harmonica Archive

Hendrik Meurkens/Bill Cunliffe – Cabin In The Sky – Height Advantage 

Hendrik Meurkens/Bill Cunliffe – Cabin In The Sky – Height Advantage 

A harmonica/piano performance that reflects the participants virtuosity Hendrik Meurkens/Bill Cunliffe – Cabin In The Sky – Height Advantage 002 56:35***: ( Hendrick Meurkens – harmonica; Bill Cunliffe – piano) Hendrik Meurkens and Bill Cunliffe are two widely respected musicians on their instruments. They have come together for the first time to display their  creativity on a wide-ranging selection of material from both jazz and popular culture on their new album Cabin In The Sky. The well-spring of this collaboration might have been the 1979 pairing of Bill Evans and Toots Thielemans for their release Affinity. Regardless of the provenance, this effort stands entirely on its own merits and no comparison is required. The title track “Cabin In The Sky” was written by Vernon Duke and John Latouche in 1940 for the Broadway musical by the same name. With a jaunty tempo, the duo explore the easily accessible number in a decisive fashion. In 1967 Wayne Shorter recorded  the album Schizophrenia containing the number “Miyako” which he wrote for his daughter. A lovely ballad it is filled with shifting textures that allow both players to flex their musical muscles. That old standby “Invitation” is given new life with staccato phrasing […]

Dave Douglas and Frank Woeste – Dada People – Greenleaf

Dave Douglas and Frank Woeste – Dada People – Greenleaf

Making music for Man Ray’s masterful art. Dave Douglas and Frank Woeste – Dada People [TrackList follows] – Greenleaf GRE-CD-1051, 63:14 [10/14/16] ****: (Dave Douglas – trumpet, co-producer; Frank Woeste – piano, Fender Rhodes, co-producer; Matt Brewer – bass; Clarence Penn – drums) Want to appreciate an artist’s efforts in a fresh way? Then try experiencing a person’s creativity filtered through another artist’s imagination. That’s the impetus behind the hour-long Dada People, the collaboration by trumpeter Dave Douglas and keyboardist Frank Woeste, alongside bassist Matt Brewer and drummer Clarence Penn. Douglas and Woeste set about penning music which offers a musical viewpoint focusing on famed artist Man Ray, who fashioned paintings, photography, “ready-mades” and other artistic endeavors (both commercial and non-commercial) and was a significant contributor to the Dada and Surrealist movements, though not formally a member of those groups. The ten original tracks (which are credited equally: five Douglas and five Woeste compositions) impart audio portraits but not always directly related to Man Ray’s creative output. Douglas states the material deliberately engages in the “spirit of mischievousness, of play, of mystery, and also of the ‘play of identity’ within the work of Ray and his circle.” That sphere of […]

Last Of The Mississippi Jukes (2016)

Last Of The Mississippi Jukes (2016)

Last Of The Mississippi Jukes (2016) An interesting historical blues documentary finally gets released on DVD. Performers: Alvin Youngblood Hart; Bobby Rush; Chris Thomas King; Vasti Jackson; Patrice Moncell; Eddie Cotton; George Jackson; The King Edward Blues Band; The House Rockers; Abdul Rasheed; J.T. Watkins & Levon Lindsey; Dennis Fountain & Pat Brown; Lucille; Greg “Fingers” Taylor; Sam Carr; Anthony Sherrod; Jesse Robinson; David Hughes & Virgil Brawley; Steve Cheseborough; Casey Phillips & The Hounds Studio: MVD Visual MVD7127D Director: Robert Mugge Audio: PCM Stereo 2.0, DTS 5.1 Video: for 16:9 screens, color and black & white Chapters: Saturday Night, Sunday Morning; Ground Zero For Blues; Subway Swing; Last Call; Subway Blues: End Of The Line Length: 86 minutes Rating:    Audio: ***1/2    Video: ****    Overall: **** Blues has been an integral part of the American culture since its inception. The legacy of racism and brutality can never be ignored or changed by revisionist history. But this deeply felt musical genre has permeated African America and the mainstream with significant impact. Elvis Presley, The Rolling Stones, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Led Zeppelin, Carl Perkins, Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Duke Ellington and Count Basie all share this musical roots genesis. […]

Pete Townsend’s Deep end – Face The Face – Video DVD + CD (1986/2016)

Pete Townsend’s Deep end – Face The Face – Video DVD + CD (1986/2016)

Pete Townsend’s Deep end – Face The Face – Video DVD + CD (1986/2016) A thirty year-old concert of Who leader has re-emerged. Performers: Pete Townsend – guitar, vocals; Peter-Hope Evans – harmonica; Chuchu Merca – bass; Simon Phillips – drums; John “Rabbit” Bundrick – keyboards; Jody Linscott – percussion; David Gilmour – guitar; “The Kick Horns” – Simon Clarke, Roddy Lorimer, Tim Sanders, Peat Brachill & Dave Plews; Billy Nicholls – background vocals; Ian Ellis – background vocals; Chris Staines – background vocals; Gina Foster – background vocals; Coral Gordon – background vocals Studio: Eagle Vision, Eagle Rock Ent./ WDR Rockpalast EV307769, 2 discs (9/16/16) Directors: Christian Wagner & Pete Townshend Audio: DTS Digital Sound 5,1; Dolby Digital Surround 5.1 & Stereo Video: 4:3 screen format on DVD TrackList (DVD + CD are the same): Won’t Get Fooled Again; Secondhand Love; Give Blood; Behind Blue Eyes; After The Fire’ Slit Skirts; Blue Light; I Put A Spell On You; Hiding Out; The Sea Refuses No River; Face The Face; Pinball Wizard; A Little Is Enough; Rough Boys; Night Train Length: 87 min. Rating: Audio: ***1/2         Video: ***          Overall: ***1/2   The […]

Marcello Pellitteri – Aquarius Woman – Marpel Music

Marcello Pellitteri – Aquarius Woman – Marpel Music

Marcello Pellitteri – Aquarius Woman – Marpel Music 0002, 51:17 [10/1/16] ***: An ambitious and emotionally expressive album. (Marcello Pellitteri – drums; Orazio Maugeri – alto sax; Salvatore Bonafede – acoustic & electric piano – Gabrio Bevilacqua – acoustic bass; special guests: George Garzone – tenor sax (1); Veronica Pellitteri – spoken words (3); Nedelka Prescod – vocals (7); Rino Cirinnà – tenor sax (11); Lauren Kinhan – vocals (12); Yvonnick Prene – harmonica (12); Marcello Todaro – electric guitar & spoken word (13) While Aquarius Woman is not a concept album, but it does have a construct behind it. The music is performed by Marcello Pellitteri and friends, as a tribute to his daughter Veronica Pellitteri, who died at age 23 in 2014. The track list is, with two exceptions, built on compositions from Pellitteri and other members of the band and they cover a catholic taste in a post-modern, contemporary jazz category. Opening with an original by Pellitteri “Chasin’ The Zone”, the band gives full measure with a swinging offering that drummer Pellitteri pushes along in a probing fashion. The title track “Aquarius Woman” is a short musical sonnet that features a reading by Veronica Pellitteri in a “voice from […]

Joe Weed – The Vultures – TopMusic

Joe Weed – The Vultures – TopMusic

Joe Weed – The Vultures – TopMusic TM-SACD9801.2 stereo-only SACD, 34:33 ****1/2: This is a terrific hi-res release of updated ’50s and ’60s rock/pop instrumentals.  (Joe Weed – guitars, mandolin, fiddle; Jim Boggio – accordion; Todd Phillips – bass; Rob Ickles – dobro-, Joe Craven – percussion; Norton Buffalo – harmonica; Steve Pefley – drums; David Grisman – mandolin; Rich Ertelt – guitar) Hold onto your hats, Joe Weed is going to reinvent surf, rock and pop instrumentals in quasi-bluegrass instrumentation. Even better, this session has been re-mastered to SACD in stereo. With an all-star band (Norton Buffalo/harmonica; David Grisman/mandolin; Rob Ickles/dobro; Todd Phillips/bass; Steve Pefley/drums; Jim Boggio/accordion), Weed breezes through these classics with verve and style. And what better way to get the proceedings started than a cover of the 1960 Ventures hit “Pipeline”. Without sacrificing the pulsating rhythm, Weed leads the group in an organic, breezy take. His guitar lead is precise and clear. Rob Ickle picks up the second verse on dobro. The addition of percussion (not just drums) by Joe Craven and accordion by Jim Boggio is flawless. At 3:15, it is still a small gem. “Apache” had been a hit for The Shadows, a British […]