Mysterious Meishi Smile

England's hugely entertaining rock gods THE DARKNESS are back with their fifth album, "Pinewood Smile", due for release October 6 through Cooking Vinyl.

The second of back-to-back solo albums cut in the early ‘80s,
The Brightest Smile in Town presents a more balanced mix of vocal and instrumental tracks than its predecessor, Dr. John Plays Mac Rebennack.
While it’s fun to hear the great New Orleans pianist romp through “Box Car Boogie” and patiently work his way through the twilight blues of “Pretty Libby,”
the unexpected treats are the best : a heartsick version of Jimmy Rodgers’s “Waiting for a Train;” a Doc Pomus cover, “Average Kind of Guy,” that sounds like Randy Newman on a particularly good day; and “Marie La Veau,” a highly syncopated bow to one of the Crescent City’s many voodoo queens.
By the time Rebennack ends Brightest Smile with two gorgeous instrumentals – a lovely take on Harold Arlen’s “Come Rain or Come Shine” and “Suite Home New Orleans” – you’re reminded just how encyclopedic his knowledge of American music is.
Keith Moerer @ Amazon.com

Smile With Your Heart: The Best of Bill Evans on Resonance brings together standout tracks from the company’s four sets of hitherto unheard material by the lyrical keyboard master: Live at Art D’Lugoff’s Top of the Gate (2012); Some Other Time: The Lost Session from the Black Forest (2016); Another Time: The Hilversum Concert (2017); and Evans in England (2019). Evans in England was issued for the first time as limited edition two-LP set on Record Store Day 2019, and 3 tracks from the album appear on Smile With Your Heart.

Tir Na Nog expanded their horizons on their 1972 sophomore release by adding drums (Barry DeSouza) and bass (Larry Steele), as well as some effective string arrangements. Produced by the legendary Tony Cox (Caravan, Françoise Hardy, Family), A Tear and a Smile retained all of Sonny Condell and Leo O'Kelly's offbeat phrasing, playful melodic deviations, and pastoral balladry, while subtly turning an eye to the prospects of a little commercial appeal…

Esoteric Recordings are pleased to announce a new remastered edition of the classic 1972 album A Tear And A Smile by Tir Na nÓg Full Description This legendary Progressive Folk duo featured the talents of Leo O'Kelly and Sonny Condell. Formed in Dublin in 1969, the duo travelled to London to make a name for themselves on the UK folk circuit, earning a contract with Chrysalis Records in 1970. Securing a support slot with Jethro Tull, Tir Na nÓg came to the attention of a rock audience. The duo became a fixture on the concert circuit, opening for acts such as The Who, Elton John and Procol Harum and were also championed by John Peel. A Tear And A Smile was released to acclaim in 1972 and featured a host of original, haunting and emotive music…

Despite its moments of inspired songcraft, Julian Lennon's fourth album, Help Yourself, didn't find an audience in 1991. Shortly after its release, Lennon parted ways with Atlantic and entered a period of seclusion. By the time he returned to recording in 1998, the Beatles had already undergone one of their periodic "hip" phases, thanks to the hook-crazy Brit-pop crew. In many ways, bands like Oasis and Blur gave Lennon the go-ahead to return to the Beatlesque songcraft of his debut, Valotte, and that's exactly what he does on Photograph Smile, his first album in seven years. Much of the record is devoted to piano ballads similar to his big hit, "Valotte," with a couple of guitar pop numbers thrown in for good measure. There's not much range on the album, but all the music is well crafted and melodic – the kind of music that would receive greater praise if it weren't made by the son of a Beatle.

After a five-year hiatus, singer/songwriter Laura Nyro returned with Smile in 1976. On this disc, Nyro's somewhat idiosyncratic writing and performance style is decidedly subdued. In its stead is a light pop and jazz feel similar to that of Maria Muldaur's mid-'70s recordings. Supporting Nyro instrumentally is virtually a who's who of New York and Los Angeles studio stalwarts. While the prowess of folks like Will Lee (bass), brothers Randy Brecker (trumpet) and Michael Brecker (flute/sax), Hugh McCracken (guitar), and Rick Marotta (drums) certainly strengthens Nyro's already laid-back material, it likewise reduces her to sounding like a Joni Mitchell ripoff. The undeniable highlight of Smile is the maturity in the songwriting. It becomes obvious that the half-decade away has done some significant good in revealing a decidedly positive evolution in Nyro's approach to her own life. What's more is that the material on this album seems to come from a place of contentment.