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James Carter – Heaven on Earth (Live)Half Note Records-due out Tomorrow Not to editorialize, but the musicians here are fantastic: John Medeski of Martin, Medeski and Wood, Christian McBride with his own burgeoning solo career, and James Carter, a passionate and wild soloist in a live setting. Then what we have with “Heaven on Earth,” I desperately want to say is a fantastic, must-get album: it displays musicianship, ability, and technical powers well beyond most musicians. But it lacks an ear, and what we get is half a fantastic album, restrained and gorgeous as on the bluesy “Street of Dreams,” or thrashing and wandering asRead More →

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In: _CD Reviews 2009, _Four or More 2009, Album Reviews, Recommended
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Robert Glasper – “Double Booked”Blue Note Records– due out Aug 254 / 5 His third album on Blue Note Records has Glasper doubling his band; the first segment is his acoustic jazz trio, followed by his more electric and hip-hop group the Robert Glasper Experiment. Of the first six tracks, there is little wasted space, as the loping, upbeat strides of “I’m Country (And That’s Okay)” and the dense and melodic treatment of Monk’s “Think of One” proves themselves the highlights of the first half. A couple of phone calls segues Glasper for the second half, which, while not quite as exciting as the first,Read More →

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This week, I’m all in favor of Catie Curtis, who not only has a new album out, but has taken it upon herself to start Aspire to Inspire, a program that gives guitars to kids who can’t afford them. Props to that, Catie; here’s the recent phone interview: Did you do the cover art for “Hello, Stranger”?No, I didn’t. The woman who drew it is a good friend of mine who’s also a best-selling author. She wrote and illustrated the book, “All I Needed to Know I Learned from my Cat.” She’s the real deal. We asked her to make up something for the coverRead More →

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Colin Hay – “American Sunshine”Compass Records-due out Aug 18 The opener to Hay’s tenth solo album is a placid, someone stagnant celebration of his home state in his adopted country. “California,” like other pieces in this album, just seems to lack a real excitement, and don’t evince that necessary freshness that art is supposed to bring to its subject. The following “Prison Time” is a well-crafted, somewhat sunshiny feel-good track, and this is how this album stumbles, with one good, and one limp leg. Hay’s laid-back, home-country groove seems to be either on or off, making for an uneven album. Hay’s fans should find enoughRead More →