Filed under: Reviews admin @ 9:27 am http://www.midwestrecord.com/2008/04/14/041408/
ARTISTS RECORDING COLLECTIVE
SUMI TONOOKA/Long Ago Today: Right in the tradition of killer jazz piano trios, Tonooka knows her stuff and knows how to parade it in fine style. She doesn t re cord that often, but when she does, it s a good reason to sit up and take notice. Smart work that runs the risk of looking too easy, this is a date that opens yo ur ears if you have anything between your ears. A right on set throughout. 2116 ARTISTS SHARE TORBEN WALDORFF/Afterburn: As much as you want to keep pointing to Wes Montgome ry as a touchstone, things move on. Waldorff is a jazz guitarist more informed by ECM and John Scofield than Montgomery and new ears and new generations will f eel and appreciate the difference. With some of the New York stalwarts on board here, you can t help but swing no matter how cool you are and Waldorff walks the line nicely. A tasty set that contemporary jazz guitar fans are going to love. 78 JAZZ PROMO SERVICES RAVE TESAR TRIO/You Decide: Long time New York session cat rounds up some pals and relatives for a smoking little trio date on some original works that stand u p and out nicely. A swinging little set that s pleasantly on the money, it s simply tasty piano trio work that hits all the right notes. Certainly the kind of set a real jazzbo wouldn t want to miss out on. (Tesar Music) LISA REEDY PROMOTION BILL PROUTEN/Low Down, No Good: Well educated sax man with a feel for the blues serves up a solid set that takes you around the horn and back as he likes the b lues but has more to offer as well. The kind of cat that eats music for breakfa st, Prouten blows up a delight mighty storm that shows he knows just how to get the most from his (s)ax. (www.billprouten.com) NINE MUSE CHANTAL CHAMANDY/Beladi: Well, this is certainly an interesting concept for the se deconstructed times. A sexy, Egyptian singer takes matters into her own hand s and sets the stage for her to come off as an international superstar that s alre ady arrived. Playing to her ethnic/adult pop/world beat strengths, Chamandy mee ts her muse on the corner of Celine Dion, Sarah Brightman, Madonna and Ofra Haza . The cd presents her on a radio friendly way that adult ears will find quite p leasing in a change of pace kind of way. Of course, if you want the real, full on Chamandy experience, you need to check out the DVD, A Night at the Pyramids , wh ich reprises all the songs on Beladi but is a dandy spectacle. Produced for PBS to run like the Celtic Woman specials, this was the first concert ever authorized to be filmed at the Pyramids and she spares no expense to make everyone proud t he gave her the keys to the kingdom. With a symphony orchestra giving you real music where electronica wouldn t really do justice, Madonna style back up belly d ancers and an appreciative audience of 5,000 that is treating her like an intern ational superstar already, this is a concert that looks great on the home screen . Her music and style lends itself to divadom but even though this is a product aimed squarely at the mainstream, it has enough organic soul not to come off as a jive, commercial presentation. Chamandy catches our fancy and we hope she hi ts it out of the park like she s aiming for. 12829 (DVD: Live at the Pyramids 3809 (Ninemuse)) PALMETTO ROBERT WALTER/Cure All: A funky trio that is standing on the corner of jazz, so ul and funk where the B3 leads the expedition into deep into the heart of Nawlin s for a funky good time as the heat rises. Fun stuff that takes 60s Blue Note o n a space ride and doesn t try to do anything but real a party you want to be sure to be at.