The Musical Box

+ The Finn Brothers: Everyone is Here (2004) - As if Crowded House and Split Enz, along with a healthy string of solo albums, weren’t enough to convince the world of the pop intellects of Tim and Neil Finn, we had this delight. The mood is mistier and the sound more wintry, partly due to the fact that the album eulogizes the Finns’ mom. But as the record winds its way through Gentle Hum, the pop sentiments quietly soar.

+ Genesis: Genesis Live (1973) - The veteran prog-popsters made it into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on Monday but left performance duties to Phish. Admittedly, the latter did a fine job with Watcher of the Skies. But its version just made me long for this ancient concert album where Watcher, with Peter Gabriel at his wildest, sounded majestic and primitive. The Dickensian melodrama Get ‘Em Out By Friday was way cool, too.

+ The Climax Chicago Blues Band: The Climax Chicago Blues Band (1968) - Well, there were elements of Chicago blues in workmanlike covers of Don’t Start Me Talkin’ and Mean Old World. But the twist in the debut by this very British roots and boogie brigade was that it brought a loose, psychedelic groove to the blues. Witness the eight minute finale And Lonely, which matches youthful British rock zeal with Otis Rush-style soul.

+ The Rascals: Peaceful World (1971) - A forgotton sleeper, Peaceful World was the next  to last album Felix Cavaliere and Dino Danelli cut as The Rascals with the gospel soul turns of their Atlantic albums yielding to contemplative passages accented by jazz and tropical grooves. The title tune, a mostly instrumental 21 minute work, was as enticing as anything The Rascals ever recorded. It also destroyed the band’s commercial fanbase.

+ Mahavishnu Orchestra: Apocalypse (1974) - No sooner did guitarist John McLaughlin split the original, ear-bleeding Mahavishnu band than he returned with a second, larger ensemble. But Apocalypse stacked the deck. It enlisted violinist Jean-Luc Ponty, famed producer George Martin, the entire London Symphony Orchestra and a young Michael Tilson Thomas as conductor. It remains a work of pastoral, spring-like grace and heavy fusion cunning.

+ King Crimson: In the Court of the Crimson King (1969/2009) - The beginnings of the mighty Crim were celebrated last year with three separate editions of its debut album, a groundbreaking mix of prog rock invention, heavy psychedelia and free jazz exploration. A two-disc version features a vivid remix by Porcupine Tree’s Steve Wilson along with numerous extras, including a lovely acoustic guitar/woodwind duet of I Talk to the Wind.

+ The Misled Children/Odean Pope: The Misled Children Meet Odean Pope (2008) - A cross generational summit that brings a West Coast hip hop outfit featuring the enigmatic Clutchy Hopkins to the veteran Philadelphia saxophonist Odean Pope, now in his 70s. The results favor Pope in lean groove settings that recall the organic meshes of jazz, soul and funk spearheaded by Blue Note Records in the early 1970s. Very, very cool.

+ David Bowie: Heathen (2002) - The three studio records Bowie released over the past decade barely dented the charts, but all are gems - especially this spooky/spiritual session where his ghostly croon meets the guitar loops of David Torn. The way the ethereal Sunday surrenders to a trip hop beat is a thrill, as is the evolution of the title tune from an outer space noir soundscape into a deliriously static party piece. A masterful sleeper.

+ John Jorgenson Quintet: One Stolen Night  (2010) - Having played country music in the Desert Rose Band and arena rock with Elton John, guitarist Jorgenson offers his latest gypsy jazz outing. Fashioned after the ‘30s records of Django Reinhardt and Stephane Grappelli, Jorgenson makes the sunny string sound his own with discreet Eastern European accents and a curious bit of Greek flavored bluegrass titled Kentucky Kastrinos.

+ Michael Hoenig: Departure from the Northern Wasteland (1978) - Definitely one for the ”Whatever Happened To…” files, Hoenig is a German composer from the modulated “Berlin School” of electronic music. He briefly played in Tangerine Dream, which seems the prototype for this spacious sounding album of synthesizer music. Dated? Absolutely. But the emotive, cinematic flair of these works makes for a majestic chill out soundtrack.

+ Jimi Hendrix: Valleys of Neptune (2010) - New Hendrix? Sort of. Due out on Tuesday, Valleys of Neptune offers unreleased documents of an especially restless guitarist at work during the final days of the Jimi Hendrix Experience. A chaotic instrumental version of Cream’s Sunshine of Your Love signals Hendrix’s push to a more percussive sound. But the post-Experience take on Elmore James’ Bleeding Heart proudly upholds the blues.

+ Johnny Cash: American VI: Ain’t No Grave (2010) - The last of the Rick Rubin-produced American Recordings has Cash making peace with the world. The funereal title tune, cut with the Avett Brothers, may brood a bit. But this is still the warmest, most affirming entry in the American series. From the resolute reading of Satisfied Mind to the island farewell of Aloha Oe, Ain’t No Grave brings Cash’s mighty last chorus home.

+ Mose Allison: The Way of the World (2010) - Due out March 23, The Way of the World places an 82 year Allison back in the studio with Joe Henry producing. Sounding hip and human as ever, Allison stays the course here with slices of spry jazz piano cool. Henry brings the guests, including drummer Jay Bellerose and guitarist Greg Leisz. But Allison’s ageless whimsy on My Brain, Modest Proposal and Ask Me Nice bring on the big fun.

+ Nigeria Afrobeat Special: The New Explosive Sound in 1970s Nigeria (2010) - This new sampler album shows just how deeply Fela Kuti’s Afrobeat sound permeated the music emanating out of Nigeria in the early ‘70s. Kuti and his Africa ‘70 band lead the 11 act roster. But all of the performers follow a unified course with extended, mantra like grooves that balance percussion and brass for a funk sound of a truly different color.

+ Jason and the Scorchers: Halcyon Times (2010) - On the first new Scorchers album in 14 years, Jason Ringenberg and Warner Hodges reteam to redefine cowpunk, from the high octane misfit anthem Moonshine Guy to the free-for-all charge of Gettin’ Nowhere Fast. But Mother of Greed bears a comparatively worldly cast as Ringenberg sings of a civilization “losing history to a modern reality.” Clear headed cowpunk with its eyes wide open. Due out Tuesday.

+ Pretenders: Live in London (2010) - “This is one for all the gentlemen in the house, if there are any,” says the magnificently ageless Chrissie Hynde on this jaw-dropping-ly great CD/DVD package. Here, her present day Pretenders (still with Martin Chambers in the drum chair but now fortified with pedal steel demon Eric Heywood) rip through two dozen rockers new (Boots of Chinese Plastic) and vintage (Precious). What a blast.

+ Bob Dylan: Nashville Skyline (1969/2003) - Quite possibly the most accessible album Dylan ever made. And on the 2003 remastered edition, its country ambience sounds even more spacious. That’s especially true on one of my all time favorite Dylan tracks, Tell Me It Isn’t True, where pedal steel and organ seem to echo for miles. Of course, having an in-his-prime Johnny Cash helping out on Girl from the North Country is pretty cool, too.

+ Aretha Franklin: Live at Fillmore West (1971/2006) - Her hysterical new TV commercial for Snickers (”everytime you get hungry, you turn into a diva”) prompted a friend to ask what my favorite Aretha album was. This is it, hands down. On a 2006 double-disc edition, there is, as they say, more to love. Shoot, Aretha is so cool with her King Curtis-led band that she even makes Bread’s Make It With You sound soulful. And that’s impossible.

+ Focus: Live at the BBC (2004/1976) - For an archival album like this to even exist, one has to believe the BBC has retained recordings of every live performance it blasted across the airwaves during the ‘70s. But this is a real find - Dutch rockers Focus playing in 1976 with the Belgian guitarist Philip Catherine in the place of the great Jan Akkerman. The result is a jazzier take on Focus’s prog sound. A beautifully dated, neo-fusion getaway.

+ Joe Martin: Not By Chance (2009) - I did something I almost never do with this record. I bought it based on a review written by someone else. But the rave from The New York Times proved worthy. Bassist Martin is an in-demand jazz cat in New York and Not By Chance is a warm, unassuming post-bop session that employs two of his former employers - pianist Brad Mehldau and saxophonist Chris Potter - as bandmates.

+ Crowded House: Temple of Low Men (1988) - Somewhat underappreciated in the wake of Crowded House’s mighty 1986 debut, Temple of Low Men stands today as a near perfect pop album. It places Neil Finn’s seamless sense of songcraft within what might well be producer Mitchell Froom’s finest studio settings. The hapless radio hit Better Be Home Soon and the neo-psychedelic strings engulfing Into Temptation - stand as proof.

+ David Sanborn: Only Everything (2010) - On his second tribute album devoted to the great sax sound Hank Crawford and David Newman designed for Ray Charles’ classic soul records of the ‘60s, alto sax star Sanborn creates a warm, organic R&B fabric with the great B3 organist Joey DeFrancesco and drummer Steve Gadd. Vocal cameos by Joss Stone and James Taylor fall flat. But when Dave, Joey and Steve swing, Brother Ray’s spirit shines.

+ Steve Miller Band: Anthology (1972) - Happily purchased at a truck stop just outside of Nashville on a frigid January afternoon was this full CD version of a Miller collection that stops just shy of his 1974 pop breakthrough. That means it ignores all of that Rock’n Me nonsense. Instead, Anthology sports the kind of semi-acoustic, blues-accented psychedelia many fans never knew Miller had in him. A remarkable pre-stardom portrait.

+ Dave Liebman: Lookout Farm (1974) - Reading that saxophonist Liebman will be jamming in New York this weekend with members of his multi-cultural fusion band Lookout Farm for the first time in ages prompted a renewed listen to the ensemble’s only recording - a warm and wonderfully textured vehicle for Liebman’s snakecharming soprano sax leads (and improvising) and Richie Beirach’s exquisite Rhodes piano work.

+ Simple Minds: Once Upon a Time (1985) - I don’t get nostalgic for ‘80s pop too often. Even on this album, which marked Simple Minds’ brief commercial heyday, the drum and synthesizer gloss is as overcooked as Jim Kerr’s dying-to-be-Bono posturing. Still, the songs, every last one of them, are gems. Sanctify Yourself and Alive and Kicking create icy drama out of pure production excess. A surprising testament to soul over style.

+ David Bowie: A Reality Tour (2010) - A Reality Tour comes to us now over six years after the performances it chronicles and five years after its DVD companion. Nonetheless, as a representation of David Bowie’s last international tour, this two disc set meshes moody rock gems both classic (Rebel Rebel) and overlooked (Heathens). With help from a top flight band, the ageless Bowie remains in peak performance form.

+ Egg: Egg (1970) - The first and finer of the British prog rock trio’s two albums sounds like a contained version of The Nice. Organist Dave Stewart (not the Eurythmics guy) displays all the classically inclined cunning of Keith Emerson but with more humor (the vignette They Laughed When I Sat Down at the Piano), mainstream appeal (You Are All Princes) and pure prog-rock invention (Symphony No. 2). A wonderfully dated listen.

+ Mike Keneally: Scambot 1 (2009) - One of Frank Zappa’s final guitar henchmen, Keneally also remains among the few to still echo Zappa’s compositional style - a highly animated sprint of pop confections and abstracts sewn together by impossibly crafty guitar excursions and, in the case of Scambot 1, a wild social-fantastical narrative. Making sense of the storyline is a task. But the music is an imaginative, expansive thrill.

+ Kate Bush: Aerial (2005) - Bush muses here on everything from Elvis to motherhood to the very fascination that surrounds the creation of art. The music is as wondrous as anything on her earlier albums, but maintains a lighter orchestral aroma, as shown by the Brazilian breakdown that erupts like a summer shower on Sunset. Hearing Aerial later dissolve into fits of birdsong and Bush’s own laughter enhances its very earthbound muse.

+ Paul Motian: Bill Evans (1990) - A forgotten triumph of drummer Motian’s trio featuring saxophonist Joe Lovano and guitarist Bill Frisell. True to the title, Bill Evans reimagines nine tunes by the great pianist, whose ‘60s trios included Motian, as ambient soundscapes. But the addition of another Evans alumnus, bassist Marc Johnson, wonderfully grounds these exemplary performances of equally sterling compositions.

king crimson: lizard

King Crimson: Lizard (2009/1970) - The mighty Crimson’s third album, reviled for years by mainstay leader Robert Fripp, returns to us with a beautiful new mix. Crimson’s lineup was in flux at the time, but enlisting pianist Keith Tippett and Yes vocalist Jon Anderson wildly widened the band’s post psychedelic prog-rock reach. And the new mix, especially on Lady of the Dancing Water, is quite breathtaking.

richard thompson: live warrior

Richard Thompson: Live Warrior (2009) - A mail order-only concert album available on Thompson’s website reminds us how electric the British folk-rock vet can become when he plugs into a band format. He’s still a masterful songwriter, as displayed by the sublimely reflective Sunset Song. But on the mob rules drive of Guns Are The Tongues, Thompson reaffirms his status as a truly fearsome guitarist.

soundtrack: crazy heart

Original Motion Picture Soundtrack: Crazy Heart (2009) - A country album of sorts as opposed to a strict soundtrack. There are snippets of vintage blues and outlaw music along with fine new tracks from Ryan Bingham and Sam Phillips. But the formula that ignites Crazy Heart is masterful: tunes co-penned by the late Stephen Bruton, produced by T Bone Burnett and sung with dry, wry grace by Jeff Bridges.

the ahmad jamal trio: the awakening

The Ahmad Jamal Trio: The Awakening (2007/1970) - This 2007 edition of an overlooked trio album by pianist Jamal is a real treasure. The performances are beautifully understated yet come bursting with playfulness. You hear it in the modest bossa nova turns of Antonio Carlos Jobim’s Wave, the spry step of Herbie Hancock’s Dolphin Dance and the stately Jamal-penned title tune. A thoroughly satisfying listen.

stephen stills: stephen stills

Stephen Stills: Stephen Stills (1970) - A wonderfully wintry post ‘60s rock adventure. Bolstered by the hit Love the One You’re With, Stephen Stills ignites with a huge churchy sound rich with choirs, organ and epic guitar and percussion arrangements. Aside from the bluesy Black Queen, Stephen Stills sounds like Phil Spector on a West Coast hippie holiday. Stills never equaled this triumph again.

Amazingly, it’s been nearly seven months since we’ve had a Current Listening session at The Musical Box. So let’s see what what’s been on the stereo during the off hours of late:

booker t & the mgs:in the christmas spirit

+ Booker T. and the MGs: In the Christmas Spirit (1966) - My favorite rediscovered holiday album. The sleek B3 soul sound Booker T. Jones sets these seasonal staples to remains hip 33 years after this recording was first issued. But a renewed listen reveals how regally quiet the album is. Tempered by the MGs’ expert R&B reserve, Christmas Spirit is a supreme holiday chill pill.

the jethro tull christmas album

+ Jethro Tull: The Jethro Tull Christmas Album (2009/2003) - A new import edition Tull’s fine 2003 holiday album sports a bonus concert disc called Christmas at St. Bride’s. This rustic acoustic sampler of Tull’s more Dickensian tunes - along with holiday readings, choirs and carols - was recorded in a Fleet Street church and serves as a benefit for the homeless. A genuinely intimate expression of the season.

nine horses:snow borne system

+ Nine Horses: Snow Borne System (2007) - While it is easy to admire the more static fringe encircling his new Manafon album, David Sylvian offers a vastly warmer and more accessible listen on this 2007 outing. Though credited to the trio Nine Horses, this is a Sylvian record all the way, from the slight, whispery tone of the vocals to the rich and darkly atmospheric décor.

frank zappa:one size fits all

+ Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention: One Size Fits All (1975) - Quite possibly the most approachable recording Zappa ever made. The playing - jazz-like in its complexity but with rock, pop, prog and even soul overtones - is the kicker, from the cosmic interludes during Inca Roads and Andy to the monster guitar breaks during Po-Jama People. But the canine zen of Evelyn, A Modified Dog steals the show.

ralph towner:diary

+ Ralph Towner: Diary (1973) - The debut solo album from guitarist Towner sounds like it could have been recorded yesterday. Its ideas are still remarkably fresh, from the mix of folk, chamber and improvisational devices to the one-man-band makeup on several tunes with overdubs of piano and percussion. A Washington state native, Towner fills Diary with wintry European impressionism.

ornette coleman: twins (1871)

+ Ornette Coleman: Twins (1971) - Re-issued last year on the Water label, Twins offers what were, in 1971, unreleased sessions from the vanguard saxophonist’s early years (1959-61). Coleman’s free jazz heart is ablaze throughout, but it’s the guest list that kills you: Charlie Haden, Eric Dolphy, Don Cherry and Ed Blackwell. Stealing the show is the very sweet blend of Coleman’s scorched alto sax with the roaming groove of bassist Scott LaFaro on Check Up. An extraordinary jazz excavation.

king crimson: in the wake of poseidon (1971)

+ King Crimson: In the Wake of Poseidon (1971) - Crimson’s 1969 debut set the prog and psychedelic rock worlds on fire, although it’s lineup quickly splintered. Poseidon majestically picks up the pieces of proggish adventures that bow the blues (Pictures of a City), quasi-classical revisionism (the very Holst-like The Devil’s Triangle) and gorgeous acoustic reflection (Cadence and Cascade). The 1999 edition adds bonus material, extensive notation and gorgeously remastered sound.

santana: santana (1971)

+ Santana: Santana (1971) - Retroactively titled Santana III, this post-Abraxas album was the final outing for the first Santana lineup. Predominantly instrumental, the album pulls out the Latin psychedelic stops on Taboo, No One to Depend and Toussaint L’Overture while Everybody’s Everything enlists the hard soul swing of Tower of Power. Compare this to the Santana records of today and you just want to cry.

the flying burrito brothers: the flying burrito bros. (1971)

+ The Flying Burrito Brothers: The Flying Burrito Brothers (1971): Many fans wrote the Burritos off after Gram Parsons flew the coup. And while the band’s self-titled, Rick Roberts-led third album is safer, smoother and more Californian in design than its predecessors, it remains an appealing listen in its own right. But then, having prime Merle Haggard, Bob Dylan and Gene Clark tunes to draw from doesn’t hurt.

fairport convention: angel delight (1971)

+ Fairport Convention: Angel Delight (1971): Whittled to a quartet after the departure of guitarist Richard Thompson, the vanguard Brit folk-rock band simply plowed ahead with one of its most underappreciated albums. Less psychedelic and more rustic in an Old English sort of way, Angel Delight pumps up the mandolin, fiddle, and pub hearty attitude. A great overlooked chapter in the Fairport saga.

buddy & julie miller: written in chalk

Buddy & Julie Miller: Written in Chalk (2009) - As usual, the Millers put their ample Americana spirit through the ringer, whether it’s with their beautifully jagged duets (Gasoline and Matches, Memphis Jane), Julie’s hauntingly sparse narratives (June, Don’t Say Goodbye) or Buddy’s cunning alliances with Robert Plant (What You Gonna Do Leroy), Patty Griffin (Chalk) and Emmylou Harris (The Selfishness in Man). A killer record all the way through.

CJ3/crimson jazz trio: king crimson songbook, volume 2

Crimson Jazz Trio: King Crimson Songbook, Volume 2 (2009) - Another celebratory view of the beastly Crimson in swing mode. But Volume 2 is also a postscript for CJT drummer (and Crimson alumnus) Ian Wallace, who died shortly after these sessions were cut. The whole album is striking. But hearing Wallace and sax guest Mel Collins revisit music they originated on Crimson’s 1972 album Islands is a beautiful but bittersweet delight.

peter gabriel: lima, peru; 20-03-09

Peter Gabriel: Lima, Peru; 20-03-09 (2009) - Prog rock politico Gabriel toured Latin America in March and recorded every performance for release through themusic.com. This two hour show from Peru covers tunes from all of Gabriel’s studio albums, from the gingerly Solsbury Hill to the worldbeat apocalypse of Signal to Noise to last year’s Wall-E soundtrack delicacy Down to Earth. Bassist Tony Levin and guitarist David Rhodes light a fuse to it all, too.

grateful dead: road trips, vol.2, no. 2; carousel 2-14-68

Grateful Dead: Road Trips, Vol. 2, No. 2; Carousel 2-14-68 (2009) - Of the two new Dead archival albums, the 1977 snapshot To Terrapin is the cleaner, more commanding entry. But this mail order/download Road Trips set is way cooler. By peeling back the years to 1968, Jerry Garcia and crew sound positively fearless. They play the groove of Caution and the blues of Hurts Me Too like the music was brand new. And in 1968, it essentially was.

mike marshall: mike marshall

Mike Marshall: Mike Marshall’s Big Trio (2009) - The formal air of the cover photo suggests classical music. But mandolinist and guitarist Marshall’s new collaboration with two youthful protégés - bassist Paul Kowert and violinist Alex Hargreaves - revels in mixing chamber, Americana, touches of gypsy jazz and bluegrass sounds.  Granted, Marshall has been engaged in such synthesis for decades. But the resulting big sound of the Big Trio, though, is no less striking, inventive or playful.