2009.09.11
Music reviews that wouldn't fit in Saturday's paper
OS MUTANTES
"Haih" (Anti-)
Brought to most Americans’ attention with the 1999 collection Everything Is Possible, the Brazilian troupe Os Mutantes was active in the late ‘60s and ‘70s, juggling politics and romance while reconfiguring psych-, pop-, folk-, and later prog-rock. "Haih" is the band’s first album in 35 years, though you wouldn’t know it. There are giddy vocal harmonies, countless ear-popping revelations, and more than two dozen instruments on display, while fellow Tropicalia legend Tom Ze cowrote much of the album. Politics remain in view, from the Iraq-focused "Baghdad Blues" to the Castro-skewering "Samba Do Fidel." Sung mostly in Portuguese, such defiant lyrics don’t translate as easily as the playful, vibrant music, but they’re the urgent engine driving Os Mutantes’ welcome new chapter.
— Doug Wallen, The Philadelphia Inquirer
ELDAR
"Virtue" (Sony)
Pianist Eldar Djangirov is a young man in a hurry. The emigre from the former Soviet Union, now 22, puts out his ninth recording here since starting at age 14, and it’s the typical Borscht-Belt burner we have come to expect. Eldar seems to have endless facility, pulling effortlessly from Bill Evans, Thelonious Monk, Keith Jarrett, and beyond. Eldar also can get funky and draw from a deep well of Soviet classical training.
All of which makes him an inspiring and forbidding performer. Eldar has the amazing quick-twitch reflexes of a world-class sprinter. At the same time, the CD should come with a triple espresso coupon for listeners to keep up.
"Lullaby Fantazia" is an example of his fearless technique that challenges listeners, while "Iris" captures him in more of a lush, romantic mode.
"Blackjack," with guest trumpeter Nicholas Payton, is a touch funky, fueling Eldar’s push onto keyboards. "Exposition," with tenor saxophonist Joshua Redman, is a melange of fusion that’s hard to get your head around.
THE BOTTLE ROCKETS
"Lean Forward" (Bloodshot)
"I ain’t broke down, I’m just out of gas," Brian Henneman spits out defiantly on "Hard Times." It’s a hard-luck tale that suits the times — no surprise coming from roots-rockers who have always worn their everyman sensibilities proudly. Musically, however, the Bottle Rockets are still fueled up and running on all cylinders.
"Lean Forward" reunites the Missouri quartet with producer Eric Ambel, and it rocks with crisp toughness. Henneman and his writing mates, including bassist Keith Voegele and drummer Mark Ortmann, haven’t lost any of their edge, either. Celebrating the journey over the destination in "The Long Way" or the communal fun of public transportation in "Get on the Bus," solemnly personalizing the losses of war in "The Kid Next Door," or taking a hard look at a dying relationship in the soul-tinged "Solitaire," the songs are honest and unsentimental, and lead singer Henneman again comes across as a true-blue workingman’s bard.
—N.C.
GEORGE BENSON
"Songs and Stories" (Concord Records/Monster Music)
A smooth time is had by all on guitarist George Benson’s new CD.
A Pittsburgh native, Benson focuses on tunes by great songwriters, such as Lamont Dozier of Motown fame. Benson plays guitar and sings a la his monster hit "This Masquerade" (which isn’t on the recording), while his producers apply a breezy R&B vibe.
The set opens with a respectful take of James Taylor’s "Don’t Let Me Be Lonely Tonight." It cuts a sensual swath on "Rainy Night in Georgia." Benson is likable on Smokey Robinson’s "One Like You," while Bill Withers comes out of retirement to write "A Telephone Call Away," enabling Benson and Lalah Hathaway to do the typical baby-baby stuff but with more panache.
Guitarist Lee Ritenour, bassist Marcus Miller (who coproduced) and saxophonist Tom Scott are among the slick studio cats enlivening this one.
The session is pretty much as expected — and even boring at times — except the occasional moment when Benson’s playing hits a sweet spot. The guy can still juice up a moment.
—K.S.
