The
latest album from world-renowned pianist StevenVitali showcases the
artist's immense talents in a variety of musical settings.
The
CD features 17 tracks that range from sensitive and thoughtful to
sweeping and grandiose, with elements of industrial and techno thrown
in for good measure.
The
instrumentation on each song includes everything from a single piano
to various combinations of keyboards, guitars, drums, and percussion.
The
result is a sonic prism that filters the many facets of Steven
Vitali's creative expression, which will be appreciated by piano
enthusiasts as well as fans of music in general.
--Raj
Manoharan
Lea
Longo's latest album is a buoyant take on world/new age music.
The
CD contains 10 tracks that blend pop singing and songwriting with
Indian mantras as perfectly as possible.
Longo
has a classic, straightforward, and natural voice that puts today's
synthetic, auto-tuned pop princesses to shame, resulting in great
vocals regardless of whether she's singing English or Indian lyrics.
The
album also has a fantastic sound, thanks to the talents of Radford
Crasto on guitars and sitar, Andy Dacoulis on guitars, Alexandre
Laoie on flute, Shawn Mativetsky on tabla, Alex Paquette on bass,
Allister Philip on Fender Rhodes, and Jesse Tolbert on drums,
percussion, guitar, synthesizer bass, and keyboards.
If
you're looking for engaging pop music with depth, as well as an
exciting alternative to the hackneyed mainstream, this is it.
--Raj
Manoharan
At
long last, the much-anticipated follow-up to Andy Summers and Robert
Fripp's seminal, iconic, progressive experimental albums I Advance
Masked and Bewitched is here – except this time, it's
all Andy.
As
befits his first fully independent, self-released solo recording,
Summers truly goes it alone, composing all the music and playing all the instruments himself,
including bass, keyboards, drums, and percussion. Summers pulls it off so well that it's easy to forget that he's the only musician in the studio. Of course, as
always, his guitars, as well as other stringed instruments, are the focal point of the proceedings, with Summers producing exquisite, elegant leads, rhythms, and solos, covering a range of styles from blues and funk to jazz and rock.
While
the 10-track collection definitely has the spirit and elements of the
previously mentioned Fripp collaborations, as well as Summers' solo
instrumental albums Mysterious Barricades, The Golden
Wire, and Synaesthesia, it is at the same time fresh and original.
This
is unlike anything Summers has done before, with its variety of
textures, tempos, and time signatures. But Andy's classic sounds pop
up here and there, reassuring us that our guitar god is still present
as ever.
Although
every composition is stirring, my favorites are “Ishango Bone,”
“Bitter Honey,” and especially “Harmonograph,” with its
slithery, electronic lead guitar. These are the most conventional
sounding “songs” on the album, and even then they're
unconventional. In a sense, Summers has come full circle from his
eclectic musings on the track “Circe's Island” from David
Bedford's 1976 album The Odyssey.
In
its review of Summers' 1995/1996 release Synaesthesia,
Entertainment Weekly wrote, “With Andy Summers, even if you
expect the unexpected, you'll still be surprised.” This has been
true of each and every project by Summers, and the epic, groundbreaking Metal Dog is
certainly no exception.
--Raj
Manoharan
When
I saw veteran actor Irwin Keyes' picture recently due to his passing,
I immediately thought, “That looks like Hugo, George Jefferson's
bodyguard from The Jeffersons.”
Turns
out, that was Hugo!
Although
I don't remember seeing Keyes in his many notable film and television
roles
since then, I never forgot his appearances on The
Jeffersons. Any actor that can
make such a memorable impression on me that I can instantly recognize
a picture of him over three decades later is a giant in my book.
It
would be a kick if Keyes was
up there keeping a close
eye on Sherman Hemsley.
--Raj
Manoharan
Snatam
Kaur presents another album of Eastern devotions and meditations
featuring her pleasant vocalizations of ethnic lyrics over Western
style instrumentation and music.
Kaur
also plays harmonium, and she is joined by Thomas Barquee on
keyboards and vocals, Sheela Bringi on flute, Ajeet Kaur on vocals,
Sri Kirtan on bass and guitar, Sukhmani Kaur Rayat on tabla, Luigi
Recca on drums and percussion, Simone Sello on guitar, John Stephens
on sitar, and Cameron Stone on cello.
Thanks
to the singer-songwriter style of the music, this is another
accessible and enjoyable sample of Eastern culture and tradition.
--Raj
Manoharan
This
album of Eastern meditations and mantras sung by Ajeet Kaur has a
singer-songwriter vibe to it, thanks to the folksy, new age styling
of guitarist Todd Boston.
In
addition to providing vocals, Kaur plays harmonium and piano, and
Boston also plays flute, percussion, and sarod.
Adding
to the lush, layered, and textured sound are Hans Christian on cello,
Ramesh Kannan on percussion, Snatum Kaur on vocals, Ramdass Khalsa on
clarinet, piano, and vocals, and Sukhmani Kaur Rayat on tabla.
This
is an enlightening and accessible take on Eastern culture and
tradition framed in a Western musical setting.
--Raj
Manoharan
Below
is a link to what appears to be a product description, or press
release even, of Andy Summers' new solo album Metal Dog,
which is scheduled to be released on July 14.
The
site looks like a fan listing for The Police and its members, Sting,
Summers, and Stewart Copeland. It's even called LiSting. Get it?
Based
on the editorial description, as well as images of the CD at the link
to Amazon, the record might
be similar in tone and concept to Summers' 1995/1996 release
Synaesthesia.
We
should find out in a couple of weeks' time.
http://www.listing-fansite.com/news/854-andy-summers-new-album-metal-dog
--Raj
Manoharan
Although
I’ve never been a huge fan of Glen Campbell, I acknowledge him as
an undisputed, unmistakable icon. He’s always been a solid
performer, even to almost the very end, which is captured on film in
the extremely touching, moving, and ultimately life-affirming
documentary, Glen Campbell: I’ll Be Me, currently
playing on CNN.
The
picture follows Campbell and his family as they prepare for a U.S.
tour to promote his album Ghost on the Canvas. However, just
before they hit the road, they receive the devastating diagnosis that
Campbell is suffering from the early onset of Alzheimer's disease.
What
ensues is an intimate, no-holds-barred look at a man who fights with
every ounce of his dignity and pride to deliver for his loving family
and his devoted fans, one last time.
Now
billed as the Goodbye Tour, the cross-country jaunt sees Campbell
experience both triumphs and trials, with the musical road trip also
serving as a journey of self-discovery.
Watching
this legend struggle with this debilitating illness is humbling, and
yet watching him bask in the unconditional love of his adoring
audiences, even as he falters, provides an emotionally rejuvenating
catharsis.
I
thought viewing this film would leave me with sadness, and at times
it can be disheartening. But no film, television program, or music
album in recent years has brought a bigger smile to my face than this
documentary has. This is the feel-good movie of the year, and
definitely one of the most positive, heartwarming films of all time.
Highlights
include onstage and backstage at The Tonight Show with
Jay Leno, interviews with family and friends, and, of course, the
music.
As
of this writing, Glen Campbell is living in a memory support
community, where he is receiving the care he needs, with his family
close by. This documentary couldn't have come at a better time,
ensuring his legacy for posterity.
Appreciate
this man now, while he’s still with us, at least physically.
Do
the same for your loved ones.
--Raj
Manoharan
The Summer of Andy
Summers kicks off with the July 14 release of the legendary
guitarist's latest solo album as well as the DVD/Blu-ray release of a
Police documentary based on his memoir.
Summers recently
concluded a successful U.S. screening and speaking tour promoting
Can't Stand Losing You: Surviving the Police, a documentary
based on his 2006 autobiography One Train Later and
chronicling his career from the 1960s psychedelic pop scene to the
height of global success with The Police in the 1980s.
The film features
archival footage and interviews with the band in their late
1970s/early 1980s heyday, as well as highlights of their massively
popular 2007-2008 world reunion tour. The DVD and Blu-ray include
audio commentary from Summers and co-producer Norman Golightly and
additional short films and photographs.
Also available on
the same day is Summers' new CD, intriguingly entitled Metal Dog.
The album marks Summers' first solo release in over a decade and his first instrumental release in eight years. It's
also his 11th original studio album, his 13th
solo album, and his 21st non-Police album.
The new record might
very well be Summers' first truly solo project, as he plays all the
instruments himself. A free preview track, “Qualia,” is available
at www.andysummers.com and
www.soundcloud.com.
Let the Metal Dog
days of summer begin!
--Raj
Manoharan
