August 1, 2009

Ocote Soul Sounds and Adrian Quesada: Coconut Rock
ESL Music ESL 151
Format: CD

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Before they met, both Martin Perna and Adrian Quesada had successful big bands -- Perna with his New York City collective Antibalas Afrobeat Orchestra, and Quesada in Austin, Texas, with his own Grupo Fantasma, which explored the realms of Latin and funk music. So it seemed only natural that the two would eventually join forces (and band members) to create a mélange of South American and African sounds. Their third studio collaboration as Ocote Soul Sounds, Coconut Rock, was released on June 23rd on the ESL label. It’s a hot mix of summer sambas, down-tempo treats and all-around good grooves to be touted proudly and spun loudly. Heavy horns and layered, Caribbean-flavored percussion form the foundation of most tracks. The songs, whether Spanish, English, or entirely instrumental, form a cohesive hybrid of styles, commanding attention and inspiring hips to shake and feet to get fancy. Brazilian songstress Tito Lima sets a laid-back vibe, singing in sultry Portuguese on "Vendende Saude E Fe," while Chico Mann warns of the lurking bogeyman on the insanely catchy "El Diablo y El Nau Nau." Both bandleaders have had enough experience arranging, recording, and performing with a posse of players to capture the right feel and perfect sound in the studio. August weather is hot and heavy, and there’s no better time to bump to these funk-soul sounds. . . . Shannon Holliday

Eric Dolphy: Out to Lunch!
Music Matters / Blue Note BST-84163
Format: 45rpm LP

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Imagine you want to start an LP reissue company to release the best-sounding Blue Note LPs ever made. First you’d hire the team of Steve Hoffman and Kevin Gray to do the mastering at 45rpm so the LPs sound even better than the originals. Then you’d choose the best albums from the label’s catalog, including multi-instrumentalist Eric Dolphy’s masterpiece (and only Blue Note recording), Out to Lunch! Dolphy plays alto sax, clarinet, and bass clarinet, giving this LP a slightly different jazz feel. Dolphy was the in-demand sideman of his day because of his ability to play inside or outside the group as needed. Here he’s at the top of his game as a leader, playing a list of originals that mix free jazz with hard bop to create a unique sound that will make you rethink what jazz can be. From his tribute to Thelonious Monk, "Hat and Beard," to the final number, the recording features nothing but pure, unadulterated modern jazz. The Music Matters LP offers sound that’s to die for, and each instrument seems to leap from your speakers, making this a real demo album. . . . John Crossett

This Is a Shakedown!: Love Kills
Reversed Image RIU177701
Format: CD

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This Cleveland-based Electro-rock power band must be one hell of a live experience. Its dance beats are pulsing, primal, and powerful, and it’ll be all you can do to stay still while listening to it. I put it on my iPod for the gym, and it makes for great workout material. The intense rhythms support Brandon Zano’s powerhouse vocals, which are recorded cleanly without sacrificing their raw power. The record’s sound is worth dwelling on. It’s not just that Cleveland has a first-rate band in residence -- it also has a first-rate recording studio in Ante Up Audio. To a lot of listeners, a rock album has good sound if it’s simply loud. But imagine loud with clarity and an uncanny lack of unintended distortion, and you’ve got Love Kills. Don’t miss track 10, a punkish, spooky, and very sexy take on "My Funny Valentine." It’s a lease breaker all right, but it’ll kiss and caress you on your way out. . . . Rad Bennett

Craig Jackson: Damn the Roses
Green Records GR 005
Format: CD

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Craig Jackson’s fifth album demonstrates why he received a nomination for Best New Band of 2009 at Nashville’s Toast of Music City awards. Opening with the quiet confidence of just a few guitar notes, Damn the Roses soon delivers ten nicely paced songs with strong rhythms and melodies. Especially effective is the crisp recording of Adam Ollendorf’s pedal steel and lap steel, as well as the disc’s other steel-string sounds, including guitars, banjo, and mandolin. Talented backing singers join Jackson’s honest, engaging lead vocals. The rich arrangements avoid clutter -- each sound is distinct, and each instrument contributes to the music. Apart from "1941," which is about a family losing a son in World War II, the songs are mostly personal. They tell stories of love and loss, and even the war theme is more personal than political. The band’s style, which is reminiscent of Jackson Browne, Tom Petty, and Blue Rodeo without being derivative, is the real source of enjoyment. It’s simply hard to imagine not finding pleasure in this album. . . . David Cantor

Larry Slezak: No Worries
Tierra Studios TR05CD
Format: CD

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The cover of the digipak of Larry Slezak’s No Worries features a line drawing of the saxophonist that makes it look like a ’50s jazz record. No Worries is a fairly traditional jazz disc that puts Slezak in a number of settings, from straight-ahead bop to ballads with string accompaniment. He has a strong lyrical bent, but he injects an edge into his solos, and his improvisations are exciting and emotionally gratifying. Slezak was born in New York, but he’s been teaching and playing in Houston since 1973, and the musicians on No Worries are members of that city’s lively jazz scene. Jose-Miguel Yamal is equally adept at piano and Hammond B-3, and the ensembles built upon the keyboards give Slezak a chance to demonstrate his varied talents. Things flag on "Chico and the Man," which feels lightweight, but the rest of the disc hangs together -- though next time Slezak might benefit from a consistent approach. The recording, engineered by Glenn L. Wheeler at Tierra Studios in Houston and mastered by Doug Sax and Sangwook "Sunny" Nam at the Mastering Lab in Los Angeles, is outstanding. The instruments are cleanly presented -- the piano has tremendous resonance -- and the music sounds both warm and sharply focused. . . . Joseph Taylor