been in more soulful voice nor has his guitar playing ever been so lean and eloquent. He has chosen his songs wisely--mixing three originals with four excellent contemporary numbers plus four R&B standards revamped as blues tunes--and he has fleshed out eight of the arrangements with either a horn section or a gospel quartet. As a result, Walker's emotionally charged vocals have top-notch material to work with and are supported by the most sympathetic context imaginable.<P> Walker is a former gospel singer himself, and he brings the full-chested sound of conviction to secular laments such as "Rain on My Window" and "Alone." He opens his own composition, "12-Step Lovin'," with a stinging guitar summary of the melody and then has his guitar comment caustically on every vocal complaint about the addictive qualities of love. The album's best song is Carl Schumacher's "Inner City Man," a slow blues about the trials of modern life in urban America; Walker's robust vocal is echoed in the sustaining harmonies of the Gospel Hummingbirds and saxophonist Branford Marsalis.<P> Walker is joined by duet vocalist Angela Strehli, the Tower of Power Horns and his rocking road band, the Bosstalkers, on a punchy version of "Hold On"; he is accompanied only by his own dobro and James Cotton's harmonica on the rural blues of "Going to Canada." Either way--electric or acoustic, pained or exuberant--Walker is a tremendous singer who can grab hold of both melody and story and squeeze them dry. <I>--Geoffrey Himes</I>

Genere: R&B

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Trama: Of all the artists who emerged during Motown's 1960s heyday, only Junior Walker made an impact as a musician rather than as a vocalist. Influenced by the R&B honkers of the 1940s and 1950s, his lowdown tenor saxophone shares the spotlight with his urgent vocals on this introductory 12-song collection. Walker covers Motown classics such as "How Sweet It Is," "Money (That's What I Want)," and "Come See About Me" while adding to the Motown legacy with his own "Shotgun" and "What Does It Take (To Win Your Love)." Walker's real strength, however, lies in his burning soul raveups, ebullient dance numbers including "Road Runner," "Shoot Your Shot," and "Shake and Fingerpop." At his best, Walker leaves the pop hooks behind, using basic grooves as a springboard for his sax wails. <I>--Marc Greilsamer</I>

Genere: Jazz

Durata: 63:04

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Genere: Rock

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Trama: Although three albums in nine years hardly classifies The Wallflowers as prolific, <I>Breach</I> does go some way to proving the old adage about "quality not quantity" true. Picking up almost exactly where their 1997 album, <I>Bring Down The Horse</I>, left off, this is another beautifully crafted collection of sweetly strolling and country rocking tunes. With the monumentally weepy soul searchers "Mourning Train" and "Up From Under"--an acoustic ballad that shuffles tenderly along to subdued hand claps and a gorgeous introspective country boy tale respectively--The Wallflowers languid laments, aimed straight at those 4a.m. moments when there's nothing left to do but think, could easily steal the show, were it not for their equally potent jangly rock. As it is, the prize of <I>Breach</I>'s greatest asset goes to Jakob "Son of Bob" Dylan's deep and gruff voice and his beer-swilling melodies. Not as popular as it once was, <I>Breach</I> is irrefutable proof that if done with style and songs as good as toe-tapping rocker "Letters From The Wasteland", middle of the road US rock still has plenty of miles left in it. --<I>Dan Gennoe</I>

Genere: Jazz

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Genere: Blues

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Genere: Jazz

Durata: 65:14

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Genere: Jazz

Durata: 48:55

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Trama: When this album was being recorded Dinah and Quincy were "doin' a little housekeeping" (making good music can be like making good love).
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<br />My Aunt Mary was a big fan of Dinah. She used to come back from shows that Dinah did at Robert's Show Lounge on the Southside of Chicago and share what details she could with a kid not even close to being even a teenager. Dinah was an earthy,passionate woman with a "rich vocabulary", who liked to party. Thanks to Aunt Mary, I grew up on a steady diet of "the Queen". I drank from the Queen's well deeply and often. Still do...
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<br />One of the things I remember about Dinah from the 50's was that she had a reputation for being a "wild woman", but there was some kind a reverence people in the African American community had for her at the same time. The woman could sing some blues, but this particular album showed how she could really read the lyric of a ballad telling the stories with a great depth of emotion. When she read songs like "If I Had You", people almost reacted like it was another book of the Bible. Dinah touched you way down inside with the truth of lived experience.
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<br />If you listen to that song in particular, notice how before the first instrumental break she sings far behind the beat and then ahead of the beat and comes to rest right where she needed to! She is in total control, dancing around the established rythm and tells the story like a shared truth across the backyard fence.
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<br />Its all good on this set. Not a throw away in the bunch. Blue Gardinia. I Could Write a Book. You Don't Know What Love Is. Although she stands out, front and center, she is also like another horn in the ensemble of stand-out instrumentalists including Paul Quinichette (Vice Prez), Cecil Payne, Clark Terry and the superb Wynton Kelly on piano. Quincy Jones really pulled this together, putting Dinah in a regal setting of some the best musicians of goldern era of jazz. "Dinah Jams" is the album of her's that is listed in the NPR 100, but THIS IS THE CLASSIC!
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<br />In later days, though the arrangements were not of this high caliber, the power of Dinah's performanced lifted recordings like "Unforgetable" and "This Bitter Earth" to an elevated status in African American communities all over the U.S. She told a truth that made you throw down your hat and shout out loud: "Yeah, girl! Tell em,tell em 'bout it!"

Genere: Jazz

Durata: 52:08

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Genere: Blues

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Trama: Bill "Watermelon Slim" Homans sings like a baying basset, drawing the tongue-in-cheek misery of tunes like "Hard Times" and "Check Writing Woman" out in long, dry-mouthed syllables. But it's the slide guitar on this, his third album, that really howls, whether he's playing smooth and shimmery on his original take on the Robert Johnson myth "Devil's Cadillac" or drawing on the ghost of Elmore James on "Hard Labor." That blend of humor--always delivered from a skewed autobiographical perspective--and raw-boned backwoods virtuosity makes this one of the year's more colorful blues albums and should elevate Slim from the genre's underground. And while his backing trio, the Workers, are a crack outfit whose spare accompaniment beautifully frames Slim's laconic musings, the solo "Folding Money Blues"--just Slim moaning along with his acoustic guitar--is a high point, with Slim telling his complaints to all the "dead presidents." He deserves our ears, too. <i>--Ted Drozdowski</i>

Genere: Blues

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Genere: Blues

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Trama: It's seems strange now to think of Muddy Waters's having to make a "comeback," but that's what the 1977 <I>Hard Again</I> came down to. The great bluesman's first post-Chess recording after 30 years with that company, it marked Waters's major-label debut and eventually went gold. The over-60 Waters lived up to all the attention with one of his most energetic, sustained performances, bettering his original version of "Mannish Boy," pushing "Bus Driver" to a raging peak, and generally sounding like the wisest man on record. Harp player James Cotton and producer-guitarist Johnny Winter are among the support; they both stay out of Waters's way and give as good as they get. <I>--Rickey Wright</I>

Genere: Blues

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Trama: With this surprise two-CD package of rarities and outtakes, the formidable Waters legacy is significantly enhanced yet again. No random collection, the first 30 tracks of this essential set chart Muddy's steady professional and artistic growth at Chess Records. Beginning with early tracks featuring just Waters and bassist Big Crawford, the great bluesman is followed through changing personnel and sounds as his groundbreaking vision is refined. Among the previously unreleased gems on "One More Mile" are 11 tracks from a 1972 Radio Lausanne broadcast featuring Muddy with Louis Myers on acoustic second guitar and Mojo Buford on harp. Covering classics like "Feel Like Goin' Home," "Baby Please Don't Go," "Rock Me," and "Hoochie Coochie Man," Muddy's virtuosic display at this late stage in life provides the rarest of musical pleasures. <I>--Alan Greenberg</I>

Genere: Jazz

Durata: 43:10

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Genere: Jazz

Durata: 45:35

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Genere: Country

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Genere: Blues

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Genere: Country/Bluegrass

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Genere: Jazz

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Genere: Fusion, Jazz

Durata: 1:14:52

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Trama: Much has been made of Jaco Pastorius's impact when he joined Weather Report in 1976, in time for two tunes on this album. Some cite his inclusion into the band as the addition of a third creative voice that had been missing since Miroslav Vitous was a member. Some say that when Pastorius joined, Weather Report took a wrong turn in its musical direction, and that it's his fault. I really don't think either is the case; Jaco was indeed a third voice, at times redefining the bass's role to be a melodic instrument rather than accompaniment, but Alphonso Johnson, the bassist present for most of this album, is by no means a weak link or a missing voice that should have spoken. As for Jaco steering Weather Report down the wrong road, this is simply not true. For those who find later Weather Report ("Heavy Weather" and especially the albums after it) to be inferior, this is more aptly attributed to the fact that co-leaders Wayne Shorter and especially Joe Zawinul were having an increasingly difficult time coming up with creative new material. Jaco did not kill Weather Report; he merely joined at its peak and was with the band as it began to taper off in creativity. He did have the good fortune (or maybe it's our fortune) to be present on "Heavy Weather" and "Night Passage," two fantastic albums.

But for my money, the best unit Weather Report ever had was the one present on most of this album: Wayne Shorter on saxophone, Joe Zawinul on keyboards and synthesizers (and synthesizers, and synthesizers, and more synthesizers), Alphonso Johnson on bass, Chester Thompson on drums, and Alejandro Neciosup Acuna on percussion. Of all the drummers to play with Weather Report, Chester Thompson was the only one to really light a fire under the rest of the band and push it forward. This is his only studio album with the band and I believe the musicianship is at its highest due to his presence. He and bassist Johnson were apparently good friends and their rapport really propels the band to new rhythmic heights. Then Acuna is great here on auxiliary percussion (Shorter in particular seemed to like him a lot, based on what I've read) though he was never able to push and energize the band in the drum chair that he would occupy for the next album, at least not to the level Thompson does on tracks like "Elegant People." Incidentally, there is some phenomenal live material by this edition of the band on "Live and Unreleased" which begs the question why it wasn't released before, a la "8:30" by a later unit.

To complement the fantastic band assembled here, this album features some of the catchiest and memorable material, if not always the most creative, that the band ever recorded. As mentioned, "Elegant People" cooks and yet is beautiful and funky all wrapped into one package, and it gives Shorter some good solo space. The title track is funky (listen to how well Johnson grooves and even if you've heard Jaco, you won't miss him) and worldly. "Three Clowns" is one of the only ballads the band did that manages to not remind the listener of Kenny G (though it was never Weather Report's fault that some of the ballads did...it's Kenny G's fault for taking this beautiful music and watering it down to fit his utter lack of creativity). Then "Barbary Coast," one of two tracks on which Pastorius plays, features the funkiest bass playing on the planet, while breaking free of any kind of repetition or stagnancy associated with funk bass playing. Taken as a whole, the material on this album tells a story through its world themes and styles, and sound effect transitions. In a musical climate 30 years later which values one-hit wonders surrounded by 19 other fluff songs, this consistent quality and unity of material is extremely refreshing.

I've read that this album isn't considered as accessible as "Heavy Weather" but I wholeheartedly disagree. This music can be appreciated on many levels: it's danceable and funky, non-intrusive, and yet deep enough and done in enough colors to maintain interest. Plus the musicianship is phenomenal. Start here for a good introduction to Weather Report, especially if you are coming from a rock or pop music background.

Genere: Jazz

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Trama: From 1970 to 1985, the jazz-fusion ensemble known as Weather Report reigned supreme as one the most distinguished and indefinable ensembles of the 20th century, and saxophonist Wayne Shorter and keyboardist Joe Zawinul were the cofounders of this ever-changing group. This superb, three-CD, 37-track collection features the band's incredible cast of musicians: drummers Peter Erksine and Alphonse Mouzon; percussionists Airto Moreira, Alex Acuna, and the late Don Alias; bassists Miroslav Vitous, Alphonso Johnson, and the incredible Jaco Pastorius. The roots of their sound are heard in Zawinul's "In A Silent Way," and their greatest hits--from "A Remark You Made" and an unreleased version of "Nubian Sundance" to their 1976 mega-hit, "Birdland," are included here, along with the lesser known classic, "Indiscretions," a DJ Logic, hip-hop remix of "125th Street Congress," and a sizzling, two-hour DVD concert from Germany in filmed in 1978. This set is a powerful primer to their "folk music of the future." <i>--Eugene Holley Jr.</i>

Genere: Jazz

Durata: 37:52

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Trama: Limited 'Millennium Edition' reissue of classic 1977 album in a deluxe heavyweight miniaturized LP sleeve complete with inner sleeve and a Japanese-style obi strip on the spine. Eight tracks, including the classic 'Birdland'. Individually numbered. 1999 r

Genere: Jazz

Durata: 1:01:04

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Trama: A quarter-century on, Weather Report's music has dated in a way that Miles Davis's best fusion efforts (including last year's newly unearthed "Live at the Fillmore East") haven't. That's especially true of the albums the band made beginning with "Mysterious Traveller" (1974), at which point the group began looking more to technological advances to further their sound, rather drawing from than the creative brain trust of keyboardist Joe Zawinul and saxophonist Wayne Shorter. Shorter largely fades into the background here, as Zawinul tests out his battery of Arps and Moogs and Echoplex-equipped electric piano against a busy battery of percussionists. Still, there's a lot of good music on the album, which has been reissued as was--without any added material. "Blackthorn Rose" is a piano (and melodica) and soprano sax duet of lovesome beauty, while the phase-shifting "Nubian Sundance" generates excitement through its orchestrated effects, complex rhythmic scheme, and simulated crowd explosions. New to the ever-evolving Weather Report is bassist Alphonso Johnson, who lends a funkier and more musical touch than his sacked (and highly overrated) predecessor, Miroslav Vitous.--Lloyd Sachs

Genere: Jazz

Durata: 49:19

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Genere: Blues

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Trama: KATIE WEBSTER
<br />No Foolin'!
<br />Alligator ALCD 4803
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<br /> Per the Alligator website, Katie Webster's "Barrelhouse boogie-woogie, New Orleans R&B, Gulf Coast swamp-pop, deep bayou blues and Southern gospel-flavored soul placed her among the most in-demand blues artists". On "No Foolin'!" she delivers brisk songwriting, sassy vocals, savory piano, and thick organ. Her sturdy backing band is lead by Vasti Jackson (guitar and songwriting) who also was Johnnie Taylor's band leader, and is now considered one of the best and busiest Mississippi blues guitarists. The CD's prodigious 45-minutes may be considered short by today's 70-minute standard. Unlike those longer discs, you will listen to this disc from start to finish.
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<br /> Webster has written and selected songs whose lyrics give advice. Sometimes its about the hard work required for good love, "No Deposit, No Return", and other times, "It's Mighty Hard", it is about combating the loneliness that comes without having someone to love. On the latter, a melancholic mood is established on organ, while pain is sensed in her bayou vocals. The disc's tantalizing music is as pure as the white lace that adorns her brawny frame on the cover. Throughout, the former Otis Redding band member tells it like it is. She talks about sex on "A Little Meat On The Side". Without being crude, she lets it be known that what is good for the goose is good for the gander. With class and dignity, her message is communicated like a respected member of society. Her powerful vocals growl and roar on "I'm Bad" where she distinguishes that she is bad, but not like Michael Jackson! "Those Lonely, Lonely Nights" is one of the best blues duets ever. Guest Lonnie Brooks contributes flashy vocals and innovative guitar. Webster pounds the keys like Fats Domino on a song that sounds from his era. Together, they banter and bicker like an old married couple. It makes me chuckle, every time I hear the song. The disc's most touching number "Zydeco Shoes And California Blues" contains a strong sense of Louisiana due to C.J. Chenier's accordion. The song conjures an image of a down home Cajun/Creole party.
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<br /> You can convert your friends to this hybrid style of contemporary blues because it is not threatening, nor boring. It is purely entertaining. The vocals are warm and as inviting as a great body. Webster's self-confidant keyboards rule over the kingdom of her royal music. They are the CD's highlight, and will have piano fans drooling. This is the Swamp Boogie Queen at her mightiest. There will never be another Katie Webster.
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<br />--- Tim Holek
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Genere: Rock

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Trama: Immortalized forever in Rickie Lee Jones's 1979 hit "Chuck E.'s in Love," Chuck E. Weiss has had his own career playing the drums and singing in a craggly blues voice that recalls his more famous buddy Tom Waits, who provides production, vocal, and songwriting assistance. For years, however, he never made it beyond the confines of Los Angeles nightclubs. Here he's assembled an album of freewheeling bar tunes and jump blues that recall the music of his youth with fresh irreverence. "Devil with Blue Suede Shoes" is ramshackle back-alley Chicago blues. "It Rains on Me" offers Waits and Weiss singing like old drunken buddies after closing time. It's what you'd expect, yet couldn't conceive. <i>--Rob O'Connor</i>

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Trama: A much more quietly celebrated CD than her debut, Gillian Welch's sophomore effort assured fans of old-timey country folk that she was salt of the earth. Her songs speak with both plaintive yearning and a seasoned storyteller's moxie, urged on by her and David Rawlings's economical guitar picking and strumming. Welch's vocal timbre bears ideally twangy power, giving her a constantly strong vault into her similarly creative tales, which help place this CD clearly in the realm of the exceptional. <I>-- Andrew Bartlett</i>

Genere: Blues

Durata: 63:40

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Genere: Country

Durata: 41:41

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Genere: Rock

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Genere: Jazz

Durata: 65:59

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Genere: Rock

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Trama: On <I>A Ghost Is Born</I>, Wilco singer, songwriter and supreme commander Jeff Tweedy leads his former alt.country colleagues on another journey towards the leftfield, with Sonic Youth's Jim O'Rourke once again handling co-production duties. But in many ways, it represents a slight backstep from the direction hinted at on its acclaimed successor <I>Yankee Hotel Foxtrot</I>. This is by no means a bad thing. Like Lambchop's best work, it's an album that's full of clever experimentalism and understated studio trickery, yet one where Wilco's very human and very organic core is highlighted, most likely because of Tweedy's dusty past with alt.country mavericks Uncle Tupelo. To Wilco's credit, the songs on <I>A Ghost Is Born</I> never suffer from over-production or wilful contrivance. Even on a 10-minute epic such as "Spiders", they manage to keep the listener's interest with a simple, driving rhythm and gradual layers of guitars, before the song bursts forth in the fourth minute. It's an extended jam, sure, but it's never dull--a remarkable feat in itself. In fact, <I>A Ghost Is Born</I> harks back to Wilco's altogether excellent second album, <I>Being There</I>, an innovative and original take on country rock and pop. That alone puts it up with the best of their work. <I>--Robert Burrow</I>

Genere: Rock

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Trama: Four fine albums into their career, and Willard Grant Conspiracy continue to prove that great country music is less a question of where you're from than where you're at. The band's native Boston is not a city renowned as a habitat of truck drivers, gunslingers and lonesome hoboes, but <I>Everything's Fine</I> is certainly a stretch better than anything produced by Nashville's legion Garth Brooks clones in recent years. The references are explicitly old school country--"Drunkard's Prayer" is clearly an update on the Louvin Brothers song of (nearly) the same name, and "South End Of A Northbound Train" displays a fondness for traditionally wry country wordplay. The vocals are as languid and lugubrious throughout, calling to mind the solo work of Screaming Trees' Mark Lanegan, and the band fill out these gorgeous ballads with arrangements of sombre beauty, as if they'd just wandered in from the dustblown prairie. Marvellous, again. <I>--Andrew Mueller</I>

Genere: Jazz

Durata: 1:09:35

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Genere: Country

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Trama: With a legend like Hank, than man who largely dragged country music into the modern age, the question is how do you pick just 40 of his songs? There were the immediately obvious biggies like "Hey Good Lookin'", "Jambalaya", and "Move It On Over", but almost everything was a gem in one way or another. Whether this collection is the greatest hits or not will depend on the listener, but for anyone with even the slightest curiosity about country music, it's essential listening. Hank was a landmark of the genre, and to hear him is to understand how country could change from rural to urban. Essential listening for everyone. <i>--Chris Nickson</i>

Genere: Jazz

Durata: 69:36

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Genere: Country

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Trama: Six years in the making, <I>Car Wheels</I> somehow lives up to its lofty expectations because of Williams's direct songwriting and her wonderfully unaffected vocals. With assistance from cohorts such as Steve Earle, Williams uses the acoustic accents of Dobros, mandolins, slide guitars, and accordions to add color to her grooves, whispers, and rumbles. Her lyrics are undisguised as she presents to us the travelogue of her memory. We can't wait for 2004! <I>--Marc Greilsamer</I>

Genere: Country

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Trama: Few artists in recent memory have been able to wring more from less than Lucinda Williams. The hauntingly beautiful, wistful, and often breathtaking <I>Essence</I> is another case in point of how far raw emotion and honesty can carry an artist. Williams's singing is at its paralyzing best throughout 11 bare originals, an incredibly affecting vocal performance by a woman who was not blessed with exceptional tone, range, or pitch. Throughout, her voice is incredibly naked, vulnerable, and wrought with feeling. "Blue" and "Broken Butterflies" are gorgeous anti-lullabies whose simple melodies belie their poignant ruminations. The title track is a sultry and susceptible sex-as-drug come-on while "Reason to Cry" has all the hallmarks of a classic country lament. The only departure from the subdued mood is "Get Right with God," a rousing gospel tune that practically begs for salvation through punishment and is the rare acknowledgement of a world beyond Williams's own fears and desires. More meditative than the personal narratives found on <I>Car Wheels on a Gravel Road</I>, <I>Essence</I> is ultimately more powerful. Williams wallows in sorrow and weakness, and the result is moving and disarming. <I>--Marc Greilsamer</I>

Genere: Country

Durata: 49:49

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Genere: Country

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Trama: Granted, <i>Sweet Old World</i> isn't the masterpiece that 1988's <i>Lucinda Williams</i> is. The too-simple explanations of "He Never Got Enough Love" aren't up to Williams's mile-high standards, and the arrangements throughout are often so similar to that previous release's that the melodic differences here aren't as clear as they might've been. But when she raises her vulnerable cry to sing the three, pained perspectives on suicide that are at the heart of this album--the title track, "Little Angel, Little Brother", and "Pineola"- -Williams's very humanity provides its own proof that, while this world can indeed be cruel, it can also be oh so sweet. <i>--David Cantwell</i>

Genere: Country

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Genere: Jazz

Durata: 38:22

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Genere: Jazz

Durata: 38:54

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Genere: Rock

Durata: 48:01

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Trama: Early in her career, Victoria Williams showed snatches of scattershot brilliance amidst an occasionally maddening amount of clutter. But upon marrying ex-Jayhawk Mark Olson and moving to a ranch in Joshua Tree, California, the singer-songwriter's newfound serenity and sense of place blossomed into a minor masterpiece: 1998's sweeping yet intimate <I>Musings of a Creekdipper</I> spoke frankly of mortality and the reassurance of love, family, and faith. <I>Water to Drink</I> mostly melds the down-home folksiness of her Creek Dippers side project with her own expressive jazzy pop, but she isn't shy about stretching out into funk ("Junk") and even bossa nova (the title track is an Anglicized cover of Joao Gilberto's "Agua de Beber"). Love and affirmation are again overriding themes, as titles such as "You Can Be," "Joy of Love," and "A Little Bit of Love" attest. While <I>Water to Drink</I> is by no means a better album than its predecessor, it's more fun: Williams revels in these songs and the giddy, girlish covers of "Until the Real Thing Comes Along" and "Young at Heart." That said, the best songs here are the quirky character studies, especially "Gladys and Lucy." <I>--Anders Smith-Lindall</I>

Genere: Country

Durata: 34:09

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Genere: Country

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Genere: Country

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Trama: Kelly Willis's first full-length offering since 1993 is one of the better country records you will hear, alternative or otherwise. She covers tunes by the likes of Paul Westerberg, Nick Drake, and Paul Kelly, and cowrites with the Jayhawks' Gary Louris and John Leventhal. If none of the songs quite rises to the heights of the Steve Earle, Jim Lauderdale, and Joe Ely material on her 1991 masterpiece <I>Bang Bang</I>, it is still solid stuff nonetheless. Any new song by Dan Penn ("Got a Feelin' for Ya", cowritten with Chuck Prophet) is already worth the price of admission, but Willis herself penned what may be the best tune here, "Talk Like That," an ode to the comfort of a familiar accent far from home. <I>What I Deserve</I> was recorded on a tight budget without a record deal, which may be why the backing, though well played (especially by guitarist Prophet), verges on sounding unfinished--or, it may be the alternative-country sound she was intentionally seeking. Either way, Willis's sublime voice and delivery reside on a more sophisticated plane. If listening to her throaty warbling of Nick Drake's "Time Has Told Me" or her sultry rendering of the Penn tune doesn't give you "chicken skin," it is time to check your pulse. <I>--Michael Ross</I>

Genere: Jazz

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Trama: By now, it's a moot point whether Cassandra Wilson is singing jazz or not. By unifying what were once considered disparate styles and song forms with her languorously rich vocals and offbeat instrumental textures, she has become the queen of her own genre. Largely recorded at a one-time train station in her native Mississippi, <I>Belly of the Sun</I> ranges from country-blues great Fred McDowell's gritty "You Gotta Move" (popularized by the Rolling Stones and here featuring acoustic-guitar wiz Richard Johnston) to Brazilian immortal Antonio Carlos Jobim's winsome "Waters of March" (featuring a children's choir) to a hauntingly feminized version of Jimmy Webb's "Wichita Lineman." Revealing her command of narrative material, Wilson draws seductive meaning from Bob Dylan's "Shelter from the Storm" and the Band's "The Weight." Featuring Kevin Breit and Marvin Sewell on all manner of guitars and related string instruments, <I>Belly of the Sun</I> also boasts three strong Wilson originals, including "Just Another Parade," a jazzy-soulful duet with India Arie, and "Show Me a Love." As her own producer, Wilson comes up with less compelling backgrounds than Craig Street, who produced her darker-tinged breakthrough albums. Still, this is her most seamless, smoothest-flowing, and most effortlessly expansive recording. "I need to feel some rich black soil that's moist between my toes," she sings. You can feel her Southern roots in the grooves as well. <I>--Lloyd Sachs</I>

Genere: Jazz

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Trama: Cassandra Wilson is a postmodern jazz singer, a conceptualist who sees no dividing lines between genres. If her career had commenced in the 1970s rather than the label-conscious 1990s she would have been marketed as a mainstream pop diva. Her magnificent voice and interpretive genius mark her as a jazz singer for the ages, however. She finds her material wherever her fancy takes her and remakes it in her own image, whether it be the country blues of Robert Johnson's "Come On in My Kitchen" and "Hellhound On My Trail," the soul of Ann Peebles's "I Can't Stand the Rain," the elegant R&B of Charles Brown's "Tell Me You'll Wait for Me," the melodic pop of Joni Mitchell's "Black Crow," and Van Morrison's "Tupelo Honey," or her own "Redbone"--and the title track, accompanied by steel guitarist Gib Wharton. <I>--John Swenson</I>

Genere: Jazz

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Trama: Cassandra Wilson has convincingly argued that all American popular music displays one fundamental aspect of the jazz tradition: a delight in taking songs--from the simplest to most profound--and recombining them into idiosyncratic form. That includes standards such as those she lolls into on this 1988 release--"Polka Dots and Moonbeams," "I Didn't Know What Time It Was," "My One and Only Love," and others. Underpinning these performances is an intriguing world-weariness, often of slightly sad (dare one say, postcoital) drowsiness. Wilson's sultry contralto augments that bold inflection, which impresses from the opening moments of the well-worn, usually more flirtatious "Shall We Dance." The straight-up support of Mulgrew Miller (piano), Lonnie Plaxico (bass), and Terri Lyne Carrington (drums) provides Wilson an unobtrusive foundation. <I>--Peter Monaghan</I>

Genere: Jazz

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Trama: Cassandra Wilson's new album is a bit of a mixed bag. Producer Fabrizio Sotti has ensured a much better mix than the self-produced "Belly of the Sun", on which the bass seemed stuck in the Mississippi mud. The closer of this album, "Throw It Away" by Abbey Lincoln, is a duet for voice and double bass in full splendour. The use of two basses on Bob Dylan's "Lay Lady Lay" also is a special delight. Miss Wilson is offering six new songs, some of them co-authored by producer/guitar player Sotti. "I Want More", apparently improvised more or less on the spot, is an energetic groove.On most other songs tastefully picked guitar and discreet percussion provide an effective musical setting of the kind that Wilson fans will be familiar with (no trupets or cornets, though). Sotti mostly is a capable accompanist on the guitar. Sadly, on "What Is It?", an acid-jazzy tune that he co-authored, his Gibson guitar sound doesn't fit into the mix at all and his solo is utterly bland. Yuk! Are they going to use this song to get more airplay? I hope not.The tracks that really take off are those featuring stalwart Brandon Ross, previously a major contributor to "Blue Light 'Till Dawn" and "New Moon Daughter" and Henry Threadgill's band Very Very Circus. He provides an accompaniment that is much more interesting, bluesy and atmospheric. The menacing mood that he creates on Muddy Waters' "Honey Bee" seems to inspire percussionist Jeffrey Haynes to greater heights, too. (During the 2003 North Sea Jazz Festival in The Hague, Cassandra introduced Ross as her musical director, so perhaps we have more to look forward to.)In all songs Cassandra Wilson's unique low alto is deployed with the familiar devastating effect. In that respect the album does certainly not disappoint.A final note: due to the Copy Controlled format of this disc, I experienced playback (and other) problems on my G3 iMac. Not enough memory, I suppose. Can't say I wasn't warned, but still...

Genere: Jazz

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Trama: Her luscious alto has the depth and texture of a great tenor saxophonist, but Cassandra Wilson's defining asset is a postmodern song sense that enables her to surf through Son House, Neil Young, Johnny Mercer, Billie Holiday, and (gasp!) the Monkees in pursuit of strong songs that can provide that instrument with a canvas. Her second Blue Note album extends Wilson's seductive pilgrimage beyond the conventions of jazz repertoire and accompaniment, yet it's her instincts as a jazz singer that inform these brilliant readings. The settings again step away from traditional small group jazz (for starters, there's no piano) to evoke the emotional core of these songs. Anyone who can turn the Monkees' "Last Train to Clarksville" into a slow-burning erotic vignette deserves your attention. <I>--Sam Sutherland</I>

Genere: Jazz

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Trama: Jazz fans who complain about not hearing enough jazz in Cassandra Wilson's eclectic sound, which has increasingly tilted toward pop and blues, will find ample rewards in this collection of her (relatively) straight-ahead efforts from the late '80s. Drawing from four albums for the JMT label, it charts her steady growth away from Brooklyn's electric, funk-based M-Base school and into an earthier, more personal approach. Going to school herself on Betty Carter's elastic time feel and unhurried rhythms, she avoids predictability on songs such as "'Round Midnight" and a wordless rendering of Billy Strayhorn's "Chelsea Bridge." There's less interest in her handling of earlier standards such as "I'm Old Fashioned" and "Blue Skies," which lack depth, but never any lack of attractiveness. <I>--Lloyd Sachs</I>

Genere: Jazz

Durata: 68:47

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Genere: R&B

Durata: 64:32

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Genere: Rock

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Trama: 1990's "Refugees Of The Heart" was the album that made me a Steve Winwood fan. I'd heard some of Steve's hit songs from "Arc Of A Diver," "Back In The High Life" & "Roll With It," and I liked them, but "Refugees Of The Heart" completely blew me away. That this wonderful album was NOT a hit and is now out-of-print is a very sad thing, for this is Steve's best solo album by far. I enjoy all of Steve's albums, of course, but "Refugees" has a very special maturity & musical richness to it, and Steve generously adds a taste of good ol' progressive rock to some of the album's pop proceedings, which, for any fan who knows the man's work with Traffic, is greatly appreciated. Most of the songs are at least five minutes in length, allowing Winwood to really stretch out. Not a bad song among the bunch, with highlights such as the spiritual "You'll Keep On Searching," the rockin' "One And Only Man," the lovely "I Will Be Here," the bluesy "Another Deal Goes Down," the fun of "Come Out And Dance," and, what is quite possibly Steve's greatest solo composition EVER, the hypnotic 9 1/2 minute "In The Light Of Day," a dreamy, breathtaking masterwork. Steve's soulful voice, songwriting & playing are magnificent, and the album *sounds* terrific, being digitally recorded, mixed & and mastered.It's so very disappointing that the music-buying public missed the boat on "Refugees Of The Heart." As another reviewer pointed out, perhaps they had gotten a bit tired of Winwood by this time, after he had back-to-back hit albums and was such a big presence on the radio in the late 80's. But make no mistake, "Refugees Of The Heart" is undoubtedly Steve Winwood's greatest solo album to date. It is an astonishing disc from beginning to end, and should not be ignored. Pick it up!

Genere: Blues

Durata: 65:31

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Genere: Folk

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Trama: The intimate setting of the University of Texas facility where the Austin City Limits television show is taped proves the perfect venue for singer-songwriter Kate Wolf. Wolf shines whether stretching out on up-tempo numbers such as "Picture Puzzle" and "Like a River" or focusing on her trademark acoustic ballads. It's a comfortable performance, scattered with stories and gentle jokes. Nina Gerber adds extra instrumental spice and Tom Diamant throws in spot-on harmony. Recorded a year before her death, An Evening in Austin includes such Wolf favorites as "Give Yourself to Love," "Friend of Mine," and "The Redtail Hawk." It's equally effective as an introduction or an overview of a much-missed artist. --Alexandra Russell

Genere: Rock

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Trama: It is easy to be confused by Stevie Wonder compilations. In the nineties, a double CD was released in America titled Song review, while a single CD was released in Britain with the same title and artwork. More recently, a single CD was released in America titled Definitive collection, so (conversely) a double CD was released in Britain with the same title and artwork. This British double CD is much better than the earlier American double CD titled Song review, which had fewer tracks and missed out some important songs. Indeed, this is the best compilation of Stevie's music that I've seen. Even on two CD's, it is not possible to include every Stevie Wonder recording worth hearing, but all the big hits in Britain and America are here.You probably have your own favorites. I particularly like You are the sunshine of my life, For once in my life, Yester-me yester-you yesterday, Living for the city, I just called to say I love you, Sir Duke, A place in the sun, Lately and Happy birthday. Other classics (also excellent) include Superstition, I wish, Isn't she lovely, Ebony and ivory (with Paul McCartney), Never had a dream come true, Uptight and so many others.If you only want one collection of Stevie Wonder music, this is by far the best. If you want to build a collection of his music, this is a great starting point.

Genere: Rock

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Trama: Slide on This is Ronnie Wood's best record. Written in collaboration with Bernard Fowler (backing vocalist of the Rolling Stones, and lead singer in several Charlie Watts'records) is very inspired and very intriguing. Testify, Breathe on Me and Always Wanted More are among Ronnie's best songs ever--they're as fresh as 'I can feel the fire' but they have better lyrics. The record is enriched by (the reproduction of) Ronnie's paintings. It's kind of curious that the Stones have only sporadically (pretty Beat Up, Dance, ..) used Ronnie's compositions. In any case, Slide on this is a must.

Genere: Jazz

Durata: 1:05:41

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Trama: Lizz Wright’s sophomore release, <I>Dreaming Wide Awake</I> is a gorgeous, floating atmospheric journey. Her deep, rich alto, matched by a similarly incredible depth of emotion, makes for a beautiful, timeless record. Highlights include a bluegrass-tinged cover of Neil Young’s "Old Man," a gorgeously sultry version of Joe Henry’s "Stop" (better known as "Don’t Tell Me," as covered by Madonna), and the Youngbloods' positivity-tipped "Get Together." But not all highlights are cover tunes. Wright, along with songwriter Jesse Harris and Toshi Reagon, created the achingly beautiful "Hit the Ground," while Chocolate Genius (a.k.a. Marc Anthony Thompson) scribed "Chasing Strange," and Wright penned the jazz-tinged title track on her own. <I>--Denise Sheppard</I>

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Trama: The release of the long-anticipated debut from this talented, 20-something, Georgia-bred chanteuse shows that Norah Jones isn't the only "it girl" out there. Wright's cool contralto, which was previously heard on Joe Sample's <I>The Pecan Tree</I>, is a southern stew cooked with ample helpings of soul, jazz, R&B, and gospel. This CD, equally produced by Tommy LiPuma, John Cowherd, and drummer Brian Blade, features mostly mid-tempo renditions of a jazz-fusion ditty, a spiritual, a Broadway tune, a Latin number, light classical, and original compositions. Wright's vocal weight and fluent delivery echoes the talents of Lalah Hathaway, whether she’s putting her own sepia spin on Flora Purim's '70s gem "Open Your Eyes, You Can Fly," Mongo Santamaria's "Afro Blue" (with pianist Danilo Perez), or "Soon As I Get Home" from <I>The Wiz</I>. Though this record is a promising debut from Wright, one gets the sense that she’s a soul singer at heart, as evidenced by the down-home title tune. One thing's for sure: the road to Lizz Wright's future is wide open with no barriers in sight. <I>--Eugene Holley, Jr.</I>