New Releases: March -> October, 2011
Ethnic & World Music
Bombino -> Various Artists
| AFRICA-NIGER |
BOMBINO |
Cumbancha 20 |
Agadez |
● CD $14.98 |
10 tracks, very highly recommended
On the northern fringes of the Sahara Desert in
the 1980s-90s, the nomadic Tuareg tribes rebelled
against the governments of Mali and Niger, and the
music of the rebellion came to be known as the
Tuareg Guitar Revolution. This guitar music was
used as a political weapon to relay messages on
cassettes throughout Tuareg society; needless to
say, such political commentary was officially
banned by the Niger government in the early 90's.
But following a peace accord between the rebels
and the respective governments, the music and
songs came to become more popularized with the
people. The most well known exponents of this
music in the West are the ten piece band Tinariwen
but now we get to hear a new giant of the music -
singer/ guitarist Omara "Bombino" Moctar from
Agadez in Niger accompanied by a small group.
Bombino is a beautiful singer and his guitar
playing is magnificent drawing on the influences
like the great Malian guitarist Ali Farka Toure as
well as American blues and rock musicians though
never indulging in instrumental histrionics - his
music is both hypnotic, soulful, truly haunting
and utterly compelling. A real find! (FS)
|
| CUBA |
CELIA CRUZ |
Nascente 025 |
Cuba's Queen Of Song, 1950-1965 |
● CD $15.98 |
2CD, 57 tracks, highly recommended
Celia Cruz was one of the most recognizable faces
in Latin music with a large catalog to match; this
latest collection compiles her early work with the
band La Sonora Matancera (the Latin version of the
Duke Ellington Orchestra), who she sang with for
15 years and who recorded for the American label
Seeco. The first disc contains son and guaracha
classics from La Sonora, including hits like
Burundanga and Caramelos. While the
second, although there are more cuts from La
Sonora, focuses on little heard tracks Cruz cut in
the mid 60's with the bands of Rene Hernandez and
Vicentico Valdes. All of these songs put together
give a fair overview of this phase of Cruz's
career, before she went solo and began working
with Tito Puente. Any respectable music collection
of Latin music has to contain some Celia Cruz -
one of the most influential singers ever - and
this compilation, with its excellent liner notes
and crisp sound, is a good place to start. (GMC)
|
| GREECE |
APOSTOLOS HADZICHRISTOS |
JSP JSPCD 77146 |
A Unique Greek Voice: Selected Recordings, 1937-1953 |
● CD $28.98 |
Fours CDs, 88 tracks, recommended
Another fine collection of Greek rembetika music
compiled by Charles Howard for JSP. Hadzichristos
is not as well known outside Greece as some of his
contemporaries but was a very popular artist. He
was a fine singer and a superb bouzoki player and
he is often featured in the company of other great
Greek artists like Markos Vamvakaris, Dalgas,
Papaioannou, Rosa Eskenazi and others. Sound
quality is superb thanks to remastering by Ted
Kendall and there are brief notes and English
transcripts of the songs. (FS)
|
| AFRICA-SOUTH AFRICA |
MAHOTELLA QUEENS & SOUL BROTHE |
Nascente 22 |
RS The Very Best |
● CD $15.98 |
Two CDs, 47 tracks, 154 mins, very
highly recommended.
Fantastic collection of South African township
music featuring two very different performers. The
Mahotella Queens were first formed as a vocal
group in the early 60s and the first disc features
recordings from the 60s and 70s, often in the
company of the amazing Mahlathini - "The Lion Of
Soweto." Mahlathini's "ukubodla" or rasping,
bellowing "goat voice" is the hard edge of urban
Black South African music and brings to mind the
great bluesman Howling Wolf. Their lithe and
soulful style of mbaqanga/ township jive is known
as mgqashiyo - "the indestructible beat", and this
disc has some fantastic examples of why this is
so. Many of the tracks features the jet propelled
accompaniment of The Makgonatsohle Band with
Marks Makwane and guitar and West Nkosi on sax.
The second disc is devoted to the Soul Brothers -
a very different group that blended township
sounds and American soul to create a sound that
made them one of the most popular groups in South
Africa in the 1970s and 80s. Formed in 1974 the
group has had a number of changes over the years
but has always featured the silky quavery lead
vocals of David Masanto and the harmony vocals and
keyboard work of Moses Ngwenya. The Soul Brothers
play a style of mbaqanga that is much smoother
than Mahlathini and The Mahotella Queens - you
might even call it silky but the sound is full of
delightful details in the guitar work, while the
sax and keyboards provide an interlocked jiving
groove that rides comfortably over the firm bass
and drum foundation, with some fine riffing in the
instrumental parts. Though perhaps not quite as
exciting as some of their contemporaries their
music is a joy to listen to. All in all this set
is a fabulous introduction to the wonders of South
Africa's township music in the form of two of it's
most popular exponents. (FS)
|
| AFRICA-SOUTH AFRICA |
MIRIAM MAKEBA |
Not Now 413 |
The Sweet Sound Of Africa |
● CD $9.98 |
2 CDs, 45 tracks, 114 mins, highly
recommended
The queen of African popular music, the original
recordings that made her famous world-wide.what
more do you want from a CD? This collects Makeba's
two 1960 albums; her self-titled debut album and
"The Many Voices Of Miriam Makeba," plus earlier
recordings with The Skylarks and The Manhattan
Brothers. Includes the original album version of
Phata Phata and The Click Song her
rousing version of Mbube (the root song of
"The Lion Sleeps Tonight,") Thaayi/ Nagual
(Witch Doctor Song,)/ Where Does It Lead? a
cool version of House Of The Rising Sun,
The Naughty Little Flea, and many more great
songs. Truly a musical genius and someone who
doesn't get near the respect and airplay that she
deserves, this collection is all the proof that
you need. (JM)
|
| AFRICA-SOUTH AFRICA |
THE MANHATTAN BROTHERS |
Stern's Africa 3013 |
Their Greatest Hits, 1948-1959 |
● CD $15.98 |
20 tracks, 53 mins, highly
recommended
Available again. Wonderful collection of 20 sides
by the most popular South African vocal group of
the 1950s. Their music was a blend of African
American jazz and vocal group stylings, a dash of
rock 'n' roll and a South African sensibility and
is truly delghtful. Several songs are sung in
English a couple of songs features the group
accompanying Miriam Mekba. Set comes with superb
20 page booklet with detailed and very interesting
notes by compiler Rob Alligham. (FS)
|
| JAMAICA |
LEE PERRY |
Spectrum 2059 |
Reggae Genius - 20 Upsetter Classics |
● CD $11.98 |
20 tracks, 72 mins, highly
recommended
Lee "Scratch" Perry is one of the defining artists
of dub and reggae music; as a producer, mixer, and
songwriter, few can match his influence. This
collection of his production work includes
important early recordings from Bob Marley
(Small Axe/ Duppy Conqueror), the original
version of Police & Thieves (so influential
on the Clash), and some of Perry's best solo work
(People Funny Boy/ Return of Django/ Dreadlocks
In Moonlight). There are also some tasty tracks
from Junior Byles, Max Romeo, The Heptones, and
Susan Cadogan. There's a lot of compilations of
Perry's recordings-many of which are very shoddy
indeed, and one should proceed with caution-but
this is a legit collection that does a good job of
introducing the uninitiated to Perry's mercurial
genius. (GMC)
|
| AFRICA-MALI |
BOUBACAR TRAORE |
Lusafrica 562 492 |
Mali Denhou |
● CD $19.98 |
11 tracks, 59 min., highly
recommended
A blues sensibility filtered through the Malian
experience, that's the staging area for Traore's
singular songwriting and emotive acoustic guitar
work. This album is atmospheric without ever
sacrificing its driving insistence, fragile
without being delicate, vocally haunting as any
country blues. On title track the singer trades
lines with the harmonica in a Malian-blues
conversation concerning the responsibility of
government. Another worthwhile outing from a
master. (JC)
|
| CAJUN |
VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Bear Family BCD 17206 |
Acadian All Star Special - Cajun Recordings of J.D. Mil |
● CD $97.98 |
Incredible three CD set with 78
tracks and 80 page hard cover book featuring
recordings of Cajun music made between 1946 and
1959 for legendary Crowley, Louisiana record
producer J.D. Miller and issued on his Fais-Do-Do
and Feature. Miller is best known for his classic
blues recordings released on Excello (Slim Harpo,
Lightnin' Slim, Lazy Lester, etc). Information on
these Cajun recordings has been very sketchy and
many of the recordings are exceedingly rare and
most are making their first appearance on LP or
CD! The material ranges from the simple fiddle and
guitar records of "Doc" Guidry and "Happy" Fats to
the raucous sides of Robert Bertrand and the Lake
Charles Playboys. Included here are the first
recordings of Jimmy Newman, Terry Clement's
original recording of Diggy Diggy Lo and
Papa Cairo's Big Texas - the song that was
adapted by Hank Williams as Jamabalay. Other
artists include Jimmy Choates & The Melody Boys,
Austin Pete (Pitrie) & His Evangeline Playboys,
Amidie Breaux & The Acadaian Aces, Lionel Cormier
& His Sundown Playboys, Abe Manual & His Louisiana
Hillbillies and others. Cajun music expert Lyle
Ferbach, who wrote the book, tracked down as many
survivors and relatives to interview. The book is
crammed with rare photos, label shots and includes
full discographical information.
ROBERT
BERTRAND & THE LAKE CHARLES PLAYBOYS: Drunkard's
Two Step/ Lost Love Waltz/ AMIDIE BREAUX & HIS
BAND: Hard Luck Waltz/ Hey, Mom!/ AMIDIE BREAUX &
THE ACADIAN ACES: Acadian Two Step/ Criminal
Waltz/ Jole Blonde/ Poor Hobo/ PEE WEE BROUSSARD &
HIS MELODY BOYS: Chere Tu Tu/ Creole Stomp/ Le
Valse De Bayou Blanc/ M&S Special/ The Pee Wee
Special/ The Waltz That Carried Me To The Grave/
JIMMY CHOATES & HIS MELODY BOYS: Chere Meon/
Petite Negress/ TERRY CLEMENT & HIS RHYTHMIC FIVE:
Diggy Liggy Lo/ Le Valse De Te Maurice/ LIONEL
CORMIER & HIS SUNDOWN PLAYBOYS: Sundown Playboys
Special/ Welcome Club Waltz/ JIMMY DURBIN & THE
COUNTRY BOYS: Drunkard Waltz/ Fais Do Do Two Step/
CHUCK GUILLORY & HIS BOYS: Oakdale Waltz/ Walfus
Two Step/ CHUCK GUILLORY & HIS RHYTHM BOYS:
Chuck's Waltz/ Teiyut Two Step/ HAPPY & DOCTOR
AND THE HADACOL BOYS: Crowley Two Step/ La Valse
De Hadacol/ HAPPY, DOC & THE BOYS: Allons Dance
Colinda/ Bayou La-Fourche/ Chere Cherie/ Dans La
Platin/ Don't Hang Around/ Fais Do Do Breakdown/
Gabriel Waltz/ Is It Too Late To Cry/ La Cravat/
My Sweetheart's My Buddy's Wife/ New Jolie Blond/
Setre Chandelle/ Somehow You Don't Care/ Sothe
Fermon/ LEBLANC & ADAMS AND THE VERMILLION PLAY:
Chere Petite Brun/ Vermillion Two Step/ ABE MANUEL
& HIS LOUISIANA HILLBILLIES: Country Gentleman
(French)/ Country Girl/ Hippy-Ti-Yo/ I've Got Your
Heart Locked Up (French)/ CLEVELAND MIRE & THE
JOLLY BOYS: Hudson Breakdown/ Prison Waltz/ JIMMY
NEWMAN & THE RHYTHM BOYS: (I Know Now That) I've
Made A Big Mistake/ I Don't Know What I'm Going To
Do/ PAPA CAIRO & HIS BOYS: Big Texas (English)/
Big Texas (French)/ AUSTIN PETE & HIS EVANGELINE
PLAYBOYS: Chatatinia Waltz/ Evangeline Playboys
Special/ High Point Two Step/ Redell Waltz/ AUSTIN
PETE & THE LOUISIANA RHYTHMAIRES: Janot Special/
La Valse De Chagrin/ Prison Two Step/ ALDUS ROGER
& LAFAYETTE PLAYBOYS: Hix Wagon Wheel Special/
Love Sick Waltz/ Mardi Gras Dance/ The Lafayette
Playboys Waltz/ LEE SONNIER & HIS ACADIAN ALL
STARS: Acadian All Star Special/ Along The River/
Cankton Two Step/ Chere Catan/ Chere Eci Et Cher
Laba/ Dans Les Grand Meche/ La Blues De Cajin/ War
Widow Waltz/ LOUIS SPELL & HIS FRENCH SERENADERS:
Lover's Waltz/ The Fifty Cent Song/ THE VETERAN
PLAYBOYS: Chinaball Special/ Eunice Waltz
|
| AFRICA-MISCELLANEOUS |
VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Dust-To-Digital 22 |
Opika Pende - Africa At 78 RPM |
● CD $54.98 |
Four CDS, 100 tracks, essential
Fabulous collection of African music drawn from
78s recorded between 1909 and the mid-1960s none
of which has been issued on CD until now. Except
for North Africa where there was a recording
studio in Egypt in the early years of the 20th
century there was little indiginous recording
until the 1930s or 40s and many recordings prior
to that were made by performers visiting or
brought to Europe to record along with field
recordings made by ethnographers. Although only
scratching the surface this is the first broad
based collection of vintage African music spanning
the continent. Each disc covers a different region
of Africa and the music encompasses both
traditional village music and more broadly based
popular commercial music which, though influenced
by European music, remains distinctively African.
The instrumentation ranges from traditional drums,
kora, ghaita, one string fiddle and oud to western
instruments like guitar, banjo, trumpet and
accordion with one track from The Seychelles
featuring an Hawaiian steel guitar! The scope of
the music is so broad that it would be impossible
to discuss the music in depth in this short review
but the wonderful 112 page softcover takes care of
that with detaled information on every track by
compiler Jonathan Ward discussing both the
performancea and the context in which they were
recorded. There are numerous rare illustrations
including record labels, environments, artists and
more. The 4 CDs are in a separate portfolio and
ths et is housed in a deluxe cloth slipcase. This
is one of those sets that you can listen to all
the way through or dip in at random to find
musical treasures you've never heard before. This
set is both musically and historically important.
(FS)
|
| SLOVENIA |
VARIOUS ARTISTS |
JSP JSPCD 2306 |
Slovenia, USA |
● CD $24.98 |
3 CDs, 59 tracks, 3 hours 7 min.,
recommended
Although a regular JSP box set, this one is
really more like three individual releases by
artists who left Slovenia for America a hundred or
so years ago. CD "A" features 20 tracks by the
Hoyer Trio, recorded between 1926-29. Leader Matt
Hoyer (original unAmericanized name Hojer) plays
full chromatic, half-chromatic, and diatonic
button accordion and was inducted into the Polka
Music Hall of Fame in 1987. Bandmates Ed and Frank
Simms play guitar and banjo, respectively,
although Ed also plays accordion. And what at
first listen appears to be an uncredited tuba
player floating about is just some skillful
accordion work by Hoyer. CD "B" dedicates its 19
cuts to singer Anton Schubel's recordings of
1928-30. Schubel sang with the metropolitan Opera
from 1932-46, spent the next three years as a
talent scout for Carnegie Hall, discovered famed
Texan pianist Van Cliburn, and served as the
director of the International Ballet in New York
during his few spare moments. CD "C" offers 20
tracks from the vocal duet of Mary Udovich and
Josephine Lausche who are accompanied by Dr.
William Lausche (Josephine's brother) on piano and
by an unidentified studio orchestra. Recorded in
New York between 1927-31, the duet (with Mary as
alto and Josephine as soprano) is of course the
most famous Slovenian duet of all time, or so say
the brief booklet notes, which also describe
William Lausche as the father of the Cleveland
style of polka. In all, the box set will please
the polkaphile in the family as well as students
of Slovenian-American music of the 1920s. Sound
quality is generally quite fine and the three
booklets include just enough information to whet
the appetite. All in all, a bargain. (JC)
|
| ALGERIA |
VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Membran 223536 |
Les Legendes Du Rai, Vol. 1 |
● CD $7.98 |
10 tracks, 66 min., recommended
No notes with this one, just a sample of some of
the early rai artists that put the form on the
proverbial map, mostly in Algeria and Morocco.
While rai can be laced with touches of techno and
synthesizer, this collection keeps it traditional,
with the three Rimitti tracks setting the
standard. The presumably early cuts by Khaled
(Alach and Berd El Ghaba) stand out in
the small crowd and should send listeners looking
for his more recent stuff. Other tracks include
Cheikh Cherif Ouldsaber's Libiya Li Nebghik,
Noura's Ouili Menak, and Driassa's Hna Al
Ghorba, among others. Like Arabic Rembetika.
(JC)
|
| AFRICA-MISCELLANOUES |
VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Nascente 078 |
Beginner's Guide To African Blues |
● CD $17.98 |
Three CDs, 36 tracks, highly
recommended
While the argument rages as to how African music
affected the development of the blues there is no
question that many African musicians have listened
to American blues singers and incorporated some
its elements ino their own music and this superb
collection shows some of the results - most of the
recordings are from the past 20 years. THe first
disc is devoted to music from Mali and Senegal
where the style of John Lee Hooker and other down
home bluesman has strongly affected the music of
musicians like Ali Farka Toure and Amadou And
Mariam. Although neither of these artists is
featured on their own Ali Farka Toure can be heard
providing gorgeous guitar riffs behind Idrissa
Soumaoro and the great Bouboucar Traore. We also
hear bluesy playing on the indiginous kora from
Ballake Sissoko and Toumani Diabate. The first
seven tracks of the second disc take us to
Ethiopia - most of these tracks from the 70s,
often with large groups with a very exotic sound
to them. This disc ends with some of the exciting
high energy electric sounds coming from the
nomadic Berbers known as The Toureg. The third
disc features recordings from West and Central
Africa as well as the Islands of Mauritania and
Reunion. A wide variety of styles is heard here
including a fascinating collaboration between
English blues guitarist Justin Adams and Gambian
singer and one string fiddle player Juldeh Camara
on the cutely titled Fulani Coochie Man. You
won't hear any 12 bar blues on thsi set but the
influence of the blues is readilly apparent.
Includes informative notes from compiler Phil
Meadley. (FS)
|
| AFRICA-SOUTH AFRICA |
VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Not Now 376 |
Cafe Africa |
● CD $11.98 |
Two CDs, 111 mins, highly
recommended
Terrific collection of South African music - most
of it from the mid/ late 50s. During this period
South African musician were blending elements of
traditional music with American jazz and the
result is exciting music. During this period one
of the most popular styles was "kwela" which
utilized the penny whistle as the lead instrument
and about half of the titles fall into that
category including the big U.K. hit Tom Hark
by Elias And His Zig Zag Jive Flutes which was
originally used as the theme music on a T.V.
drama, was released as a single and reached #2 in
the charts in 1958. Other artists performing in
this style include Little Lemmy & Big Joe, Spokes
Mashiyane, Black Mambazo (no relationshp to the
great acapella group that formed in the 60s) and
others. The penny whistle eventually gave way to
the saxophone and there are a number of
performances featuring saxophones and other bass
instruments from artists like The Elite
Swingsters, The Brown Cool Six, Reggie Msomi's
Hollywood Jazz Band (the wonderful Midnight
Ska which adds some ska into the mix) and
olthers. There are solo vocal performances from
the great Miriam Makeba including a great wordless
rendition of Duke Ellington's Rockin' In
Rhythm accompanied by a pennywhistle group and
group vocals from the Dark City Sisters and Nancy
Jacobs and Her Sisters. The set is rounded out by
the classic 1939 recording of Mbube by
Solomon Linda's Original Evening Birds which was
reworked as Wimoweh in the USA and later
became a big hit as The Lion Sleeps Tonight
in 1961 all without Linda receiving any royalties
who died in poverty in 1962. A thoroughly
enjoyable collection with fine sound and brief
notes. (FS)
|
| JAMAICA |
VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Primo 6125 |
Essential Early Ska |
● CD $10.98 |
2 CDs, 40 tracks, 115 mins, highly
recommended
Here is an excellent collection of classic Ska; it
really does a fine job rounding up cornerstone
performers and key songs that defined the Ska
movement. Rough and Tough by Stranger Cole,
The Skatalites with Lucky Seven and several
more, Toots & The Maytals with Monkey Man
plus two more, Desmond Dekker & The Aces with
007, John Holt with The Tide Is High,
The Pyramids Shotgun, The Ethiopians, Baba
Brooks, Don Drummond, Justin Hinds, Byron Lee, and
the list goes on. A fantastic starter collection
for beginners, but enough deep tracks for the
hardcore as well. (JM)
LAUREL AITKEN: The Ska Is The Limit/ ROLAND
ALPHONSO: James Bond/ Sandy Gully/ Yard Broom/
BABA BROOKS: River Bank Pt 1/ Twilight Zone/ Dr.
Decker/ STRANGER COLE: Rough And Tough/ DESMOND
DEKKER & THE ACES: 007/ DON DRUMMOND: Burning
Touch/ Corner Stone/ Eastern Standard Time/
Occupation/ THE ETHIOPIANS: Everything Crash/
JUSTIN HINDS & THE DOMINOES: Botheration/ Over The
River/ The Higher The Monkey Climbs/ JUSTIN HINDS,
BABA BROOKS & DRUMBAGO: Jordan River/ JOHN HOLT:
The Tide Is High/ BYRON LEE & THE DRAGONAIRES: Oh
Carolina/ TOMMY MCCOOK: Cotton Tree/ Musical Store
Room/ Silver Dollar/ Inez/ Magic/ Strolling In/
THE PYRAMIDS: Jesse James Rides Again/ Prisoner Of
Alcatraz/ Shotgun/ THE DUKE REID GROUP: Rude Boy/
BLUE RIVERS & THE MAROONS: Guns Of Navarone/ THE
SKATALITES: Green Island/ Independence Anniversary
Ska/ Latin Goes Ska/ Lucky Seven/ Street Corner/
Twelve Minutes To Go/ TOOTS & THE MAYTALS: 54-46
That's My Number/ John James/ Monkey Man
|
| JAMAICA |
VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Sunrise 003 |
The Story Of Blue Beat - The Best Of Ska |
● CD $19.98 |
Two CDs, 58 tracks, very highly
recommended
Wow, this brings back fond memories. When I was a
teenager in London I landed a job that was a music
fanatics dream - working in a record shop on
Sunday mornings. The person I worked for ran two
record shops - one on the famed Petticoat Lane
market and the other in Stamford Hill. I got to
work at both of them and the latter was one of the
first to almost exclusively specialize in Jamaican
music attracting West Indians from nearby Hackney
and from all over London. Although it's been over
50 years one thing I strongly remember is that
during my time there it seemed like almost
everything I sold was on the Bluebeat label and
now here comes this wonderful collection featuring
58 tracks recorded for Bluebeat and its
subsidiaries in 1960. The popular Jamaican music
at the time was ska although for my customers it
was called "Blue Beat" after that all important
label. Ska was essentially American rhythm and
blues grafted onto Jamaican mento music with an
insistent and distinctive rhythm. Here are all the
greats from the era - Laurel Aitken, Higgs &
Wilson, Derrick Morgan, Owen Gray, Byron Lee & The
Dragonaires and other artists that my customers
couldn't get enough of. Incredibly appealing music
with excellent sound and a great 16 page booklet
with an informative history of the label.
Hoepfully there will be more volume scovering
later years. (FS)
LAUREL AITKEN: If It's Money
You Need/ Jeannie Is Back/ Low Down Dirty Girl/
Lonesome Lover/ Mary Lee/ Railroad Track/ Tell Me
Darling/ Boogie Rock/ Heavenly Angel/ More Whisky/
Judgment Day/ Yea Yea Baby/ ALTON & EDDY WITH
CLUE J & HIS BLUES BLA: Muriel/ THE BLUES BUSTERS:
Little Vilma/ Early One Morning/ THE BUBBLES:
Bopping In The Barnyard/ The Wasp/ CHUCK & DOBBY
WITH DUKE REID & HIS GROUP: Cool School/ Till The
End Of Time/ LLOYD CLARKE WITH DUKE REID & HIS
GROUP: Parapinto Boogie/ CLUE J & HIS BLUES
BLASTERS: Silky/ CLUE J'S BLUES BLASTERS: Easy
Snapping/ Goin' Home/ OWEN GRAY WITH KENNETH
RICHARDS & HIS BAND: Cutest Little Woman/ Running
Around/ HIGGS & WILSON WITH KEN RICHARDS & HIS C:
Manny Oh/ When You Tell Me Baby/ LYNN HOPE: Blue
And Sentimental/ Shockin'/ THE JIVING JUNIORS WITH
DUKE REID & HIS GROU: Dearest Darling/ I Love You/
I Wanna Love/ Lollipop Girl/ My Hearts Desire/
KEITH & ENID WITH TRENTON SPENCE & HIS G:
Everything Will Be Alright/ Send Me/ Worried Over
You/ BOBBY KINGDOM & THE BLUE BEATS: Baby What You
Done Me Wrong/ Go Pretty Baby Go/ AZIE LAWRENCE:
Come Rumble And Tumble With Me/ Jamaica Blues/
BYRON LEE & THE DRAGONAIRES: Dumplin's/ Kissin'
Gal/ THE MAGIC NOTES WITH KENNETH RICHARDS & HIS:
Album Of Memory/ Why Did You Leave Me/ THE MELLOW
LARKS WITH CLUE J & HIS BLUES BLA: Love You Baby/
Time To Pray (Allelujah)/ DERRICK MORGAN: Fat Man/
I'm Gonna Leave You/ Don't Cry/ I Pray For You/
Lover Boy/ Oh My!/ DUKE REID & HIS GROUP: Pink
Lane Shuffle/ DUKE REID'S GROUP: Duke's Cookies/
The Joker/ What Makes Honey/ TRENTON SPENCE & HIS
GROUP: People Will Say We're In Love
|
| AFRICA-GUINEE |
VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Syllart 6140252 |
African Pearls: Guinee 70 - The Discotheque Years |
● CD $22.98 |
Two CDs, 25 tracks, very highly
recommended
Another fabulous collection of African music -
this time Guinea which achieved it's independence
from France in 1958 and for 26 years was ruled by
Marxist dictator Sekou Toure who put great
emphasis on boosting Guinea's pride, both on a
cultural and spiritual level. His party sponsored
numerous local, federal and national orchestras
who produced some of Africa's greatest and most
influential music in the 1970s when the recordings
here were made. The music made in Guinea drew on
local traditions, Afro-Cuban, pop, rhythm & blues
and rock influences. Powerful lead singers,
wonderful vocal harmonies and instrumental
arrangements including hard driving horn sections,
dynamic guitar work and in the case of the Super
Boiro Band some amazing organ work. The
traditional balafon is heard in the recordings by
Horoya Band National and Sopry Kandia Kouyate and
the rock influences make their presence felt in
the incredible music of Pivi & Ses Balladins who's
Samba is considered one of Guinea's best
dance tracks ever with it's incredibly propulsive
rhythm, fuzz guitar and soaring horn work. You'd
need to have a strong heart to dance to this one!
Lots of other great artists are here including the
venerable Bembeya Jazz National featuring the
twinkling guitar of Sekou Diabate, Camayenne Sofa,
Kaloum Star, Tele Jazz De Teleme and others.
Another wonderful and indispensible collection.
(FS)
|
| AFRICA-CONGO |
VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Syllart 6147472 |
African Pearls: Congo - Pont Sur Le Congo |
● CD $22.98 |
Two CDs, 24 tracks, highly
recommended
Complementing Syllart 6139342 (Congo 70 - Rumba
Rock - $22.98) this is another superb collection
of recordings made in the Democratic Republic Of
Congo and The Republic of Congo in the late 60s
and 70s. Alongside familiar names like Franco &
L'OK Jazz, Tabu Ley and Zaiko Langa Lango we have
lots of lesser known names - at least outside of
Africa - most of them had big followings in their
home country like the wonderful singer and
dazzling guitar player Dewayon or Franco's younger
brother Bavon Marie Marie. If you enjoyed the
previous volume with its sensuous irresistible
rhythms, haunting vocals with gorgeous harmonies,
lyrical guitar playing and rich horn work then
this one is a sure fire winner too. (FS)
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| MISCELLANEOUS |
VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Tompkins Square 2608 |
To What Strange Place - Music Of The Ottoman-American |
● CD $35.98 |
Incredible new production from the
imaginative folks at Tompkins Square Records. A
three CD set with 53 tracks featuring music of the
immigrants from the dissolving Ottoman Empire
recorded in the USA and the old country between
1916 and 1929. It features musicians from
Anatolia, the Eastern Meditteranean and the
Levant. The intermingled lives and musics of
Christians, Jews, and Muslims represent Middle
Eastern culture as it existed within the U.S.A. in
the first part of the 20th century. It comes with
a 24 page booklet with extensive notes on each of
the tracks on the discs with lots of biographical
and background information. We've heard a preview
of this set and can say that the music is gorgeous
and the sound quality is stunning.
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| TURKEY |
VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Traditional Crossroads 4280 |
Women Of Istanbul |
● CD $15.98 |
24 tracks, 77 mins, highly
recommended
1998 release. Superb collection of songs by
Turkish female singers recorded between 1929 and
1953 with the majority being from the 1930s. There
were a vast range of musical styles in Turkey in
the period and this collection focusses on the
folk repertoire (turku), light classical songs
(sarkt) and light urban lieder (canto) which
became the popular music of Istanbul's nighclubs
and theaters. Most of the singers here are little
known in the West with the the exception of Roza
Eskenazi who was born in Istanbul and moved to
Greece in 1920 where she became one of Greece's
rembetika singers. Singing is haunting, often with
vocal choruses echoing the lead vocal and
instrumentation includes violin, oud, kanaun and
other instruments. Sound quality is superb, most
tracks taken from original metal masters and 40
page booklet gives extensive background
information, notes on the performers and photos of
most of them as well as lyric transcripts in
Turkish and English. (FS)
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| JAMAICA |
VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Trojan 2700584 |
The Trojan Calypso Collection |
● CD $19.98 |
Two CDs, 40 tracks, 115 mins,
highly recommended
A condensed version of the out of print three CD
box issued about ten years ago - "The Trojan
Calypso Box." A delightful collection of
Trinidadian calypso, its Jamican cousin mento
along with some ska - all from the 50s and 60s.
Includes sides by Count Lasher, Chalie Binger &
His Quartet, Tommy McCook & The Supersonics (two
tracks from this legendary Jamaican instrumental
group including an amazing ska version of Get
Me To The Church On Time), Lord Spoon & David
(wonderful music on the cusp of mento and ska),
Phyllis Dillon, Marva Moore & Gaysters, Lord
Kitchener, Nora Dean, Lord Creator, LOrd CRisto
(the fabulous Dumb Boy And The Parrot),
Mighty Sparrow, Mister Calypson (a tribute to
Muhammad Ali), LOrd Tanamo, Lord INvader and
others. Great music but notes in booklet are
unreadably small. (FS)
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