Byron 1992

This 1975 album was the first solo outing for David Byron, the lead singer for Uriah Heep. It isn't a big surprise that a good portion of the album sounds a lot like the group that gave him his day job: sturdy organ-driven hard-rockers like "Silver White Man" and "Hit Me With a White One" would not be out of place on a typical Uriah Heep album from this period. The fact that every then-current member of Uriah Heep makes at least one appearance on this record further aids this déjà vu feeling.

Don Byron - Tuskegee Experiments (1992) {Elektra Nonesuch 7559-79280-2}
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© 1992 Elektra Nonesuch / Warner | 7559-79280-2
Jazz / Post Bop / Contemporary Jazz / Clarinet

Clarinetist Don Byron immediately became famous in the jazz world after the release of his debut CD as a leader. The strong themes (all but a melody apiece from Robert Schumann and Duke Ellington are originals), the advanced yet logical improvising, and the often-dramatic music make this a particularly memorable set.

Rhino repackaged and re-released five George Duke LPs on Warner Bros. – Snapshot, Illusions, Is Love Enough?, After Hours, and Cool – as a slipcased box set. It's not a bad way to acquire the albums if you don't already own them, but isn't recommended for the casual fan.

With a several decade career as an artist and producer successfully spanning the realms of bebop, fusion, soul, and funk, nothing gives George Duke more pleasure than being able to go back to his basics as an acoustic jazz pianist on his smooth, multifaceted Warner Bros. debut, Snapshot. The keyboardist takes listeners on a whimsical, generally cool journey through the myriad styles he's purveyed over the years: Latin, pop, R&B, and live-in-the-studio jazz. Snapshot seems divided by Duke's pop sensibilities and these urges to simplify those electronic trappings.

Jim Hall - Youkali (1992) {CTI Records 67226-2}
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© 1992 CTI Records | 67226-2
Jazz / Cool / Post Bop / Guitar

Guitarist Jim Hall gets the late-period Creed Taylor CTI treatment on the generally rewarding Youkali set. Extensive overdubbing was used so Chet Baker (who died in 1988) magically appears on three of the six selections. Also teamed with Hall on some numbers are Grover Washington, Jr. (on soprano and tenor), Donald Harrison on soprano, the wordless vocals of Carmen Cuesta (on "Youkali"), a brass section, and various other instruments arranged by Jim Pugh and Don Sebesky. Through it all, Hall plays quite tastefully as usual. The six songs ("Youkali" is a lesser-known Kurt Weill tune and Hall composed the moody "All Across the City") are superior, the arrangements work well, and the guitarist makes all of this work quite worthwhile.

Proud Words On A Dusty Shelf (1973). This is the solo debut of Uriah Heep's resident keyboardist and top songwriter, but it isn't the heavy metal epic one might expect. In fact, Proud Words On A Dusty Shelf uses electric guitar sparingly and instead goes for a moody soundscape built on acoustic guitar and piano. Songs like "Black Hearted Lady" and "The Last Time" even evoke a bit of a country and western feel, thanks to their use of mellow-sounding slide guitar. This subtle sonic style puts Hensley's songwriting in the spotlight and that is a good thing because each of the songs is well-crafted and tuneful: a subtle combination of acoustic guitar and synthesizer brings out the haunting, delicately crafted melody of "From Time To Time" and "Black Hearted Lady" effectively evokes its mood of heartbreak with a descending acoustic guitar riff…

Frank Fischer takes a giant leap forward on his second album on the German Innovative Communication label. Drawing dual inspiration from the tropical coastline and rugged outback of Australia and from the mighty deserts of the southwestern United States, Frank has created a marvelously relaxed work that conveys the unhurried freedom of the great wide-open spaces. Tales of Mullumbimby is like taking a wonderfully relaxed and relaxing instrumental journey when you are in no hurry to get anywhere and can simply enjoy the pleasant ride.