Sur la scène musicale depuis plus d’une trentaine d’années déjà, Maria Muldaur réussit toujours à produire des pièces très originales. Née en 1943 dans le Greenwich Village de New York, l’influence américaine se fait fortement sentir sur son plus récent album Music For Lovers. Bien qu’étant en principe une chanteuse de blues, elle incorpore aussi dans ses œuvres d’autres surprises très agréables. La première pièce de l’album, intitulée « Fanning the Flames », nous entraîne dans un blues rythmé, ajoutant des voix de gospel au passage. Complété par le thème classique de l’amour brûlant, ce morceau est un mariage subtil et admirable des courants tout à fait dans l’esprit des anciens musiciens du jazz. Leur intention était toujours d’élargir leur gamme sonore, tout en gardant les racines de leur pays d’origine. Maria Muldaur a donc accompli cette mission en allant sans crainte du blues au country, tout en passant par l’inévitable improvisation jazz. Cependant, sa signature de musique d’ambiance sensuelle (qui lui a d’ailleurs rapporté le disque de platine aux États-Unis en 1975 pour son album éponyme) ne perd pas de sa force tout au long des quelque cinquante-cinq minutes de Music For Lovers. Une œuvre à déguster à la flamme des chandelles et en compagnie intime.

Kid A
Radiohead . BMG
Par : Anna

L’anticipation était grande pour le dernier-né de Radiohead (intitulé très à propos Kid A), vu que ce groupe britannique n’avait pas sorti de nouvel album depuis plus de trois ans. Le premier jour de sa vente officielle, des milliers d’admirateurs acharnés se sont précipités dans les magasins pour assouvir cette soif qui les a torturés pendant si longtemps. Une fois en possession de ce précieux trésor, ils n’attendaient plus que le moment des retrouvailles avec le son si familier des guitares parfois marginales du quintette anglais. Surprise totale! L’instrumentation habituelle (guitare, basse, piano) ne devient sur cette quatrième tentative de Radiohead qu’un souvenir bien lointain. Les dix morceaux sont interprétés uniquement avec des synthétiseurs, des ordinateurs, bref tout un éventail de jouets de haute technologie. L’emphase est portée sur les percussions et la voix du chanteur n’est qu’un écho à peine intelligible. Lorsque l’auditeur l’aborde pour la première fois, il s’en trouve indiscutablement renversé. Même les amateurs les plus hardis du groupe (qui ont suivi son évolution depuis le premier album Pablo Honey en 1993) s’en voient très confus. C’est comme s’ils avaient soudain perdu leur idole, comme si ces nouvelles mélodies n’appartenaient plus vraiment à leur groupe préféré. Cependant, à force de réécouter l’album plusieurs fois, ils se rendent compte que la beauté de Radiohead n’a pas disparu, elle a tout simplement évolué. Le disque est en effet assez peu accessible pour la masse, mais une fois que la glace est brisée, Kid A devient très rapidement un de nos disques favoris. Aspirant toujours à l’anti-commercialité, le groupe a réussi son coup tout en attirant les exclamations (et surtout les acclamations) des critiques de toute la planète.

Motor City Moments
Regina Carter / Verve
Par : Anna

Pour la violoniste Regina Carter, le titre de son quatrième album revêt une importance capitale. Motor City Moments renvoie à la ville de l’automobile par excellence : Detroit. C’est en effet son lieu natal et la source dont elle puise sa force. Pour comprendre l’importance que Detroit a pour elle, il faut se pencher sur son histoire. À partir du début du vingtième siècle et pendant de nombreuses années, cette ville représentait le symbole du progrès, rassemblant des gens des quatre coins du monde. Tous étaient à la recherche de la fortune, aspirant à travailler dans les usines de voiture nouvellement construites, métier très prestigieux à l’époque. Devenant le refuge d’une aussi grande variété de personnes, il n’est nullement étonnant que la scène musicale s’y soit également fortement développée. Ayant grandi à Detroit, Regina Carter a eu ainsi la possibilité de rencontrer une multitude de cultures et d’être influencée par elle. Même si la ville connaît aujourd’hui un certain déclin, dû à la fermeture de plusieurs grandes usines locales et au départ de la maison de disques Motown, l’héritage si longtemps développé persiste. Il se transmet désormais par les professeurs comme Marcus Belgrave ou Barry Harris. Bien entendu, la saveur particulière de Detroit est répandue de par le monde entier par d’innombrables grands noms de la musique qui en sont originaires. Se comptant avec fierté parmi eux, Regina Carter tient beaucoup à ses racines et le souligne par d’excellentes mélodies plaintives incorporées avec grande beauté dans un jazz moderne et plein de vie.

The Ultimate Singer / Songwriter Collection
Various Artists / Warner Music
By: Yorg

The Ultimate Singer / Songwriter Collection CD will probably find its way under countless Christmas trees this season. The music on this double CD set features music from countless renowned musicians; the featured selections are sensational. Since most of you are probably familiar with the majority of the selections on this disc, it may be easier to just specify the selections; I’ll mention a few of my favourites. America - A Horse With No Name, Harry Chapin - Cat’s In The Cradle, Van Morrison - Brown Eyed Girl, Leonard Cohen - Suzanne, Bob Dylan - Lay Lady Lay, Al Stewart - Year Of The Cat, Jim Croce - Time In A Bottle, Rickie Lee Jones - Chuck E’s In Love, J.J. Cale - Crazy Mama, Tom Waits - Ol’ 55, Elton John - Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, Eric Clapton - I Shot The Sheriff, Jackson Browne - The Pretender, Randy Newman - You Can Leave Your Hat On, Blue Rodeo - Try, Don McLean - American Pie; this list gives you a clear indication of the superb music you will take pleasure in on this 32 track double CD collection. Warner Music has an impressive tradition of compiling best of compilations. Previously Warner released “The Soul Collection I,” “Classic Country,” “Soul Collection II”. Enjoy this newest offering.

Spirit Of St.Louis
Manhattan Transfer / Atlantic
By: Yorg

Multi Grammy Award winners The Manhattan Transfer have joined in this year’s centennial celebration of Louis Armstrong’s birth date. However, Louis Armstrong’s actual birth date was August 4th, 1901 and not July 4th, 1900. Nevertheless, commercially July the 4th 1900 probably seems a much better fit. Of course this year’s Montreal International Jazz Festival also celebrated Satchmo’s (false) birth date. If you attended this year’s Manhattan Transfer Jazz Fest concert at Place des Arts you’ll probably recall the audience’s exuberant multi standing ovation reaction to the band’s second set, which featured the music of Louis Armstrong. Montreal was privileged to be the first city on the tour to hear The Transfer perform Satchmo’s classic songs. The Spirit of St. Louis features each of the four members of the band presenting their own personal interpretations of their favorite Satchmo tunes. Prior to the recording of this CD each band member brought in their favorite Armstrong songs for consideration. The ten songs chosen for the CD are: “Stompin’ At Mahogany Hall”, “The Blues Are Brewing”, “Sugar”, “A Kiss To Build A Dream On”, “Old Man Mose”, “New Orleans”, “Gone Fishin”, “Hotter Than That”, “Blue Again”, “When You Wish Upon A Star”. I was expecting the CD to include the well-known song “What A Wonderful World”; a last minute decision probably prompted the removal of the song. The Spirit Of St.Louis is The Manhattan Transfer’s eleventh release and it is fabulous, the band has brought new life into Armstrong’s halcyon era. Click here for orcasound’s exclusive interview with The Manhattan Transfer

Grand Slam
Jim Hall, Joe Lovano, George Mraz, Lewis Nash / Telarc
By: Yorg

Of course numerous Montrealers are familiar with Jim Hall and Joe Lovano, they are regular participants at our annual Jazz Fest. Hall and Lovano have performed together on several occasions. This time around the dynamic duo have joined forces with George Mraz (bass) and Lewis Nash (drums) who were the back beat in Tommy Flanagan’s trio. Mraz and Nash are so versatile they can fit into any musical configuration. Grand Slam features selections from the aforementioned all-star quartet that performed live at the Regattabar in Cambridge, Massachusetts from January 20-22, 2000. The opening selection “Slam” introduces the members of the band. Each member plays a few bars and then breaks while the musical phrase is continued by the other members, a type of point counter point if you will. “Say Hello To Calypso” is Hall’s Calypso tinged tribute to his term with sax great Sonny Rollins. Lovano’s “Blackwell’s Message” is his musical epitaph to drummer Ed Blackwell who passed away in 1992. This disc concludes with “Feel Free” which was actualized and completed at the Regattabar during their live performances there. This astounding CD conveys everything most of us look for in fine Jazz albums. The recording is clean and tonally accurate, the individual musical interactions are varied and interesting. If you appreciated Hall’s and Lovano’s past performances at the National Monument you will embrace this new release. Click here for orcasound’s exclusive Jim Hall interview

A Charlie Brown Christmas
Cyrus Chestnut and Friends / Atlantic
By: Yorg

On this, Cyrus Chestnut's sixth and latest Atlantic release, Chestnut bestows an exceptionally fitting tribute to Charles Schulz's classic Christmas television special (A Charlie Brown Christmas). Naturally Chestnut adds his own jazzy interpretations to all of these exceptional holiday selections. Whether you're a Peanuts fan, Christmas devotee or a jazz enthusiast you will enjoy this album. Chestnut performs 14 of our favorite Christmas songs on this compact disc. Noteworthy of mention are the all-star ensemble of musicians assembled on this recording. Cyrus Chestnut is joined in the studio by Michael Brecker, Don Alias, Stefon Harris, Wallace Roney, Gary Bartz, Kenny Garrett, Pat Martino, Steve Turre, Steve Cole, Steve Gadd, Christian Mcbride and the incredible Manhattan Transfer, multi platinum award winning singer Vanessa Williams and rhythm and blues sensation Brian McKnight contribute their voices. In the liner notes of his CD Chestnut mentions how connected he was to the Peanuts throughout his formative years. The television show was his first exposure to jazz and he was completely absorbed by everything related to Charlie Brown. In the last paragraph of the liner notes Chestnut conveys his sole disappointment, he writes; "I wish I could have personally handed Mr. Schulz and Mr. Guaraldi a copy of this record, but hopefully they are listening from heaven. This is not an attempt to recreate what was done. This record is a personal musical statement from my heart about "Me and Charlie Brown."

A Merry Little Christmas
Linda Ronstadt / Electra
By: Yorg

Step into your local record store and stare with awe at the new crop of holiday CDs, yes Christmas's impending arrival is evidenced here. Generally record companies begin distributing holiday albums in late September. Many holiday releases are available now, so it's quite baffling to pick the one that will fulfill your particular wants and needs. Linda Ronstadt's new Christmas album is fabulous and is among the most enjoyable that I've listened to so far this year. Ronstadt's rendition of "The Christmas Song", "I'll Be Home For Christmas" and "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas" are beautifully performed and stay true to their classic roots. Joni Mitchell's modern ode to Christmas ("River") sounds extravagant and is a worthy remake of Mitchell's original. "O Come, O Come," "Emmanuel," "Xicochi, Xicochi" and the remaining selections on the compact disc have a classical / choral emphasis to them. Ronstadt's new eclectic Christmas CD will be a delightful gift for any and all of her many fans.

Two Against Nature
Steely Dan / Warner Music
By: Yorg

Donald Fagen and Michael Becker met for the first time at Bard College in 1967. Little did they know that they would cause a major revolution in popular music within the next 10 years. Soulful vocals coupled with fusion jazz and rock gave Steely Dan their intensive and sophisticated signature sound.

Steely Dan is still "reeling in the years." The new album is incredibly nostalgic. But why fix it if it ain't broken. The cool saxophone phrasings of David Tofani, the unique and interesting guitar runs by Walter Becker are as alluring as ever. The sixth track "Jack Of Speed" shows airplay potential, yet slightly too long at 6:19 minutes. From the first track "Gaslighting Abbie" to the last "West Of Hollywood," all of the nine tracks groove. So rush out and buy this very enjoyable album, unless you were one of the lucky ones who won it at our web site, orcasound.com.

I witnessed Steely Dan and the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra perform together live a few years ago. They put on a marvelous concert. Steely Dan will be on tour this summer ( without the V.S.O. ), unfortunately they are not headed to Montreal. The closest locations are July 1, in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. and July 15, in Mansfield, Ma.

Early Days/Later Days
Led Zeppelin /Atlantic
By: Tal

Affording us all to relive that time in our lives when it seemed that Led Zeppelin ruled the world; Atlantic has released two compilation albums of the band's greatest hits. The first disc, appropriately entitled Early Days, is a collection of the songs that first established Zeppelin as a profound new force in Rock and Roll. With such awesome classics as "Dazedand Confused," "Black Dog," and "Stairway to Heaven," easily the most recognizable rock ballad of all time, Early Days captures the raw appeal of a band in the process of revolutionizing rock. The second disc, on the other hand, entitled Later Days, provides a portrayal of the band when they were more content to revolutionize music altogether. With tracks like " No Quarter, " "Kashmir," which includes an enhanced CD-Rom video, and "Achilles Last Stand," Zeppelin's evolution as a band is documented in a new style and vocalist Robert Plant's lyrics, moving towards more epic proportions. While the Early Days disc has the hits that first made Led Zeppelin famous, Later Days brings the groundbreaking tracks that made the band among history's most influential. Anyone who has found themselves harking back to the days when arena rock was king would most definitely be interested in enjoying the songs that made high school somewhat more bearable.

The Drum Battle
Gene Krupa and Buddy Rich / Verve Record
By: Tal

On September 13th, 1952 at Carnegie Hall in New York City, Gene Krupa and Buddy Rich, two of history's great jazz percussionists, shared a stage for what started as a classic jazz performance and eventually culminated intoan overwhelming one-on-one drum battle. Joined by many great musicians, including the legendary Ella Fitzgerald on "Perdido," this is jazz in the classic sense with a tight beat and great sound. "Idaho" is one such example of a classic jazz track with Willie Smith on alto saxophone and Hank Jones on piano, making up the Gene Krupa Trio. The title track of this album, "the Drum Battle," is without a doubt the highlight of this album as Krupa and Rich face off to see who is the undisputed king of the beat. Though there would be several similar showdowns in the proceeding years, this was the live performance that started it all. "Drum Boogie" is a song that is certainly deserving of its title as listening to this track
elicitsan undeniable urge to stomp one's foot and bob one's head. All in all, Verve Records has brought back what has proven to be a legendary concert performed by some of jazz's great artists.

i found love
Denzal Sinclaire / Universal Music
By : Yorg

Watch out; i found love; finally, Denzal Sinclaire's newest musical creation. This finely textured tour deforce features compositions by the Beatles, Roberta Flack and Burt Bacharach. Rediscover classic Beatles songs, including "Blackbird, Eleanor Rigby" and "The Fool On The Hill". Most worthy of mention are Sinclair's four original compositions; the title track, "I found love", chugs along like a freight train driving through the mist, it continually reinvents itself and invites us along to embrace what lies ahead. Sinclaire welcomes us in on the disc's first track, "A Lovely Way To Spend An Evening". He introduces us to what will become a thoroughly enjoyable musical journey. This sonically accurate recording makes you feel good, Sinclair is tuned in, his smooth vocal intonations and keyboard forays are pure bliss. Adding to Sinclaire's melodic synergy is long time collaborator, guitarist Bill Coon, with Darren Radtke on bass, Dave Robbins on drums and Campbell Ryga on saxophones; they blend together to form a harmonious collection of musicians able to do no wrong. Sinclaire wraps up his repertoire of songs with the very appropriate "A Wonderful Time". Sinclaire sings with sincerity and conviction: "Well it's late, I must be going, but before I go I'd like you to know, I've had a wonderful time." So have I. If you're into Sinatra, Coltrane, Sara Vaughan or Chet Baker you are bound to enjoy this very special recording.

Bette
Bette / Warner Music
By: Yorg

I'm torn, with a touch of uncertainty once again. I suppose that's the case with countless other chart topping music and film releases these days. Some of Bette Midler's selections on her newest release Bette are grandiose and without compromise nevertheless other tunes don't have the same result. As is my policy I will only give credence to the most engaging aspects of her new album. Midler's voice is still as full and sundry as ever. Her commanding vocal range, diversity and depth are uncanny. The musical accompaniment on this disk is outstanding. The second track on the CD is a Latin flavoured number called "In These Shoes"; it's authentic phrasings and fun lyrics make it an enjoyable tune to listen to. The third track is Bette's remake of Elvis Costello and Burt Bacharach's ode to sorrow and salvation "God Give Me Strength". Midler's steamy rendition of the classic "Just My Imagination " is soulful and a worthy remake of the original. There are several other notable songs on this sweet and sour release. Watch out for Midler's television sitcom slated for Wednesday nights on CBS. Several songs from this album will be featured on her new show.

Wonderbar
Martin Sexton / Warner Music
By:Heather

Although, Martin Sexton hails from Syracuse, New York the heart of America's bluesy south must have influenced his down to earth songwriting style. While listening to his latest CD Wonderbar, I noticed the smoothness and distinctiveness of his voice and how it lends itself to the purity of his songs. There's something tender yet raw about this artist's material, the honesty in his songwriting is immediately evident. The southern funky flavour of the song Casino Foundation reminded me of a stroll down Austin's 6th Street amid all it's bluesy bars. Martin Sexton, who now calls Boston his home, has a gift for creating straightforward guitar riffs, simple vocals and candid lyrics. She Cries and Sings is a fine example of his diversity and so is the song Things You Do. Hallelujah may sound familiar since it's already received radio airplay. Martin Sexton has created a collection of intimate songs and I look forward to seeing him perform live. Let's hope a show in Montreal will be added to his tour agenda sometime soon.

Chanchullo
Rubén González / Warner
Par: Anna

Depuis sa graduation à seulement 15 ans au Conservatoire Cienfuegos, le prodige du piano Rubén González a dû attendre plus de soixante ans pour être découvert et se réaliser. Possédant un esprit très jeune et une vigueur surprenante, González a toujours eu pour ultime but de donner le meilleur de lui-même. On ressent ce désir de découverte, de diversification et de perfectionnement sur son deuxième album solo Chanchullo. La plus récente œuvre est, à vrai dire, moins majestueuse que « Introducing… » ( paru en 1996), mais son pouvoir est beaucoup plus fort, plus présent et enfin, la vitalité incroyable de l'interprète se fait fortement ressentir. Pendant sa longue expérience artistique, il a gardé le même style, toujours en l'approfondissant et en explorant toutes ses facettes. Ainsi, Chanchullo ramène l'auditeur directement au début des années quarante. Lorqu'on ferme les yeux, on s'imagine être dans un coin d'un petit club cubain de la Havane, en train de siroter sans soucis un verre de rhum, nos préoccupations quotidiennes s'étant volatilisées. Le piano nous envoûte, les voix magiques nous ramènent à des époques longtemps oubliées et nous perdons tout repère de temps. C'est peut-être justement pour cette raison que le projet musical du Buena Vista Social Club (auquel a bien entendu largement participé González) est devenu si populaire et reconnu par la critique internationale. Bref, l'album met parfaitement en valeur l'élite musicale du Cuba, chacun apportant ses éléments personnels pour former un ensemble remarquablement hors du commun, une paix de l'âme hors des limites temporelles, un univers sonore à jamais jeune.

This is the music of a man who is a century himself. You can see him now showing an immaculate short brim hat, a prodigal smile, a Havana cigar endlessly consuming in his fingers and a glass of mature rum which clears up any doubt in his throat. And always wielding his restless armónico, sort of guitar made up by himself which reminds of a regular one but succeeds to make the sound of three strings, resembling the counterpoint music of the peasant Cuban tunes.

This century man was born named Francisco Repilado, in 1907, but years after he would earn a different definitive name: Compay Segundo. Following the Cuban tradition, when a man acts as a godfather at the baptism ceremony of his best friend's son he is known as a compadre. In the Eastern area of Cuba, where Siboney, the small village which witnessed the birth of Repilado is placed, language shrinks and becomes more intense. Instead of compadre, everybody calls themselves compay, but there's more to it than the sheer name: the word is a symbol of friendship, loyalty, compromise and a whole philosophy of life. Compay Segundo has well reflected it through his humanity and his songs.

This music man has always been surrounded by sounds. Despite everyone in his family was attached to the countryside and there was nobody with a music skill or who played any instrument, Compay grew up with the sounds of nature and he soon became fond of ballads. As a child, troubadours were mostly men of sturdy appearance and Romanesque aureole. At a very early age, Compay's attention was drawn by a myth: Sindo Garay, a skinny, squint, poet-souled jongleur whose awkward and beautiful melodies are part of the popular imagery.

In his teens, Compay discovered the first city of his dreams -Santiago de Cuba, bathed by the Caribbean Sea and marked by all possible crossbreeding in that side of the world. Music was seething inside his mind, he learned music and met Enrique Bueno, superb tutor of wooden wind instruments who unveiled the secrets of the clarinet. Compay earned a position in the city local band and in the firemen's band called Cuerpo de Bomberos de Regla years later when he established in La Habana. However, what he really liked was playing the guitar and singing songs, bochinches and serenades. In Santiago, he shared many nights with Sindo and Ñico Saquito, creator of picaresque tunes and met Miguel Matamoros, another mythical musician who would definitely guide Compay's musical career.

The Son had taken over the towns and sextets and septets became fashionable. Septets were born in Cuba in the 20s because the Son was already considered to be the most stable, complex, rich and plentiful expression of insular music. Sextets and septets were born because the Son was there to dance and the groups of this music were starting to be demanded in social entities and family meetings to cheer up the dancings. Compay's debut took place then in a sextet called Los Seis Ases (The Six Aces).

He had to get a life and young Compay learned the craft of male hairdressing and cigarette manufacturing. In order to fulfil his soul, he composed music, boleros and guarachas and he joined several groups like the Cubanacán Quartet, which was the most popular and the one which allowed him to debut in a radio broadcast and the Cuban Stars Quintet, with which he travels to La Habana for the first time in his life.

Compay is a man of the world and decides to try and settle down in the island's capital. He forms the Cuba Trio with two friends, Joaquín García and Evelio Machín and they play at the main entrance of the RCA Victor, label where he records his first album in the mid-30s.

His first strokes of luck to acknowledge his talent came in the 40s. Matamoros appeared again in the way of Compay and encouraged him to join his legendary band to play the clarinet. Compay joined Lorenzo Hierrezuelo to form a duo which made history: the Compadres. And it was then when Repilado started calling himself Compay Segundo because Lorenzo sang the first voice and Compay did the second, with perfect deep tones.

Los Compadres's recordings took place during Compay and Hierrezuelo collaboration and they constitute a valuable song patrimony highly celebrated by traditional Cuban music amateurs.

In the 50s, Compay decides to go solo and forms Compay Segundo y sus Muchachos. The story tells that they caused such a sensation in the Dominican Republic, where they stayed in 1956, among the ballad and Son lovers that they begged Compay y sus Muchachos to settle down there.

Compay combined his tobacco manufacturing for H. Upmann, one of the most prestigious Havanan factories, with the music. He enjoyed meeting new and old troubadours and he was sometimes seen singing with Pablo Milanés and Sara González in bohème musical gathers. Compay lived his elder years brightly. One day, after long years of dedication, he quit the factory with according honours and devoted himself to music again.

It was then -and still nowadays- when the world fell at his feet. Highlights of this journey were the presentation of the Cuarteto
Patria at the Festival de Culturas Tradicionales Americanas organised by the Smithsonian Institution in Washington (1989), the
First Encounter of Son and Flamenco celebrated in Seville (Spain) in 1993 and the shows he presented with his muchachos at
the Café de La Danse in Paris in 1995.

From then on, we've been gifted with a living legend. Compay has been everywhere around the world: today at the Olympia in Paris, tomorrow at the Carnegie Hall in New York. He goes to London, sleeps in Madrid, knocks at Beirut's doors and flies to Buenos Aires. He's increasingly awarded -a Grammy in the tropical music category in 1998 for his collaboration in the first volume of Buenavista Social Club, the Amigo prize awarded by the Phonographic and Videographic Spanish Association, the Spanish Ondas prize and the award from the General Authors and Editors Music Society, also awarded by Spain. Endless tributes like the Ville's Medal from Paris, the Félix Varela Order (highest Cuban medal culture-related), distinguished son of several South American and European cities... And yet, he feels and works like a 20-year-old. Each one of his records becomes a world event: Yo vengo aquí, Antología, Lo mejor de la vida, Calle salud and Las flores de la vida have become must-buys for those who are fond of Cuban musical tradition.

Compay considered his band to be his own family, the fact that two of them are his actual sons, Salvador, double bassist, and Basilio, minor percussion. He brilliantly complements his powerful second voice with Hugo Garzón's first voice, he enjoys Benito Suárez's hands with the guitar, he encourages Rafael Fournier to polish the bongo heads and probably due to his early nostalgic years as a clarinettist, Compay has added three talented and strictly classical players for this instrument: Rafael Inciarte, Haskell Armenteros and Rosendo Nardo.

This challenge man fills the songs of Las flores de la vida with the taste of his voice and defies time. He loves, smiles, dances, cherishes friendship, offers his heart and looks up to the future. Isn't that complete happiness?

The Best Of The Doors (2CD)
The Doors / Warner Music
By: Yorg

It’s been twenty-nine years since Jim Morrison’s controversial and premature death in France and the mystique, the interest and enthusiasm associated with The Doors has hardly weaned. As a matter of fact their songs are still heard routinely on the radio and the music is continuously drawing in younger fans. The Doors are an international phenomenon devoid of equal, particularly when you consider that the band was merely together for a very short stint. We remember Jim Morrison’s antics, his mass appeal, his poetry and songs; they will live on eternally. All the selections on this disc sound cleaner and fresher than ever before given that every one of the tunes have been entirely digitally remastered. The capabilities of modern technology are truly astonishing. These two compact discs include thirty-eight of your favourite Doors tracks including two rare bonus tracks, “No Me Moleste Mosquito” and an extraordinary special multi-media interview selection with Ray Manzarek. Photos and a link to The Doors official web site are also included on this enhanced CD. The songs on this evocative new release sound as reverent today as it did over thirty years ago. This CD is treasure intended for any Doors buff, young or old.

Spain
Michel Camilo & Tomatito / Verve
By: Yorg

Camilo and Tomatito’s newest release has just garnered a statuette at the latest Latin Grammy Awards. “Spain” has also been inundated with critical acclaim, of which I am about to add to. This fully instrumental recording is quite unique for two distinct reasons. Primarily, it is rare to find the fusion of Latin Jazz and Flamenco styles on the same album. Perhaps even more distinguishing yet is the unison of the piano and the Flamenco guitar as sole instruments on these diverse and striking recordings. Master of the piano Michel Camilo was born in the Dominican Republic and Flamenco guitar virtuoso Tomatito stems from Almeria, Spain. The double act virtuosi have created a symbiotic relationship that merges both of their instruments into one. At times it’s hard to figure out where the piano ends and the guitar begins and vice a versa. This fine Jazz album features elements of Latin rumbas and Flamenco finger picking techniques throughout. Chick Corea’s song Spain is the second selection on the CD and may also be considered the principal inspiration for this album. This contemplative and meditative masterpiece engulfs the listener with adventurous forays into several uncharted musical regions. Enjoy their expedition.