Kim Waters

No matter the title of this Ruf Records outing, Kim Simmonds, founder, guitarist, and eternal frontman for Savoy Brown, is going straight for its Chicago mojo to deliver this set of scorching electric blues. Aided and abetted by his now longstanding road band – comprising bassist Pat DeSalvo and drummer Garnet Grimm – Simmonds' Savoy Brown comes full circle from its 1965 roots as a British band won over to the loud, gritty sounds coming across the ocean from Chess Records. Opener "Laura Lee," is in the classic Windy City tradition, as inspired by Hound Dog Taylor's house rockin' style as they are Muddy Waters', while "Just a Dream" recalls the moody, slow burning attack of Son Seals.

Neharot Neharot (2006/7) for viola solo, accordion, percussion, two string ensembles and tape by Israeli composer Betty Olivero opens a haunting album from violist Kim Kashkashian. It is a slow awakening—not into light, but into twilight—and swells with the wounds of fresh tragedy. Kashkashian arrives as if by wind and with the raw imperfection of an unpreened bird. The tone and feeling are not unlike that of John Tavener’s The Protecting Veil at its tensest moments. The strings roil like turgid waters in which eddy the relics of an unseen war. Two women’s voices reach into the storm with tendrils of mimicry. This call and response blossoms into a profound moment of rupture, at which point the orchestra and percussion spill over one another.

Urban Network declares “Kevin Toney has proven himself to be among the most masterful and versatile keyboardist of his generation, playing with a technical proficiency that is at the absolute peak of the contemporary jazz game.” Billboard Magazine notes “Toney's piano skills and ear for melody set him apart from the pack and make him enjoyable and engaging."

On his seventh album for Shanachie, singer and songwriter Phil Perry and longtime producer Chris Davis lay out a set of excellent covers, originals, and a throwback surprise. Highlights include the glistening groove in the opening title track, wherein Perry offers the set's statement of purpose – in some way, virtually each of these ten tracks zones in on what it takes to become a better man – in spirit, in thought, in relationships, etc.

Chieli Minucci, the leader of Special EFX, is an excellent guitarist with a style sometimes hinting at early George Benson. His brand of crossover music has catchy melodies, danceable rhythms and concise solos. Got It Goin' On has short spots for three different crossover saxophonists (Jeff Kashiwa, Kim Waters and Marion Meadows) but the focus is mostly on the leader and the appealing ensembles.