 INDIE MUSIC REVIEWS 2 |
|
  DENNY FREEMAN A Tone For My Sins (1997) [Dallas Blues Society Records] Twang Bang (2002) [V8 Records] What makes Denny Freeman one of the hottest, coolest blues artists around today? For one, he’s not about rehashing the same old tired formula. As a post-modern man of veteran pedigree, Freeman is rooted in the classics but takes Blues to the next level. Like many of the artists profiled in this edition of Hollywood2You music news, there are both vintage and modern aspects to his sound. He’s well-versed in everything from Jazz to Rock to Soul to Pop as he is in Blues. On at least two of his discs, ‘97’s A Tone For My Sins and 2002’s Twang Bang, Denny Freeman proves he’s not only an artist with a history, but an artist of the present with an eye towards a certain future in Blues, making it more exciting for an audience who’s used to the rut in which it’s so often stuck. Blues is always the foundation for Freeman, the glue; yet it’s a style of music that needs artists who will build on it in such a way the music doesn’t become resigned to the cultural equivalent of a museum. Freeman is a perfect example of that kind of artist; because Blues is its own best friend, it doesn’t need musicians to appropriate its good name. So it’s no surprise that Denny Freeman has a strong relationship with Blues. He’d never denigrate the affair by saying he’s a “blues guy.” Blues wants the regard and respect of its artists, not any kind of misguided possessiveness from them. It’s evident Freeman really loves the Blues because he gives the genre room to evolve. With such generous spirit, the music becomes more varied and colorful in Freeman’s hands. The only explanation is that Freeman, himself, has the versatility and feeling to achieve that end. His list of credits reads like a multi-era who’s-who of Blues and Pop/Rock legends alike. Whether as a songwriter, guitarist, or piano player, Denny Freeman has worked with notable artists such as Stevie Ray Vaughan, Jimmie Vaughan, Taj Mahal, Bob Dylan, Blondie, Jennifer Warnes, and others. When you’ve got such a varied past, your reality is going to be more exciting. It’s the same reason why Stevie Ray Vaughan’s music stood out. Or the reason why when Jimi Hendrix played Blues, it wasn’t just the basic sound. There was something else; and Freeman has a ‘something else’ of his own. What separates this Austin, TX based artist from other notable legends who’ve gone beyond Blues basics is manifold: He’d be as big as Eric Clapton, because he’s every bit as understated a player, but his songs are all instrumental. Clapton isn’t really a good comparison, though, because Freeman is a totally different kind of player. He’d be as big as Stevie Ray Vaughan, but he’s got more restraint than Vaughan. At the same time, Freeman’s sound has more color than Vaughan’s. He also tends to opt for more economy so as to achieve more pronounced touch and tone. His execution of the Blues is more thoughtful than ephemeral, but not at the expense of energy. He’s also got a totally different approach than Vaughan to a myriad of other nuances related to the electric guitar and the sounds a player gets out of it. There isn’t any less feeling to Freeman than there is in S.R.V. Freeman has a spirited contentment going for him, yet he’s still centered. His music is cosmic blues. And he actually beats Stevie Ray Vaughan hands down in a department we’ll call ‘contemplative equanimity.’ ‘97’s A Tone For My Sins is a perfect example of that department, a deep record rich in tone. 2002’s Twang Bang is more in the realm of the aforementioned ‘spirited contentment.’ A lot of vibrant colors with the accent on fun, Twang Bang features a dynamic, instrumental blend of Soul, Jazz, Blues, and Rock. (Maybe at least some of the fun on Twang Bang is courtesy of Blondie drummer Clem Burke, who plays the entire record). Currently, Denny Freeman is on tour with Bob Dylan. He will appear on Dylan’s forthcoming disc, Modern Times, due in stores August 29th. Modern Times is a collection of ten originals recorded with the singer-songwriter’s touring band. A new Denny Freeman solo release also is in the works. -- Greg Debonne artist web-site: www.dennyfreeman.com  THE ELDAD TARMU QUARTET Exotic Tales (2005) [VeryTall Music] Meet the new face of Jazz vibraphone: Eldad Tarmu. Tarmu differs as an artist from other relatively recent Jazz vibraphonists, such as Blue Note recording artist Stefon Harris, in that his music doesn’t access the “modern” via cutting edge record production or electric, fusion-esque instrumentation. Rather, Tarmu’s modernity is inherent in the music itself while still retaining the classic foundation you’d expect to find on one of your favorite Blue Note releases from the late ‘50s or early ‘60s. Exotic Tales isn’t the first disc by Eldad Tarmu, but it may as well be. No other Tarmu release features the same lineup. Consisting of Cengiz Yaltkaya on piano, bassist Dustin Morgan, and drummer Daniel Glass (who also produced the record), it’s very evident that the ensemble is as much responsible for the beautiful sound of this disc as Tarmu himself is. The Eldad Tarmu Quartet manages to get all the refinement in their approach to Jazz that a listener can appreciate along with a beautiful aesthetic to boot. And they manage that combination not in sacrifice of real feeling. That point is worth noting because many of today’s modern Jazz artists make fantastic records, replete with color, tone, complexity; taking Jazz in general to a far out trip of musical advancement. Quite often, though, a probably unconscious compromise is made that can forego the human heart. Not so on Exotic Tales. “Stars Above The Desert” opens the disc. Reflecting the album title, the composition is American Jazz with subtle hints of Middle Eastern stylings. To Tarmu’s credit, the ‘exotic’ is in the composition, as is the case for many other cuts on Exotic Tales. But the effectiveness of it all resides with the group. Pianist Cengiz Yaltkaya is a paradox waiting to happen. How do you describe a player whose craft is on par with the best, whose sense of chordal voicings is innate yet seems entirely thoughtful, and whose touch projects excellent dynamics and wild contrasts while still retaining a raw rhythmic approach that’s entirely still in line with Jazz? At that point, it’s better to just listen and get into the performance. Tarmu is great in that he’s committed to the composition, not just himself as a player. Nor does he make a pretense of restraint, either; knowing exactly when to take you there as a listener without being overly calculated about it. Perhaps the musician with the most subtlety is bassist Dustin Morgan. That subtlety extends to every aspect of his playing. From technique to his super infinitessimal dynamics and the uncanny ability to be understated about the rhythmic aspect of his playing, Morgan also knows when to uncharacteristically hit on top of the beat. In fact, the whole group is adept at knowing how to reach the exotic, the involution of Jazz, without falling into the trap of eccentricity or coming off as “cerebral.” As for Daniel Glass, there’s a reason why he’s become one of the top drummers in music today regardless of genre. His drumming alone, and really much of the record overall, is rather cinematic – not only in sound, but in the way everything is performed. In addition to running the VeryTall label on which Exotic Tales is released, Glass is a seasoned touring and session drummer who has performed with such artists as Bette Midler, Barbara Morrison, Debbie Davies, and others. Glass also has been the drummer of the nouveau swing group Royal Crown Revue since 1994. There’s some fun music on Exotic Tales. “The Courting” is an apropo title for that track. As some sort of ceremonial dance, courtship is exactly what the piece suggests; exotic and sexy. Cinematic. On the other end of the spectrum, the controlled maelstrom of “Violent Undertones” swirls in the steady insistence of its rhythms. It relents on occasion as a respite from the storm, picking up the force of nature again in a way only a quartet this strong could restrain. Cinematic. Powerful. The denouement of Exotic Tales, though, is in the menace of “Dancing On The Green Line.” A straight, non-Jazz feel, the cut is played as Jazz in almost every other respect except the attitude is so “on” for this closer, you almost feel as though there’s an element of Rock underneath the surface; and it’s a tight enough composition to make it believable were it ever played in such a context. Producer Daniel Glass gives Exotic Tales an aural ambience that would make Rudy Van Gelder, engineer extraordinairre of late ‘50s/early ‘60s Jazz for Blue Note, proud. Exotic Tales is that classic in sound. It’s also a new Jazz release of the early 21st century and is as top grade as anything you’d find on Blue Note, past or present. The major Jazz labels of today have pushed many fine records not nearly accessible in style as Exotic Tales. -- Greg Debonne www.danielglass.com  |
  CHRIS DARROW Coyote/Straight From The Heart (1997) Slide On In (2002) [Taxim] Although better known as a versatile recording artist and session man who played an integral role in the development of Country-Rock, which spawned the ‘California sound,’ the best kept secret in music is that Chris Darrow might be the finest slide guitarist in Blues. That’s right. Blues. No where is that notion in evidence as much as it is on two definitive, unsung releases by the artist: 1997’s Coyote/Straight From The Heart and 2002’s Slide On In. Darrow’s superb sense of tone is so raw and pure, you can’t help perceive it as anything but advanced. One hears a journeyman of intensely focused enlightenment. The music moves at will between the subtle infusions of other styles that give his Blues a visionary eye rooted in the past, but one that never looks back. It often evokes a magic reality that lives in the shadow worlds of everyday life, and hints at the supernatural. Darrow proves to be an even-minded outlaw, perhaps without even realizing it, summing up what is now today considered the mindset of a maverick, telling Hollywood2You.tv in a recent interview, “I follow my nose and try to include myself in situations that will raise my level of musicianship and hopefully will also raise the level of music in general. Being somewhat of a visionary isn’t always the best place to be if you want to be rich and famous. I have never been driven by fame or fortune, more by the opportunity to do what I love, and that is to make records.” Both Coyote/Straight From The Heart and Slide On In are anchored by incredible production ambience before you even consider the first notes played. To say both discs are ‘cutting-edge’ would be selling short an aural experience that can’t be attributed to any one era, past or present. It just exists in a way that knows no dissolution nor impermanance. Yet both discs are entirely different from one another, even if they do share some of the same qualities. Coyote/Straight From The Heart are two separate discs in the same package. Coyote is a Southern Californian suite evoking the mythology and topography of the region. As Darrow writes in his liner notes, “The mythology of the coyote and the landscape of Southern California are made for each other. No other part of the world has as many options for activity and satiation as we do. The chaos is part of the allure. The beach, the mountains, the desert, Hollywood and Palm Springs are all part of the pastiche that is Southern California.” Darrow points out the dichotomy between the population of Southern California that “takes its local culture and heritage for granted” and that of the visitors who “know more about the culture than we do” and “take the time to investigate and search.” He reveals that Los Angeles and places like it have a “gyroscopic dynamism which can overpower even the coolest of heads. It takes something with the power of an ocean, a desert, or a mountain to counteract the spinning magnetic pull. That’s why it’s all here. We need it for our psychic well-being. To experience the richness of the landscape, the scent of sage, or a vermilion sunset is the reward of personal participation. Once the hook is set, it’s like a drug: it takes you away.” It’s interesting that on one hand, Darrow observes the region’s visitors as knowing more about the area than its residents; but as a Southern Californian, Darrow notes the destination’s real lure; a lure most commonly credited to the culture, but one that Darrow attributes to the “landscape.” Who can argue such an observation? The music of Coyote (“A Foothill Suite”) is difficult to describe. There are elements of Blues, Native American music, Spanish Flamenco, World hybrids, Western, Country, a very slight hint of Rock, and various combinations thereof. You could hear it as being representative of California’s mixed culture. Coyote: A Foothill Suite is gorgeous, intriguing, but probably not so accessible to the average listener who, in this modern age of distraction, doesn’t have the attention span necessary to sit still and listen. The music is picturesque, though. It’s cinematic (as is all of the music reviewed in this article) or at the very least, perfect to be heard against the right visual in a natural environment, most often the desert but sometimes the ocean and the mountains. The second disc in the package, Straight From The Heart, is the first of Darrow’s two essential Blues releases profiled here. It opens with “Stage By Stage,” a track boasting only a lead vocal and electric slide guitar. The tone is heavy, observant, and intense. Darrow’s vocal delivery has a coolheadedness one step away from violence, running cross-current with an undeniable expression of love. The second track, “You’re Inside Of Me,” brings the restrained tension down a notch, but keeps up the momentum. A depiction of love, lust, and romance, Darrow sings with a higher sense of self and wisdom that never seems to slow into the sort of lassitude so many artists who attempt Blues fall prey to. Like everything else Darrow does, there’s a stylistic compound that goes beyond the mere genre lying at its foundation. He injects a fair dose of Country into the record, fused in such a way that it doesn’t come off as straight Country. Rather, there’s an accent on Country-Blues. In Darrow’s world, the two styles aren’t mutually exclusive. Darrow explained to Hollywood2You.tv, “I consider Country music and Blues music as the same deal. Watching the Ray Charles documentary the other night, it's obvious that Ray felt the same way. Billy Joel was quoted saying that it was the first time he got Country music....it's about the sentiment, not the style. Many people not accustomed to the backwoods singing style that is the precursor for the country style don't get it sometimes. Guys like Hank Williams acknowledge black music's effect on him and Muddy Waters and BB King both credit country music as affecting their early musical lives.” Darrow’s ethic about Country and Blues being “the same deal” in that “it’s about the sentiment, not the style” is a common thread pemeating Straight From The Heart and Slide On In. While a couple of songs on ‘97’s Straight From The Heart, “Push And Pull” and “Hard On The Trail,” hint at a certain darkness featured on 2002’s Slide On In, they don’t suggest the disturbing tone that complements it; nor do they reveal the exotic elements not in evidence on Straight From The Heart, though present on Slide On In. Slide On In turns on “Kumbha Mela,” the disc’s opening cut, with a sinister, modified guitar featuring a special “buzz bridge.” Invented by Darrow’s friend, Kiki Barnes, the instrument is described in the liner notes as a “slide sitar, a lap-steel with Barnes’ “buzz bridge’ installed.” Utilizing an arsenal of other exotic instruments, including an electric tambura and a special, one-of-a-kind bass Darrow calls his WMI (weird Mexican instrument), “Kumbha Mela” sounds like a cross between Indian Raga and American Blues. The mood is upheld by a dark, hypnotic beat amidst a spell of voodoo and black magic. Slide On In continues with “Jailhouse Tattoo,” the lament of a man who accepts his incarceration, yet in despair realizes that no matter what he does or how he thinks, his resolve can’t replace the need for a woman he had on the outside. What makes Slide On In so disturbing is its dusky mood. It dominates the record throughout with little chance for mercy. More disconcerting is the irony of Slide On In’s mojo. It attracts the listener like a woman who undresses your soul, reaches in to grab hold of your heart, and says “mine.” She’s no good for you. You’re enslaved by her allure; and you can get on your knees to pray with the kind of obsession only love can effect, but she won’t let you go nor ease the heaviness in your heart. Worse, you don’t want her to let go. No more is human bondage of that kind in evidence than on “Love Chain.” A tale of romantic addiction, Darrow intones the object of his affection: “You went through some trouble to get me/Different goodies on your line/Now that you got me, baby/I can never get much of your time.” Even the amiable strut of “Short Walk” is marked by insouciance and a sense of fatalism. The song’s lightheartedness is beguiling. The character in “Short Walk” shrugs off any notion of hardship with “I don’t care what may happen/Here today and gone tomorrow/I don’t care what may happen/What I can’t steal I sure can’t borrow.” A temporary respite at best, because Darrow revisits hard sentiment in “Don’t Come Back,” getting back up after being knocked down to tell an estranged lover, “My heart can take it/Every time that you break it/So please baby don’t come back.” He keeps up the subtle aggression on “Every Bad Thing You Do,” accusing a nemesis right at the top: “You lie through your teeth/And look me straight in the eye/Telling me stories/It’s just alibis/Like a snake in the grass/Slithering by/You show your true colors/Not the disguise.” Slide On In is not without vulnerability. On “Tell Me What I Need,” Darrow can’t fight conditions of the heart, entreating a woman with desire, “I need the eyes of a hawk and the legs of a dancer/Tell me what I need to know/Rage and fear stand side by side/Tell me what I need to know/I’d trade it all for one sweet ride/Tell me what I need to know.” Songs such as “Tore Up From The Floor Up” and “I’m Tired Of Being Lonely” expose an even deeper sense of human frailty in the heart. The denouement of Slide On In, though, is a piece of portentous advice to a man of careless conscience: “You better handle your business/You think that there’s no witness/But you’re leaving bad tracks behind/There’ll be hell to pay at a later day/Do you think we’ve all been blind?” With Hawaiian-Country overtones, the sublime languorous flow of “Island Dream” closes the disc. Darrow’s unshakable composure is disarming. It makes Slide On In a record of self-possession nonetheless jarring in its expressiveness. The music is delusory to that effect as well, supporting the songs with a restless pot pourri of moody instrumentation, slide guitar being the anchor. Whereas Straight From The Heart featured more Country-inflected gems to ease the mind, this record, musically, rides more on a hard concoction of exotic ingredients and solid Blues, the latter which can only be described as eclectic if you didn’t know any better. Eclectic stylings often forego feeling in favor of originality, but there’s no lack of depth to Slide On In. Darrow’s music on this record knows no label. You’ve heard Muddy Waters. You’ve heard Jimi Hendrix. You’ve heard Ry Cooder. You’ve heard ‘em all. The Darrow experience is a different deal altogether. Like the happiest and most tragic moments in life, it’s not one you’re bound to forget. Highly Recommended. -- Greg Debonne www.taximrecords.com |
 JASON SMITH Think Like This (2006) [Alternity Records] Aficionados of Jazz come in all forms. Some Jazz listeners want Be-Bop. Others want ’50 Modern Jazz. Some lean towards ‘60s post-bop. Some are fusion-heads. Jason Smith’s Think Like This is a Jazz record of cross-pollination; a record that easily could appeal to several different types of Jazz listeners. On one hand, Think Like This is emblematic of a classic, early ‘60s Blue Note or Verve release. In another light, it’s perfectly at home in a late ‘60s/early ‘70s Jazz-Rock/Fusion fan’s record collection. Add some modernity a la late ‘80s/early ‘90s Don Grolnick advancement, and you’ve got something of an accurate description of the Jazz that Jason Smith and company perform on Think Like This. Consisting of leader Jason Smith (drums), Dave Carpenter (acoustic bass), and Gary Husband (piano/Fender Rhodes, Moog), the trio on Think Like This traverses the topography of Jazz with an unlimited scope of its many eras and qualities on a sheer emotional level, utilizing the best of what’s available from the ‘50s, ‘60s, ‘70s, and ’80s, fusing it into an original representation of the genre. Classic. Original. Passionate. Think Like This features five Jason Smith originals, one cover version of the Kern/Fields standard, “The Way You Look Tonight,” one cover of Keith Jarrett’s “The Magician In You,” one cover of Herbie Hancock’s classic post-bop masterpiece “Dolphin Dance,” and “Three Lies,” a composition by keyboardist Gary Husband. If you want to think of Think Like This in the context of early to mid-‘60s post-bop Jazz, be our guest. But that’s selling short a disc that avoids the inaccessbile eccentricities by well-known artists of that era. If you’re a classic Rock fan that wants to get into Jazz, but is often thwarted by the sometimes overly complex idiom, look no further than the opening track on the disc, “Gnu York.” With the steady, rhythmically accented impact of drummer Smith and bassist Dave Carpenter, “Gnu York” modernizes an otherwise classic, slightly over mid-century Jazz sound with a combination of Gary Husband’s layered keyboards and an approach to harmony that shifts back and forth between altered harmonic colors and that of thematic sections disciplined with static harmony, where the root stays put and alternating chordal sequences shift back and forth over that static root in much the same way you might expect from the catchiness of a favored Rock album held in high regard. In fact, “Gnu York” has something of a Jazz meets progressive-Rock edge, but without the self-indulgence. Instead, Smith and company exhibit a dedication to beauty, dynamic, and feeling. Smith, Carpenter, and Husband have all the musical sophistication of any great Jazz artist, and without the insular, Jazz-only bent that other musicians of the style with limited tastes might reveal in the same context. Smith has the subtle touch and dynamic of a consummate Jazz drummer that a strictly Rock drummer could never achieve. The feeling, though, is in his patterns, accents, and sense of restraint. A listener wants rhythmic consistency their ears can savor for a moment. Smith delivers on that desire, never changing too soon, and yet never staying in one place too long, either, where another drummer might run the risk of stagnancy. Bassist Dave Carpenter, for his part, loves to maximize the resonance his instrument can sustain. He takes advantage of it without the end result seeming “muddy,” doing so by interchanging that approach with notes hitting on the beats like drops of hard water. If you could see color within a drop of H2O and hear it at the same time, you’d have an accurate representation of Carpenter’s bass playing. Keyboardist Husband is a different being altogether. He may only utilize piano, Fender Rhodes electric piano, and a Moog on Think Like This, but the arrangements of his keyboards lend a whole other vibe to the album on occasion. Husband’s playing on “Halcyon” has all the harmonic sophistication you might expect from a Jazz pianist, but his choices allow him to stay just enough inside to let the listener feel the music. On the latter part of the cut, one hears what might easily be mistaken for a recorder or other modified wind instrument, but it could only be Husband on the monophonic Moog. The Moog is a primitive synth most often identified with early ‘70s prog-Rock, evoking aural visions of a certain, by now almost cliched, timbre; but Husband gets an entirely different tonal inflection out of the instrument. The sequence of tracks on Think Like This reflects the versatility and appeal of the music itself. The cross-pollination of selections between mid-century modern Jazz meeting latter 20th century stylings, combined with a bit of Jazz-Rock/Fusion, makes for a dynamic presentation of the music on Think Like This. It’s the relation between Jason Smith’s originals and the unique interpretations of the cover versions that sum up Think Like This and its wide scope. Think Like This knows no stylistic prejudice, no snobbery, no over-intellectualization, no sacrifice of higher self, and at the same time, no compromise of the groundedness necessary for the artist to stay real. Jazz. Rock. Fusion. Whatever. It’s music. Newer, advanced, modern music with real feeling does exist. Currently, Jason Smith is also the drummer of new pop/rock artist Kelly Sweet. Sweet records for the Razor & Tie record label. Along with Smith on drums, Kelly Sweet is the opening act of Paul Simon for a couple of east coast dates, July 7th and 8th. -- Greg Debonne Band website: http://www.alternityrecords.com/ |
Hollywood2You.TV 525 South Francisca Ave. Redondo Beach, CA 90277 (310) 316-4551 Contact@Hollywood2You.TV |
|
|
© 2006 HOLLYWOOD2YOU.TV - all rights reserved |