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MUSICDISH
CD REVIEWS John Lee Hooker is a name synonymous with the blues. Just like B.B. King, Lightnin' Hopkins and many others, Hooker developed his own style that afforded him a special niche that has proven to be indestructible. Hooker is the author of the Detroit boogie blues sound. Blues Kingpins explores the legend of Hooker and his early-recorded works. Trademark songs such as "Boogie Chillen" and "Queen Bee" are amongst the eighteen tracks of prime John Lee offered on this CD. Although this is not nearly enough to do the man's legacy justice, that is not the intention of this release. The focus is the early formative years in the Blues Kingpin series, and every one of these CDs has done a fine job of showing how each artist developed their own particular sound and style. The liner notes are superb and the sound is remastered beautifully on this set.
Jann Klose has a voice that's not easy to mix up with others. Perhaps it's because he's one of those rare singers who had to prove himself on stage (European tour of Jesus Christ Superstar, US national tour of Jekyll & Hyde, and in The Who's Tommy), and therefore knows how to project and use more tricks than the more garage-taught singers of the modern age. It all starts with range, of course. Jann has that going for him, being originally from Germany and so he's one up on the rest of us as far as learning how to construct words and get the most out of English. One of the best songs here is the title track, 'Black Box,' which evokes the sexuality of George Michael with a crooner's method of rattling all the mileage out of whole notes that's possible. 1.
Black Box 4 songs for 5 bucks at cdbaby.com. Acoustic in places, but most of the time this disc is an amalgamation of styles and influences from America to Africa. A good teaser. Steve Vai is a guitar stud, period. To watch his six-string wizardry first hand is like witnessing the eighth wonder of the world take shape. Live At The Astoria in London is an awe-inspiring two DVD set that puts Vai's talents in the spotlight, as well as his cohorts, whom are not a shabby bunch by any means. Virgil Donati (drums), Tony Mc Alpine (guitar, keyboards) and Dave Weiner (guitar) are a stellar lineup. Only the very best available musicians in the world are capable of backing an out-of-this-world guitar man like Mr. Vai. Twenty-one tracks of amazing six-string fireworks are what you get in this performance. Vai plays his guitar with every part of his body, well almost everything; in fact, he plays the guitar better with his tongue than most can with their fingers. Speaking of fingers, the man has the longest fingers I have ever seen, it is no wonder he makes it look so easy, I imagine he would fare just as well on the keyboards if that were his chosen instrument. It becomes apparent quickly that the audience is there specifically to witness the technical expertise of every band member and some of them actually mention that in a short interview section before the show starts. Vai is a little of over the top and flashy at times but it comes with the territory. Nonetheless, he is a for real genuine personality with tons of talent and the audience seemed to love every minute of what he dished out. With the exception of a few sound checks and an interview with Vai's guitar tech, a majority of disc two is more for the hardcore fans and techies, but fun nevertheless. This was every bit as good as I expected it to be. I highly recommend it to budding guitarists and those who love highflying instrumental rock. When you hear the name Oscar Peterson, you think...legend. His body of work since his recording career began over fifty years ago is impressive. It is second nature to associate his name with such superior status as legendary in the history of recorded music because of his far-reaching contributions. Jazz icon Norman Granz recorded all the music contained in Dimensions - A Compendium of the Pablo Years, a gorgeous 4 CD boxed set, for his label between1953-1986. If you think of the time span alone it is astounding, and the music is even more incredible. Peterson personified the spirit of jazz improvisation and timing in a composition. His piano playing was precise artwork that had as many facets as the entire genre could offer, and he would inspire many artists to create a similar style of music. I must attest that I have never heard such variety in jazz piano playing as I did on these four discs. Usually a set this large would offer several versions of the same songs and outtakes; this is not the case at all. There is not one duplicate track amongst the 46 tracks offered, which is amazing. Peterson could take a blank canvas and paint the most beautiful picture with musical notes, and as a bandleader, he ranks amongst the greats. His musical genius goes beyond what mere words can say. You have to listen to this music to appreciate the immensity and virtuosity of it all. This is absolute jaw-dropping musical beauty in motion, I can say no more. Provided by the MusicDish Network. Copyright © Tag It 2004 - Republished with Permission
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