Jazz & Blues > Alternative/Sony DADC Jazz & Blues

First songs. I hope it will not be their last.

Advantages: Gwyn's voice, varied
Disadvantages: a couple of weak tracks, the repition of Beguilling eyes

...to this collection is entitled First Songs and is by a young British duo Gwyn and Will Gwyneth Herbert (vocals) and Will Rutter (guitar) met at Durham University and joined together to make sweet jazz music. Looks wise judging from the photo in the CD booklet they are a pretty winsome looking duo. Gwyn is pretty with blond curls and flowers in her hair perhaps in a Dido way whilst Will could quite easily fit into an indie band with his skinny frame ...
...I am interested in not what they look like or who they are. So what is it like?? It is pretty good. Gwyn’s voice is strong, sweet and emotive. She can turn her hand to anything from lounge to sultry jazz and blues. She’s not so good on loud brash numbers but then again I do not tend to like these ones anyway. Will blends into the background with his guitar. It is skillful but subdued. The backing musicians including Will wave a sophisticated track ...

duskmaiden 08.06.2004 · Read full review
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Review of First Songs - Gwyneth Herbert & Will Rutter

Breathtaking

Advantages: Outrageously good! Music, playing, production, booklet - everything is great!
Disadvantages: I honestly can't think of one thing.

...Bass Hit (alt. take), 8. Milestones (alt. take), 9. Straight, No Chaser (alt. take). The Music The opener, Dr Jackle, is furious! The three horns take off in unison at a blistering pace, with the rhythm section driving along. The speed makes for some fine solos by Miles and Coltrane, both showing their technical brilliance. 'Trane trades choruses with Cannonball in the middle, a furious battle, and Chambers takes a bowed solo on the bass. 'Sid's ...
...is a comprehensive blues. Red Garland had stormed out of the studio after a fight with Miles during the session, so Miles himself accompanies the sax solos on the piano with dense chords. His trumpet solos are top notch, making extensive use of pitch bend and other bluesy touches. The saxes take flight on 'Two Bass Hit', an old-style sax battle breaking out in the Dizzy Gillespie-composed tune. Neither comes off badly - both have outstanding speed ...

JaySee 28.06.2001 · Read full review
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Review of Milestones - Miles Davis

Pepper plays pretty pieces pretty perfectly

Advantages: Alto saxophony at it's best.
Disadvantages: Not to everyones taste.

...la Pinta 5. Besame Mucho On Amazon this album is around £6.50. iTunes lists the album as 2004 release with 17 (some missing from the Amazon listing) tracks, at £7.99, this is the version that I have and am reviewing. Also I will not review every one of the 17 tracks but will concentrate on two or three tracks that stand out, and give you a full track list at the end of the review. ~~~~Reviewed tracks~~~~ Melancholy Madeline: This track is quite ...
...a sense of fun. Besame Mucho: The title track and a jazz/Latin standard. He plays this slightly differently from any other version I have heard. For a start he plays it so high it is sometimes difficult to realise it is sax and not trumpet. Then there is the embellishment of melody, which is really very clever. Finally, there is a sense of edginess that I like about this version, it is smooth, but in places 'breaks out' into a bit of 'edge'. Great ...

paulhanton 22.07.2008 · Read full review
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Review of Besame Mucho - Art Pepper

A Great Archive Let Down By Sequencing

Advantages: Fidelity is great, songwriting, guitar playing and vocals superb, thorough research
Disadvantages: Sequencing - the track order is frustrating

...music fans a like. The Complete Robert Johnson comes across like a standards song book, the contents of which has given birth to numerous cover versions from acclaimed and esteemed bluesmen and rockers from across the globe spanning six decades. There is however, one glaring disappointment with this set and that is with the sequencing. This is the most comprehensive collection of Johnson's material and as such there are alternate takes included. ...
...by side with their original counterparts which makes the whole very hard to listen to as each track is repeated, albeit a variant of the original. It still baffles me as to why the alternates were not on a separate disc from the originals. Even for me, a hardened fan of the genre, it makes for difficult listening if you using an old fashioned CD player. This is a wonderful and comprehensive archive but unfortunately does not work as a listening experience ...

Nixu1980 03.11.2009 · Read full review
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Review of Complete Recordings, The (All 41 Recordings) - Robert Johnson

An Older and Wiser Sequel

Advantages: Great voice, band
Disadvantages: None

...stronger with every listen. Feels Like Home with The Handsome Band and special guests. I am a big fan of Norah Jones. Her first album, Come Away with Me was an absolute classic. The album was certified diamond by the RIAA on February 15, 2005 having sold over 10 million copies in its first three years of release. It won five awards at the Grammy Awards of 2003, including "Record of the Year", "Album of the Year", and "Song of the Year" for "Don't ...
...to an article I read, Feels Like Home is the second album by jazz songwriter Norah Jones, released in 2004. It sold a million copies in the first week of its U.S. release, the first album to do so since Britney Spears' Oops!... I Did It Again (2000) and it was the second best-selling album of 2004, with about 4 million copies sold. It sold 1,920,000 copies on its first week worldwide. Probably the most popular song from the album is track number ...

Spottydog11 29.09.2009 · Read full review
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Review of Feels Like Home - Norah Jones