Sweet November (2001)

This romantic melodrama reunites The Devil's Advocate (1997) co-stars Keanu Reeves and Charlize Theron, and is directed by Irish filmmaker Pat O'Connor (Circle of Friends). Sara Deever (Theron) is a beautiful young woman who begins a new romantic relationship with a man each month, then helps him to evolve into a better and kinder human being before she moves on to the next partner. Although she's remained friendly with some of her former lovers, she's never broken her one-month rule. November's candidate is a particularly heartless business exec named Nelson Moss (Reeves), who takes a while to come around. Once he does, however, Nelson falls deeply in love, hoping to woo Sara for good; eventually, her resolve weakens. What Nelson doesn't know is the tragic secret behind the brevity of Sara's romances.

Sweet Smoke Live is the third release from the progressive jazz rock band Sweet Smoke. Released in 1974 it was their second record to feature only two tracks, the first being their debut effort Just a Poke. It showcases the band's live talents with extended jamming, the guitar solos are the showcase. It was recorded live in Berlin, Musikhochschule. The last track is actually two songs that were combined during the LP engineering. The tracks were later listed separately when three additional tracks were added to the 2001 CD re-release. After the 1997 CD re-issue had already used a different cover than the original LP, the cover for the 2001 re-release was changed again, re-using the typographical design of the LP cover.

The title of this compilation is a bit misleading, as Louis Armstrong only appears on seven of the CD's 20 tracks. All of them were recorded during a visit by the trumpeter to France in 1934 and were made on the sly, since he was under an exclusive contract to another label. The all-stars were primarily European musicians assembled for the session, though pianist Herman Chittison, a fellow American, makes his mark in "Super Tiger Rag," along with the leader's crisp, high-note solo. They compare favorably with some of Armstrong's later work back home with larger orchestras, but for the most part, the music is of minimal interest aside from his contributions. The other selections are a mixed bag…

A powerful vocalist in the Big Joe Turner mold and a pretty solid drummer, too, Jimmy Morello has been singing his brand of vintage West Coast blues for over three decades now, and while his retro style isn't about to take over the modern R&B charts anytime soon, his allegiance to the real deal makes him more than just a nostalgia act. This set collects key tracks from his two JSP albums, 1997's Can't Be Denied and 1998's The Road I Travel, along with tracks Morello produced for the likes of Roy Gaines and Carol Fran, to make what amounts to a quick introduction to this road-tested blues veteran.