Wrappin' It Up - Fletcher Henderson

Advantages: Beautifully crafted songs
Disadvantages: Not everyones cup of tea

...I thought I’d try something different for a change and so I’m going to attempt a review which is interesting and informative. As well as this I will also be trying to review a CD, all of which are like unchartered territory for me!! >>>Who! I’m not sure if Ainslie likes his past to be dragged up, but if you are reading this Ainslie please accept my apologies. Back in 2002 the BBC was running a show called Fame Academy. If you are unfamiliar with the show, the basic premise is that talented musicians are thrown together in a big house and perform weekly to see who is booted out. During their time in the house they work with coaches to improve their musical talent and overall performances. Yes, it sounds a bit like X-Factor, but this is less like Karaoke and more like a talent show! Anyway, it was while watching this show... Read review

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Advantages: Great jazz tunes from the Golden Age
Disadvantages: None

...failure. One set of microphones was to he left, the other two the right. Mostly, they didn't fail, so the company was left with two good master discs. In order not to waste them, they would produce record pressings from both masters, labelling them up to differentiate the two masters. Apparently a jazz historian found out about this and was able, by tracking down two records of the same performance, but produced from the different masters, to re-master them as a brand new stereo release, using the original recordings. The St Louis Shuffle from Fletcher Henderson is a good example of the St Louis style of jazz, combining jazz and blues. Actually, Fletcher Henderson did more than this, he really put his own mark on this, by a variety of musical techniques and instruments. Based on this tune, I think he was robably more genuinely experimental... Read review

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Advantages: great production
Disadvantages: could use a few more numbers

...the latter song himself with his own written track "Waiting So Long". As for his other contributions in Famous Last Words, Davies' role plays to sing some playful tunes, being both he and Hodgson coming down to the point of turning into a corroborative stance to sing their own works (kinda lot like what turned out for the tandem of Lennon/McCartney during the Beatles' final years), but still wasn't spared from the gloomy feel that this album has; that apart from the situation going on within the band during in the time of its recording - it may have been given all likely too well due to the combined production work of Pete Henderson and the concert sound provided by Russell Pope. Perhaps stricken with an after-movie daze, Rick Davies' "Bonnie" written in the perspective of 'Clyde' (well not exactly- just kinda) apparently could've come cheesy... Read review

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