Urban Theory

Japanese Edition with 4 bonus tracks.
In theory, a B.B. King album featuring 13 duets with a variety of different artists could be spectacular, but Deuces Wild feels like it was conceived with the bottom line in mind. Instead of choosing artists who would complement B.B., the producers assembled a lineup that would appeal to a broad audience, from old blues fans and rockers to contemporary country, urban R&B, and hip-hop fans. Not surprisingly, the end result is quite uneven, ranging from the sublime to the terribly awkward. It also comes as no surprise that the veterans acquit themselves the best - Van Morrison, Bonnie Raitt, Dr. John, Joe Cocker, and Willie Nelson all sound terrific, while the Rolling Stones' support on "Paying the Cost to Be the Boss" positively smokes…

Born in Argentina to an American father and Irish mother, guitarist Dominic Miller was raised in the U.S. from age 10 and then educated there and in England. Now he lives in France, though he has toured the globe for the past three decades. Aptly, Silent Light Miller's ECM debut, featuring him solo and with percussion accompaniment has a very international feel, with the Latin influence strong in such pieces as Baden (dedicated to Brazilian guitarist-composer Baden Powell). Le Pont has an early 20th-century Parisian air, while Valium evokes Celtic tunes in the vein of Bert Jansch and Fields of Gold is a hushed instrumental take on one of Sting's best-known ballads. Miller has long been known as Sting's right-hand man on guitar and co-writer of the worldwide hit Shape of My Heart, among others. Miller has also worked with the likes of Paul Simon, The Chieftains and Plácido Domingo. The guitarist's playing has prompted praise from Simon, who points out, in a liner note to the album, that Miller has a beautiful touch, with a fragrance of jazz and English folk.

Though it was released over a decade later, the 22 tracks on CANNIBALISM II are a perfect match with the selections from the first volume. However, where that volume focused primarily on the group's earliest work, CANNIBALISM II directs its attentions to a broader range, covering tracks from 1968 to the group's first (temporary) breakup in 1978. Including obscure tracks like "Mother Upduff" (a musical recasting of the urban legend about the stolen grandmother's corpse), an excellent edit of the expansive "Animal Waves," and a fascinating remix melding "I Want More" and "And More" from 1976's FLOW MOTION, CANNIBALISM II functions as not only a convenient starting point for neophytes, but a handy collection for fans. Taken in toto, the three volumes of CANNIBALISM are as good a summation of this wide-ranging group's work as you're likely to find.

Mostly Other People Do The Killing - This Is Our Moosic (2008) {Hot Cup 082}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 375 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 124 Mb
Full Artwork @ 600 dpi (jpg) -> 81 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 2008 Moppa Music / Hot Cup Records | Hot Cup 082
Jazz / Post-Bop / Avant-Garde Jazz

Mostly Other People Do the Killing (yes, that's the name of the group) are mainly inspired by towns or villages in the state of Pennsylvania, and the music of Ornette Coleman. This is evident when you look at the cover art of this CD, a direct reference to Coleman's legendary album This Is Our Music. Nicely dressed young men in suits and ties, MOPDTK look only slightly like mad jazz pioneers, but in fact they seize the precepts of Coleman and are making inspired new music beyond others in their peer group. Moosic is also the name of a city in Pennsylvania, and there are others to which the band dedicates these selections. The stars of the group are trumpeter Peter Evans and saxophonist Jon Irabagon, both leaders in their own right and contributing exponentially to the brash soul and extroverted solos that identify the group sound.

After the release of Mardi Gras in 1975, Dr. John (aka Mac Rebennack) left Atlantic Records. In late 1977, he signed with A&M's Horizon imprint – a label whose purpose was to showcase the jazz side of its parent company. City Lights is the better of two recordings he cut there. Produced by Tommy LiPuma and Hugh McCracken, City Lights was recorded at New York's Hit Factory Studios with a band of studio aces: drummer Steve Gadd, guitarists Cornell Dupree and John Tropea, bassist Will Lee, and Richard Tee as an additional keyboardist; Arthur Jenkins added percussive effects. The five-piece horn section included both David Sanborn and Ronnie Cuber. What's really startling, however, is the material. For most of the 1970s, Rebennack had been playing well-known tunes by other Crescent City luminaries and pop songwriters, contributing precious little of his material to his albums. On City Lights he wrote or co-wrote everything on the set. His songwriting partner for part of this date was none other than Doc Pomus. The best of both men is captured on the opener, "Dance the Night Away with You," a strolling New Orleans R&B number.