Cartola Viva Cartola

Que Viva Mingus! is an album dedicated to Mingus' considerable output of Latin-influenced jazz. The selections here include well-known Mingus compositions like "Los Mariachis," "Dizzy Moods," "Ysabel's Table Dance," and "Cumbia and Jazz Fusion," as well as some more obscure titles like "Slippers" and "Moods in Mambo," the album's oldest number, dating from 1949. Among the standout soloists are Randy Brecker on trumpet, John Stubblefield on tenor sax, Steve Slagle on soprano and alto saxes, Ronnie Cuber on baritone sax, and Dave Kikowski on piano. This is exciting, joyous, raucous, and still modern-sounding music, as fresh and challenging as the day it was written. And you can even dance to some of it.

Following the breakup of the Smiths, Morrissey needed to prove that he was a viable artist without Johnny Marr, and Viva Hate fulfilled that goal with grace. Working with producer Stephen Street and guitarist Vini Reilly (of the Durutti Column), Morrissey doesn't drastically depart from the sound of Strangeways, Here We Come, offering a selection of 12 jangling guitar pop sounds. One major concession is the presence of synthesizers – which is ironic, considering the Smiths' adamant opposition to keyboards – but neither the sound, nor Morrissey's wit, is diluted. And while the music is occasionally pedestrian, Morrissey compensates with a superb batch of lyrics, ranging from his conventional despair ("Little Man, What Now?," "I Don't Mind If You Forget Me") to the savage political tirade of "Margaret on a Guillotine." Nevertheless, the two masterstrokes on the album – the gorgeous "Everyday Is Like Sunday" and the infectious "Suedehead" – were previously singles, and both are on the compilation Bona Drag.

Sarah Vaughan's Viva! Vaughan is a curious blend of jazz and pop with Latin percussion, with arrangements by ex-Basie sideman Frank Foster, recorded in the midst of the mid-'60s bossa nova craze. Vaughan is in great voice throughout the date and the material is generally first-rate, except for the bland "Night Song." Although the back of the CD hypes a "full-scale" orchestra, it is an unusual blend with seven trombones, flute, violins, piano, bass, and drums, plus Latin percussion, but no trumpets or saxophones. Foster's best arrangements omit the string section, including a swinging take of Henry Mancini's "Mr. Lucky," a wild if brief "Avalon," a campy "Tea for Two," and Foster's own "Shiny Stockings." Unfortunately, the bossa nova selections ("The Boy From Ipanema" and "Quiet Nights") are burdened with pedestrian string arrangements that date the music as much as the generally uninspired Latin percussion. It's likely that this lack of focus confused the record-buying public as to what type of music this was and caused it to be overlooked. The brevity of the tracks and the lack of solo opportunities for the strong supporting cast (which includes Kai Winding, Jerome Richardson, Barry Galbraith, George Duvivier, among others) make it seem like receiving airplay was a major goal of this release. However, the golden voice of Sarah Vaughan is this CD reissue's most dominant factor, and it is worth acquiring. ~ Ken Dryden, All Music Guide

Usually regarded as the Belgian ZAO, Cos develops an European type of chamber-rock, built on onomatopoeic vocals or sung in French or German. The band displays beautiful themes interwined with complex orchestrated rhythms. Its music evokes the Canterbury School (Caravan, Hatfield And The North…), the anguished and dark music of King Crimson or Quiet Sun and Terje Rypdal's atmospheric jazz-rock. Pascale Son uses her high-pitched voice, able to perform the most incredible modulations, and this allows her to become one of the best singers in that style. The leader Daniel Schell is a guitarist extraordinaire, and proves to develop ideas as original as Robert Fripp's.

The outstanding program spotlights cellist Yo-Yo Ma, pianist Kathryn Stott plus classical guitarists Sergio and Odair Assad, all of whom played on both Soul of the Tango and Obrigado Brazil. They are joined by percussionist Joseph Gramley, who appeared on Ma's gold-certified Songs of Joy & Peace album.