May 1, 2009

Danny Schmidt: Instead the Forest Rose to Sing
Red House RHR CD 216
Format: CD

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In addition to Danny Schmidt’s guitar and vocals, his new CD includes 16 other instruments and three other voices. But here we mainly get a clear, immediate, acoustic folk sound centered on Schmidt’s pleasing finger-picking and moving, unpretentious singing. Harmonica, accordion, bass, violin, cello, percussion, and others join only where helpful -- economy of means, that essential value of art. Schmidt’s ten original songs are the real deal, examining how human beings seek meaning in a world of money and challenging institutions. "You’re better off broke with soup in your belly / Than sittin’ there hungry round a pot of gold" starts the listener on his journey. But you’ll find considerable subtlety along the way, and you’ll want to repeat this trip often -- as with the few dozen other truly gifted songwriters of recent decades, Instead the Forest Rose to Sing can’t be taken in all at once. And if you’re in North America or Europe in 2009, that’s where Schmidt will be touring. . . . David Cantor

Chick Corea & Hiromi: Duet
Concord CCD2 30735
Format: CD

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Calling this an album of yesterday, today, and tomorrow would not be a stretch. The pairing of veteran pianist Chick Corea and young keyboard lion Hiromi was an inspired idea that evidently fueled both. The opening number, "Very Early," sets the tone for the balance of the album -- two musicians so in tune with the music and each other that they give the impression of a single entity. Corea is a chameleon, able to flit from hard bop to free jazz to fusion in the blink of an eye. Here he feeds off Hiromi’s youthful exuberance to provide some of his most outgoing acoustic jazz in years. Hiromi doesn’t seem awed to be playing with someone of Corea’s stature in this mixture of originals and standards. She doesn’t change her style so much as tailor it to match Corea’s, who seems to have inspired her. Both players are heard clearly and cleanly, as Corea flows from the left speaker, Hiromi from the right. They overlap a bit, just as the back cover picture shows, in sound of such high quality that listeners can hear all the creativity unfold right in front of them. That sound is another strong point of Duet. Getting one piano to sound correct on tape has been a challenge for many recording engineers; here, both instruments are presented in a sound that is among the best I’ve heard. If you love piano, and jazz piano in particular, this is your album. . . . John Crossett

Connor Christian & Southern Gothic: 90 Proof Lullabies
Vintage Earth Music
Format: CD

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Performing and recording "One Toke Over the Line" much as Brewer & Shipley did in 1971 wouldn’t necessarily mean that Connor Christian & Southern Gothic sound like other bands. To an extent, they do on 90 Proof Lullabies, Atlanta-based Christian’s second album. But the surprises begin with an engaging album-opening banjo riff, and the band keenly exploits the eternal charms of the Hammond B3 organ and the shimmering precision of lap and pedal steel guitars. As the album unfolds, unique touches multiply. Rather than merely imitate, Connor Christian & Southern Gothic manage their influences effectively, forging a distinctive alloy of roots, stretching melodies with pleasing chord changes, and providing respites from full-bore arrangements that can get tiresome. Some of Christian’s lyrics -- he wrote ’em all, except "Toke" -- show originality and seriousness. It’s a fine mix of styles, with nothing pretentious or belabored. More restraint could give Christian’s vocals, which are nearly always at high intensity, more power. Watch for this act to make a mark; in the meantime, listen up, and if one of their full-steam tours comes within reach, see ’em. . . . David Cantor

Jorma Kaukonen: River of Time
Red House RHD CD 217
Format: CD

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The prolific Jorma Kaukonen returns with the release of a solo CD produced by Larry Campbell. Veteran of a variety of musical genres, Kaukonen was a founding member of Jefferson Airplane and still tours with Hot Tuna, but has also established himself as a respected solo artist, releasing more than a dozen albums that showcase his unique fingerstyle guitar playing and distinctive voice, the quality and warmth of which never seem to diminish despite more than four decades of singing, touring, and teaching. River of Time mixes new originals with a few bluesy standards ("Trouble in Mind," "Operator"). "Izzie’s Lullaby" and "A Walk with Friends" are poignant instrumentals that exude peacefulness and satisfaction, while the title track, inspired by a dream in which Kaukonen was visited by his late grandmother, reflects on time’s river and the afterlife. On the lighter side is the indubitable gesture of devotion and surest proclamation of a musician’s affection: "(I love you) More than My Old Guitar." The album features the stellar guest drumming of the Band’s Levon Helm, and was recorded in Helm’s timber-frame studio in Woodstock, New York, which gives it a rich tonality and a smooth, timeworn quality. As usual, Jorma Kaukonen doesn’t disappoint. . . . Shannon Holliday

Jesse Terry: The Runner
Jesseterrymusic.com
Format: CD

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Overall Enjoyment

Jesse Terry writes songs that sound familiar and wear their influences out front -- obvious touchstones are James Taylor and Jackson Browne. I was tempted, at first, to write Terry off as another derivative middleweight who wandered off to Nashville to be a star. But I kept listening, and halfway through this debut album began to think that Terry has absorbed well what he’s learned from other songwriters, and is close to standing on his own. Producer Ethan Mentzer and a lot of great players help put these songs across. Joe Guese’s guitar solos on "Devil Will Dance" and "Loveless Motel" are simple but very effective, and Dan Dugmore’s pedal-steel work is consistently engaging. The Runner occasionally falters: "Africa" and "A Refuge" sound like something to be played during the closing minutes of an episode of Grey’s Anatomy. Terry’s biggest problem is that, for all his talents as melodist and arranger, he can’t seem to avoid clichés in his lyrics. The Runner has a bright, open sound, and in time will probably be seen as the solid first step of a long career. . . . Joseph Taylor