Nylon September 2017

A massive 41 track compilation of early period (early 80s) material by Band Of Holy Joy, covering a couple of albums, EPs and singles, plus with added alternative and live versions of some tracks. Reaching from Sonic Youth intensity to home focused folk and theatrical madness, Band Of Holy demonstrate a musical freedom many don’t enjoy.

Composer and guitarist Benji Kaplan is an artist that brings vivid colors to his music, both in sound and imagery. Kaplan has three albums already in his growing discography: Meditações no violão, a solo guitar album, Reveries em Som, an album of duets with flautist Anne Drummond; and Uai Sô, a project that features various ensembles that explore his composition and arranging styles. For Kaplan's fourth release, he is combining a wind quintet with his acoustic nylon-stringed guitar, entitled Chorando Sete Cores. The quintet features: Anne Drummond on C and alto flutes, Remy LeBeouf on clarinet and bass clarinet, and David Byrd-Marrow on French horn. The album has thirteen Kaplan originals that are a display of Kaplan's compositional virtuosity as well as the mastery of the five players performing them. Chorando Sete Cores translated is cries of the seven-colored tanager. The seven-colored tanager is a vulnerable species of bird in the family Thraupidae that lives in the forests of north-eastern Brazil.

All n' all, Braun has made a perfectly acceptable album of contemporary smooth jazz and if you're into that sort of thing you might even enjoy it, but will you remember any of it after it stops playing? If your expectations are this will be pleasant, but not particulary adventuresome, those expectations will be met with Around The Horn. It's not bad enough to actively dislike and not good enough to merit a rave. This one Is okay and sometimes okay is as good as it gets.