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BARGAIN BASEMENT
COMPACT DISCS - Ethnic & World Music
| SHEILA CHANDRA | Real World CAR 2322 | Weaving My Ancestor's Voices | ● CD |
| 10 tracks, 43 min., recommended It's one thing to claim that the voice is the ultimate instrument, but proving it is quite another thing. Chart-topping worldbeat singer Sheila Chandra backs up her claim with authority on this diverse, and strikingly beautiful album. Opening with a tongue-twisting piece of Indian vocal percussion, Chandra moves through Irish balladry, cascading Arabic melodies, droning global hymns, religious chants, and of course the Indian scales of her ancestry, applying her pitch-perfect voice to every piece with breathy ease. The frequent wordless expanses are the most powerful moments on this rich gathering of songs, letting her gem of a voice shine in all its brilliance, and providing a contrast to her drum machine-driven danceclub hits. (MB) |
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| TONY DE LA ROSA | Rounder 6046 | Asi Se Baila En Tejas | ● CD |
| This is how they dance in Texas, as the title tells us. De
La Rosa was an important Tex-Mex innovator in the early 50's, one of the
first to use drums (along with Valerio Longoria), and also adding
amplification to his band. He has come out of semi-retirement to bring his
classic conjunto sound to the modern-day listener on 14 cuts. Don't expect
the eclectic flash of Steve Jordan or Flaco Jimenez here, just solid
no-frills dancefloor material (usually unhurried traditional polkas and
rancheras) with Tony's punchy accordion played to perfection. (MB) |
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| NINEY THE OBSERVER | Heartbeat 99 | Freaks | ● CD |
| 10 tracks, 37 mins, recommended Legendary reggae producer Niney doesn't put out much solo work, so this album is a treat for reggae fans. Niney's voice (homely as it is, it doesn't detract), his new dancehall style, and some unique songs create an overall good time. Several recent Niney productions have come out on Heartbeat (Yami Bolo, Little John) and most have sounded good, so he's on a hot streak now. Although a little short this album is worthy of Niney's legend, and would make a good buy for a fan of modern dancehall reggae. (MS) |
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| MARIAM NIRENBERG | Global Village 117 | Folksongs In The East European Jewish Tradition | ● CD |
| SLIM SMITH | Westside 838 | A Unique Technique - Original Rocksteady & Reggae Class | ● CD |
| Collection featuring one of the major talents from the early
years of reggae - many making their first appearance on CD. |
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS | Dejavu Retro Gold 4404 | Venezia - Antologia (Venice - Classics, Gondoliers, Acc | ● CD |
| 2 CD set - CD 1 is a set of classical chestnuts celebrating
Venice performed by The London Symphony Orch, including Vivaldi's "The Four
Seasons," Albinoni's "Adagio in G Minor," etc. CD 2 is a collection of songs
about and in celebration of Venice, its gondoliers, etc. - I Mandolini:
Venezia, La Luna e Tu / Fausto Cigliano: Goodbye Venezia /
Luciano Tajoli: Gondol`i, Gondol`a, etc.) |
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS | Heartbeat CD HB 104 | Run Rhythm Run | ● CD |
| 18 tracks, 50 min., recommended A collection of rock steady and reggae instrumentals produced in Jamaica by Duke Reid for his Treasure Isle label in the 1960's, most previously unreleased. The liner notes are a bit vague about this, but the featured instrumentalists appear to be the label's normal session musicians, including Tommy McCook, Winston Wright, Sugar Belly, and King Cannon. The titles here bespeak at least a few of the musical and social predilections of the 60's: Uncle Sam, Sure Shot, Bawling People, Psychedelic Reggae, Rocking Soul, Macca Bacca, Found Out, Billy Joe, Work Your Soul, and Moody. Most numbers are mid-tempo. And notes are minimal. Good music for those of you who enjoy tapping out different rhythms with each foot. (DH) |
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS | Heartbeat 134 | Mojo Rock Steady | ● CD |
| 16 tracks, 47 min., recommended More Rock Steady madness from Studio One, mostly of early 60's vintage, plus later Rockers and Reggae relatives. Prince Francis' opening gives this comp its name, and is a heavy dubwise track. This, like Psychedelic Rock/ Hot And Cold/ Rockers Corner is without question some of Clement "Coxsone" Dodd's most exotic, mysterious production work, veering into druggy dub dimensions. Take Me is a clever instrumental version of Whistle While You Work, while Rock And Sock harbors some top-notch jazz horn work. On the vocal side, Denise Darlington's Feel So Good drips with sexual energy, and The Gaylads' classic Africa lands somewhere between Sun Ra and Martin Denny. Wild! (MB) |
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS | Music Club 50034 | Made In Havana - Thirty Years Of Cuban Rhythms | ● CD |
| 68 minute survey of Cuban music over the past 30 years
featuring Celina Gonzales, Grupo Sierra Maestra,Orquestra Riverside, Paulo Y
Su Banda Elite, Orquestra Aragon, Merciditas Valdes and more. |
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS | Rounder 1055 | "Two Girls Started To Sing" | ● CD |
| Fascinating field recordings of Bulgarian village music,
recorded in 1978-88 by Martha Forsyth. For those who want less orchestrated,
earthier Bulgarian singing, these recordings of mostly older peasant women,
who grew up singing these songs in the fields, spinning parties, weddings,
dinners, and festivals of their youth, are essential. Full of the dramatic
slides and whoops and the chilling close harmonies that characterize the
choral work of the Sop, Pirin and Rhodope regions of Bulgaria, these songs
chronicle a style of music which, though no longer the part of everyday life
that it used to be, is stubbornly holding its own. They also keep alive the
joys and trials of the Bulgarian people in the past centuries, with songs
full of aching beauty and historical passion. Recommended. (JM) |
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS | Rounder 1721 | Caribbean Voyage - 1962, Caribbean Sampler | ● CD |
| 31 tracks, 74 mins, highly recommended This and the following two albums draw on the previously unissued field recordings made by Alan Lomax in 1962 in the Lesser Antilles and eastern Caribbean. The Caribbean is the home of many encounters between European and African cultures resulting in an incredibly diverse spectrum of musical style ranging from a traditional French ballad recorded in St. Barthelemy to an Aradan (Dahomey) song recorded in Carriacou. This introductory volume covers most of the islands he visited - Dominica, St Lucia, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Trinidad and more. The repertoire includes Jing-ping music. a unique recording of Yoruba ceremony on Grenada, play songs, steel band music, story songs, an anthem, calypso and much more. Some songs are sung in French, some in English and some in French derived creole. There isn't enough room to describe the vast spectrum of music here - suffice to say it is consistently exciting and appealing! (FS) |
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS | Rounder 1840 | Calypso After Midnight | ● CD |
| Recently discovered recordings made at a calypso concert
held at New York's Town Hall in December 1946. Sponsored by People's Songs
and hosted by Alan Lomax it featured Lord Invader, the Duke Of Iron, Macbeth
the Great and Gerald Clark and his Invaders. Songs include Calypso
Invasion/ Ugly Woman/ Run And Coca-Cola/ Three Friend's Advice/ Exporing/
Tie-Tongue Baby and others. |
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS | Rounder 1841 | Calypso After Midnight | ● CD |
| The second half of the concert. Songs include Don't Stop
The Carnival/ That Game Named Poker/ The GI & The Lady/ Roosevelt In
Trinidad/ Yankee Dollar, etc. |
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS | Vanguard 79585 | Evangeline Made - A Tribute To Cajun Music | ● CD |
| 14 tracks, recommended A collection of mostly non Cajun performers doing a tribute to Cajun music. The idea seems a little redundant since there's plenty of the real stuff out there but if the names here attract new devotees to the music that's a good thing and the music is generally appealing. The accompanying musicians are often the real thing (Marc Savoy, Michael Doucet, David Doucet, etc). The most appealing tracks are the two tracks by Linda Thompson (who could probably sing the New York phone book and make it sound good) and former hubby Richard Thompson with a great treatment of Les Flammes D'Enfer featuring some lovely and imaginative acoustic guitar work. Other artists featured include Ann Savoy (with Linda Ronstadt), John Fogerty, Patty Griffin, David Johnasen, Maria McKee, Rodney Crowell and Nick Lowe. (FS) |
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS | Westside 864 | She-Boom She-Boom - African-American Influences on Reggae | ● CD |
| Rhythm & Blues had strong influence on the birth of ska and
ultimately reggae. Here we have 18 covers of American R&B songs (mostly
doo-wop) by reggae artists. It includes Diamonds & Pearls by Bobby
Dobson & The Deltas, Kansas City by Joya Landis, Daddy's Home
by Pat Kelly, Ain't Nobody Here But Us Chickens |
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