Jack DeJohnette: Sound Travels

"MR: Jack, you've got a new album, Sound Travels, which comes off like a collection of tone poems, all having different identities. Let's start with 'Salsa for Luisito.' What was the inspiration for that song? JD: Well, I love Afro-bouncing music. I love playing with percussionists, which, in Luisito Quintero's case, is Venezuela. But I love percussion, obviously, being a drummer, but working in collaboration with other drummers. ... We also have Lionel Loueke who is an incredible on rhythm guitar. Also, on the trumpet playing that melody and that great solo on the track is Ambrose Akinmusire. MR: Yes, and Ambrose is also on 'Dirty Ground.' JD: Originally, 'Dirty Ground' got its title from Bruce Hornsby who wrote the lyrics and melody to it. I had written and arranged all the tracks that were recorded, the new tracks, on my synthesizers so that everybody would have an idea how they would go. ... So, I called Bruce, cause we speak to each other, and said, 'Listen, I'm doing this recording and I've got this piece that's in seven, but it's very interesting and it grooves, and it reminds me of Levon Helm from The Band.' ... So with that, he took off, and he came back with these lyrics and the title 'Dirty Ground'" (Mike Ragogna, "A Conversation with Jack DeJohnette," Huffington Post, 2/27/12).

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Waiting to Exhale: Original Soundtrack Album

"A stellar cast of African-American divas -- from Mary J. Blige and Aretha Franklin to star Whitney Houston -- breathes real soul and sisterhood into Babyface-written songs" (Chuck Arnold, "The Best Soundtracks Ever!," People, 1/23/12).

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Arts & Crafts: An Attitude for Gratitude

"On his joyously expressive new album, 'An Attitude for Gratitude' (Palmetto), the drummer Matt Wilson subjects a smart batch of tunes — originals, themes by jazz elders and 'Bridge Over Troubled Water' — to the interpretive process of a working band. That band is Arts and Crafts, his soulful postbop quartet, with Terell Stafford on trumpet; Gary Versace on piano, organ and accordion; and Martin Wind on bass" (Nate Chinen, "Jazz Listings," New York Times, 2/23/12).

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Johnny Winter: Roots

"Sound: Paul, you just produced the latest album Roots? What was the goal and concept behind the album? Paul: The concept was to have Johnny pay tribute to the songs that influenced him growing up, one by Bubba Johnson, one by Eleanor James to name a few. Then the idea was to bring in special guests to tribute Johnny for the songs he made that influenced them. The goal was to make it sound like everyone was in the room at the same time ... a tribute to the original recordings but at the same time to make them hip enough to make them not sound too dated. We recorded at the Carriage House studios in Connecticut" (Derek Signore, "Interview with Johnny Winter & Paul Nelson," The Sound Magazine, 1/12, p. 26).

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Of Montreal: Paralytic Stalks

"Too much information, verbal and sonic, is standard practice for Kevin Barnes, the songwriter and studio obsessive behind Of Montreal. His lyrics pile on the polysyllables and metaphors: 'Love is not a debtor’s prison, you don’t have to serve a sentence to pay back what you’ve been given/Now I live in fear of your schizophrenic genius, it’s a tempestuous despot that I can’t seem to propitiate,' he sings, to a not-quite-bolero lilt, in 'We Will Commit Wolf Murder' on Of Montreal’s new album, 'Paralytic Stalks.' His music is just as dense, a thicket of instruments and stylistic allusions, in long songs — nine of them on this 58-minute album — that might veer off on tangents at any moment. In 'Wintered Debts' whispery acoustic strumming morphs into dazed psychedelia, Queen-like vocal harmonies, a country shuffle and a minimalist haze of piano and voice; that’s before the orchestra arrives, quivering and hovering, only to suddenly splice into a postscript like a Beach Boys ballad. It’s all at the service of a mind awash in malaise and paranoia: romantic, socioeconomic, psychological, philosophical. ... But the music that surrounds him rebuts his misery; it’s full of unpredictable life, and it surrounds him with blithe la-la’s and instrumental counterpoint, like the warbling flutes of 'Dour Percentage,' which cheerfully echoes 1970s pop as Mr. Barnes sings, 'The speakers have blown, this planet is an orphanage.' ... With 'False Priest' in 2010, he tried professional studio recording and guest musicians. 'Paralytic Stalks' returns to his home studio in Athens, Ga., but not to low-fi solo recording; he uses string and horn arrangements that allow him to leap straight off the avant-garde deep end in one song, 'Exorcismic Breeding Knife'" (Jon Pareles, "New Music," New York Times, 2/13/12).

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Etta James: The Dreamer

"On her last album 'The Dreamer,' released just three months before her death, Etta James sings a mix of covers, from the R&B classic 'Misty Blue' to the Ray Charles song 'In the Evening.' But perhaps the most curious tune included on the disc may be the Guns N' Roses staple 'Welcome to the Jungle.' That a 73-year-old icon of R&B would tackle the frenetic rock song – albeit in a pace more fitting her blues roots – might seem odd. But the song may be the best representation of James as both a singer and a person – rambunctious in spirit, with the ability to sing whatever was thrown at her, whether it was jazz, blues, pining R&B or a song from one of the rowdiest bands in rock" (Nekesa Mumbi Moody, "Etta James," Huffington Post, 1/21/12).

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The Adventures of Tintin: Music by John Williams

"The iconic film composer, best known for his work on 'Star Wars' ... has been in the movie music game for over 50 years. Williams' influences by Romantic greats including Mahler, Wagner, Holst, Elgar have helped produce the epic, sentimental style that characterizes his work, which includes indelible tunes like the 'Imperial March.' Williams has won five Academy Awards, four Golden Globes, and 21 Grammys. His scores for 'Tintin' and 'War Horse' have earned him another two nominations this year. It's hard to imagine any of these films without their soundtracks. His music gives you insight into the characters and the universes depicted on screen in a visceral way -- evil feels like evil, good feels like good, victory feels like victory, and fear feels like fear" (Amy Lee, "John Williams Turns 80," Huffington Post, 2/8/12).

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Coldplay: Mylo Xyloto

"Pressed about the title, Mr. Martin described a kind of mythical character signifying the wonder of artistic inspiration. 'Music comes from a place we don’t know,' he said. 'It sort of comes through the fingers and toes. So we came up with the idea of, what if you had musical digits, like xylo toes.' He shook his head, irritated that he gave up the secret so easily. And what about 'Mylo'? 'It’s just a great name,' he said. 'For anything'" (Ben Sisario, "Chris Martin of Coldplay Asks: What Would Bruce Do?," New York Times, 10/13/11).

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Candy Dulfer: Crazy

"Produced by Printz Board, one of the magical elves behind the global dominance of the Black Eyed Peas, it’s a disarmingly savvy dispatch, strong on hooks as well as grooves. There’s some singing, by Ms. Dulfer and others; there’s a small, strategic bit of room for solos. Only rarely, as on the closer, 'Too Close,' is there much in the way of boilerplate smooth jazz. Instead it’s high-grade pop, inoffensive but insistent, suitable for step workouts or 'The Ellen DeGeneres Show.' Ms. Dulfer, who has toured with Prince, thrives within the album’s parameters: her tone on alto saxophon[e] is tart but not grating. ... As it happens, pop’s current sound, with its European dance-club pedigree, is ideally suited to Ms. Dulfer, who hails from the Netherlands" (Nate Chinen, "New Music," New York Times, 1/30/12).

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Dum Dum Girls: Only in Dreams

"Only in Dreams is the second album by Dum Dum Girls, and was released September 26, 2011. ... Spin awarded the album a rating of 8/10, writing, 'Gundred's richer-than-you-expect voice is the key to these jagged little pillows, whether dryly noting that a guy's "Just a Creep," soaring on "Coming Down," or lacing her echoes with sorrow on "Hold Your Hand," a reflection on her mother's death.' In Lindsay Zoladz's 7.6 out of 10 review, Pitchfork Media lauded the album's melodic risks within the genre of garage rock revival, 'Only in Dreams isn't a perfect record, but a little while down the line it might end up looking like the beginning of something-- the first steps forward for the band, or perhaps a raising of the bar for this entire revival. I wouldn't put it past Dee Dee to be the leader of the pack.' The New York Times echoed this viewpoint in Jon Caramanica's positive review stating 'Only in Dreams ... seethes with a beautiful, raging confidence, louder and fuller than anything they’ve done before, and better than the onetime peers they’re leaving behind'" (Wikipedia).

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Brad Mehldau, Kevin Hays: Modern Music

"In the era when Smoke was Augie’s — a student hangout, invariably full of actual smoke — Mr. Mehldau was one of its habitués. He makes his return as an improvising pianist of exalted stature, whether he’s working with his trio (as at a recent Village Vanguard run), in a piano-duo format (as on his most recent Nonesuch release, 'Modern Music'), or in a duo with the drummer Mark Giuliana" (Nate Chinen, "Jazz Listings," New York Times, 2/2/12).

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The Doors: L.A. Woman (40th Anniversary Edition)

"Some artists create their most intense work when they hit rock bottom: See Vincent van Gogh, Billie Holiday, Nick Drake and Jim Morrison, whose final album with the Doors is a Southern California death trip that matches anything in their catalog for beautifully spooked rock & roll urge-purging. Made amid professional train wrecks and personal downward spirals, it’s a surprisingly focused set, in part a return to the Doors’ blues-rock roots. Morrison’s hot baritone killed, Robby Krieger’s guitar is laser-guided, and 'The Changeling' and 'Been Down So Long' are garage-style classics. Even the sprawling set pieces,'Riders on the Storm' and 'L.A. Woman,' are formal masterpieces, bound by exacting grooves and precise solos" (Will Hermes, "Reviews," Rolling Stone, 2/2/12, p. 64).

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Chausson: Le Roi Arthus

"Whatever the source, Arthus, with its story of passion, betrayal, forgiveness, and ultimate resurrection, and its emotionally charged but transparent score, somewhere between Wagner and Chabrier's Briséis, is a masterpiece which deserves to be known. Its seamless weaving together of music and poetry culminates in an enchantment more potent than Merlin's waning powers could produce -- that of the invisible choir which summons the King to Nirvana, and brings his saga to its bittersweet conclusion" (CD notes by John Ashbery).

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Usher: Confessions

"Sales of complete albums, the industry’s most profitable product, reached 330.6 million in the United States last year, a 1.3 percent increase from 2010, according to Nielsen SoundScan, which collects sales data from retailers. Some businesses might call that level of growth flat, but since album sales had fallen every year since 2004, it was a notable improvement. Some of that marginal growth came from one album, Adele’s '21' (XL/Columbia) which sold 5.82 million copies, the best one-year sales count for any album since Usher’s 'Confessions' sold 7.98 million copies in 2004" (Ben Sisario, "Full Album Sales Showed a Little Growth in 2011," New York Times, 1/4/12).

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Chick Corea, Eddie Gomez, Paul Motian: Further Explorations

"With the unexpected death of the drummer Paul Motian, last November, 'Further Explorations' (Concord), an album intended to be an homage to the pianist Bill Evans, has become a double tribute. Motian, an integral member of Evans's landmark trio of the early sixties, joined the pianist Chick Corea and the bassist Eddie Gomez (a longtime Evans associate whose tenure never coincided with Motian's) for a stint at the Blue Note in May of 2010, the results of which are captured on this bracing double-disk set" (Steve Futterman, "Jazz Notes," New Yorker, 1/30/12).

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Mindless Behavior: #1 Girl

"Roc Royal is Mindless and proud of it. No, it's not what you think (unless you're the parent of a tween girl, and then it's exactly what you think): Roc Royal is part of Mindless Behavior, a quartet of 14-year-old boys who pride themselves on their 'Mindless vibe.' ... Mindless Behavior, also featuring Prodigy, Princeton and Ray Ray, formed three years ago under the guidance of a trio of music-biz honchos who had worked with Lady Gaga and Beyoncé, among others. The foursome spent two years training as singers and dancers before releasing a 2010 debut, '#1 Girl,' which seems to revolve around songs about exchanging text messages with girls" (Eric R. Danton, "Mindless Behavior Plays Jingle Jam Friday in Hartford," Hartford Courant, 12/2/11).

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Sarabah: Tales from the Flipside of Paradise

"I don't often have the opportunity to write about a film that combines world music and social activism as closely as Sarabah. ... It is the story of Fatou Mandiang Diatta, dba Sister Fa. Fatou is a driven woman. She was driven to rise to being one of the most recognized rappers in her homeland of Senegal, and now she is driven to stop the practice of Female Genital Cutting. ... Her music tour to put an end to this custom is the subject of the film, and it leaves few people unmoved. ... I had heard Sister Fa's music on her excellent CD Tales from the Flipside of Paradise on Piranha records" (Michal Shapiro, "Sarabah: A Female Rapper Wrestles with a Taboo Subject," Huffington Post, 1/11/12).

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Jill Scott: The Original Jill Scott

"Hot on the heels of The Light of the Sun, the new compilation The Original Jill Scott: From the Vault Vol. 1 shows that even the R&B star's leftovers are golden. Previously unreleased tracks like a gorgeous cover of Bill Withers's 'Lovely Day' feel like unburied treasure" ("Music," People, 9/12/11, p. 54).

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Peter Wolf: Midnight Souvenirs

"PW: [T]his new [solo album] has this incredible singer, Shelby Lynne. Neko Case is quite an interesting artist. One of my favorite singers and songwriters of all time, who to me, is right up there with Van Morrison and Bob Dylan, is Merle Haggard. Doing a duet with Merle Haggard is one of the great things of my life. ... MR:  ... Now, you're not only a recording artist, but also a visual artist, and the album artwork is featured in the album packaging. How entrenched are you on a daily basis with your art? PW: I'm with it pretty much. I have a sketch book with me, and my favorite medium besides oils is pen and ink because it's unforgiving--once you put it on paper you can't change it, you're committed. ... MR: ... By the way, with Midnight Souvenirs being awarded Album of the Year by the Boston Music Awards, what was it like? PW: Yeah, it was very exciting. I put a lot of effort into that album, and it was nice to see it get some recognition. If people are curious, go online, check it out, and give it a listen. I tried so hard to make an album that had a beginning, middle, and end, and I also worked really hard on the packaging, which a lot of people don't get a chance to see" (Mike Ragogna, "A Conversation with Peter Wolf," Huffington Post, 8/15/11).

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The Antlers: Burst Apart

"Here are my favorite albums of 2011: 1. The Antlers, 'Burst Apart' (Frenchkiss) — A stunning song cycle about emerging from the shadow of trauma, 'Burst Apart' is at once intimate but not insular, a perfect balance of ghostly melody, swirling atmospherics and rhythmic textures ..." (Eric R. Danton, "Top 10 Albums of 2011," Sound Check, 1/5/12).

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Grieg: Music for String Orchestra

"A new addition to a generous series of Grieg recordings on the Naxos label offers his music for strings, beautifully played by the Malmo Symphony Orchestra of Sweden under the conductor Bjarte Engeset. Writing for just this segment empowered Grieg, and these works are masterly. Grieg favored a big string sound, which this orchestra provides, rather than the more traditional chamber ensemble of strings. Grieg often mined folk tunes for melodic ideas, and many of the pieces here are arrangements of his songs and piano pieces. ... The 'Holberg Suite' (in full, 'From Holberg’s Time: Suite in Olden Style') is drawn from music Grieg wrote in 1884 to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the birth of the playwright Ludvig Holberg. Though this is a witty and skillfully scored neo-Rococo suite, in Grieg’s hands the Gavotte and Rigaudon are touched with the heavy-footed bounce of Norwegian folk dance as well as some inner sadness" (Anthony Tommasini, "Malmo Symphony Plays Grieg," New York Times, 1/13/12).

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Metallica (self-titled)

"The top-selling album of the SoundScan era is Metallica’s self-titled 1991 release (aka 'the black album'), with sales of 15.7 million units" (Eric R. Danton, "Adele Leads Record Industry to Sales Increase in 2011," Sound Check, 1/6/12).

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