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Here is a selection of new recordings for you to enjoy. As always, if you have trouble finding these or any music recording reviewed in The Monthly Aspectarian at your local retailer, please call the phone number listed next to the record company's name for more information.
Jocelyn Pook
UNTOLD THINGS
(RealWorld 781/939-6801)
Earning raves for her electric frisson of classical and contemporary influences on the score of Kubrick's Eyes Wide Shut, Pook is taking center-stage after serving as string player/arranger for Peter Gabriel, PJ Harvey, Morrissey and other English artists. This densely atmospheric album blurs musical boundaries as medieval instruments collide with Middle Eastern rhythms, talking drums and dynamic vocals. Juxtaposing angelic plainsong with ancient Arabic ululations, playground chatter with male chorus, Pook conjures an otherworldly ambience of poignant yearning and ecstatic release. Her milieu isn't walking the razor's edge between the sacred and profane; rather, she jubilantly leads listeners into profoundly moving side excursions deep into apocalyptic territory. Tunes like the heavenly soprano showstopper "Dionysus" and "Hell, Fire and Damnation" posture in eccentric opposition to the earthy, Yeminite-influenced "Upon This Rock" and "Take Off Your Veil." Yet it all works, superbly, thanks to Pook's consummate ability to balance dervish-like dance beats with more spacious, tranquil tracks. Another neat trick is her use of vocalization. While many lyrics heard here sound like Latin or an obscure Laplander dialect, it turns out they are not words at all. Pook has created unique "languages" for several tunes, as well as recorded texts backwards for a strangely peaceful and organic quality that haunts the soul. Be warned: this is beautiful music for the brave.
Bruce Kaphan
SLIDER
(Hearts of Space 415/331-3200)
Simply put, Kaphan takes the luscious, liquid tones of pedal steel guitar out of the country-western milieu and arranges it for ultimate ambience. With softly strummed lead lines and sing-song resonance, the pedal steel is an instant attention-arresting instrument; in the hands of a virtuoso like Kaphan, it simply sounds like nothing else on earth (a fact taken for granted by David Byrne, Chris Isaak and others who've hired Kaphan to spruce up their sound). The unique properties of the metal are fully exploited on tunes like the dreamy, flowing "Clouds" and electronically manipulated art-noise of "Back to the Light." But Kaphan has the most fun on cleverly titled tunes like "Big Brain, Small Brain" and "Homage (Pour la Grande Fromage" [translation from French: "For the Big Cheese"])," wherein the former is an over-the-top romantic power ballad devoted to the instrument's diva-like vocal abilities, and the latter is a driving excursion through the Southwest's deep blue canyons and pancake flat vistas that enables the soulful song of the steel to emerge unhindered. These two stylistic extremes blast through the boundaries of previous pedal steel recordings, and deservedly introduce a new generation to the artistic possibilities of such a superb -- albeit usually under-utilized -- instrument.
Karl Jenkins
ADIEMUS IV
(OmTown/Higher Octave 310/589-1515)
Sub-titled "The Eternal Knot," this recording is the soundtrack to a television documentary, The Celts, which traces the ancestry and heritage of a remarkable people through time. No small task, that; and so, the resulting music ranges from intimate ballads to earth-shaking, majestic odes. All of the signature ADIEMUS-brand elements are present (expansive wordless vocals, symphonic strings, ethnic percussion, etc.), but this time are arranged with a nod towards Scots-Irish history and so highlight performances by Riverdance piper Davy Spillane, Scots-born recorder player Pamela Thorby and sensational soloist Miriam Stockley. Tunes like "King of the Sacred Grove" and "Saint Declan's Drone" counterpoint the old religion (dating back to druid days) with that Irish upstart faith, Catholicism. "Isle of the Mystic Lake" pays homage to islandic seafarers, while "Ceridwen's Curse" documents the shape-shifting Welsh crone of legend who gave birth to the great poet, Taliesin, after being impregnated while in the shape of a greyhound. Yes, complicated tales make for compelling tunes, and Jenkins is a master storyteller in music.
Emer Kenny
FADES INTO DAY
(Triloka 323/651-1676)
Celtic pop chanteuse Kenny magically transforms some pretty biting lyrics into a creamy groove machine on "Useless Thing," the kick off track that typifies the tranquilizing sound found on FADES INTO DAY. Her kicky, kitschy singing style suggests a subscription to the on-going '80s revival; if you can imagine Cowboy Junkies crossed with Enya and a hint of Alanis Morrisette, you got it nailed. But Kenny's trippy instrumental arrangements are truly tasty, melding hip-hop accents with hook-laden melodies, and setting edgy guitar lines in counterpoint to dreamy backing vocals. Tunes like "Shattered" go down as smooth as syrup, as Kenny's breathy voice is interspersed with some nice keyboard riffs. Her good time mix on the title track finds funky break beats bolstered by honest-to-goodness SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER-era disco rhythms. Some ethereal harp sounds introduce the quirky, angst-ridden "How Can I Love You," a more-than-memorable ode to contemporary passion that boasts some really phat guitar fuzz and sputnik sound effects. Phrasing like Marlene Dietrich in the voice of an angel, Kenny's juxtaposition of sonic shadows and light is a sensational, if acquired, taste.
Kennedy & Jaz Coleman
RIDERS ON THE STORM/THE DOORS CONCERTO
(Decca/Universal Music www.universalclassic.com)
Violinist Kennedy and orchestral arranger Coleman unite with the Prague Symphony for a spellbinding, spiritual adventure into the outer realms of repertoire written by a legendary '60s band, the Doors. While these rock icons were most popularly known for the poetic rants and on-stage gyrations of tele-genic singer Jim Morrison, underneath the angst and evocations there lies some superb musicianship and hauntingly beautiful melodies. Examining the more innovative aspects of tunes ranging from the gentle "Love Street" and "Hello, I Love You" to the unabashedly apocalyptic 11-minute opus "The End," this inspired ensemble of talent tackles themes of war (specifically, Vietnam) and redemption. An absolute lust for life runs rampant on the tour de force "Light My Fire," while "Spanish Caravan" is haunting, hypnotic and resoundingly robust. Originally written in 1968, the year of the Soviet invasion of Czechoslavakia, "People are Strange" takes on an overtly political slant here, being re-arranged to represent the transition from Communist state to the liberation of Mr. Havel's velvet revolution (he, a musician himself!). Obviously a labor of love, THE DOORS CONCERTO rises above the recent deluge of classical tributes to popular musicians because it goes beyond pale imitation.
Submissions for review consideration may be sent to: PJ Birosik, MUSIK INTERNATIONAL CORP., 154 Betasso Road, Boulder, CO 80302-9606. Since 1977, Birosik has been a music industry consultant specializing in marketing, promotion, publicity and A&R/foreign licensing; she is a member of NARAS, NARM, NAIRD, CMC, IMA, and a past member of the Board of Directors of Los Angeles Women In Music who has been profiled in 11 international editions of Who's Who. Calls may be placed to her at 303/444-9575 between 9:30am - 5pm MST regarding review criteria, consulting services for signed & unsigned musicians, and data list rentals.
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