Although they weren't particularly innovative, and nothing they recorded ever changed the course of rock or pop music one iota, Gary Lewis & the Playboys don't really deserve the marginalization they've gotten to the footnote side of rock & roll history. They were a 1960s singles band, pure and simple, and the perfect example of a "summer band," one that plays fun songs full of bright harmonies, specializing in melodic singalongs that made up for what they lacked in depth by being infectious and persistent. Yeah, drummer and singer Gary Lewis was the son of comedian and star Jerry Lewis, but that's just the footnote to a footnote. Lewis could sing, and he was skilled enough at it to do it while he was playing drums, so forget any notions that his recording career was due entirely to privilege.
Essence, released in 1962, allows space for improvising around the charts provided by vibraphonist Gary McFarland. Arranged by Lewis, it featuring an array of jazz greats including Eric Dolphy, Phil Woods, Freddie Hubbard, Benny Golson, Jimmy Giuffre, and Jim Hall.
Veteran alto and soprano saxophonist Gary Bartz's debut recording for the Dutch Timeless label is one of his finest efforts as he enlisted the services of pianist Benny Green, bassist Christian McBride, drummer Victor Lewis, and tenor saxophonist Willie Williams on three selections to perform an unusual program of one Bartz composition, three jazz classics, two movie themes, and one radio theme. Bartz's strong tone, sense of swing, and improvisational imagination place him within the ranks of jazz's finest saxophonists, and he proves it throughout this recording. Favorites include the title track, which is actually two Bartz compositions, one medium, one up, joined by an excellent McBride bass solo; John Coltrane's "Song of the Underground Railroad," performed up-tempo, in the spirit of Coltrane all the way down to a blistering sax-drums duet; McCoy Tyner's "Peresina," a medium Afro-Latin number with the melody played by the not-heard-enough combination of tenor and alto sax; and Wayne Shorter's "Children of the Night" where the melody is played over a hip groove by McBride and Lewis and features one of the best Bartz solos on record.
Power guitarist Gary Moore's Live at Monsters of Rock is a dream come true for every guitar freak out there. Teamed with his trio of Cass Lewis and Darrin Mooney, Moore turns it up to 14 and powers his way through razored, crunching covers of the Yardbirds' "Shapes of Things" and Free's "Wishing Well" before delving into his own rather voluminous catalog. Performances of the riff-laden "Rectify," the bluesed-out "Stand Up," and the completely adrenaline-fueled metal of "Out in the Fields" take this over the top. But the final track, a deeply moving version of "Pariesienne Walkways," is a fitting tribute to the tune's original vocalist and former Thin Lizzy bandmate Phil Lynott. There is nothing but pure power here – no restraint, no mixing, no overdubs, nothing but pure Monsters of Rock power. This is the guitar record Moore had been promising his entire career.
By the late '90s, guitarist Gary Moore was at a career crossroads. Should he continue on the path that brought him his biggest stateside success (Still Got the Blues), or try something a bit contemporary? The ex-Thin Lizzy member decided on the latter, issuing Dark Days in Paradise, an album that saw Moore utilize electronic beats and, of course, his trademark soaring guitar work, rather than blues-rockers. And you have to give the guitarist credit – he does venture outside of what you'd usually expect from a new Moore album, whether it be the Beatlesque "One Fine Day" (which contains a bassline quite similar to the Fab Four's "Rain") or the keyboard-heavy ballad "Like Angels" (which sounds like it's straight from 1987). While fans of Victims of the Future may be left wondering where the hard rock went, Dark Days in Paradise will be an interesting listen for fans curious to hear Moore trying new approaches.