Usa 1999

American guitarist Frank Vignola fronts this contemporized version of the classic Django Reinhardt-Stephane Grappelli combo, joined by 58-year-old Uruguayan violinist Federico Britos, second guitarist Eric Bogart and bassist Phil Flanagan. They swing through several of the original Hot Club's classics, American popular standards, and a couple of unexpected asides. Of the repertoire joined at the hip to Reinhardt and Grappelli, the well-swung "Djangology" shows Vignola as a mad hatter with triple time and twiddling phraseology, even at slower tempos. The gypsy anthem "Dark Eyes" has the two guitarists rumbling in flamenco style, Britos soloing all alone before Vignola wrests the swing away from him. Vignola is a furious demon of strummed chords, churning up a storm during the bookended selections "I Found a New Baby" and the hot, hot, hot "Stompin' at Decca"…

Stanley Turrentine still has a sweeter sound than any other saxophonist, even at the age of 65. It's a joy to hear him play, even when the material is a little faceless and the sound is a little too smooth, as it is on Do You Have Any Sugar? Since Turrentine is a fine musician, there are moments to cherish scattered throughout the record - the spare, soulful ballad "Far Too Little Love" or the R&B groove of "Back in the Day" or the bluesy "2 RBs," for instance - but it often veers too close to smooth jazz territory, especially when vocalist Niki Harris takes the center stage; she is a fine vocalist, but the style of the music becomes too close to crossover jazz whenever she's on the scene…

Life and travels in the USA expressed through Country Music. Guy Fletcher is an English multi-instrumentalist, best known for his position as the keyboard player in the rock band Dire Straits from 1984 until the group's dissolution. Following the disbanding of Dire Straits in 1995, Fletcher continued his association with band founder, Mark Knopfler as a core member of his band after launching his solo career.

Producer Chris Bangs cranks out ten jazzy dazzlers, contributing musically on bass and drums and co-writing eight of the ten songs, with many featuring the delightful vocals of Camelle Hinds, who is simply entrancing on "State of Mind" and "Always Be the One." The title track is a delicacy for the ears, an intricate movement arranged with diamond-cutter precision. Living up to his name, "Way Over There," "Watuzi Strut," and "Guiding Light" are bangers from a banging, slick, contemporary jazz CD.

You'd probably need a mainframe computer to keep track of all the personnel changes in Yes over the years, and the quality of the prog rock giant's music has fluctuated nearly as much as the lineups. The Ladder is a synthesis of the best traits of the experimental Fragile era and the pop-oriented 90125 era…