Reeves

Ivan Lins is one of the most treasured and recorded Brazilian composers in the world and a melodist with few equals. The winner of four Latin Grammy Awards, Lins has recorded nearly fifty albums since 1970; they contain countless songs, notably “Madalena” and “Começar de Novo” (To Begin Again), that have become standards in his country. “Love Dance,” cowritten with his longtime arranger, Gilson Peranzzetta, and lyricist Paul Williams, is Lins’s English-language classic. Its performers include Sarah Vaughan, Peggy Lee, Mark Murphy, Shirley Horn, Blossom Dearie, Carmen McRae, George Benson, Nancy Wilson, Barbra Streisand, and Quincy Jones, who helped maneuver Lins’s U.S. breakthrough in the early ‘80s.

Reeves Gabrels had been laying fairly low in the 21st century when he turned in his third solo album, Rockonica, for Steve Vai's Favored Nations label. Gabrels is clearly best known as a hired gun, and on previous efforts has called in favors from his more famous singing employers, whether it was to add "star power" to an album or because Gabrels was unsure of his own vocal abilities. This time out, all the lead and many of the backing vocals are handled by Gabrels (who seems to have gotten more confident as a vocalist), and the album actually comes off stronger as a result. He's a good though not great songwriter but he is a great guitarist, and since that's presumably the direction most listeners will come at this from, they won't be disappointed. As a player, Gabrels rarely plays it safe and the songs provide excellent vehicles for his gonzo soloing. Bruising riffs are offset by pedal and lap steel guitars, excellent wah-wah playing, sumptuous feedback, and even a lovely acoustic guitar duet ("13th Hour").