Etta James - At Last! (1961)

Etta James' debut album - 'At Last!' - is really a hell of a record. Released in 1961 on Chess' jazz sub-label: Argo (later renamed Cadet Records), with the visionary brother duo of Phil and Leonard responsible for the production and orchestral arrangements, the album gives us a neat overview of Etta's musical sensitivity.

James, simply put, is really a great, all-round singer. 'At Last!' proves she feels just as comfortable doing jazz standards (like 'Stormy Weather' or 'A Sunday Kind of Love') as ripping the hell out of blues tunes ('Tough Mary' and Willie Dixon's 'I Just Want to Make Love to You'). And that's really the power of this album. Etta seamlessly moves from smooth, romantic phrasing to powerful, energetic blues 'shouting' with plenty of r&b and gospel infused singing in between.

Want an example? Well then check out: 'All I Could Was Cry', which was written for Etta by the 'head songwriter' at Chess - Billy Davis with the Gordy siblings - Berry and Gwen. History has it that the song was inspired by Etta's ordeal with her ex-boyfriend Harvey Fuqua (more on that gentleman, later), who, at the time of the recording of the song, was dating Billy Davis' ex-girlfriend - Gwen Gordy - and was just about to marry her. How's that for a love story, eh? The script writers from 'The Bold and The Beautiful' couldn't have come up with a more confusing arrangement. Nevertheless, Etta simply sounds true and authentic in this song, going from a dreamy, delicate singing voice in the beginning to a powerful, wall-trembling holler in the chorus.

The title track, on the other hand, shows a rather well-tempered Etta as she gives a fantastic rendition of this classic song, first recorded by Glenn Miller and his orchestra. James did a great job here, managing to retain the same vibe as the original tune but still giving it her own twist - an accomplishment that's really hard when it comes to cover songs.

Fair play, the tune is good. However, I find just as predictable as it is good. What really got my attention is the four bonus tracks you get if you decide to go for the 1999 CD reissue on Chess/MCA. These tracks feature Etta singing in a duet with her ex-boyfriend: Harvey Fuqua. That's where the magic starts. Try their version of Willie Dixon's classic: 'Spoonful'. A cheeky bassline, roaring horns and Etta's sexy blues cry. Bang!

With a completely different vibe comes: 'My Heart Cries', which is probably my favourite song from the album. Here, both Harvey and Etta keep on singing this beautiful melody over a constant 6-note guitar lick and some horns and a piano in the background. By joining their two voices, they manage to create a very vivid and colourful harmony which really got me hooked and perfectly suits this little love song. Spot on!

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Beastie Boys - The In Sound from Way Out! (1996)

The Beastie Boys have frequently proven that they feel comfortable in a variety of genres. The New York-based trio started off as a punk band in 1979 but some time around the mid-1980s they turned towards hip-hop and since then have sold over 40 million albums worldwide to much critical acclaim. However, their records have never been solely hip-hop flavoured. The group incorporated a variety of sounds in their albums, mixing fast-paced rock tunes with laid-back, funky grooves in between sample-heavy hip-hop joints. What glued it all together were the razor-sharp lyrics of Mike D, MCA and Ad-Rock and their trademark rap style. At times, however, the guys would abandon their mic's and jam out funk-filled instrumental tunes that would later work as interludes in their albums.

By 1996, the Boys, inspired by their French fan club which came up with the idea, decided to make a compilation album with the instrumentals from their previous records. And so, 'The In Sound from Way Out!' (which btw borrows the title and the cover art concept from the 1966 Perrey and Kingsley album) was released. The disc features 13 tracks, all of which have already previously appeared on: 'Check Your Head', 'Ill Communication' and the 'Jimmy James' and 'Sure Shot' singles.

Fair do's - there's no new material on the record, but it still is a pleasant listen. The album features a bunch of loose funk grooves with rhythmical wah-wah guitars, warm Hammond licks and laid-back, conga-heavy percussions, all neatly wrapped up in a jazzy vibe. But that's not all. With tunes like 'Eugene's Lament' and it's distinctive violin solo or 'Shambala' with the Tibetan monk chants in the background, the Beastie Boys give us a little taste of the Orient thereby keeping the album material fresh and interesting.

At any rate, this album will definitely not provide any big surprises if you know your Beastie's. But if you enjoyed bopping your head to their lazy funk joints on their previous records, then I really do believe it's an album worth having.

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Madlib - Shades of Blue (2003)

Otis Jackson Jr.'s moniker is actually a wordplay on the Latin phrase: 'ad libitum' (or 'ad lib' for short) meaning 'at one's pleasure'. In a musical context, it usually is an invitation for a performer to improvise a certain passage, play it at his own discretion. And it seems that Madlib does just that - he digs up samples, fiddles with them and pairs them up with neat breakbeats thereby 'improvising' a new sound.

The 'Shades of Blue' album is even more so interesting, because the samples used throughout the entire production come from the legendary Blue Note labels' archives. Madlib surely had a lot to choose from. Actually, saying that he merely samples old recordings would be a gross understatement. Rather than that, he uses the various bits and bobs he finds as instruments and, much like the head of an orchestra, creates a musical collage with a fresh and unique sound. No wonder then, that one of Madlib's alter egos is called 'The Beat Konducta'.

The results of his invasion of the Blue Note catalog are quite impressive. Madlib remixes many classics, such as: Gene Harris' "The Book of Slim", Donald Byrd's "Distand Land" and "Stepping into Tomorrow", Wayne Shorter's "Footprints" or Bobby Hutcherson's 'Montara', giving them a new appeal. There's also a bunch of skits and interludes thrown in for good measure, which tell the story of the Blue Note label and give us an insight into Madlib's answering machine (!).

Much like the title of the album suggests, the various tracks spread across the whole emotional spectrum. You can find tunes with a real hip-hop edge ('Please Set Me At Ease' with guest MC Medaphoar); some break-heavy jams ('Stormy' or 'Funky Blue Note'); slower, moody grooves ('Andrew Hill Break'); and tracks which might as well have had a 'nu-jazz' label stuck on them ('Song For My Father' or 'Peace / Dolphin Dance'). What all these tracks have in common, however, is the delicious, ear-pleasing production quality served by Madlib. Even the most raw and simple songs are filled with carefully picked sounds - there's an almost silent horn over here, a distant cowbell on the off-beat there, some barely noticeable vocals harmonising with the strings, a swinging piano in the background, etc. That's what really makes this album sound so good and I also believe that part of the fun with it is exploring these hidden gems.

'Shades of Blue' is also special for one more reason. Madlib is so far the only hip-hop producer ever to release an album on the legendary Blue Note label, which has in its roster such prominent artists as: Miles Davis, Clifford Brown, Art Blakey, Thelonious Monk, Sonny Rollins or Cannonball Adderley. Do you think he can match his label mates? Well, just see for yourself!

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Super Duo - Gitarolo (2011)

Today I'd like to share with you an album that's very special to me - it's my dad's bands new album, which came out only a couple of weeks ago.

Super Duo, as the band is called, was started by my dad and Cezary Krajewski in 1984. The group played music that oscillated around the flamenco/jazz areas - sort of like the famous Al di Meola/Paco de Lucia/John McLaughlin trio. The group has enjoyed quite a fair amount of success (bearing in mind their music ain't as catchy as Rihanna and the lot) and has been heralded by many as the best polish guitar duo. As a result, they had the great opportunity to tour many countries: Germany, France, Finland, Denmark, Russia, North Korea (!!!), Holland, England, etc. That was pretty neat for two guys stuck behind the Iron Curtain during a time when getting a passport was just as difficult as finding a decent piece of meat in a shop.

Besides that, they have frequented many festivals: Fama (1985), Jazz Jamboree (1985), Roskilde Festival Denmark (1986), Jazz Praha (1987), De-Bron Dalfsen Holland (1990), Muse Berlin (1990). They have also had the pleasure of sharing the stage with such great acts as Al di Meola and Take 6 in concert halls like the Royal Festival Hall and the Barbican Centre in London. Unfortunately, due to Krajewski's tragic death in 1997, the group ceased to exist.

But now, after 17 years of absence, Super Duo, together with one of the best polish flamenco/latino guitarists Przemyslaw Haluszczak, is back with a new album - 'Gitarolo'. This time, the raw sound of a guitar duo has been backed by grooves crafted by Grzegorz Kopala. As a result, Super Duo became....yep, you guessed it - a trio.

The 'Gitarolo' album features 8 tracks, 4 of which are new renditions of the band's old songs, while the other half constitute new compositions. The addition of Kopala's background vibes gave the band a bit more modern touch that should render the music more appealing to wider audiences. I must admit that I was initially quite scared of these experiments but hearing the older songs in their new versions was quite refreshing (maybe with 1 exception ;) ) and I'm glad that the tunes still have a similar feel and aesthetic as the 'originals'.

My personal favourite from the album must be 'Tarantos Ali-Baby' which is a slight twist on 'Fis-dur Ali-Baby' (a song from their 1994 'Super Duo 3' album). However, due to Haluszczak's 'break-down' solo in the middle of the song (btw, it really is a mutherfucker of a solo - i was truly impressed) the tune ended up having a slightly different form - hence the name change. Besides that, I really enjoyed 'Farruca' - a sweet, chilled out flamenco-ish track with fantastic vocals by Kopala - a perfect song for a lazy Sunday afternoon.

I also believe the bands music benefited from getting Przemyslaw Haluszczak on board. My dad has always been more jazz-oriented (which is reflected in his solos) and jazz-influenced (which I think is reflected in his compositions) and with Przemyslaw's spanish/flamenco approach they tend to complement each other quite neatly - with great benefit for the resulting sound.

Anyways, the album is a double-disc release with a bonus DVD on which you can find: a few video clips to the songs from the album, an interview with a world-famous luthier who is responsible for making the guitars used by my dad and Przemyslaw, interviews with notable polish artists (the conductors: Krzesimir Debski and Zbigniew Gorny; and actors: Katarzyna Skrzynecka and Witold Debicki) who explain the influence Super Duo's music had on them, some trivia and a video of a great flamenco dancer - Malgorzata Moskalewicz.

They used to call themselves: 'The fastest guitars in Poland'. Did they manage to keep up the tempo? Well, just see for yourself...

I've also managed to upload a few tracks from their first album - Gluche Krokodyle (1986). Check 'em out!

And last but not least - some oldschool footage from a lil' TV performance they did in Czechoslovakia (!) in 1986:

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Pat Metheny - Bright Size Life (1976)

I have been introduced to Metheny's music many, many years ago, by my dad, who has been a big fan of Pat since the 70s. I have these distant memories of lying in the back of the car, during what I then considered very long journeys, staring at the passing landscape outside of the windows and listening to Metheny and the crew. So in a way, his music is a soundtrack to my early childhood...and my days, it is some decent music!

Pat Metheny, born in 1954 in Lee's Summit (Missouri) is one of the most prolific jazz guitarists of our time. He's been active since 1974, has released over 40 albums (solo, as 'Pat Metheny'; in various duets, trios, quartets; but also with his 'Pat Metheny Group'), he has received 17 Grammy Awards and has worked with such great artists as: Ornette Coleman, Herbie Hancock, Charlie Haden, John Scofield, Joni Mitchell, Chick Corea and Jaco Pastorius...and it was the collaboration with talented bassist Pastorius that rendered his debut album - 'Bright Size Life'.

Pat and Jaco met each other at the University of Miami and connected with each other immediately. As Pat puts it in the liner notes for Pastorius' 1976 debut album:

"As a young musician who met Jaco in his prime when we were both just starting out, I can only say that my reaction on hearing him for the first time …. was simply one of shock – I had literally not heard anything remotely like it, nor had anyone else at that time…..Our musical relationship was immediate….. We also became really good friends. During the short time that I lived in Miami (near Jaco's home town of Ft. Lauderdale), we played show gigs together and occasionally played at his house…. and spent a lot of time talking about music…"

The two were clearly like-minded individuals, and I think the best proof of that is the fantastic connection and understanding they portray in 'Bright Size Life'. The album is a product of great cooperation between two unique, incredibly talented musicians.

Metheny has managed to develop a style and sound that is impossible to copy. His extensive use of various delay, chorus and reverb effects has helped him forge a sound that is unmistakable - you can smell a Metheny track from miles away. Pat also likes to experiment a lot and push the boundaries of the instrument further and further. He is known to incorporate a 12-string guitar with alternate tunings (you can hear it on 'Bright Size Life's' 'Sirabhorn') and also makes use of a custom-made 42-string Pikasso guitar - check this monster out:

Pastorius, on the other hand, is considered to be a pioneer of the jazz bass guitar. He took it to a new level with his extensive harmonisation and elaborate solos in the higher register. Jaco used a fret-less bass guitar, which opened up plenty of room for innovation and experimentation.

Both musicians are considered to have shaped the way their instruments would since then be used in jazz.

'Bright Size Life' then, is a fantastic collaboration between two great musicians, supported by Bob Moses on drums, who fits in perfectly - not too overwhelming, so as not to dim the main stars of the album, but also adding great value with his cymbal-driven, free-spirited, imaginative solos. Pat and Jaco, on the other hand, work together perfectly - with Jaco at times effortlessly and creatively rounding off Metheny's phrases, and at times seeming to be trailing one step behind Pat and acting as counterpart to weigh out the balance. Both guy's solos are just out of this world - with Metheny giving the tunes a smooth, jazzy edge and Pastorius venturing into incredible figures, which leave me wondering if that guy really plays the bass.

The album features 8 tracks, 7 of which are Metheny's own compositions, and the finale - a Coleman tune brilliantly interpreted by the group. There are fast-paced, post-bop influenced, hard-hitting songs, like: 'Missouri Uncompromised', 'Round Trip/Broadway Blues' and the title track: 'Bright Size Life'. But there are also some deeper and more atmospheric songs like: 'Unity Village' or 'Sirabhorn'. There's a bit of everything really so I'm sure the album will appeal to many people.

Anyways, have a look for yourself. And keep an eye on any new posts on the blog because Pat, with his rich discography, is bound to make an appearance sooner or later!

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