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11/13/20
SONNY ROLLINS/Rollins in Holland: The 89 year old sax man might be enjoying the life of gentleman in Woodstock these days, but he' s still with us and was still nimble enough to have a hand in bringing these previously unheard 1967 Dutch sessions to light. A fat twofer cd, with another lp version ready for Record Store Day, this is some prime 60s Rollins staged just before he took another powder ala his 50s hiatus, when he was inventing a new kind of daddio blowing. Live and studio takes with a trio made up of some local cats that were right in step with what he was laying down, the tracks might be chestnuts but they sound new and fresh over 50 years later. How can you not love a cat laying down some daddio at a joint called the Go Go Club somewhere near Amsterdam? Non records like this are events when they finally find release and anyone that likes to hedge their bets when a approaching a new Rollins release has no worries here. He's not playing pretty for the people and he's not on a concert tour of Mars, he's just playing with raw emotion and pure grit giving a master class on how it's supposed to be done. Killer blowing throughout that shouldn't be missed.
(Resonance 2048)
AARON BURNETT & the Big Machine/Jupiter Conjunct: Esperanza Spaulding's sax man of choice sets out on a second solo set with a crew that helps him on his space explorations stopping well short of exploring the seventh galaxy. Inspired by the planet, Burnett and company take their space jazz seriously delivering a solid little set that gives eggheads some thinking man's jazz to think about.
(Fresh Sound New Talent 600)
KRISTIANA ROEMER/House of Mirrors: This looker's debut vocal set is loaded with contradictions to the point that it's best if you sit back and enjoy the places she takes you rather than to figure out how and why. With a decided pomo cabaret vibe, she finds places for Loreena McKennitt and Charles Mingus on the same disc, just a few spots away from each other. Commercial stuff for the non-commercial set.
(Sunnyside 1597)
ORLANDO LE FLEMING/Romantic Funk-The Unfamiliar: A bass man that's rubbed elbows with all the modern greats and held his own admirably, here he takes flights of fancy inspired by Miles' prog years and does it right without a trace of manqué. A self contained talent that makes his presence known and felt, this late night feeling set is loaded with the kind of vibes that let's your mind wander to new places. Tasty stuff that might have unconventional edges but is never off putting.
(Whirlwind 4763)
PAPO VAZQUEZ/Chapter 10-Breaking Cover: With 40 years of bone work under his belt, this Latin jazz hitter has a lot to say as he leads his crew through a modern history of Latin jazz, none of it with any dust on it. A buoyant, bouncy set that keeps the groove on the move, it might not be cutting edge sounds of the street but it's never less than authentic and powerful taking you on a trip around the Caribbean. Solid stuff that has a party at it's core.
(Picaro)
FUZZTONES/NYC: 80s garage rock revivalists might have left NYC early on once the machine beckoned, but here they pay tribute to the streets of the big apple covering everything from Sinatra to the Fugs with some Patti Smith in between, all done in their ageless garage rock style. The sound and pics prove this kind of stuff keeps you young.
(Cleopatra 1888)
ROSETTA STONE/Cryptology: These suburban Gothites might have gotten older but they haven't lost their edge. With the romance of the darkness enveloping the proceedings, the synth pop vibe is never far behind as today's concerns are addressed in dark fashion. Speaking of fashion, this stuff sounds like it would be right at home in the modern dress department of department stores once they reopen.
(Cleopatra 1798)
ADOLESCENTS/Russian Spider Dump: Can punk rockers have dinosaurs? If so, the kids propelling empty beat tracks to the stratosphere on streaming services better look over their shoulders as a death in the family doesn't even slow this bunch down. We give the opening track, "Fuck You", this weeks pick to click as it's fast and you can destroy furniture to it. This is the sound of buzz saws coming for your kids. A real tribute to their genre (in more ways than one).
(Cleopatra 1892)
BETH LEE/Waiting for You Tonight: A smart folk rocker with a sharp pen delivers a solid set that might have some rough edges but they are endearing ones. A macro version of contemporary concerns, if all politics is local, then all emotions pretty much are as well. Right in the pocket for modern tastes looking for some meaty songwriting.
DAVE YOUNG QUARTET/Ides of March: The bass man that's impeccably done everything you can do in Canadian jazz comes back with his quartet after a series of duet sets and semi pays tribute to Herbie Hancock delivering a set worthy of Hancock in his prime. Setting a real jazzbo table throughout, this is simply the kind of set any jazzbo can rally around. Pure playing for well tuned in ears, it's hard to get any better than this.
(Modica)
JESSE COLIN YOUNG/Hihgway Troubador: The wizened Mr. Miller competes with his younger self by competing with his younger self, doing solo recreations of his past glory days hanging with the Youngbloods, Holy Modal Rounders and other folkies from around the bend. Leaving off "Get Together" but pulling from his RCA and WB years, as well as dropping in a few new moments from where his head is at now, he' still the folkie he always was, loaded with warmth and inclusiveness well before they became the buzzwords they are now. Back to the college coffeehouse kids and see what you missed by not being born yet.
(BMG)
Volume 45/Number 13
November 13, 2020
MIDWEST RECORD
830 W. Route 22 #144
Lake Zurich, IL., 60047
CHRIS SPECTOR, Editor and Publisher
Copyright 2019 Midwest Record
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