CD REVIEWS

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

By PJH Staff

Phola
HUGH MASEKELA
Sometimes, you put on a new disc by a favorite artist and you think, “When am I going to hear something new from this guy?” Other times, you play a new release by an old hand looking for comfortable consistency. Hugh Masekela’s Phola, released on the occasion of the South African trumpeter-composer’s 75th birthday, fits into the latter category.

If there’s something about South African music – an upbeat feel that prevails despite decades of adversity, a distinctive mode that works equally well in Western jazz settings as it does a tribal vibe – it owes a large debt to Masekela, whose transatlantic musical education led to a sound and style that today sounds Pangaean.

The nine tracks continue to pull from the shadowed history of the bandleader’s homeland, only to transmute pain into compassion, the experience of Apartheid into a universal balm. This is powerful music from a steadfast force.
– Rich Anderson

Laws of Motion
THE TIPTONS SAX QUARTET
My latest musical obsession is Jessica Lurie, the Seattle-born, NYC-based, multi-reed-composer-vocalist. I base my new found fascination on recent releases by two of the five ensembles with which she’s associated: The Jessica Lurie Ensemble’s Shop of Wild Dreams and Laws of Motion by The Tiptons Sax Quartet.

This is no Affirmative Action review: Lurie is a badass saxophonist, an exciting composer and versatile arranger. The 10 tracks on Shop of Wild Dreams range from punkish pop to outré jazz, sometimes within a single track, with hard but thoughtful blowing by the front-woman.

But the disc that wowed me was Laws of Motion by The Tiptons. I love the alternately spare and cacophonous arrangements, the seamless blending of contemporary compositions and ethnic traditionals, and above all the straight-ahead modern jazziness of this set of 11 tunes.                                   
   – Rich Anderson

From the Inside Out
PATTY BLEE
This album is running from something slow and steady. It makes you want to fire up the pickup, turn it down low on the stereo, and sync the beat with the swish of the wipers in the rain as you cruise out of town.

Patty Blee keeps it moving with her third album on Heartfelt Records with, From the Inside Out, a mix of sometimes-sappy love songs, but also great instrumentals. Guitarists like Chris Lawrence and Ernie Trionfo teamed up with Patty Blee and two separate producers, from opposite coasts, to create a soulful, country rock album, with a bit of a breathy, lusty overtone.

The musicians behind the instruments carry the album. The lyrics fall into an overly love sick tone. If there was more of an emphasis on storytelling and less on broken hearts, this album could really have left an impression. However, after the buzz of the first track wears off, it’s a slow ride home.                                               
- Patrick Dolan

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CD REVIEWS | Planet JH News Article: General Music Arts and Culture

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