Best Latin Jazz Album In The World...Ever, The - Various Artists

Advantages: Expertedly produced, features diverse world music styles, wonderfully addictive
Disadvantages: Too short

..."Quantic" is one of various guises taken by DJ, producer, record collector and musician, Will Holland. Despite only being in his mid-twenties, he has released 8 albums to date, including this new offering "An Announcement To Answer". With Quantic, Holland is renowned for making use of diverse world music styles - Brazilian bossa nova, French jazz, African percussion, Western hip-hop, drum & bass... Using modern beats, heavy bass and funk tempos, he combines them effortlessly to create organic compositions, which urge you to relax, dance or just sit back and appreciate his skills. ...THE ALBUM... "An Announcement To Answer" is Quantic's most recent album (released in August of 2006). It took almost two years to produce, perhaps due to Will's extensive globe-trotting - the majority of which was in Africa, Mexico and Asia. Most... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: The grooves go on and on
Disadvantages:

...This latest volume of the New Testament of Funk from Acid Jazz records features some great tracks that cover many different dance genres from, big beat to jazz and hip hop so it is bound to have something to get even the most reticent of dancers moving. Personal favourites are the storming opener "The Piper Cherokee" by The Bobby Hughes Experience, "Amber Flash" by That Girl Lynn and the Latin groove of "Mosquito Coast 2000" from Mr Gone. Special mention should be given to the album closer "Clowns" from E & E Sounds who mix up the Stephen Sondheim classic with some seriously chopped up breakbeats which if you think about it should not really work but does surprisingly well.... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average somewhat helpful

Advantages: Good songs, variety of influences
Disadvantages: Less upbeat than other releases

...There is an ever-so-slight musical shift evident in this, Sheryl's third album, away from the upbeat, even slightly poppy nature of her previous albums towards a more depressed, rockier note, and this may disappoint some of those who enjoyed those earlier albums. As a stand-alone album it sounds great; but it doesn't really sound like a Sheryl Crow album. The various influences - jazz, hip-hop - have been toned down a lot, so there are now just subtle changes of genre. Even the album cover reflects the same attitude: a more grown-up, wise about the world artist who has seen things the way they really are. That said, some of the tracks here are memorable: the two-part 'Am I Getting Through', for example, seethes with energy, whilst Riverwide at times sounds almost other-worldly. This is a very good album: it is just less immediately... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average off topic