CD Review – The Luminous Pearl, by Lia Scallon

The title is more than just the name of another album. In this case, it refers to a specific object of sacred significance that has been passed down from one generation to another, finally making its way into vocalist Lia Scallon’s possession and present during the recording of this unique CD.

So the Luminous Pearl is also the muse for Scallon’s unique brand of vocal artistry, which is as focused and heartfelt as ever. Scallon’s alternately soft-spoken and direct, driven vocal nuances both command your attention and set your mind at ease. The subtle instrumentation supporting Scallon’s voice contributes to the serene and tranquil atmosphere of the recording.

The album is more special than most in its packaging and design, which is abundant and luxurious. The packaging consists of a digipak with a big booklet, all featuring a deep blue color scheme that is as luminescent as the pearl of the title.

Those who appreciate unique vocal artistry and subtle new age sounds will enjoy this CD.

--Raj Manoharan

TV – Weekly William Shatner Double "Bill": Double the Bill, Double the Thrill

If you’re as much of a Shatfan as I am, then you’ll be thrilled to know that you can watch William Shatner several times a week in all his scenery-chewing and over-the-top gut-busting glory in two different decades in two different uniforms in two different hairstyles (or hairpieces?).

First up, Shatner’s heyday (shortly before he became a self-parodying, perpetually wealth-generating cottage industry unto himself) came in the 1980s, when—at the same time he was reprising his role as James T. Kirk in the Star Trek movies—he pounded the pavement and cleaned the streets of slimy scum as the titular no-nonsense police sergeant in T.J. Hooker, airing several weeknights at 7:00 p.m., several mornings at 3:00 a.m., and Fridays at 7:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m. on Universal HD.

Shatner as a uniformed police officer is about as high-concept as you can get, making this the best cop show of all time. Shatner often gets touted for his peerless hood jumping, but he was quite adept behind the wheel as well. He could drift (brake-skidding the car on fast turns) with the best of them, even when it wasn't necessary. And who could forget that Shatastic ‘80s perm? (Was it real or was it a hairpiece? Find out at www.shatnerstoupee.blogspot.com.) The series also stars the adorably smug Adrian Zmed, a very fresh-faced Heather Locklear, and Shatner’s fellow aging pretty boy James Darren.

Then, catch Shatner two decades earlier in his first iteration of Captain Kirk in the original Star Trek television series, which airs Saturdays at 9:00 p.m. on Me TV (Memorable Entertainment Television). Nothing beats Shatner hamming philosophic about the quandaries of mankind’s place in the universe, all the while sporting a ‘60s-style“straight-laced” coiffure (again—real or fake? Check out www.shatnerstoupee.blogspot.com). Shatner’s partners in pop cultural perpetuity include Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelley, James Doohan, Walter Koenig, Nichelle Nichols, and George Takei.

So don’t forget to enjoy William Shatner in two of his most memorable TV roles. Tune in five nights (and four early mornings) a week, same Shat time, same Shat channel! (Actually, that's five different times on two different channels.)

--Raj Manoharan

TV – Retro TV Roundup

If the current slate of programming on broadcast, cable, satellite, and pay TV hasn’t caught your fancy, there are plenty of old favorites to catch up and relive the good old days with on the slew of retro television networks that are booming in popularity.

First up, you can watch William Shatner in all his scenery-chewing and over-the-top gut-busting glory in two different decades in two different uniforms. Shatner’s heyday (shortly before he became a self-parodying, perpetually wealth-generating cottage industry unto himself) came in the 1980s, when—at the same time he was reprising his role as James T. Kirk in the Star Trek movies—he pounded the pavement and cleaned the streets of slimy scum as no-nonsense police sergeant T.J. Hooker.

Shatner as a uniformed police officer is about as high-concept as you can get, making this the best cop show of all time. Shatner often gets touted for his peerless hood jumping, but he was quite adept behind the wheel as well. He could drift (brake-skidding the car on fast turns) with the best of them, even when it wasn't necessary. The series, which also stars the adorably smug Adrian Zmed, a very fresh-faced Heather Locklear, and fellow aging pretty boy James Darren, airs several weeknights at 7:00 p.m., several mornings at 3:00 a.m., and Fridays at 7:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m. on Universal HD.

Then, catch Shatner two decades earlier in his first iteration of Captain Kirk in the original Star Trek television series, which airs Saturdays at 9:00 p.m. on Me TV (Memorable Entertainment Television). Nothing beats Shatner hamming philosophic about the quandaries of mankind’s place in the universe. Remarkably, 47 years after the show’s debut, with the exception of DeForest Kelley (Dr. McCoy) and James Doohan (Scotty), the other five main cast members are still with us.

By the way, if you love classic television, Me TV should be your first and last stop on the dial. In addition to featuring scores of classic television shows, the network features brilliant commercials touting its various slogans composed entirely of expertly spliced-together clips from all of its shows. Some of the stars and guest stars of those shows even pop up in network promos as themselves or their former characters. This is the ultimate TV channel for the ultimate TV fan.

Weekdays on Me TV, Jack Webb and Harry Morgan just want the facts as Los Angeles plainclothes detectives Joe Friday and Bill Gannon on Dragnet from 4:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Then, Martin Milner and Kent McCord patrol the streets of Los Angeles as Officers Pete Malloy and Jim Reed on Adam-12 from 4:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Adam-12 also airs Saturdays on Me TV from 6:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., followed by Dragnet from 6:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

 

Saturdays on Me TV, Adam West and Burt Ward star as the caped-crusading dynamic duo Batman and Robin, who race in the Batmobile to save Gotham City from a comical cavalcade of costumed crackpots, with little help from a hilariously inept police force, in the 1960s pop cultural phenomenon Batman. The show airs at 7:00 p.m. and is followed by Irwin Allen’s Lost in Space at 8:00 p.m. and Star Trek at 9:00 p.m.

You can take your pick of Michael Keaton, Val Kilmer, George Clooney, or Christian Bale as the various Dark Knights (Keaton and Bale are my personal favorite modern movie Batmen), but no matter what the fanboys naysay, Adam West (who also played Batman on the big screen) made the most indelible and lasting mark of any of them on pop culture. He is the one Batman to rule them all.

Check your local listings or go online to learn about all the great classic shows airing on Antenna TV, Me TV, TV Land, and Universal HD.

--Raj Manoharan

CD Review – Getaway, by Lisa Hilton

Now this is a piano jazz trio.

 

Veteran jazz pianist Lisa Hilton hits another one out of the park with this fine, elegant CD featuring her veteran collaborators Larry Grenadier on bass and Nasheet Waits on drums and percussion. Aside from covers of “Stormy Monday Blues” and Adele’s “Turning Tables,” the album showcases Hilton’s snappy, original compositions, which are perfectly suited to the piano jazz trio format. And the sound quality is so crisp and clear, it sounds like you’re right in the studio with Hilton, Grenadier, and Waits, or in the front row at an intimate live venue.

 

I’ve seen mentions of Hilton being in the same league as such classic jazz pianists as Dave Brubeck, Bill Evans, and Keith Jarrett, and such comparisons are merited. However, there is one name I haven’t read in conjunction with Hilton before (perhaps because I may have missed it) that kept popping into my head as I listened to the record: Vince Gauraldi.

 

Gauraldi was an accomplished jazz pianist who worked in a trio format among others, and he is most famous for scoring and performing the soundtracks to the original Charlie Brown animated specials of the 1960s and early 1970s. For me, no other jazz pianist has come close to emulating Gauraldi’s brilliance. That is, until now. If I were producing new Charlie Brown animated projects, my first pick to score and perform the soundtracks would be Lisa Hilton.

 

This is a classy CD from a class act.

 

--Raj Manoharan

CD Review – Hokulea, by AOMUSIC

On their fourth release, as always, AOMUSIC prove that their brand of world pop/rock is truly global, utilizing the talents of musicians and singers from around the world.

 

AOMUSIC consists of Richard Gannaway on stringed instruments, Miriam Stockley (the voice of Adiemus) on vocals, and Jay Oliver on keyboards and synthesizers. The trio is assisted by accomplished session musicians recorded in their various local studios from all over the planet, as are the guest singers. Many of the vocals, which are a combination of English, foreign, and phonetics, are also provided by children’s choirs in America, Africa, Ireland, and Nepal.

 

The songs, which are primarily invigorating power ballads, are broad and universal in their appeal and full of uplifting joy. The fact that they are brought to life by different people across borders and continents makes this album a truly rich, diverse expression of unity.

 

--Raj Manoharan

CD Review – Intuition, by Dan Kennedy

Dan Kennedy’s latest release is a pleasant collection of contemporary instrumental tunes that features great musicianship from a solid lineup of accomplished players.

 

This CD establishes Kennedy as a creative and dynamic composer, a gifted keyboardist, and a very effective bandleader.

 

The snappy and elegant compositions by Kennedy are brought to life by the artist’s graceful piano playing and lush synthesizer textures, with fantastic support provided by David Cullen on guitar and bass, Jeff Haynes on percussion, Jill Haley on English horn, Mehuman Jonson on vocals, Premik Russell Tubbs on alto saxophone, and Steve Holley on drums and percussion.

 

The result is an album of fine instrumental pop jazz that should engage fans of the genre.

 

--Raj Manoharan