Tuesday, April 8, 2014

Best cd's of 2013

Okay, here is my belated list of my favorite music of 2013... All my opinions are mine and mine alone. If I left something off that you like a lot, let me know about it below in the comments; or write your own blog ;-)   This year's descriptions will be shorter than in some years past; due to the fact that we're already into February, March, April of 2014 and this is just now being written/published. As usual, I did include links to all the cd's listed here. 

Also, I won't list my bro Scott Sawyer's new cd, Dreamers, because I have a producer credit on it (conflict of interest?); but if I wasn't involved in the production, it would definitely be on the list. It's mostly original jazz tunes, 3 covers (Irving Berlin, Bob Dylan, Nick Drake), a great band and some wonderful guest appearances by Kate McGarry, Bruce Piephoff, and Tony Williamson. Jason Richmond recorded/engineered it, and it was mastered by the great Gavin Lurssen. CD Baby link is here: http://bit.ly/1nBgavp – It's also on iTunes and Spotify... 

Also, I normally don't mention re-issues... But I highly recommend the 4 cd version of the Allman Brothers band's Brothers and Sisters album, http://amzn.to/Q0E6vx – The same album as always, plus the 1973 Winterland show (very nicely remastered compared to past bootleg versions), and also a disc of outtakes and alternate tracks. A must have if you're an ABB fanatic like me. Same statement applies to the Skydog 7 cd box set, http://amzn.to/1km4smO, released in 2013, produced by Galadrielle Allman (Duane's daughter – She has also written a book I highly recommend – http://bit.ly/1hdPvmB).

Now, back to what I was saying... Here it is, in alphabetic order:

Best cd's of 2013

* John Abercrombie Quartet – 39 Steps 
Guitarist John Abercrombie has been making music on record since 1970 and is a heavyweight in the jazz world. I discovered him as a teenager, via his brilliant Gateway Trio cd's, which paved the way for me to transition from metal head to jazz head. This cd is on ECM Records and he is joined by Marc Copland on piano, Drew Gress on double bass, and the great Joey Baron on drums. If you're not familiar with John Abercrombie, this is as good as place as any to start; although you also can't go wrong with any of his Gateway Trio cd's either (there are 4).

* Scott Amendola and Charlie Hunter – Pucker 
Drummer Scott Amendola has been on my radar for over a decade now; whether by way of touring/recording with Bill Frisell, Nels Cline, Will Bernard, Wil Blades, or Charlie Hunter... Charlie, not by coincidence, has been one of my favorite performers, both on the stage and on disc for over that same aforementioned decade now. His duo lineup has come to be my favorite of his band configurations (aside from the great but sadly brief Pound for Pound lineup, which also featured Scott), and this duo recording is no exception. Whether it's Charlie or Scottie's name in front, the result is the same pure groove. These 2 have been playing together for a long time and it shows.

* BIG Something (self titled) 
Produced by John Custer; who has produced some notable albums by NC bands Corrosion of Conformity, Cry of Love, and Dag (including Dag's masterpiece, Righteous). If I had to pick a category for them musically, I'd say jamband; but there strong elements of funk, 70's prog-rock and fusion, especially the keyboards; and some of the horns make me think early Red Hot Chili Peppers. This is their 2nd release produced by John, and this band already has a very dedicated fanbase. I expect a bright future for the BIG Something!

* Black Sabbath - 13
First off: The fact that the rift between Bill Ward and the remaining 3 has progressed to it's current state sucks major ass. All Bill Ward mention/images have been removed/photoshopped from the official website, aside from the band history tab, and from a fan perspective that is just plain pitiful. Okay, on to the review: This cd was delayed over a year due to Tony Iommi's cancer diagnosis/treatment. Drummer Bill Ward is out, replaced by Brad Wilk of Rage Against the Machine. Most of this album sounds like material from their first 4 albums. They have stayed very true to their heavily blues influenced prog-rock roots. Their first album was released 44 (!) years ago, 1970. Ozzy, Tony, and Geezer are all in their 60's; and considering that, this cd sounds amazingly fresh. Ozzy's voice sounds good, and unlike Ozzy's recent solo cd's, this is NOT heavily compressed sludge designed for iPod listeners; the cd actually sounds very nice blasting out of my JBL's.

* Eric Burdon – 'Til Your River Runs Dry
I was never a huge Eric Burdon or Animals Fan; although biggest of props go to Animals bass player Chas Chandler for “discovering” Jimi Hendrix. Yes, this is the same Eric Burdon who recorded House of the Rising Sun 50 (!) years ago. I bought this cd because I knew Eric McFadden and Wally Ingram were all over it. It turns out Jon Cleary also plays some guitar on it. I consider this mostly a blues album, at times with a strong Nola vibe; and a surprisingly very strong effort. After buying it I researched it online, and more than one reviewer deemed it the best Eric Burdon album ever released.

* Steve Earle and the Dukes (& Duchesses) – The Low Highway
Steve's 1995 release Train a Comin'  is on my top 10 all time favorite album list. Not all of Steve's releases since then have blown me away. This however, I do rank among his best and in the top tier of the vast Steve Earle catalog.

* The Big E: A Salute to Steel Guitarist Buddy Emmons
Buddy Emmons fans belong to a special club. If you're a fan, you'll love this cd and appreciate it for what it is. I'm not gonna name all the famous musicians who play on it, because there are too many to list here. But rest assured, Nashville is well represented. The entire cd is great. My favorite tunes are Country Boy, with Vince Gill on Tele and vocals and Paul Franklin on steel guitar; and Night Life, featuring Raul Malo on vocals and Randle Currie on steel guitar :-) If you're not familiar with Buddy Emmons, I would recommend checking him out ASAP; starting with his Steel Guitar Jazz cd, and/or Danny Gatton's Redneck Jazz Explosion.

* Michael Lee Firkins – Yep
Every year I seem to latch onto at least one cd from the Magna Carta or Shrapnel record label, which for better or worse are labels I'd guesstimate 95% of cd sales are from old white guys who came of age in the late 70's, 80's, and early 90's ;-) before grunge arrived and temporarily silenced guitar “shredding.” So, Michael Lee Firkins is a virtuoso guitarist (standard and slide) based in Marin County, Northern California. He is yet another fantastic artist worthy of wider exposure. This is a Magna Carta release; and like his previous releases of recent years, this one has an star band backing him: Chuck Leavell on keyboards, Matt Abts on drums, and Andy Hess on bass. Unlike his previous efforts, this cd is NOT all instrumental, there are some songs with vocals. All tunes are originals, no covers. Fans of blues rock guitar, Jeff Beck, Gov't Mule, ZZ Top, etc, will enjoy this disc very much.

* Gov't Mule – Shout!
Warren Haynes stepped up his game with this latest release, which is on the Blue Note label. I rank it among my 2 favorite Mule recordings, which are Dose and Mighty High. What sets this apart from his other releases is that it is 2 cd's with the same songs – One cd with guest singers on each song, and another cd with Warren singing everything. Although the guest vocals are top shelf and sound great (Dr. John, Ben Harper, Toots Hibbert, Elvis Costello, etc), after repeated listens I have found that overall I prefer the disc with Warren handling all the vocals.

* Ben Harper with Charlie Musselwhite – Get Up
Album of the year. Number 1 in my book. A blues album, pure and simple. It won a blues Grammy this year. Honest soulful music and lyrics. Ben and Charlie knocked this one out of the park and I can't wait to hear their their next collaborative effort.

* Christian McBride & Inside Straight – People Music
The liner notes state Christian formed this acoustic jazz combo in response to Village Vanguard club owner Lorraine Gordon’s instructions that if McBride wanted to perform there again, he had to do so without his electric “rock ‘n’ roll band.” The lineup is Christian on upright bass, augmented by vibraphonist Warren Wolf, pianist Peter Martin, alto saxophonist Steve Wilson, and drummer Carl Allen, with drummer Ulysses Owens Jr. jumping on board for a few tracks as well. It is what is is. It's safe to say If you dig straight ahead jazz you'll probably like this, a lot.

* JJ Grey & Mofro – The River
Mofro has been on a roll these last few years. This is another Alligator Records release. More of the same swampy Southern rock funk soul music they're been playing for the last decade or so. JJ's lyrics and descriptive imagery evoke, for me, vivid memories of times spent in Nashville and Northern FL. This is the first Mofro studio release featuring Todd Smallie on bass, formerly of the Derek Trucks Band.

* North Mississippi Allstars – World Boogie Is Coming
The NMA are on a roll, I also loved their previous release back in 2011. I guess it's now safe to say Chris Chew is officially no longer an Allstar, bummer. I make this statement based on the fact that since their last release they were touring as a duo, and Chris shows up on this latest cd with a guest artist credit. This is their bluesiest effort yet, but still unmistakeably the NMA. There are 3 NMA originals, and the rest are mostly classic Mississippi blues and/or traditional covers. Robert Plant blows harmonica on a couple songs.

* Anders Osborne – Peace
Anders is still riding that wave; his 3rd cd with Alligator Records, his 3rd consecutive cd of very high caliber music. I'm not going to describe what it sounds like, again; but if you've been reading my blog these last few years, then you may recall I am a big Anders Osborne fan. If you missed my references the previous times, I'll just say it's psychedelic rock music with Nola origins.

* Joel Paterson – Handful of Strings
Joel is a monster guitarist, relatively unknown, based in Chicago. He plays jazz regularly at the Green Mill, and is equally at home playing blues - He is also a full time member of the Cash Box Kings (Blind Pig Records artist). Joel recorded this all instrumental cd in the heavily overdubbed style of mostly early Les Paul recordings, but also some blues and rockabilly flavored tunes too. He plays all the instruments; which are guitar, lap steel, pedal steel, bass, and snare drum.

* Marc Ribot's Ceramic Dog – Your Turn
This is the 2nd Ceramic Dog cd. I dug the first one too. This one is more rock less experimental than the previous, shorter more structured tunes; but still plenty of avant garde, free jazz, punk, and other genres hybridized together. The cd is half instrumental / half songs with lyrics. My favorite tunes are Masters of the Internet, Take 5 (this berserk version must have Dave Brubeck spinning in his grave), and We are the Professionals; which could pass for the Beastie Boys in their prime.

* John Scofield – Uberjam Deux
The first Uberjam cd was back in 2002. Musically, the tunes are just a little less experimental than the last one. Still very funky. The band is Sco on guitars, Avi Bortnick on guitars/samplers, Andy Hess on bass, John Medeski on keys, and Adam Deitch and Louis Cato on drums. I was a big fan of the first Ubderjam cd and this follow up exceeded my high expectations.

* Robert Randolph Presents: The Slide Brothers
This cd blew me away upon first listen. Today's top Sacred Steel genre pedal steel and lap steel guitar masters step outside the House of God Church, and play some blistering versions of classic rock and blues tunes (including Allman Brothers, Clapton, George Harrison, Elmore James, among others) plus a few unexpected gems thrown in too (a Fatboy Slim song for example). If you're a blues fan or steel guitar fan, this is a must-hear cd.

* Steven Wilson – The Raven that Refused to Sing: And Other Stories
The busiest man in the prog-rock universe found the time in 2013 to record/release his 3rd solo effort and his best album yet. The cd was co-produced by Alan Parsons (who contributes 1 burning guitar solo), and also features Govan Guthrie on lead guitar. 6 songs, 3 of which are plus 10 minutes long; this cd is chock full of indulgent displays of musician virtuosity/wankery that prog-rock geeks such as myself love ;-)

* The Wood Brothers – The Muse
Chris Wood (of MMW - On upright bass, harmonica, and vocals) and brother Oliver Wells (on guitar and vocals) are the stars of this show. Produced by the great Buddy Miller. There are also various other musicians on certain tracks (including Buddy on baritone guitar on one song). I would consider this roots rock music, strongly rooted in the blues. Their cover of I Got Loaded (by Los Lobos) is as good, if not better, than the original version. Oliver's voice sometimes brings to mind Levon Helm. I highly recommend this excellent cd!

Honorable Mention

* The Black Dahlia Murder – Everblack
An acquired taste. I've been a fan of this melodic death metal band from Michigan since I saw them open for King Diamond roughly 9 years ago. The brutality continues.

* Fareed Haque – Out of Nowhere
I've been a Fareed fan since my friend Laurie turned me onto his Blue Note cover version of the classic CSNY album, Deja Vu, back in the late 90's. Since then he has stayed very busy and is best known as guitarist of Garaj Mahal, a jamband whose 11 year run ended in 2011. He is a virtuoso on the instrument, and is as versatile live as any guitarist I have ever seen. He has idolized Pat Martino since he was 9 years old, and this should definitely be considered a return to his roots. 
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Saturday, March 30, 2013

Best cd's of 2012...


Greetings, and my apologies for the extreme delay in finishing this list of my favorite cd's of 2012.  It's been a very busy few months, and there was so much great music released in 2012, and it took me longer than normal to compile this list. You may disagree with this unhip middle-aged white guy's choices, and that is okay :-)

Note: Those who know me personally may notice an omission of the Zep Celebration Day set. Well, I did LOVE it, they sounded great; but if I am going to crank up some live Led Zeppelin, it's most likely going to be from 1969, or possibly 1977, not the '07 reunion. Another omission is the Gary Clark cd - I have only heard it a few times, but it didn't blow me away. Lastly, the Black Country Communion cd didn't kill me either; as much as I dug their last 2 cd's, this one just doesn't do it for me.

Also, because it's already Spring of 2013, let me preface this list with my favorite music of 2013 so far :-)
* Robert Randolph Presents: The Slide Brothers
* Ben Harper with Charlie Musselwhite - Get Up!
* Jimi Hendrix - People, Hell and Angels
* Steven Wilson - The Raven that Refused to Sing

Okay, thanks for your patience - Here it is, in alphabetical order:

Best CD's of 2012

* Will Bernard Trio – Outdoor Living
http://amzn.to/UqvInN
Jazz/funk guitarist Will Bernard’s latest disc is a trio recording with his buds Wil Blades on keyboards, and Simon Lott on drums; funky not quite jazz, with Nola leanings… They’ve logged quite a few road miles together and it’s evident on this recording. The band does get ample stretch-out time; it’s not just a guitar work out. This is Will’s first “post Tom Waits” release, and I look forward to his next creative endeavor.

* Mike Daly – Rock of Ages
http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/mikedaly
Mike Daly is a new discovery for me… He has been Hank Williams Jr’s pedal steel guitarist for the last 18 years; but don’t hold that against him ;-)  I am joking; although in the Hank Williams dynasty, a generation was skipped in the greatness department, in my personal opinion (then again, Junior’s shoes are easier to fill than Senior’s). According to some internet assisted research, I found he has worked with many, including Travis Tritt, and also Whiskeytown, and also Ryan Adams. In other words: Mike is another one of many unsung heroes from Nashville. This cd is unlike any pedal steel guitar album/cd you have ever heard. It’s all instrumental covers of 60’s and 70’s classic rock hits by the likes of Led Zeppelin, the Allman Bros, Traffic, Clapton, the Beatles, Jeff Beck, etc. There is no traditional electric guitar on this cd…  There IS some 6 string acoustic guitar, both finger-picking and slide, some acoustic Weissenborn guitar, and acoustic mandolin; but all electric guitar sounds on this recording were played with a tonebar… It is very well produced; multi-tracked guitars with many different tones and textures. His great band is comprised of more Nashville pro’s whom I mostly haven’t heard of (except Jimmy Hall, from Wet Willie); yet this is very far from the traditional country music that steel guitar and Nashville is normally associated with. On a side note, I spent my high school years there and realize Nashville has always had a rock scene; and there is a lot of music to enjoy there, besides the country genre exclusively.

* Floratone – Floratone II
http://amzn.to/14OAr6B
Floratone is Bill Frisell (guitars), Matt Chamberlain (drums), Lee Townsend (production), and Tucker Martine (production). This (and the first Floratone cd) started out as duo recordings of Bill and Matt, were then pieced together/produced  by Townsend and Martine, then treated to more overdubs from Bill and Matt and additional instrumentation from others; including sidemen in Frisell projects for decades (Ron Miles, Evyind Kang). It’s mostly the same lineup as previous cd, subtracting guest Viktor Krauss but adding guests Mike Elizondo and Jon Brion. This cd has a little more of a band feel than the previous cd. It sounds even better with headphones or turned up loud on good equipment. Lots of different genres of music covered here; if I had to categorize it, I would go with avant-garde… My favorite moments, of which there are several, are when they veer off into Syd Barrett territory.

* Sam Frasier (self-titled)
http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/samfrazier1
Sam is based in Greensboro, NC and has been a fixture of the arts scene there for probably 3 decades now… The cd is song based, all original music, with Sam on acoustic/electric guitars and lead vocals; and the other musicians are based in the Piedmont area and well known and heard locally. Musically, it’s hard to pigeonhole, I would say maybe roots rock with some acoustic leanings; lyrically, it’s mostly songs about love and relationships. As far as influences go, I hear traces of acoustic Hot Tuna, Neil Young, New Riders of the Purple Sage, Tom Petty, Joe Walsh, and the less commercial side of the Eagles. The cd is only about 40 minutes long, and it left me wanting more.

* Jimmy Herring – Subject To Change Without Notice
http://amzn.to/TavlKW
This was produced by John Keane, and backing Jimmy are musicians mainly from the Atlanta area, all well known in jamband and Zambi circles; plus a couple guests: Bela Fleck on banjo (the Bela track, Curfew, is one of the highlights of the cd), and also Bill Evans on saxophone… Beautiful stuff here, great guitar tones and playing (both shredding, and hitting the note), and he plays some nice slide guitar too. I hear a strong Dixie Dregs influence overall; also Jeff Beck’s 70’s instrumental albums, and a bit of 70’s fusion ala Weather Report. This is my favorite Jimmy Herring recording, post Aquarium Rescue Unit, of the many things he has done. I can’t wait to hear his next solo release.

* David Hidalgo/Mato Nanji/Luther Dickinson – 3 Skulls & the Truth
http://amzn.to/Uh1UYZ
A bluesy Texas boogie guitar cd starring David Hidalgo from Los Lobos, Luther Dickinson from the North Mississippi Allstars, and Mato Nanji from Indigenous; and produced by Mike Varney, from Shrapnel records. This is a nasty raucous affair, best heard at high volume; reminiscent of Stevie Ray and early ZZ Top. Some of the Shrapnel catalog has been on the generic side despite big names, and I was surprised at how very solid this cd is… Actually, ZZ Top has a new cd out in 2012 too, and this one is better; I do realize music isn’t competition, but this is a “best of” blog.

* Charlie Hunter – Not Getting Behind Is The New Getting Ahead
http://amzn.to/TgfV7t
Charlie keeps stepping it up a notch and changing his game a little bit every couple years. He’s been on a tear these last few years from a live perspective, especially if you’re into blues. This might be his bluesiest cd yet… This is Charlie on 7-String guitar and Scotty Amendola on drums. Like his previous 1988 duo recording, it is hard to believe this is just 2 people. If I hadn’t seen him do it live on stage, countless times, I would probably be a doubter. The stuff he is doing nowadays, the harmonics and panning Frisellian volume swells, while simultaneously playing bass, it’s simply amazing; and it sounds pretty good too :-)

* The Meldavians – Farewell to Arigemon
http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/themeldavians
Bias Alert: My bro Scott Sawyer plays all electric guitars on this cd. The Meldavians is keyboardist Dave Fox’s brainchild. Dave comes from the jazz/avant-garde world, and this band is a vehicle for his compositions, and lyrics to be sung by Melissa Reaves, who also plays acoustic guitar and loops (and contributed 3 songs), and is a MFing rockstar with as much stage presence/charisma as I have ever seen, period (Melissa has toured as Robert Plant’s opening act, and has often been compared to Janis Joplin). Dave is based in Greensboro, Scott is based in Raleigh, Melissa is based in Boone half the year; and on bass, drums, and percussion is a mix of different musicians on different tracks from mainly NC’s jazz world, and this band could be considered a NC supergroup. The music is good old American rock & roll, steeped in blues with some Nola leanings and a bit of prog avant-garde weirdness (GOOD weirdness). The strongest influence I hear is Little Feat (Dave’s keyboards), but I do hear some Zep, and dare I say it; some Janis Joplin. It was produced by Dave and John Plymale, and it briefly had 3 Grammy nominations on on this year’s official Grammy nomination ballot (55th annual), although not enough votes were cast to make it the final ballot… Did I mention that the Meldavians are Aliens from the planet Teronus? I’m serious; you can read about in Dave’s companion book that was released when the cd came out :-)

* My Three Sons (self-titled)
http://bit.ly/UlGMkc
Pete Petty on guitar and the great Kenny Soule/Bobby Patterson rhythm section (Dag, the original Go There). Funky instrumental power trio from NC, with a retro sound reminiscent of late 70’s/80’s fusion bands.

* Anders Osborne – Black Eye Galaxy
http://amzn.to/SaYjwE
Another masterpiece (I don’t use that term lightly) from the enigmatic freak Swede-Nola-Convert. This is his 2nd album on the Alligator label, less blues more rock and psychedelia than his outstanding 2010 effort; but equally scintillating and chock-full of great songs and plenty of burning guitar work. Anders is one of the most exhilarating rock guitarists to creep onto my radar in the last few years, and I highly recommend this superb cd.

* Public Enemy – Evil Empire of Everything
http://amzn.to/14tDG35
This is PE’s 12th cd in their 25 year history. It seems like another lifetime when I first heard It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back (Thank you David Harvard!), and realized great music actually was possible with DJ’s and samplers and drum machines. I am very particular about Hip Hop - Outside of Cannibal OX, Eminem, Immortal Technique, and Wu Tang; I basically haven’t gotten into any hip hop artists that became relevant after the late 90’s, and even then, the old-school artists I really got into were few and far between. I wouldn’t know a Kanye West or 50 Cent or Lil’ Wayne song if it smacked me in the face. This is PE’s 2nd release of 2012. Generally, the earlier released Most of my Heroes Still Don’t Appear on No Stamp got more press and better reviews than this one; but I disagree, this one is heavier and angrier (it is post Trayvon Martin). There is plenty of their trademark PE funk; Chuck D still sounds pissed off and his rhymes are expressive, he has not lost his edge. Flava Flav has a couple songs, and they’re actually good, way better than his shitty reality TV show. Professor Griff is there too, only Terminator-X is absent as far as the original PE goes… There are also quite a few guests; Ziggy Marley, Henry Rollins & Tom Morello, and a whole slew of next generation rappers. Sergeant Hawkes from the 1991 track Get the Hell Outta Dodge even makes an appearance! There is also quite a bit of live instrumentation, including the great Clyde Stubblefield on drums. This is by far the best cd PE has put out in quite a few years.

* Chris Robinson Brotherhood – Big Moon Ritual
http://amzn.to/TeQm9A
Aside from the Jimmy Page/Black Crowes Tour, this is my favorite cd of any of the Black Crowes side projects thus far… Chris is lead singer and also plays a lot of guitar, but no brother Rich on this band. Instead, guitarist Neal Casal, best known from his days with Ryan Adams and the Cardinals, joins him. It’s laid back jammy rock and roll. I hear an obvious Black Crowes sound, but I also hear a lot of 70’s classic rock – The Stones, Zeppelin, Allman Brothers, and 70’s era Jerry Garcia Band. The cd is all original music, my favorite tune is Rosalee. There was also a companion cd released a few months later, The Magic Door, which I haven’t yet heard.

* Freddie Roulette – Jammin’ with Friends
http://bit.ly/Tc6dDO
Another cd from lap steel guru extraordinaire Freddie Roulette, with a backing band comprised of veterans from San Francisco’s rock and blues scenes; including Harvey Mandel, David LaFlamme, Barry Melton, Pete Sears, and Kathi McDonald (Kathi’s last recording). It was produced by drummer Michael Borbridge, not promoted very well, and consequentially it barely made a ripple when it was released… But, I am a fanatic, thus I heard about it and snagged a copy right away ;-)  Nothing groundbreaking here, just some blues by a uniquely inimitable master of his craft.

* Royal Southern Brotherhood (self-titled)
http://amzn.to/14xGBZA
Devon Allman (son of Gregg) on guitar and vocals, Cyril Neville on percussion and vocals (no intro necessary), Mike Zito on guitar and vocals (a KILLER slide player from St. Louis I was unfamiliar with prior to this band), Yonrico Scott on drums (Derek Trucks Band), and New Orleans/Atlanta heavyweight Charlie Wooton on bass; and produced by Jim Gaines, who has produced hundreds of albums including Stevie Ray’s Grammy winning In Step. It sounds about like what you would expect; a blend of the Allman Brothers Band (I do hear Gregg, in Devon) and the Neville Brothers, swampy rock and roll with a lot of guitar solos. There are plenty of great musical moments all over it. This cd exceeded my expectations and was a very nice surprise. They cover a Grateful Dead song, Fire on the Mountain; and my favorite tracks are Sweet Jelly Doughnut, and the ABB-like instrumental tune, Brotherhood.

* Rush – Clockwork Angels
http://amzn.to/TeztwP
I have been a Rush fan since I was 14 when Permanent Wave was released (in 1980). I consider that their peak album; and by the time Signals was released a few years later I began to lose interest in the direction they had taken as a band. Since then they have released a string of albums that for me, were mostly bland and mediocre; with the exception being Hold Your Fire – I thought that was a pretty decent album. So, I am really digging this new one. I will even go so far as to proclaim it the best Rush album since Moving Pictures. If you prefer the earlier Rush that was heavier and featured more guitars/less keyboards, then you will not be disappointed with this latest greatest effort.

* Storm Corrosion (self-titled)
http://amzn.to/RTZEqo
This is a collaboration between Steven Wilson, Porcupine Tree’s guitarist/frontman, and Mikael Akerfeldt, guitarist/frontman for Opeth; a Swedish progressive death metal band. It sounds closer to the mellower side of Opeth than it does Porcupine Tree, but not too much like either band. Some of it reminds me of early Pink Floyd from an experimental psychedelic standpoint, and I also hear maybe a bit of Radiohead and early Genesis. There is quite a lot of acoustic guitar, a string section, and the great Gavin Harrison of Porcupine Tree plays drums. This is dark beautiful music, with overall excellent production; as expected, like anything Steven Wilson’s name is on. I got the version that contains a 2nd disc, blu-ray (audio) 5.1 surround mix with some bonus tracks.

* Joe Walsh – Analog Man
http://amzn.to/TfIRQB
It’s a new Joe Walsh album, enough said; co-produced by Joe and Jeff Lynne, and his first solo effort in 20 years. I have always considered Joe Walsh one of the great underrated rock guitarists of all time. He is sober these days, for better or worse, but his music is still nice and quirky, the lyrics are humorous and good social commentary – He isn’t as unplugged as he’d leave you to believe from the title track’s lyrics; he does still has a clue. Also, he has a star-studded cast of musicians/singers all over the cd; including David Crosby, Graham Nash, Greg Leisz, Little Richard, Dale Peters, Joe Vitale, and Ringo Starr. Welcome back indeed!

* Keith Waters – Carolina Tracks
http://ncjazzscholarship.org/tracks_cd.html
Bias alert #2: My bro Scott Sawyer plays guitar on this cd. Keith is a pianist based in CO, but originally from NC; he is a professor and also a writer, and is best known for his written critical analysis of the studio recordings of the Miles Davis Quintet 1965 – 1968… Anyway, this music fits firmly in the jazz genre. All musicians on the cd are jazz heavyweights from NC, and the 3 songs that are not original are covers by NC jazz artists/legends Thelonious Monk, John Coltrane, and Loonis McGlohon; and… Proceeds from the recording will be used to support a scholarship for a NC high school student to major in music at a NC college/university. Excellent performances abound, and it was engineered by Jason Richmond in Durham, NC. Yes, this cd is definitely a North Carolina affair. My 2 favorite tracks are Denied, and Vigil (for D.V.).

* Jack White – Blunderbuss
http://amzn.to/Ufo6V3
I didn’t get Jack White the first few times I heard him. The earlier White Stripes albums didn’t knock me out; but by the time the 1st Raconteurs album was released in ’06, I had seen the light. This is his first release since his high profile amicable divorce last summer.  Like his previous “break up” record, the White Stripes’ Get behind Me Satan, this album lyrically is mainly about love lost; but it’s not all despair, there is still an air of happiness. It is more polished than the WS, but not over-produced; with plenty of guitar and other instrumentation as well, and the Nashville influence is subtle but obvious. This is my favorite Jack White recording so far, of the many cd’s he has played on/produced.

* Neil Young & Crazy Horse – Psychedelic Pill
http://amzn.to/171oHzz
Ahh, good old Neil. You either don’t get it and wonder how people can stand his high pitched vocals and sloppy leads; or you think he is brilliant, his voice and guitar work instantly indentifiable trademarks, and like fine wine he keeps getting better with each passing year… I used to be the former, now I’m the latter. I am a little biased though, because the 2 Neil/Crazyhorse concerts I did see were epic and dare I say it, revelatory… Anyway, this is standard for what you’d expect from a Neil Young & Crazy Horse record: Very long jams laden with copious amounts of overdriven guitar and feedback :-)  2 cd’s with a total of 9 songs, 3 of them over 15 minutes in length, with the longest tune being almost 28 minutes! This is Neil’s best effort since 1994’s Sleeps with Angels.

Honorable Mention:

* Bad Brains – Into the Future
http://amzn.to/V0ilha
This is another album that caught me off guard; a pretty solid effort considering they have been doing it for 30 years and are not young men; and punk has always been a young man’s game. It is the original lineup, and musically speaking, they are as tight as ever. Granted it’s not I Against I, and some of it is a little formulaic, especially the reggae tunes; but these dudes are all approaching retirement age, and this disc puts a lot of their peers to shame

* Flea – ‘Helen Burns’
http://amzn.to/14k6dul
This is an odd quirky 30 minute EP, named after a character from (the novel) Jane Eyre. Musically, it is very much unlike the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Flea describes it as a “mostly instrumental, weird and arty record, the music is mostly just me creating soundscapes that are very emotional for me, but certainly not for everyone! Just me tripping out at home. I am putting it out to raise money for the Silverlake Conservatory of Music; a community based non-profit music school that I am an integral part of.” What I hear sounds like a mix of early 70’s progressive rock (the keyboards), a movie soundtrack, and electronica. Aside from Flea, Patti Smith sings on 1 track, the Silverlake Choir sings on 1 track; and drummers Stella Mozgawa, Chad Smith, and Jack Irons all make appearances. Flea plays bass, keyboards, trumpets, synthesizers, and percussion and drum machines.

* Medeski Martin & Wood – Free Magic
http://bit.ly/11tw3sU
Normally I wouldn’t include a live MMW cd here in my best-of-blog, because they are taper-friendly and consequentially the internet is saturated with MMW live audience recordings… However, this disc is all tracks from a 2007 acoustic tour, and it can be harder to capture a good audience recording of MMW acoustic (versus electric); and also, the cd ends with a nice version of the Charles Mingus classic, Nostalgia in Times Square, never before recorded by MMW... There is a reason why John Scofield recently proclaimed MMW his favorite live band.

* Smashing Pumpkins – Oceania
http://amzn.to/Vc1QOh
I’m surprised I like this album as much as I do. I was heavily into this band in the beginning, but started losing interest after their 3rd and 4th albums - The 1st couple, Gish and Siamese Dream, I consider them both masterpieces. I’ve never been a huge Billy Corgan fan - I always dug his singing, but I was more into James Iha’s guitar playing; and Corgan’s bursting ego is what pushed me away from the band. Now, 12 years have passed since the band broke up and they parted ways, and both Iha and Corgan have both released new cd’s (Iha’s is titled Look to the Sky)… Corgan has retained the Smashing Pumpkins name (all new band members), and I have to say Oceania is by far the better of the two. If you’re a big fan of the earlier Smashing Pumpkins cd’s, then you should check this one out if you haven’t already.

* Tremonti – All I Was
http://amzn.to/Zp8axY
I’ve never been a Creed fan, I’ve never heard any Alter Bridge, and he’s a founding member of both hugely successful bands… I’ve always been a bit of a metal-head though, and what drew me into checking out this cd was Mark Tremonti’s appearance on Eddie Trunk's Metal Show; where he proclaimed his love for metal, thrash, and King Diamond. I was already aware of his Paul Reed Smith signature model guitar; next I googled him and saw the many different awards/polls he’s won in various guitar magazines, and I read some reviews of this cd and snagged a copy. I Like it. While it’s not a thrash album, it is metal, with plenty of stunt guitar work, and my favorite parts are the songs with the noticeable early Metallica and Pantera influences. He is definitely a badass, no doubt hugely inspirational to the next generation of aspiring shredders. He also handles the lead vocals and sounds okay, no cookie monster leads vocals, thank you. I am not familiar with drummer and bassist, they are a tight rhythm section. Overall: This is a fine debut album that (I’m sure) Tremonti’s fanatics had been clamoring for.

* Van Halen – A Different Kind of Truth
http://amzn.to/10pAsLV
In my opinion, and despite the fact Michael Anthony’s background vocals are missed; this is the best VH album since Fair Warning, which I consider their “peak” recording. No, I am not a huge fan of Diver Down or Van Hagar. This cd sounds just like the VH of old and is surprisingly fresh.  My only complaint is their terrible heavily compressed mix/mastering job; it seems this cd was engineered for MP3/iPods with shitty earbud speakers. The Grateful Dead had their “Wall of Sound” while Van Halen has their “Wall of Sludge.”
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Saturday, January 7, 2012

Best cd's of 2011...

Disclaimer: Below is a list of my favorite music of 2011. This list and individual reviews are my opinions only, and yours may vary, and that is okay. Also, there are a couple things I would've listed here, but excluded them instead for the reasons noted:

* Bruce Piephoff - Still Looking Up At the Stars
I have a production credit on this, so I can't include it in my top 20 with a clear conscience (conflict of interest). I can say though, this cd is fan-f*cking-tastic, and I listened to this disc more than anything else this past year. It's introspective music with vivid lyrical imagery that would probably be in the folk section of your record store, but crosses over into many other genres (country blues, electric blues, roots rock, free jazz/spoken word, Latin jazz); and it was produced by and features heavily my bro, Scott Sawyer. I am just as proud to be associated with this cd as I was with Scott's "Go There" cd which featured Kofi and Oteil Burbridge, and everyone who heard that one knows how great a cd it is… So, if you know me, and trust my judgment when it comes to great music, and like to and have the means to support the working artist, buy yourself a copy if you haven't already :-)

* Medeski Martin and Wood - 20
Each month during 2011, MMW released new, never-released tracks, for a total of 20 tracks to celebrate their 20th year anniversary. It's roughly 105 total minutes in length; and if it would've all been released at one time as a "hard copy" cd, instead of 20 individual tracks to download, then it definitely would have made my top 20!


Here we go… Without further ado, my top 20 cd's of 2011, in alphabetical order:

* Gregg Allman - Low Country Blues
As a longtime hardcore Allman Brothers Band fanatic, this is the cd on this list I consider myself most qualified to critique. Gregg Allman has had a very long career (40 plus years), with his share of mostly ups and a few downs. Now 14 years since the last studio recorded cd, and a year since receiving a liver transplant, Gregg Allman has released this fine effort. First off, it was produced by T-Bone Burnett, who seems to have the Midas touch when it comes to making albums (10 time Grammy winner!). This cd is no exception - The musicians are Gregg on vocals, B3, and some acoustic guitar, T-Bone on guitar; along with Doyle Bramhall III, Dr. John, and T-Bone's "go to" rhythm section of bassist Dennis Crouch and drummer Jay Bellerose, and a horn section. Gregg Allman is 64 years old, his voice is weathered, and when he sings the blues you believe him. This cd is song oriented, a nice contrast to the long jammy improvisations of the Allman Brothers live concert experience. One song Gregg co-wrote with Warren Haynes; the rest are covers of tunes written by the likes of Muddy Waters, Skip James, Little Milton, BB King, Amos Milburn, Otis Rush, and Sleepy John Estes. Gregg doesn't flub any of the lyrics like he has become prone to doing (on stage) these last few years, and I only wish the Allman Brothers Band would release a studio album of this caliber in 2012. This cd has been nominated for a Grammy, best blues cd of 2011.

* Tab Benoit - Medicine
Blues from the Bayou... This music is beautiful, tasteful, sometimes dirty, Cajun blues; drenched in soul. Tab's voice reminds me of Jimmie Vaughan and his brother Stevie, he is spokesman for the Voices of the Wetlands Activist group; and some of his lyrics are regarding Louisiana's rapidly shrinking wetlands, while he also sings of love, joy, loss, and heartbreak. This is Tab's best effort yet, not that his other releases haven't been top shelf; but this is more or less a Nola supergroup of a band - Tab on guitar and vocals, Anders Osborne on guitar (and he co-wrote 7 of the 11 songs), Michael Doucet on fiddle, Ivan Neville on Hammond B3, and Brady Blade on drums. This band rocks it - Anders Osborne continues (see my best of 2010 list) to play guitar like a man possessed, and is on the verge of "breaking out" and each and every one of Michael Doucet's notes is perfect!

* Black Country Communion - Black Country Communion 2
This is a very strong sophomore effort from the supergroup that is Joe Bonamassa on guitar, Glenn Hughes on bass and vocals/from Deep Purple Mark III, Jason Bonham/son of Bonzo on drums, and Derek Sherinian of Dream Theater on keyboards. Like their previous cd, this is more 70's style hard rock that fits firmly in the Zeppelin/Deep Purple camp. If you're looking for something new sounding, you've come to the wrong place. If you prefer the classic rock sounds of the 70's, sit back and enjoy the ride. Their style may be seasoned, but they do it with much finesse. This is great summertime crank-up-your-car-stereo music, and I suspect a Black Country Communion concert would be filled with air guitarists!

* The Black Dahlia Murder - Ritual
This is the heaviest, rawest, most punk inclusion on this list. I have been following this Michigan band off and on for the last decade. Their sound seems to have gotten more melodic over time; but it's still very heavy death metal, with lots of cookie monster vocals, and at times it is aurally brutal. I consider this BDM's best cd yet. The production to me sounds better than their last couple albums, the tunes are a little more "finished" sounding. This is the 2nd Black Dahlia Murder cd with new guitarist Ryan Knight, and they have really stepped it up.

* Endangered Blood (self titled)
This is a NYC downtown acoustic jazz supergroup of sorts; Trevor Dunn on contrabass, best known for Mr. Bungle and also his work with John Zorn and Mike Van Patton. Longtime friends and collaborators Chris Speed (tenor sax) and Jim Black (drums), who have worked extensively with such NYC heavyweights as Tim Berne, Uri Caine, Dave Douglas, and Kurt Rosenwinkle. Lastly, Oscar Noriega on alto sax and bass clarinet, who is best known for his recent work with Paul Motian, Lee Konitz and Tim Berne. All tunes were written by Chris Speed with the exception of TS Monk's Epistrophy. This music is hard to describe, it's all blowing, no chords; but despite their name, the entire cd is not wall-shaking free jazz - Although there is a substantial free jazz vibe, there are also bits of straight-ahead and contemporary jazz, and some rock.

* Bill Frisell - All We Are Saying
Bill Frisell is a true Beatles fan, obviously… That thought springs to mind immediately when you hear him playing this collection of John Lennon tunes. This is another of his projects where jazz meets blues meets pop meets folk meets Americana. This band has uncovered many fine jewels deep in the terra firm of these songs I've heard hundreds of times. Lots of unworldly tones, swells, and twangy guitars can be heard on these very interesting arrangements; where sometimes the melody is so subtle it's almost hidden and other times it's very pronounced. I was one of the lucky few that caught this set live with the same lineup (Bill on guitar, Greg Leisz on steel guitar, Jenny Scheinman on violin, Tony Scherr on bass, Kenny Wollesen on drums), which makes this cd even more special to me. Bill Frisell can do no wrong. Also worthy of a listen or three is Frisell's other 2011 release, Sign of Life, music for his 858 Quartet > http://amzn.to/ysApgO

* Morgan Agren / Henry Kaiser / Trey Gunn - Invisible Rays
Trey Gunn on bass and Warr guitar (an instrument similar to the Chapman Stick), Henry Kaiser on guitar, and Morgan Agren on drums. Morgan is from Sweden and has been associated with Zappa family side projects since the mid 90's. Henry Kaiser is a bay area guitarist who has played with everybody everywhere (first musician to record in Antarctica), and is recognized world-wide as a leader of the second generation of free improvisers who came of age in the '70s. He's been doing soundtrack work for the last decade too (He collaborated on Warner Heezog's "Grizzly Man"), and he's also a professional video camera operator (his underwater sequences have been used in "Wild Blue Yonder"). I actually met him randomly when he was filming Bill Frisell @ Yoshi's a couple years, ago for a documentary that I haven't seen officially released yet… Anyway, his playing and use of effects at times reminds me of both Robert Fripp and Adrian Belew. Trey Gunn was a member of King Crimson from 1995 through 2003 and also was involved in various KC related projeKcts. This music is very intense, a later 2000ish King Crimson like frenzy with a large dose of avant-garde experimentation. The opening track is nearly 23 minutes in length. This is another cd for the musically adventurous, I Love it!

* Warren Haynes Band - Man in Motion
What a surprise, another Allman Brother is on my list this year. Like Gregg's new one, this cd (his first studio band recording that is not Gov't Mule, in 18 years) has also been nominated for best blues cd of 2011 Grammy, which I find a bit odd, as Warren was going for more of a soul/R&B thing on this cd. While the cd is great and worthy (to me) of making this list, it's not a blues cd. However, genres aside, there is plenty of formidable guitar playing all over this cd, as expected… Also, the casual Warren Haynes fan might not have realized that he is also a great vocalist and songwriter, as he amply demonstrates on this cd. His band is top shelf as well, Ron Holloway on tenor sax in particular sounds great! So, yeah, not as heavy as a Mule cd - This is mainly soul and R&B with sprinkles of funk, blues, and gospel - but still a gift to the legion of Warren fans out there, and a great listen for all.

* Eric McFadden - Bluebird On Fire
This latest Eric McFadden cd is a bluesy cd; but stylistically all the songs are very different. This is no surprise if you're familiar with his guitar playing, as Eric is a virtuoso musician (and a great singer/lyricist) equally adept in many, if not all, music genres. The supporting cast on this cd is no joke either: James Whiton on a song, Dave Schools on 5 songs, and Norwood Fisher (Fishbone) on 3 songs; and that's just the bass players! EM is vastly underrated, he consistently releases great music, and his live shows are always off the hook (and the best deal in the bay area). On this latest cd, I hear traces of Johnny Cash, Nick Cave, John Lee Hooker, Jimi Hendrix, and a little Scotty Moore, to name a few… Bluebird On Fire is all killer, and no filler! My favorite tune is the meltdown that is It Takes a Man.

* Medeski Scofield Martin & Wood - In Case the World Changes Its Mind [Live]
John Medeski (keyboards), John Scofield (guitars), Billy Martin (percussion), and Chris Wood (bass). Intense, dark, crazed, electric, out, textured, discombobulated… These are adjectives that come to mind while listening to this excellent live double cd set. Most music heads I know are either: (A) fanatical about MMW, or (B) don't care for MMW… Then regarding the hardcore MMW-heads (I've interacted with on listservs and email lists), a lot of them don't like Sco with the band, they prefer just the trio; or if there must be a guitarist, Marc Ribot… Sco's musical personality seems to be too loud for some folks, they like Ribot because his voice is less prominent in the MMW plus 1 mix. Anyway, while I love seeing the Trio, I am also a huge John Scofield fan, and for me, MSMW is a match made in heaven. Sco has said in recent interviews that MMW is his favorite band, period, and this sounds to me like a band having a lot of fun on stage. But jazz purists and fans of John Scofield's traditional straight-ahead side, be warned; this isn't your grandfather's jazz, this is very jammy groove-heavy avant-garde stuff… I bet Wynton Marsalis hates it.

* Megadeth - Th1rt3en
50 year old Dave Mustaine is one of the most intense and interesting personalities in today's musical universe, metal or any other genre. Megadeth has been making music since 1985; and despite Dave's ups and downs, and whatever personnel changes have occurred over the years, nothing has deterred Dave from executing his mission - which is to consistently deliver the tightest loudest shred-guitar-heavy bone-crunching most real metal imaginable. The nickname world's state-of-the-art speed metal band has been used to describe Megadeth's sound, as well as the critic penned term intelligent metal and this cd is no exception. If any of you are worried that Dave's recent religious conversion has dulled his perspective or his lyrics, worry not, that has not occurred. Megadeth has been, and still is, simply the best working metal band for the last couple decades. Also, I highly recommend Dave's autobiography "Mustaine: A Heavy Metal Memoir" published in 2010.

* Buddy Miller's Majestic Silver Strings (self titled)
Buddy Miller has been pretty huge in Nashville since the mid 90's. He's been on my radar for a few years now, but my first time seeing him was a very special night of this band (mostly) playing this material at Yoshi's in Oakland, in April of 2011. That was followed a few weeks later with Robert Plant's Band of Joy at the Greek Theatre in Berkeley, with Buddy Miller on guitar. I've since listened to some of Buddy's back catalog, and I have deduced that he has been more than a minor influence on Bill Frisell's technique this last decade, as Frisell's Americana excursions have become more frequent. This cd is a Nashville/Downtown (NYC) Superband Masterpiece. Buddy Miller, Bill Frisell, Marc Ribot, and Greg Leisz on strings, that same Bellerose and Crouch rhythm section that plays on the above-listed Gregg Allman cd, and different guest singers (including EmmyLou) appear on this cd. Ribot's contributions to this music are prominent, this could easily be a Marc Ribot cd instead of Buddy Miller's. It also includes a DVD with a 21 minute documentary on the making of the cd, plus one live song on video. The music is mostly old country music covers along with a couple Ribot and Frisell penned tunes. Track 6 is a brilliant rendition of Roger Miller's Dang Me with Marc Anthony Thompson/Chocolate Genius on lead vocals - If I had to pick my favorite song of 2011, there it is. This is not straight up country music, traditional country music fans and Buddy's wider fanbase might not get it; but fans of Ribot and Frisell and guitar in general will dig this music immensely.

* North Mississippi Allstars - Keys to the Kingdom
NMAS cd's have been hit and miss for me. I thought Shake Hands With Shorty and also Electric Blue Watermelon were both excellent cd's that will continue to get spins in my stereo for the foreseeable future, and same thing applies to this latest release; which is pretty much 2 son's eulogy for their father. It's not the furious electric guitar jams of past NMAS albums, it's more stripped down roots rock and unplugged, with guests from Jim Dickinson's generation, not Luther's and Cody's… Alvin Youngblood Hart is on board for a song, Mavis staples, Spooner Oldham, and Ry Cooder. Ain't no Grave (with Ry) is as heartfelt and poignant a goodbye as I have ever heard. Although death is one of the subjects of this cd's lyrical content, overall it is a celebration of life. Most of this material was written while Jim Dickinson lay dying in a Memphis hospital, and Luther's wife was pregnant with their daughter; and in the months following Jim's death they went in the studio and recorded this cd. Consequentially, it's the most personal collection of songs this band has released, and this cd ranks among the best of the NMAS.

* Opeth - Heritage
Swedish progressive death metal band Opeth's 10th studio release has certainly generated a lot of online discussion/debate. The cookie monster growls are gone; thus they have shifted away from their signature death metal sound, to something more reminiscent of 70's progressive rock. Think 70's Yes, 70's King Crimson, Deep Purple, Pink Floyd; and Mikael Akerfeldt's non-death vocals remind me of Greg Lake. This equates to a huge bummer for a lot of entitled metal fans, who feel the band owes them something; whereas the other camp of fans mostly dig the music and the experimental nature of this cd. It was mixed by Steven Wilson of Porcupine Tree, who also produced the 2003 Opeth cd, Damnation... Not coincidentally, Damnation was also too mellow for a lot of Opeth's fanbase; I thought it was great. Anyway, Heritage still has plenty of Opeth's trademark lightening fast intricate musical passages, and they demonstrate their masterful use of dynamics/space and silence with plenty of contrasting electric and acoustic instrumentation. This is the best Opeth cd yet, and I look forward to hearing what they do next.

* Primus - Green Naugahyde
Primus is back! Their 1st studio cd in 12 years sounds like what I expected it to sound like, a whole lot of Les Claypool wackiness :-) Plenty of indulgent very badass bass, some songs about fishing, very tight musical interludes that reek of Frank Zappa and 80's King Crimson, and the odd lyrics and quirky vocal delivery of Les Claypool; it's all there! I'm not a hard core Primus fan, my favorite cd's by the band are from early on in their career - Suck on This, and Sea's of Cheese - Green Naugahyde is just as good if not better .

* Red Hot Chili Peppers - I'm With You
I discovered the RHCP via Mother's Milk, I then went back and discovered their early catalog, the 3 cd's featuring founding guitarist Hillel Slovak (great music!) and by the time Blood Sugar Sex Magik came out, I was fanatical. For me, Blood Sugar was the RHCP's musical peak. Afterward, guitarist John Frusciante left the band and was replaced by Dave Navarro for the luke-warm One Hot Minute cd. Frusciante was back for the next one, Californication, and the RHCP fell off my radar after that. By the Way just didn't press my buttons. It sounded like rehashed versions of material they had previously recorded, and was a little too mainstream for my tastes; and what little I heard of Stadium Arcadium sounded like more of the same. When a band's albums begin to bore me, even a band I love, they generally fall off my radar then… Anyway, now in 2011, I'm happy to report the Peppers are sounding fresh and energized, following an extended hiatus; during which Flea returned to school (University of Southern California) to study music theory, composition, and jazz trumpet. John Frusciante is gone, again, and Josh Klinghoffer is the latest Chili Pepper guitarist. For what it's worth, Josh is a friend and collaborator of Frusciante's, having appeared on 4 of his cd's between 2004 and 2009. His style is less frenetic than Frusciante's, not quite as edgy. That has a lot of RHCP fan crying foul. I personally feel it's their best work since Blood Sugar Sex Magik. Less flashy guitar has them in a more experimental funk post-punk direction that is reminiscent of their early days. The hiatus and college experience seem to have inspired Flea; his bass playing is sounding better than ever, and his musical voice is strong and pronounced enough in the vibe to compensate for Josh's understated guitar work. The more I listen to this cd the more I like it.

* Tedeschi Trucks Band - Revelator
'Are there any other Allman Bros related cd's nominated for a best blues cd of 2011 Grammy this year?' Actually, yes, there is! There are 2 Allman Brothers on the Tedeschi Trucks Band's Revelator cd, Derek Trucks on guitar and Oteil Burbridge on bass, and indeed, it has been nominated for a Grammy, best blues cd of 2011... Add Kofi Burbridge on keys and flute, and already you have a slam dunk! No, this is not a Stax Records release, although it could easily be mistaken for one. This was recorded in Derek and Susan's home studio in Jacksonville, FL with an 11 piece band. Less jazz/out than the Derek Trucks Band, and less straight blues ala Susan Tedeschi Band, means a nice common ground that is mostly roots rock, retro soul and R&B, and copious amounts of Burbridge funk. Same as Derek's previous DTB cd's, I like the instrumental songs best (Shrimp and Grits, and the final hidden track). Hardcore Derek Trucks Band fans: I do feel your pain. I miss their live shows too. However, this cd does stand up to Derek's recent releases, plenty of killer guitar and ethereal tones all over it, plenty of Kofi and Oteil, and this is definitely not some sort of Yoko Ono like project… It is a real working touring band, and this is the next chapter in this current phase of Derek Truck's continued evolution towards guitar god status, for which he is destined. Also, for the record, in a live setting, Tedeschi Trucks Band is burning up the stage!

* Trombone Shorty - For True
I first stumbled upon Troy 'Trombone Shorty' Andrews when his band played the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival in Golden Gate Park in 2010. I don't have HBO and don't follow Treme, otherwise these fat funkified grooves surely would have been on my radar. Anyway, I was pretty blown away by their HSBF performance, and went on to buy the cd Backatown, and that cd wound up making my best of 2010 list. This cd is the same funky Nola sound, with his same band (Orleans Avenue), along with some special guest musicians: Jeff Beck, Warren Haynes, Kid Rock, Lenny Kravitz (he was in Lenny's touring band in '05), Stanton Moore, and Rebirth Brass Band. This is happy music, and if it doesn't make you tap your foot or shake your ass, then you must not have a pulse!

* Tom Waits - Bad As Me
Tom Waits is such a prolific artist, his album/cd output is vast, I'm pretty sure I haven't heard all of it. I do know that my favorite Tom Waits cd's are Nighthawks at the Diner, Mule Variations, and Rain Dogs… Is there any better whiskey drinking music than Rain Dogs? This is Tom's first cd new of new material in 7 years. The roll call of musicians backing him on this cd is impressive, it includes: Marc Ribot, Keith Richards, David Hidalgo, and Will Bernard on guitars - Flea, James Whiton, and Les Claypool on bass - Tom's son Casey Waits on drums, and Charlie Musselwhite on harmonica. Even with all these wonderful musicians on this cd, Tom's voice and storytelling/lyrical imagery is still without a doubt the star of the show. The music is equal parts blues and ballads. The subject matter/lyrical content is too broad and simple yet sophisticated, for me to begin to expound on… Let me just say, listening to this cd is like reading a newspaper with everything written by your favorite classic American literature authors; and its message/statements/observations are very relevant to what is going on today, socially and politically. This is my favorite cd of the year.

* Steven Wilson - Grace for Drowning
Steven Wilson is the busiest guitarist on my radar, even busier than Warren Haynes. Here is a list of most of the stuff he currently is involved in:
1. Porcupine Tree's front man and creative force.
2. His side project, Blackfield (they released a cd in 2011).
3. His side project No-Man.
4. His side project Bass Communion
5. He mixed Opeth's 2011 cd, Heritage.
6. He is currently doing the 5.1 surround sound remixing of King Crimson and Jethro Tull's back-catalogs of music.
…And on top of all that, he still found time to release what I consider to be a progressive rock masterpiece. This was initially meant to be 2 separate cd's, but instead it was released as a double cd set. There are special guests galore: Tony Levin, Trey Gunn, Pat Mastelotto, Steve Hackett, and Jordan Rudess, to name a few. It's somewhere in between Porcupine Tree's heavy side and Bass Communion, which is more ambient. It reeks of King Crimson and Dream Theater (see the featured guests), early Rush, and even Pink Floyd to some degree. I know, same description could be applied towards Porcupine Tree, although I tend to think PT has gone less experimental in the last 10 years or so; less of the Floydian sound that the Radioactive Toy and Voyage 34 era's had going on. Anyway, back to this Grace For Drowning cd - It is possibly my favorite Steven Wilson cd yet, definitely my favorite SW cd since PT's Deadwing (2005).


Honorable Mention

* The Cars - Move Like This
The Cars 1st studio album in 24 years! The original bass player/lead singer Benjamin Orr died in 2000, from pancreatic cancer. The remaining 4 original members are all on this cd (bass now provided by keyboardist), Ric Ocasek now on lead vocals. Amazingly, it picks up right where they left off, with the same short hook-laden songs with their now signature (to me) synthesizer heavy sound… This music instantly transports me back to the early 80's when I was a young teenager and the Cars were all over the radio and MTV. I don't listen to commercial radio, so I don't know whether or not this is getting any airplay, but it wouldn't surprise me if this cd has some radio hits.

* Jane's Addiction - the Great Escape Artist
JA's first cd since 2003's Strays got a lot of mixed reviews from press and fans. I considered Strays pretty good, with more elements of metal than their run of albums from 1987-1990. On this new one, the Great Escape Artist, they've gone back to a more art-rock sound; but it's definitely minimalist compared to any other JA recording… While listening to Nothing Shocking for the first time was akin to unexpectedly being kicked in the teeth, the Great Escape Artist listening experience is more subdued. I guess the band has mellowed/matured in the last 25 years. It makes sense to me, I was a little wilder at 22 years of age, and lacking wisdom, compared to me at 45… I still hear the Zep influence, but I also hear Radiohead, and maybe some early U2. After the initial listen, I've been going back to this cd often. Less Dave Navarro flash, but he still gets his moments to shine; same thing applies to Stephen Perkins tribal drumming, and Perry Farrell still has something to say.

* Oz Noy - Twisted Blues, Vol. 1
Oz is an Israeli guitarist who relocated to NYC in '96, and since then has been a fixture in the scene there, playing regularly at venues like the 55 Bar and the Bitter End. Oz is a musician's musician; like Mike Stern, Allan Holdsworth, etc, the majority of Oz Noy fans are guitar geeks. I hear a lot of John Scofield influence in his playing, as well as Jeff Beck and Stevie Ray Vaughan. There are a lot of great musicians playing on this cd; including Vinnie Colaiuta, Anton Fig, Will Lee, John Medeski, Reese Wynans, and Eric Johnson to name a few. I would classify this music as blues fusion.

* Planet of the Abts
Planet of the Abts is a Gov't Mule side-project, born this year when Mule was on hiatus while the Warren Haynes Band toured. The band is Mule's rhythm section (Matt Abts/drums and Jorgen Carlsson/bass), along with Jorgen's friend T-Bone Andersson on guitars and keyboards; and Mule's Danny Louis blows some horns on the opening track. I bought this cd at the live show, and it greatly exceeded my expectations. I hear a strong Gov't Mule influence, obviously, and Led Zeppelin too; but also a strong progressive rock flavor that I didn't expect, like a hybrid of Wish You Were Here era Pink Floyd and Ozric Tentacles. This cd was a nice surprise, I highly recommend it.

* Todd Rundgren - Johnson
Runt's 21st album! This is a collection of Robert Johnson tunes. There is nothing new here, just TR's stripped-down interpretations of these classic RJ songs, with very little polishing. If I didn't know it was all just TR (guitar and drums) and Kasim Sulton on bass, I would've guessed this was recorded live in the studio. The blues purists probably don't appreciate this cd as much as the guitar heads - Todd definitely tips his hat not only to Robert Johnson, but also to RJ's British blues rock disciples like Eric Clapton and John Mayall; speaking of which, at 63 years old, Todd Rundgren still has a set of pipes on him, his voice sounds great, especially singing these old blues songs. Also, I didn't recall him being such a proficient guitar player, this is a nice reminder.

* George Thorogood and the Destroyers - 2120 South Michigan Ave.
First off, never in a million years did I think that George Thorogood would appear on this list. He became irrelevant to me not long after his I Drink Alone video (1985). I checked out this cd after reading a positive review of it somewhere on the web. 2120 South Michigan Ave was home to Chess Records, and it was the Stones song with that same title, that turned a young George Thorogood onto the magic that is Chicago Blues. This collection is mostly a bunch of covers from the classic Chess blues catalog, along with 2 originals; and Buddy Guy sitting in on 1 tune, while we're graced with Charlie Musselwhite's harmonica on 2 more. The cd was produced by Buddy Guy's drummer, Tom Hambidge, and the band's love and respect of the Chess label's history rings through loud and clear. I have no idea what his recorded output has been for the last couple decades; and I must say I am amazed at how natural he sounds, singing these songs you've heard countless versions of, countless times before. This is the cd that George Thorogood was born to record.


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Sunday, December 26, 2010

20 Best cd's of 2010 (in alphabetical order)

* Jeff Beck - Emotion & Commotion
http://amzn.to/e0SUBZ
JB delivers the goods on his first studio recording in 7 years. He's still a badass, he still says more with one note than all the Yngwie wannabe's say with fifty 64th notes. This cd is short (40 minutes) but sweet, and it left me wanting more. You know you're in for a good ride when it opens with a cover of Jeff Buckley's arrangement of "Corpus Christy Carol." The personnel vary from track to track, but musicians accompanying Jeff include Tal WIlkenfeld, Joss Stone, Pino Palladino, Vinnie Colaiuta, Imelda May, and others, plus a 64 piece orchestra. I am not hip to Joss Stone, aside from the fact she is mainstream, but I don't blame Jeff if he's trying to cash in… She does nail it on "I Put a Spell On You." Then again, he's been recording and touring with women since at least as far back as his "Who Else!" cd released back in 1999 (Jennifer Batten), and either Tal or Imelda have been part of his touring band since 2007. So, yeah, if you're a fan of Jeff Beck or electric guitar in general, then you owe it to yourself to give this cd a spin.

 * Black Country Communion (Self Titled)
http://amzn.to/fst1o5
I hate the term "supergroup" but that is what this album's been described as. Joe Bonamassa on guitar/the up and coming "guitar god," Glenn Hughes on bass and vocals/from Deep Purple Mark III, Jason Bonham/son of Bonzo on drums, and Derek Sherinian on keyboards/a heavyweight in the metal and progressive rock worlds. This is music that begs to be played loud. You can definitely hear the Zeppelin and Deep Purple roots, actually this album sounds like it could have been released in the 70's, stylistically that is... You won't find any nu-metal or rap-rock or other subgenres here, just good old (mainly blues based) rock and roll that would fit right in on a playlist from any classic rock radio station.

* Lois Deloatch - Roots: Jazz Blues Spirituals
http://bit.ly/gLhUG7
Lois on vocals, Scott Sawyer on guitar, Gabe Evens on piano, John Brown on bass, and Beverly Botsford on percussion. This is NC jazz, from the Triangle (Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill). Fans of vocal jazz and blues, ala Billie Holiday and Sarah Vaughn, will find a lot to like here. The band sounds excellent and all get ample opportunity to stretch it out at times. Top notch production too, this cd sounds excellent. There are 4 original tunes, the other 8 a mix of covers and traditional songs. The entire cd swings but my favorite tracks are Wade in the Water, Queen KoKo Blue, Pennies From Heaven, When The Saints Come Marching In, Steal Away, and Someday Soon.

 * Bill Frisell - Beautiful Dreamers
http://amzn.to/gfFT08
Bill on guitar, Eyvind Kang on viola, Rudy Royston on drums, and produced by the great Lee Townsend. Not the standard instrumentation as most trio's, but not at all a surprise from the shy bespectacled One… It works, and a lot of the tunes definitely groove, and there is plenty of odd timing, use of dynamics and space between the notes, along with more of the out weirdness that Bill Frisell is known for. This cd is mainly original tunes, but there are some interesting covers too, including Nobody's Fault but Mine, Keep On the Sunny Side, and Goin' Out of My Head (I'll admit I caught myself off guard the 1st time I noticed myself singing the words to this Frank Sinatra classic, while driving my truck). Bill Frisell isn't for everybody, but if you're a fan, this is pretty much a must hear cd. Lastly, kudos to Bill for his shout out to the late great Vic Chestnutt, RIP.

 * JJ Grey & Mofro - Georgia Warhorse
http://amzn.to/eJlOCN
JJ is a singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist from Jacksonville, FL. I have been following him since I caught his late night set at High Sierra Music Fest a few years ago. This is his 3rd release on Alligator Records, and in my opinion he has hugely stepped up his game. This is swampy greasy southern music, and he has a great band backing him. He is joined by his neighbor Derek Trucks on "Lullaby," and the great Toots Hibbert joins him on "The Sweetest Thing." I will go so far as to proclaim this JJ Grey's breakout cd. Good stuff!

 * Buddy Guy - Living Proof
http://amzn.to/dYE6Iq
Buddy Guy is 74 years old, just 4 years younger than my Dad! This autobiographical cd is his best since his coming out (to the masses) party, "Damn Right I Got the Blues" - Not that he has anything to prove, but he hasn't lost a thing, he can still solo with complete reckless but perfect fury and abandonment. His voice sounds great too. Check out the opening track, "74 Years Young," damn! He comes out of the gate strong and doesn't let up for the next 54 minutes... Like all his albums these last few years it seems, there are guests; on this one BB King plays on a track, as does Carlos Santana track. As far as I am concerned, Buddy Guy is today's undisputed unified "heavyweight champion" of the blues, whether he wants it or not (I am sure he'd disagree and point to BB). He's earned it, he's a master of his craft; and anything he does usually sounds light years better than anything done by Cats 20, 30, 40, and 50 years younger.

 * Charlie Hunter - Gentlemen, I Neglected To Inform You You Will Not Be Getting Paid
http://amzn.to/hlsyjh
Consider me biased, I have been a Charlie Hunter fan for 17 years and his cd's are always among my favorites of the year, every year. Same thing applies to this release (a mono recording!); Charlie on 7 string guitar (simultaneous guitar and bass lines), Eric Kalb on drums, Alan Ferber and Curtis Fowlkes on trombone, Eric Biondo on trumpet. In my opinion Charlie continues to "hone" his voice, and evolve and cross over into different genres; and this cd is as heavily influenced by blues, as it is jazz. Like his other cd's, the band is top shelf, great compositions and great production. Also very worthy of mention is his just released extremely excellent solo cd, "Public Domain" which as of now is only available at live performances and from his website (http://bit.ly/btGVHd).

 * Los Lobos - Tin Can Trust
http://amzn.to/918JCf
Los Lobos: The most underrated American band ever. This is their first studio album of original music in 4 years. Nothing revelatory compared to 2006's "The Town and the City" cd, which I also thought was killer, but I do rank this up there with their best: Kiko, Colossal head, This Time… They have perfected their groove, which happens after making music together for 35 plus years… They continue with their signature sound and production here. Wolves fans won't be disappointed with this latest effort. 11 tunes in all, 2 of which are in Spanish, and a cool rendition of the Robert Hunter penned Grateful Dead's "West LA Fadeaway," plus a new Robert Hunter/Cesar Rosas composition. Viva Los Lobos!

 * Pat Metheny - Orchestrion
http://amzn.to/ieXyRS
I suspect this is Pat's most controversial work since his noise album "Zero Tolerance for Silence." To me, it's definitely the most interesting inclusion on my list this year… This is a solo album, but do not be deceived… In this particular context, solo equates to Pat Metheny on guitar, and via MIDI triggers and a series of pneumatic assemblies and solenoid switches; Pat Metheny on piano, orchestra bells, marimba, vibraphone, bass, guitarbots (?), percussion, cymbals, drums, and other custom-fabricated acoustic instruments… His inspiration for this was memories of player piano (automatic, self-playing) from his youth. There is plenty of info on the web on all the prep work, the process, and the inventors Pat worked with to record this album and follow it with a tour. While the description could lead one to believe this cd sounds sterile and is lacking soul, this is not the case at all. You can hear Pat's voice, it has an organic sound/human element, it does groove at times, and there's plenty of great guitar. I would say the opening "center piece" 15 minute long title-track "Orchestrion" is the most ambitious tune on the album, as far as the compositional complexity and number of instruments being played simultaneously. Techo-Geeks and gearheads especially should dig this cd.

 * Stanton Moore - Groove Alchemy
http://amzn.to/gjDn9B
Galactic's Stanton Moore on drums, Will Bernard on guitar, and Robert Walter on B3 and piano; all heavyweights. This cd owns anything Galactic has released in recent memory. Yeah it's a drummer's project, but this is a band cd all the way. The music is funky, and although Stanton's from New Orleans, this is not strictly a Nola affair. I will say this trio plays their collective ass off on this cd; and I hope they collaborate more in the future, in the studio (they did play a run of live shows, the night in San Fran was great - a double bill with Anders Osborne).

 * Willie Nelson - Country Music
http://amzn.to/ieQwqL
First off, this is Willie's 81st studio cd in 49 years! That is simply a mind-boggling stat, period. To be doing it for half a decade, and still be as relevant (artistically) as he is, well that just doesn't happen often. This cd was produced by T-Bone Burnett, and features plenty of Nashville heavyweights; including Buddy Miller, Stuart Duncan, and Ronnie McCoury, to name a few… This is great country music, easily the best I have heard since Willie's "Asleep at the Wheel" cd from last year; but take that comment with a grain of salt, because I am not a huge country fan and am pretty selective in that genre of music. Anyway, 15 tunes, some Willie Nelson originals, some covers (Ernest Tubb, Merle Travis, Doc Watson, George Jones and Ray Price, and others), and some old school traditional tunes; including a sweet "Nobody's Fault but Mine" to end the cd with.

 * Anders Osborne - American Patchwork
http://amzn.to/hdvzMs
Anders is new to me, I am still discovering him… On one hand he is a gifted guitarist, a musician's musician, capable of blistering frenzied slide runs; and on the other hand he's a singer/songwriter from New Orleans whose other gig is professional songwriter in Nashville since the mid 90's (country star Tim McGraw had a #1 hit with one of his songs, and he co-wrote 2 songs with Keb Mo on Keb's Grammy winning "Slow Down" cd in 1999) . This is his debut release on Alligator Records; and joining him is Robert Walter on various keyboards/keyboard bass, Pepper Keenan on guitars and vocals, and Stanton Moore on drums. This cd has a little bit of everything: Blues (the opening track, "On the Road to Charlie Parker" is burning), rock, funky Nola grooves, even some reggae/calypso; with great, sometimes dark, and introspective lyrics. This is Anders' homage to New Orleans.

* Robert Plant - Band of Joy
http://amzn.to/gmQpfx
At 17 years old, I was a bona fide Led Zeppelin fanatic. If I wasn't driving all over the state of TN to record conventions, in order to buy bootleg concert albums; I was trading cassette copies with people all over the world, via classified advertisements in Goldmine magazine. My daily attire for several years was completed with a brown light-weather army jacket, with a large Swansong winged dude airbrushed on the back. I have seen both Page and Plant solo and together (no live Zep for me though) a number of times, starting in 1983 to most recently 2005. At one time I considered Robert Plant pompous and arrogant for not wanting to go on tour with a new Led Zeppelin. Now I completely understand his logic. Bonzo is dead and buried for 31 years, and Mr. Plant continues to grow as an artist. His music is still evolving and I can understand why he would consider a Zep tour a step backwards. Incidentally, "Band of Joy" was a band he was in prior to Led Zeppelin, along with John Bonham. While Robert is accompanied by all Nashville Heavyweights, like the Allison Krauss collaborated "Raisin' Sand" cd, "Band of Joy" is more rock and roll… I still hear roots and Americana, but it's less folkie. Produced by Buddy Miller, Robert on lead vocals, Buddy on guitar, Patty griffin - vocals, Byron House on bass, Darrel Scott on various stringed instruments, and Marco Giovino on drums. By the way, and in case you didn't know it, Buddy Miller is badass. Only 1 Plant penned tune here (co-written with Buddy Miller), some of the covers are traditional, some are more well known than others; and the cd opens with "Angel Dance" by Los Lobos.

* 7 Walkers (Self Titled)
http://amzn.to/i4Sllm
Let me start by saying I am pretty heavily into the Grateful Dead, and GD drummer Bill Kreutzmann is on this; so I am biased. However, this cd was produced by singer/songwriter/guitarist Papa Mali, a New Orleans area native now based in Austin, and he is a heavyweight himself. The full lineup is Papa Mali (guitar and vocals), Matt Hubbard (keyboards, harmonica, trombone), funky George Porter Jr. (bass, 1 track), and Reed Mathis (bass, the rest of the tracks), and Bill Kreutzmann (drums). Willie Nelson also sings and plays guitar on "King Cotton Blues." All words were co-written by Papa Mali and Grateful Dead lyricist Robert Hunter. In my humble opinion, this is by far the best album featuring any Grateful Dead member since Jerry died. However, this music veers much more in the direction of New Orleans music then it does the Grateful Dead; although I bet fans of both will like this. Papa Mali's 2007 release "Do Your Thing" was one of my favorites that year, and I was wondering if he would be able to top it with his next release… Well, this is the closest thing to his next release and I believe he has.

* Soulive - Rubber Soulive
http://amzn.to/haULd2
Soulive cd's have been hit or miss for me. I prefer their straight guitar/organ/drums instrumental side, versus horn sections and guest vocalists and MC's…. This one is straight trio, doing all Beatles tunes; and yes, it's a hit. If you've been "on the fence" regarding Soulive these last few years, like me, you should give this one a listen; especially if you're a Beatles fan.

* Triple Fret - Songs in Borrowed Time
http://bit.ly/fmla6v
More NC music here. Triple Fret is Mike Babyak's Band. I am pretty sure He wrote 11 of the 12 tunes (at least the lyrics), although the whole (very tight) band is credited on the cd, speaking of which: Mike Babyak on guitar, lap steel, and vocals - Mike Rosado on drums - E. Scott Warren on bass. Also, guest appearances by Jim Kost on keyboards, John Metcalfe on miscellaneous percussion, and several background vocalists. This cd straddles a lot of different genres, there's a bit of everything here... I hear blues, roots and Americana, some reggae, straight rock and roll, jamband like vehicles, even a little Afro-Caribbean. If you are a fan of lap steel then this cd should be moved immediately to the top of your queue, as there is plenty of it all over this excellent recording. Are you a Steve Kimock fan? David Lindley? If so, you will very much dig this music. Lyrically, the cd covers a lot of different subjects, some serious, nothing too heavy, some just fun. Vocally, I do hear North Carolina, Mike's voice is sometimes raspy, and at times I am reminded of John Bell and maybe Lowell George. This cd is a great listen and highly recommended.

* Trombone Shorty - BACKATOWN
http://amzn.to/gzZACz
I got turned onto Trombone Shorty when he played a set @ Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival back in July. As good as their live show is, this excellently produced studio effort matches it, musically and "energy wise" too; killer Nola funk and soul/R&B, this is music designed to make you shake that ass! All but 1 tune are originals, and the cover was written by Allen Toussaint. Troy "Trombone Shorty" Andrews has a great band backing him (and some heavyweight guests sitting in); whether they're laying down a thick groove, or going off on an instrumental jam, this band brings it.

* The Derek Trucks Band - Roadsongs
http://amzn.to/hpLDgC
If you know me, any dTb inclusion on my list is no surprise; especially a live recording, as I have been preaching about this particular lineup of the dTb for several years now. In my opinion this is/was consistently the tightest touring rock band out there - Derek Trucks on guitar, Todd Smallie on bass, Yonrico Scott on drums, Kofi Burbridge on keyboards/flute, Mike Mattison on vocals, and Count M'butu on percussion; and on this particular night in Chicago they were augmented by a 3 piece horn section. Although dTb is a rock band and this is a rock album, stylistically the dTb crosses over many genres; and my favorite moments take place during the jazz tunes. This cd is worth picking up alone for the killer version of "Afro Blue..." But less adventurous ears not so much into the out stuff will find plenty to like here too. In closing, any live dTb is top shelf… Speaking of which, anybody heard anything about this band ending their hiatus and going back on the road?!?

 * Doug Wamble (Self Titled)
http://amzn.to/eAKPmQ
I am not sure if this recording falls under rock, jazz, or pop; but at the end of the day Doug Wamble is another relatively unknown and very badass guitarist from TN, now living in NY. This cd is yet another Lee Townsend produced masterpiece, and I heard about it via a plug from Charlie Hunter (who plays on one track)… Although he's better known for his acoustic and slide playing, there is some fine electric guitar all over this album. Doug also sings, and although there are plenty of great moments of lead guitar and improv, this is a song based cd. Definitely worth seeking out, as is his '05 release "Bluestate" on Branford Marsalis' record label (http://amzn.to/etGTqJ).

 * Yakuza - Of Seismic Consequence
http://amzn.to/el9KyG
Heavy music from Chicago… I found this cd at Reckless Records, which is a very cool store on the north side, Belmont and Broadway (3126 N. Broadway). Their "thing" is, in addition to the bins of cd's to browse through, their walls are literally covered with cd's in completely random order of varying genres, that have little index cards taped to them noting descriptions/recommendations from staff. I have discovered some great music from that wall, including this cd; and that is an experience that in no way can be reproduced when you buy all your music online… Anyway, back to this cd: It's pretty interesting stuff. This is their 5th album - I haven't heard the earlier ones. There are too many metal subgenres for me to keep up with, and my limited research found this album being classified under several different ones: avant garde progressive metal, post-apocalyptic hardcore, grindcore; with elements of jazz and world music. I read that the death metal cookie-monster vocals were more prevalent on their earlier albums, but Singer Bruce Lamont has eased up to focus on his secret weapon: The saxophone! Some of the more mellow tunes with heavily reverberated guitars remind me of Opeth, and the dominant berserk sax reminds me of 70's era King Crimson (a good thing); but overall this band sounds very unique, and at least on this particular cd, they have their own thing happening for sure.

Honorable Mentions
* Hill Country Revue - Zebra Ranch
http://amzn.to/h43ZsY
This is a North Mississippi Allstar's side project; including Cody Dickinson on guitar and vocals along with his drums and washboard/percussion, Luther Dickinson on guitar, and bunch of other Cats including Roosevelt Collier on pedal steel. I hear a strong southern rock influence, swampy Mississippi music, lots of slide guitar, a bit of funk; and parts of this remind me of Frank Marino, and Pat Travers (pre-Shrapnel records). They include a couple covers: Going Down, and Wild Horses. Incidentally, their father Jim Dickinson played on the original Wild Horses. The only reason this cd didn't make my top 20 is a couple of the more "radio friendly" tunes lyrically/vocally remind me a little bit too much of 38 Special, but that could just be me… Still, at the end of the day, I love this cd.

 * Smokin' Joe Kubek and Bnois King - Have Blues Will Travel
http://amzn.to/dMGW2B
These Cats have been recording cd's together for 20 years and are (IMO) unheralded royalty in the blues community. This is their 2nd Alligator Records release. There is plenty of tasty slide and lead guitar all over this latest effort. Nothing groundbreaking here - Just more Texas blues, but they are masters of their craft… The opening title track is reminiscent of early ZZ Top. Some of the lyrics on this cd are a little too "tongue in cheek" for me, but the strong guitarwork makes up for it… To summarize, Smokin' Joe and Bnois both play the shit out of the blues; and Texas blues aficionado's and fans of guitar in the vein of Hendrix, Freddie King (whom Joe backed up on rhythm guitar), Stevie Ray, Chris Duarte, etc will dig this cd.

* Railroad Earth (Self Titled)
http://amzn.to/hF8dKH
RR is one of the rare jamgrass bands that don't bore me senseless after 30 minutes (SCI?). In fact, I have been following these Cats for about 5 years now and own all their cd's. Although their product is usually and rightly in the bluegrass section, like their last release "Amen Corner" this cd is IMO more roots/Americana and less bluegrass compared to their earlier recordings. The band is still very tight, and there is plenty of great storytelling and jamming guitar, violin, and mandolin to treat your ears to.

* Widespread Panic - Dirty Side Down
http://amzn.to/dNcm0H
This cd didn't initially grab me; I got sucked in after listening to it quite a few times and then catching their 3 night run in Oakland back in October. The production is great, Jimmy Herring is continuing to gel with the band and sounding less like a hired gun… But as good as this cd is, it doesn't match what I still consider to be the best Panic cd's: Space Wrangler, Mom's Kitchen, Everyday, Ain't Life Grand, and 'Til the Medicine Takes - That is why it didn't make my top 20. That being said, most old school Panic fans AND Panic newbies should dig this music.

 * Vinnie Zummo - Swinging Guitar Sounds Of Young America: Volume 2
http://bit.ly/ff5m0p
I discovered Vinnie around 2007, via Myspace! He's based in NYC and best known as Joe Jackson's guitar player. He is yet another badass NYC musician, one of the more unknown guitarists on my radar, deserving of wider recognition, and also a very adept drummer (he plays accordion and harmonica too). There are guests a plenty on this cd too. Too many to list all of them, but here a few of them: Shawn Pelton, Mark Egan, Mike Mainieri, and John Sebastian (Lovin' Spoonful)… I am still absorbing this recently released cd, it's a lot of different styles of music to take in. This cd is meant to be a tribute to his musical heroes, and it's fun to pick out who inspired which tunes. I am hearing some Jeff Beck, BB King, Cream, Jimi, some Beatles (nobody does the George Harrison slide sound better), Patsy Cline, John Abercrombie, and some Elvin Jones to start with... I also recommend his 2006 release SGSOYA Volume 1 (http://bit.ly/hCjTUw).


If I had to pick a favorite cd of 2010, I would say it's a tie between Anders Osborne, and Trombone Shorty; with the 7 Walkers not far behind.
Other realizations I made, or was reminded of, while composing this blog (aside from the fact I spend too much money on music):
* I Like Rounder Records (Willie, and Robert Plant)
* I Like Alligator Records (Mofro, Anders, and Smokin' Joe)
* 2010 was the year of Nobody's Fault but Mine (recorded by Frisell, Willie, and Vegas crooner Tom Jones).
* I still consider Lee Townsend a superstar producer.
* I should consider relocating to Nola, or at least try to make it to Jazzfest this year!
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