Sounding Race

Jack Bruce - More Jack Than God (2003) {Sanctuary Records SANCD211}
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© 2003 Sanctuary Records | SANCD211
Rock / Jazz Rock / Blue Rock

More Jack Than God is easily the finest studio recording the fabled bassist and singer/songwriter Jack Bruce has made since the 1970s. His outings with Kip Hanrahan and the Golden Palominos have afforded him the luxury of working with many of his collaborators this time out: Robert Ameen, Bernie Worrell, Horacio "El Negro" Hernández, Richie Flores, and most notably new guitarist Vernon Reid. Bruce's son Malcolm is also in the mix. Bruce's songwriting here is top notch. His elongated, ethereal, and funky groove as displayed on the album's opener "So They Invented Race" showcases all of his talents.

This nine-disc box set gathers music from a trio of consecutive Grateful Dead gigs – November 9 – 11, 1973 at their hometown hockey rink Winterland Arena. At the time the band consisted of Jerry Garcia (lead guitar/vocals), Donna Jean Godchaux (vocals), Keith Godchaux (keyboards), Bill Kreutzmann (drums), Phil Lesh (electric bass/vocals), and Bob Weir (rhythm guitar/vocals). In 1973, they atypically played a mere handful of gigs in San Francisco. According to Dennis McNally's liner notes, the run represented within could be considered over half of their Bay Area appearances for the year. That shouldn't suggest that the combo weren't keeping a full calendar, as they played about every five days or so for a total of 72 live shows. As the overwhelming bounty of strong performances on 2008's Winterland 1973: The Complete Recordings substantiates, the combo were operating on all cylinders and – when applicable – at full velocity.

Yo La Tengo - I Am Not Afraid Of You And I Will Beat Your Ass (2006) {Matador OLE 692-2}
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© 2006 Matador Records | OLE 692-2
Rock / Indie Rock / Alternative / Dream Pop

After the elegant, introspective romantic narratives of And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside-Out and the beautifully crafted but restrained pop textures of Summer Sun, it was hard not to wonder if Yo La Tengo was ever going to turn up the amps and let Ira Kaplan go nuts on guitar again. For more than a few fans "Pass the Hatchet, I Think I'm Goodkind," the opening cut from YLT's 2006 album I Am Not Afraid of You and I Will Beat Your Ass, will feel like the reassuring sound of a homecoming – ten minutes of noisy six-string freak-out, with James McNew's thick, malleable basslines and Georgia Hubley's simple but subtly funky drumming providing a rock-solid framework for Kaplan's enthusiastic fret abuse.

The long-overdue reissue of a classic album. Initially released on an independent Montreal-based label, this album has been out of print for years, although it was one of the largest-selling independent releases in Canada. From beginning to end, this album is brilliant, with wonderful songs played with emotion on synthesizers. Danceable, melodic, futuristic (for its time), and overall, a treat. "Close to Nature," "Saturdays in Silesia," and "Just a Sound In the Night," among others, are amazing songs, played expertly, and now on CD sounding as they were meant to be heard. Actually, there are no weak songs on the CD, and the whole package comes highly recommended.

The Curtis Counce Quintet - Exploring The Future (1958) {Boplicity CDBOP 007 rel 1996}
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© 1958, 1996 Dooto / Ace Records / Boplicity | CDBOP 007
Jazz / Hard Bop / West Coast Jazz / Bass

Although he lived for another five years after this session, this seems to be bassist Curtis Counce's last date as a leader. His quintet was in fine form playing originals by band member Elmo Hope and tenor saxophonist Harold Land, also playing standards like "Someone to Watch Over Me" and "Angel Eyes" with convincing chops. Swedish trumpeter Rolf Ericson, who became better known to jazz fans while with Duke Ellington in the '60s, fits in beautifully with the cool-sounding hard bop style of this tight unit. Originally released on the long-defunct Dootone label, this highly sought-after record was finally reissued as a CD on the English label Boplicity in 1996.

In 1989, Castle released Tattoo/Blueprint, which contained two complete albums – Tattoo, originally released on Polydor in 1973, and Blueprint, originally released on Polydor also in 1973 – by Irish blues rocker Rory Gallagher…