The Critic – June 2021

Described by influential critic Leonard Feather as "a dynamic song stylist recalling at times elements of Dinah Washington and Sarah Vaughan," Dakota Staton never enjoyed the widespread acclaim or commercial success of her reference points, but she remains one of the most soulful and commanding jazz singers of the postwar era.

A towering musical figure of the 20th century, saxophonist John Coltrane reset the parameters of jazz during his decade as a leader.

Limited five disc (four CDS + NTSC/Region 0 DVD) set. This landmark boxset brings together 70 audio tracks by legendary English group, The Yardbirds, for the first time. Featuring live performances from across Europe, rare studio cuts and 21 previously unissued BBC off-air recordings. The band's career from their blues beginnings to the pioneering psychedelic hard rock which lay the foundations for Led Zeppelin is charted across five discs. Amongst the numerous highlights are seminal performances by guitar legends, Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page, all of whom ranked in the top five of Rolling Stone magazine's list of 100 greatest guitarists ever.

The guitar music of eminent 20th-century British composer Benjamin Britten (1913–1976) comprises three works, all of them written with the great guitarist Julian Bream in mind. Two of these are sets of songs for high voice, for which Britten’s vocal model was of course the famous English tenor – and Britten’s long-time personal and professional partner – Peter Pears.

The 7th Dew is, asymmetrically, the 6th release from this quintet of experienced Polish musicians from Krakow, following on from 2019s Deep Space Eight, plus numerous side and solo projects which have kept the band busy during these last troubled years. This time around Sabina Godula-Zając steps in behind the microphone and the line-up is bolstered by Jacek Szczepaniak who takes a lead guitar role on the title track. All pieces are composed by founding member and keyboard player Krzysztof Lepiarczyk fresh from his own enjoyable solo outing.
The whole affair announces itself with a fanfare of racing riffing, although those who know Loonypark will be aware that the brakes can come on quite suddenly…