Cathi's CD Reviews 4-19-09
Commander Cody – “Dopers, Drunks & Everyday Losers” (Blind Pig) A-Wow…seems like the old-timers are wakin’ up and taking another stab at things. After 23 years of no records, Commander Cody woke and puts out a solid disc of what he does best –rockin’ bar music. Lots of the songs relate to his experience (thus the album title, heh heh)…lots of wine and smokin’ references and all in a careening rock and rhythm approach. Cody’s keyboards are still up to snuff, and I bet these guys are a gas live. Everyone’s been around and their playing says it all. This band has always had a great cult following, but never made it that big on record as they are considered best live. They stick in some two-steps, some serious up-tempo country, but overall what we’ve got here is rockin’ bar music.
Insomniacs – “At Least I’m Not With You” Delta Groove) B+
Four blues musicians who seem to have real knowledge of the blues tradition, yet add some rock pep to it without watering down the basic elements that make blues so good. They also have the support of some great old-timers on the West Coast. Junior Watson, Al Blake and the Delta Groove posse. Singer Vyasa Dodson has a good lead vocal—sound kinda young, but I’m looking forward to it maturing --and the band is tight for a four-piece, sweetened here with a little horn backup from the studio. Harp virtuoso guests on #7.
Richard, Zachary – “Last Kiss” (ZachRIch, Inc) B+
French-Canadian balladeer Richard (“Ree-chard”) reached fame at a young age—writing and singing Cajun laced ballads in his native language. Moving back and forth from Canada to his home in New Orleans, he remains a legend to the French-speaking music lovers, but here does his first English-speaking album in 15 years. His vocals still drip with a Cajun lilt, and his songwriting reflects events like Katrina, the sad results of racism, and reflective responses to his heritage and experience. (“Sweet Daniel” – a tune about epidemic of glue-sniffing among Canadian natives—a girl who lost her brother in an explosion related to drug use). He has a keen sensibility for the ballad and the lovely backup vocals that make them stand out. He’s also unafraid to use a big choir backups (“The Levee Broke”). Celine Dion is a fan and guests on a tune he wrote about their mutual ancestry—“Acadian Driftwood.” A nice collection of ballads good for most mixes.
Rogers, Roy – “Split Decision” (Blind Pig) B+
It’s been seven years since former John Lee Hooker producer and slide guitar player Roy Rogers has recorded with his own band, the Delta Rhythm Kings. Been busy doing side projects as a player on soundtracks, songwriting, and such. And I think some of this studio/professional writing-for-an-end result has really polished his skills. He’s got a pretty cool way with words, and it’s clear he can handle a variety of styles. More a “talker” than a singer, his instrumentals are basically killer, moving from the evocative instrumental “Your Sweet Embrace,” to the jazzy “Rite of Passage,” (in which he inserts a tempo drop into searing slide work), demonstrate well-developed abilities. I have trouble with his more crashy rock tunes (“Calm B4 the Storm), but I guess he’s just covering the waterfront . Slide guitar often garners raves even if you murderize it. Rogers is capable of some death-dealing blows, but then come right back with something that knocks your socks off…what can I say? It’s sure nice to hear some great slide playing from someone who knows how.
Shimabukuro, Jake – “Live” (Sony) A+
This is a collection of the ukulele wunderkind Shimabukuro’s live performances, cleaning and beautifully recorded and sprinkled with audience response and his own intros and stories. His playing is dazzling as always, ranging for the sweet and slow, to the breathtakingly skilled physical adventures (Bach). It continues to amaze me – the sounds he can get from that simple instrument. While most tunes are a marvel of one-note prowess, he also applies humor (Me and Shirley T-emple), strumming and even string bending when the song warrants. (Check out his Chick Corea cover-# 5, or his Spanish guitar attack (#7), or his version of Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” (#10), OR his super fast cover of Wes Montgomery (#12). I think George Harrison would have LOVED this guy. ALL Great for any mix.
Wilder, Webb – “More Like Me” (Landslide Records) A-
This old dude is a relentless Elvis fan and balls-out rocker, who can only tame himself with heavy restraints he considers too much work most of the time (smile). All tunes have a hint of rock and “billy.” Tongue-in-cheek songwriting is his forte too. He’s great at his genre, and the humor is a fine-tuning I especially appreciate, and hard to resist in live performance. On this disc, he adds a few slow ones for a nice change up, but then explodes into some Rolling Stones-ish guitar burners—he just can’t help himself. Great for rockers…not so much for morning mix.
posted by Cathi N @ 11:15:00 AM
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