Buddy Cole And Nelson Riddle Sessions, The [Remastered] - Rosemary Clooney

Advantages: Makes you realise just how cool Blues can be
Disadvantages: The sound quality though not bad might put some people used to 'polish' off

...I always forget just how much I like Blues until I start listening to it again, though it can be hard to find it really pure and passionate these days. I have a couple of other Buddy Guy albums; one early on, his recordings for Chess Records, where he was a session player and though his desire to do so, was never allowed to cut loose (a mistake the head, Marshall Chess, recognised late on in the sixties when the likes of Hendrix, Clapton et al were crashing to stardom). The other, Damn Right I Got The Blues, from the nineties never quite cuts it. So what a pleasure it was to stumble upon Live At The Checkerboard Lounge. Live At The Checkerboard Lounge is not quite a purist album but it's pretty close. Buddy Guy was approached by JSP Records, then with virtually no catalogue to produce a live album, as Guy at the time could... Read review

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Advantages: Glorious music, sounds like nothing else in the world.
Disadvantages: Too much narrating; not long enough.

...I imagine that most of you will not have heard any of Serge Gainsbourg’s music. Those that have, will have probably heard the relatively famous “Je t’aime” once or twice, and as a result have dismissed Gainsbourg as rubbish. A few weeks ago, I was in that very position, and so it was with much scepticism that I got this album, purely on the advice of a friend. Firstly, this album sounds nothing like “Je t’aime”, or any of Gainsbourg’s trademark rubbish French pop. He wrote and recorded this album in England, with the help of a group of session musicians. It is built around guitar, drum and bass, but also has sweeping orchestrations. I found out, after buying this album, that it’s a great favourite of Jonny Greenwood from Radiohead. After listening to this it’s easy to see... Read review

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Advantages: 104 quality songs, informative and well written booklet
Disadvantages: None unless you don't like 40's-style jazz

...Cool Cole - The King Cole Trio Story is a marvellous collection of 4 CDs covering the rise of the legendary Nat King Cole's band. Presented in a stylish and compact case, it comes with a booklet describing Cole's life and just why he is such a music legend. The booklet contains first an overview, detailing via a series of anecdotes how he fell in love with music, and how he became such an accomplished singer and musician. Apparently he banged out a two-handed version of "Yes, We Have No Bananas" on the family keyboard… at the age of 4! This introductory section takes us up to December 1940, when the King Cole Trio was formed, and then each of the 4 discs is discussed in some length with regards to the inspiration for the songs, the styles, and the influences on the Trio's musical style. All in all the booklet is 48 pages long, mainly... Read review

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