Blue Effect

Blue Effect was a Czech rock band, also operating under the names M. Efekt, Modrý efekt, or The Special Blue Effect, since their formation in 1968. The band's main and only permanent member from its founding until his death in 2016 was guitarist Radim Hladík, formerly of The Matadors. Blue Effect changed their musical style several times, ranging from rhythm and blues, jazz fusion, to art rock.

Blue Cheer's debut album, Vincebus Eruptum, was widely and accurately described as "the loudest record ever made" when it first appeared in early 1968, and the band seemingly had the good sense to realize that for sheer brutal impact, there was little chance they could top it. So for their second LP, Outsideinside (which appeared a mere seven months later), rather than aim for something bigger and more decibel intensive, Blue Cheer decided to see how much polish they could add to their formula without blunting the skull-crushing force of their live attack. While Vincebus Eruptum was cut in simple and straightforward form with minimal overdubs, Outsideinside found Blue Cheer embracing the possibilities of the recording studio…

On The Blue Room, her second Decca recording, Madeleine Peyroux and producer Larry Klein re-examine the influence of Ray Charles' revolutionary 1962 date, Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music. They don't try to re-create the album, but remake some of its songs and include others by composers whose work would benefit from the genre-blurring treatment Charles pioneered. Bassist David Pilch, drummer Jay Bellerose, guitarist Dean Parks, and pianist/organist Larry Goldings are the perfect collaborators. Most these ten tracks feature string arrangements by Vince Mendoza. Five tunes here are reinterpretations of Charles' from MSICAWM. "Take These Chains" commences as a sultry jazz tune, and in Peyroux's vocal, there is no supplication – only a demand. Parks' pedal steel moves between sounding like itself and a clarinet. Goldings' alternating B-3 and Rhodes piano offer wonderful color contrast and make it swing. Her take on "Bye Bye Love" feels as if it's being narrated to a confidante, and juxtaposes early Western swing with a bluesy stroll. A rock guitar introduces "I Can't Stop Loving You," but Peyroux's phrasing has more country-blues in it than we've heard from her before. The use of a trumpet in "Born to Lose" and "You Don't Know Me," with Mendoza's dreamy strings, allow for Peyroux to deliver her most stylized jazz performances on the set.

Staying true to eclectic ambience through dramatic electronic music, Hooverphonic raise the pressure from their debut single "2Wicky" for a more passionate effort on their second album, Blue Wonder Power Milk. New vocalist Geike Arnaert captures an innocence that was practically blindsided on the first album by former lead singer Liesje Sadonius. Blue Wonder Power Milk is intricately woven with string arrangements and pulsating dance club beats for a drowsy feel. Most songs featured on Blue Wonder Power Milk are guided by light strings, allowing Hooverphonic to gently fall into genres of indie pop, dream pop, and trip-hop, however each song does take on a life of its own – slowly. Album opener "Battersea" arrives with Arnaert's breathy vocals for a spiraling drum'n'bass track about self-indulgence. "Club Montepulciano," which received moderate airplay on college radio and "Eden" both glide with an ethereal beauty, whereas "Lung" thrives with heavy guitar licks and throbbing Depeche Mode-like synths. Blue Wonder Power Milk attempts for a strong introduction, and while it is indeed enchanting, it's also slow to rise.

Carmen McRae - Torchy & Blue Moon (1955-1956) {Decca–MCA Records ‎MCLD19392 rel 1999}
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© 1955-56, 1999 Decca / MCA Records ‎| MCLD19392
Jazz / Vocal Jazz / Bop / Standards / Soul Jazz

There's a lot to enjoy on "Blue Moon" but "Torchy" is the reason to buy this CD. Immaculate performances of some wonderful songs in effective but not intrusive arrangements. "Midnight Sun" is simply beautiful; "Star Eyes" is definitive; "My Future Just Passed" one of those lesser-known songs that Carmen makes into something very special; "I'm a Dreamer" is not in the least corny; and "Good Morning Heartache" shows Carmen's strengths and why listening to her is such a pleasure.

The reference is to the Casimir effect, a mysterious force in quantum physics that draws elements together. I see it as a metaphor for the spontaneous energy created by musicians interacting intuitively when playing together. Cause and Effect is a journey through the influence of childhood experiences. The music sometimes reflects a mood, sometimes evokes a half forgotten memory, combining the sensibility of classical music with the instinctive spontaneity of jazz improvisation.