There is a sense of male camaraderie in “Revelation,” and in the other songs, with harmonic and counter-posed male voices, a sense of distance, and the lack of the pretty or the subtle. Strongly instrumental is “New Girl,” featuring a horn—it has warmth, texture, even charm. “Pieces of a Man” is addressed to a woman; it is a romantic promise of care and fidelity, and has an inflection of soul music. Moody is “More/Higher Ways,” consisting of lyrics focused on the limits of current society—and the search for higher ideals and practices.
Tag: music
The Splendor of Southern Gold: Davell Crawford, My Gift to You
On My Gift to You, with a softly carnivalesque sound for a song of personal and cultural history, “Creole Man” indicates diverse ancestry—African, Native American, etcetera. The sensitive voice of the singer Davell Crawford is greatly appealing. “River” is uptempo, textured funk; with a marvelous chorus, and the interpolations of Doctor John and Big Freedia and Donald Harrison Jr. It is true that Davell Crawford, a musician in sacred and secular music, and the grandson of singer-songwriter and trumpeter Sugar Boy Crawford, has performed with Ruth Brown and Anders Osborne; and Davell Crawford is also musical heir to men such as Professor Longhair and James Booker and Allen Toussaint, so celebration and tribute may be a natural inclination.
The Passion and Precision of Poetry: Susanne Abbuehl, The Gift
The flugelhorn produces an eerie effect, natural, old, strange. That flugelhorn is played by Matthieu Michel; and other musicians on The Gift include Wolfert Brederode on piano
and harmonium, and Olavi Louhivuori on drums.
Voice and Piano of a Musical Messenger: Andy Bey, The World According to Andy Bey
On The World According to Andy Bey, the songs assume a coherent, intelligent caring sensibility and subject, a world in which relationships matter—even if and when relationships are troubled. Love is seen as many things: infatuation, lust, compassion, faith, loyalty, understanding, care, dedication. Meaning is preferred to nihilism. Who or what brings knowledge and joy? What allows people to become themselves? We are encouraged to consider such questions.
Legacy and Love, Memory and Music: George Benson, Inspiration: A Tribute to Nat King Cole
Throughout the album, George Benson’s guitar playing is soulful and supple—the notes are clear, concentrated, and sensuous. Through his playing and the warmth of his singing—and energetic scatting—Benson, supported by the trumpet of Wynton Marsalis, makes Cole’s signature song “Unforgettable” —a composition by Irving Gordon—now Benson’s to claim. “When I Fall in Love” is a traditionally lush romantic duet, with Idina Menzel, a performer in theater, film, and television.
Out of Tenderness and Wisdom: Ramzi Aburedwan, Reflections of Palestine
Bouzouk-player Ramzi Aburedwan’s Reflections of Palestine reminds me a little of Spanish music. (Could it be that the Middle East influenced Spain? Yes.) Music is almost always a shared thing, a common treasure. I can’t say this music is calming, as it is full of detail, intensity, shifts, requiring attention—but it is enriching.
An interview with Donald Greig
The author of Time Will Tell talks about his first novel, the parallels between his work as a lecturer and performer and his plot, on the nature of storytelling, about having musicologists as protagonists, the links between music and writing, and lots more.
The Return of a Prodigy: Shuggie Otis, Inspiration Information/Wings of Love
The now lean, soft-spoken and austere but friendly loner Shuggie Otis’s Wings of Love, the new companion to Inspiration Information, answers a lot of historical questions about the creative interests and development of the musician.
Beauty, Contrast, Speed, Unity: Charles Lloyd and Jason Moran’s Hagar’s Song
The boy prodigy Charles Lloyd, now a musical elder, was born in the late 1930s and mentored by pianist Phineas Newborn, and Lloyd worked with B.B. King and Howlin’ Wolf, before graduating from the University of Southern California with a master’s degree.
Confident, Sensual, Soulful Singer-Songwriter: Kail Baxley, Heatstroke/The Wind and the War
One discerns the different influences on the singer-songwriter; and Kail Baxley’s voice, solitary and soulful, is a strong voice that sounds traditional and reminds this listener of Chris Whitley and Amos Lee. “Say Goodbye to the Night” is both confident and melancholy, with Baxley’s deep voice inside a pleasant rhythm.