Volume - I Issue - IX July 11th, 1988 Network AAA U U DDDD IIIII OOO A A U U D D I O O AAAAA U U D D I O O A A U U D D I O O A A UUU DDDD IIIII OOO BBBB IIIII TTTTT SSS B B I T S BBBB I T SSS B B I T S BBBB IIIII T SSS & Audio Software Review (c) Copyright 1988 by Michael A. Murphy All original materials Copyright by the Author ======================================================================== Please send all suggestions/comments/requests concerning Network Audio Bits & Audio Software Review via E-Mail to: Michael A. Murphy - Anyone wishing to send U.S. Snail mail may write to: Network Audio Bits P.O. Box 328 Orono, Maine 04473 ======================================================================== CONTENTS Editorial Compact Disc Reviews 1) Mr. Bongo - Windows 2) Major Changes - Frank Morgan & The McCoy Tyner Trio 3) Dancing In The Dark - Sonny Rollins Artist Spotlight - Shirley Eikhard Taking Charge Record Reviews 1) Indian Summer - Friedemann 2) Pecos Bill - Robin Williams & Ry Cooder 3) Stronger Than Pride - Sade 4) Roadhouse - John Cafferty & The Beaver Brown Band 5) Ancient Evenings - Garry Hughes 6) Prestige Soul Masterpieces Sampler New and Upcoming Release Announcements Concert Watch ======================================================================== EDITORIAL Welcome to the ninth issue of Network AUDIO BITS & Software Review! I really don't have much to say this time around except that there's quite a variety of musical information contained in this issue, something for everybody, if you will... There are a few new artists represented that you may or may not have heard of as yet. There's also new music from some performers who have been around for a while (more than 30 years in Sonny Rollins case!). So, here's hoping you'll find this issue informative and enjoyable! Now, on to the reviews! ======================================================================== Mr. Bongo Miles to Go Before I Sleep Windows Smiles Producer: Skipper Wise Mr. Bongo Engineers: Skipper Wise & T 10 Till 2 Tom McCauley R Moving Hands Intima CDI-73298 A Love Walks in Released: 1988 C Freedom Dancing Total Disc Time: 46:43 K New England Theatre Source - CD S Pineapple Salute SPARS Code: AAD Dickens Place My Baby Got Love Performance: 8 Chapter Two Sound Quality: 7.5 Windows, one of Intima Record's first signings, has recently released it's third album, "Mr. Bongo". The Southern California-based jazz/pop fusion band provides a tasty buffet of listening, offering 12 cuts that draw from traditional jazz, bop, Third World rhythms, and modern fusion. Of the 12 cuts, the last two ('My Baby Got Love' & 'Chapter Two') are available only on the Compact Disc. Windows are Skipper Wise (Basses, Guitar), Tim Timmermans (Drums, Percussion, Keyboards), Ed Cohen (Acoustic & Electric Keyboards, Percussion) and Michael Acosta (Tenor & Soprano Saxes). The group centers around the original compositions of Cohen, though most of the band members are included in the songwriting credits. "Mr. Bongo" is a CD that takes a few listens to appreciate. The first listen didn't GRAB my attention the way some recordings do, but after a few listens I became more and more 'infected' by the music. Their music has a feel to it that says "We're all having fun playing, why don't you groove along with us." Indeed, 'Freedom Dancing' and '10 till 2' are tunes that make me feel like tapping my toes and think about dancing (It's very difficult to get me on a dance floor!). 'Moving Hands' and 'New England Theatre' slow down the tempo a bit, providing some pleasant, relaxing listening. The title cut and 'Love Walks In' seem almost designed with airplay in mind. Each of the two cuts is accessible to a variety of program formats, the most likely of which to give them airplay are progressive jazz stations, some pop stations that like to add some spice and variety to the usual top-40 fare, and adult contemporary stations that like to challenge their listeners. Each of the two cuts also feature vocals, as do the extra CD-only tracks. The other 8 tracks are instrumental. 'Mr. Bongo' describes the cool cat bongo player, depicted in the booklet artwork, who reminds me of what I used to think of as a beatnik when I was a kid in the '60s. The song is mainly about being "cool" and "hip" and uses other '60s phrases like "way way out" and "diggin'" throughout the song. Lyrics like "Friday night at the espresso bar/The hippest hotspot on the coast/Dressed up in turtlenecks and leotards" take the song out of the '60s and into an '80s setting. 'Love Walks In' features vocalist Debra Dobkin, known for her work with Al Jarreau and Don Henley. Some of the instrumentation on 'Love Walks In' reminds me of some Earth, Wind & Fire tracks from their 1979-1983 period. Indeed, 'Love Walks In' would be an effective song for EW&F to display their vocal magic. The underlying rhythms are, perhaps, not as complex as some of EW&F's, but certainly have some of the same flavor. I don't mean to de-emphasize Debra Dobkin's vocals on this track, as she performs extremely well here. The rest of the CD is infectious and catchy. The production is the only area where I have a complaint, though it is somewhat minor. The sound is rather slickly produced and polished, and I feel it could benefit from a small application of an abrasive. Call me a traditionalist, but I think a lot of the recorded music of today, and electronic music in particular, suffers from being produced too 'cleanly'. A lot of new recordings feel 'sanitized' and I kinda like hearing music with a bit more of a raw feel to it. Perhaps the CD with it's increased clarity and dynamic range adds to this feeling, but I've heard plenty of CDs that managed to retain the rawness while still sounding superb. ======================================================================== Major Changes Frank Morgan & The McCoy Tyner Trio Changes Producer: Richard Bock T How Deep is the Ocean Engineer: Ed Rak R Emily Contemporary CCD-14039-2 A Search For Peace Released: 1988 C Frank's Back Total Disc Time: 57:40 K All the Things You Are Source - CD S Theme From Love Story SPARS Code: DDD So What Performance: 8.5 Sound Quality: 9.5 Describing what takes place on Frank Morgan and The McCoy Tyner Trio's CD "Major Changes" is a task best left to the music. Morgan, with this being his fifth album since 1985 (and another, "Yardbird Suite", a tribute to Charlie Parker, due to be released this fall), seems to be making up for lost time, and is arguably the best current saxophonist in the BeBop idiom. His troubles with heroin spanned three decades and have been chronicled in detail elsewhere. I'm sure Morgan can never forget them, but I am also sure that he would rather be remembered for his music than for his problems. And his music is nothing if it isn't stunning. He is more than ably accompanied by the McCoy Tyner Trio (McCoy Tyner - Piano, Avery Sharpe - Bass, Louis Hayes - Drums). Morgan and Tyner are perfect foils for one another. Tyner can be overwhelming at times, but here is faced with a saxophonist who won't be overwhelmed, even though Morgan said that he was "intimidated" to be playing with such an influential pianist. Included on the CD is a bonus track, Miles Davis' 'So What'. With the inclusion of 'So What', the CD is almost an hour long. "Major Changes" is easily one of the best values I've seen for the CD dollar. It is very tough to pick any track that stands out from the rest on this CD, but Tyner's 'Search For Peace' and the Kern-Hammerstein song 'All The Things You Are' are perhaps just a small cut above the rest. ======================================================================== Dancing In The Dark Sonny Rollins Just Once Producers: Sonny and Lucille T O.T.Y.O.G. Rollins R Promise Engineer: Richard Corsello A Duke of Iron Milestone MCD-9155-2 C Dancing in the Dark Released: 1988 K I'll String Along With You Total Disc Time: 43:29 S Allison Source - CD Allison (alternate take) SPARS Code: ADD Performance: 9 Sound Quality: 9.5 Sonny Rollins is a performer who is legendary in his own time. "Dancing in the Dark" is a recording that, for the most part, lives up to his legendary status as the greatest living tenor saxophonist. The CD opens up with 'Just Once', a Mann/Weil tune popularized on Quincy Jones' album "The Dude". 'Just Once' is easily the only sub-par song on the CD, though Rollins still manages to add some oomph and improvisational flavor. 'O.T.Y.O.G.' lets the quintet strut its stuff a bit as Clifton Anderson (trombone) and Mark Soskin (keyboards/Yamaha Acoustic Grand) each have short, but impressive solos. 'Promise' mellows out and the arrangement features Jerome Harris (electric bass) and Marvin "Smitty" Smith (drums). On 'Promise' Rollins shows that he knows the value of silence as he lets his band have free reign while he takes an extended break. "Duke of Iron" is the only tune on the disc that Rollins clearly dominates. The rest of the group supports admirably not allowing Rollins to overwhelm them though he clearly has control. The title track 'Dancing in the Dark' is not quite as strong as the previous few tracks and I really have to wonder why this was chosen as the title track. Each group member displays their chops on this track, but there doesn't seem to be much more to it than that. The playing is wonderful, but it doesn't go anywhere for me. The song even fades out like they weren't sure where to end it. 'I'll String Along With You' is perhaps the funkiest tune on the disc. It's got an almost reggae type beat that sets my feet to movin' and tappin'. There are two versions of 'Allison' on the CD. The second is an alternate take and a bonus track on the CD. Rollins' strength, and the group's, is evident on each version. All of Rollins own tunes are very strong tracks on this CD. Only 'I'll String Along With You' (a Dubin/Warren tune) compares favorably with Rollins' own songs. ======================================================================== ARTIST SPOTLIGHT Taking Charge Roll That Rock Shirley Eikhard Night of No Return Producers: Shirley Eikhard, T You're My Weakness Dwight Marcus, Randy R Someone Else Kumano & Steve Sexton A Something That Lasts Engineer: Not Credited C While We're Still Young Cypress YL 0110 K I Get So Jealous Released: 1988 S It's Understood Total Disc Time: 39:14 Secrets Source - LP Pray For Rain Performance: 9 Sound Quality: 9 "Taking Charge" is dominated (at first 'glance', at least) by Shirley Eikhard's voice. The opening song 'Roll That Rock' immediately displays her vocal strength and also shows why she can easily be mistaken for a Black singer. It doesn't help that 'Roll That Rock' is flavored with Soul trappings and could be mistaken for a Black Spiritual song. It is interesting to note that Shirley's first album for Capitol in Canada was definitely 'country' in style and earned her Juno awards for 'Female Country Artist of the Year' two years in a row. Canada's Juno awards are equivalent to the Grammy awards in the U.S. Shirley's style has developed and changed over time and she expanded her musical horizons to include rock, pop and jazz when she signed with Canada's Attic Records. She has been writing and performing songs in Canada for 18 years and is well respected in her home country. "Taking Charge" is a 'safe' debut for U.S. listeners and will probably find its best radio market in adult contemporary formats. But "Taking Charge" also 'rocks out' enough to appeal to a varied group of listeners. 'While We're Still Young' and 'I Get So Jealous' are songs that would do well on Top-40 radio and are head and shoulders above most Top-40 fare. On "Taking Charge" Shirley Eikhard reminds me somewhat of Melissa Manchester. Both in musical style and in vocal strength, though their voices are very different. If Shirley Eikhard's music continues to evolve, I'd venture to say that she could have a blockbuster album in her future. She's every bit (and then some!) the singer that Whitney Houston is and her material is better. And look how many albums Whitney Houston has sold! Let's hope that Shirley Eikhard can break down that Canada/U.S. barrier and gain more exposure! We, as listeners, can only be richer for her attempt. ======================================================================== Indian Summer Sunshower Friedemann The Eye of the Dragonfly Producers: Friedemann Witecka & T Sentimental Elegance Johannes Wohlleben R Sourdos Engineer: Johannes Wohlleben A Indian Summer Narada Equinox LP-3002 C He Who Walks Alone Released: 1987 K Flight of the Heron Total Disc Time: 43:59 S Lichterloh Source - LP Kuterevka November Winds Performance: 9 Sound Quality: 9.5 "New Age Fusion" is an apt three word description of 'Indian Summer'. The music here would travel well from idiom to idiom, though I feel it is best represented in the current idiom. 'Indian Summer' strives to lend definition to the New Age Fusion idiom and it does not fail. Indeed, these compositions would sound wonderful within the context of a small, tight-knit jazz ensemble, a fun-loving folk group, a 'new age' acoustic soloist, or a 'new age' synthesist, but their 'fusion' is what this record is all about. Side one of the LP is rather spirited and adventurous, exploring this new territory with verve and glee. Side two is a bit more introspective and relaxing as one looks out and surveys the new territory, imagining what even further exploration may bring, while immersing oneself in the newness and freshness of the moment. Friedemann Witecka handles both the acoustic and electric guitar work and also plays electric bass, keyboards, voices, percussion, harp and kuterevka. Joining him are Johannes Wohlleben (Keyboards, Grand Piano and Chinese hammered dulcimer), Phillipe Geis (Soprano Saxophone and shakers), Detlef Engelhard (Trumpets), Budi Siebert (Alto Saxophone, Chinese Flute, Zamponas and Tambourine), Emmanuel Sejourne (Vibraphone, Marimba and Castanets), Simon Pomaret (Darabuka and handclaps), Anne Haigis (Voices), John Seydewitz (Percussion) and David Arkenstone (Emulator II synthesiser). Friedemann Witecka was born in Frieberg, West Germany, a picturesque town in the foothills of the Black Forest. He discovered an old guitar stored in his parents' house, learning to play quickly by ear. At first he imitated friends and later copied his idols Bob Dylan, Donovan, the Beatles and Joan Baez. The new sounds and vibrations of his discovery were to have a far greater impact upon Friedemann's future than all his years of formal classical training on the cello and recorder. At fifteen, he began playing in local clubs and soon gained widespread attention in Europe, garnering honors at music festivals for "most promising new musician". It is interesting to note that 'Indian Summer', two years in the making, sounds fresh and invigorating, avoiding the staleness that can sometimes set in when working on a project for that length of time. Friedemann says of 'Indian Summer': "Although the record does not have any singing on it, it at last gives voice to my own musical language." ======================================================================== Ry Cooder & Robin Williams Pecos Bill Producers: Mark Sottnick, music T Pecos Bill (Part I) produced by Ry Cooder R Pecos Bill (Part II) Engineers: Howard Johnston (Nar.) A Pecos Bill Larry Hirsch (Music) C Prettiest Girl in the World Windham Hill WH-0709 K Up and Up They Went Released: 1988 S A Cowboy's Prayer Total Disc Time: 32:50 Source - LP Performance: 10 Sound Quality: 9.5 Windham Hill's recordings for children series, which in the past has matched the talents of Jack Nicholson and Bobby McFerrin ("The Elephant's Child", "How The Rhinocerous Got His Skin & How The Camel Got His Hump") and Meryl Streep and George Winston ("The Velveteen Rabbit") for recorded versions of some classic childrens' stories, has teamed the imaginative, unpredictable Robin Williams with Ry Cooder to record the story of American folk legend, Pecos Bill. Williams uses his many talents to bring forth an engaging, riveting performance that kids and parents alike can enjoy. Ry Cooder's guitar pickin' underscores and accents Williams' narration, placing the listener amidst the gathering about the campfire, somewhere on the plains of the Old Wild West. The Rabbit Ears Production of "Pecos Bill" can also be seen on Showtime on cable tv. And though I have not seen the cartoon, I can heartily recommend seeing it on the basis of the recording, no matter how old a kid you are! ======================================================================== Stronger Than Pride Love is Stronger Than Pride Sade Paradise Producer: Sade T Nothing Can Come Between Us Engineered & Co-Produced by R Haunt Me Mike Pela & Ben Rogan A Turn My Back on You Epic OE 44210 C Keep Looking Released: 1988 K Clean Heart Total Disc Time: 47:07 S Give it Up Source - LP I Never Thought I'd See the Day Siempre Hay Esperanza Performance: 5 Sound Quality: 8.5 Sade's third album, 'Stronger Than Pride', was recently released on Epic Records. There are no real surprises on 'Stronger', as one might expect, especially since it's been 2-1/2 years since Sade has released an album. 'Stronger' picks up pretty much where 'Promise' leaves off, sliding downhill slowly, but very steadily. Both 'Stronger' and 'Promise' have failed to live up to Sade's "promising" debut 'Diamond Life'. 'Stronger' is pleasant enough, but it lacks any sense of adventure or challenge. It has some nice rhythms here and there ('Give It Up'), but the songs just sit on top of the rhythms rather than being supported by them. Sade Adu's vocals seem almost too cool and detached here. This album is just crying for a shot of something to spice it up just a little. There's some emotion in the lyrics, but not enough to overcome the cool, restrained vocals. The arrangements are mostly spare, which can be very effective when used properly. The songs/lyrics and Sade's vocals are not strong enough to use these arrangements to their best advantage, though. Noticeably absent on 'Stronger' is Stuart Matthewman's saxophone. His sax was very effectively used one several of the tracks from 'Diamond Life' ("Smooth Operator", "Your Love is King") and 'Promise' ("Is it a Crime"). I very much miss hearing it on 'Stronger Than Pride'. I'm going to stick with listening to 'Diamond Life' when I need a Sade fix. Yeah, I'll pull out 'Promise' and 'Stronger Than Pride' once in a while to see if they've (or I've) improved with age, but I fear they will just keep me hoping that the next Sade album will rival the excellence and promise of 'Diamond Life'. ======================================================================== Bound for Glory Roadhouse Victory Dance John Cafferty and the Beaver Song & Dance Brown Band T Killing Time Producers: John Cafferty & R Wheel of Fortune Karl Rasmussen A Burn the Roadhouse Down Engineer: Karl Rasmussen C Penetration Scotti Brothers FZ 40980 K Wishing Well Released: 1988 S Customary Thing Total Disc Time: 56:49 Hard Way to Go Source - LP Higher Ground Road I'm Running Performance: 5.5 Sound Quality: 8 There was something magical about the music from the 'Eddie & The Cruisers' movie soundtrack. Maybe it was the story behind the music, giving it just that little added emphasis or mystery. Whatever it was, John Cafferty and The Beaver Brown Band have not been able to capture it on vinyl since. 1985's 'Tough All Over' was a modest, if somewhat generic, followup (to 'Cruisers') and 'Roadhouse' continues in a downhill direction. And it's too bad. I really liked the 'Cruisers' soundtrack, especially the cuts "On the Dark Side" and "Tender Years", both of which were written by Cafferty. All in all, the band sounds reasonably good here. They are extremely limited by the material, though. The songs really don't have any punch or fire, and even taken as parodies or sendups, they still come out lame. "Victory Dance" would be out of place at even the hokiest high school pep rally, "Song & Dance" should stick to the dancing, and the rest of the tunes are bland and uninteresting. "Killing Time" is an apt title to describe what this album is about. Especially where this LP is just a few minutes shy of an hour in length. Their other two albums were 32+ and 35+ minutes in length. Fortunately this album isn't offensive to the ears, just dull and boring. I'm going to stick with listening to the 'Cruisers' soundtrack and hope these guys get it together for their next album. Otherwise, they'll be back on the bar circuit instead of performing at decent sized venues. ======================================================================== Ancient Evenings Garry Hughes Ancient Evenings Producer: Garry Hughes T Dead Sea Engineer: Garry Hughes R Bikila Audio SYN 314 A Breakfast in the Ruins Released: 1988 C Alexandria Total Disc Time: 43:33 K Trance 7 Source - LP S Zanzibar Red Sea Performance: 7 Sound Quality: 9 Garry Hughes electronic music is described in the accompanying press release as 'Electro-Ethnomusicology'. Indeed, it does contain some interesting sounds and rhythms that Hughes has culled from his travels and sessions with various British funk/r&b groups. These influences are evident, though obviously toned down in this 'new age' electronic setting. This LP is relaxing enough to fall asleep to, but is rhythmic enough to set ones toes to tapping and dancing. At times the music seems aimless, though all the sounds are very well integrated. 'Ancient Evenings' and 'Dead Sea' are quite interesting and provocative while 'Breakfast in the Ruins' seems to wander forever. I find this an 'interesting' album. It has too many 'sounds' and not enough music for my tastes. The rhythms, influenced by Hughes' trips through Africa, are not emphasized enough at points throughout which causes interest to wane. To be blunt, when he's good, he's very good and when he's not, the music tends to be boring. Hughes has also released a previous album on Audion, 1987's "Sacred Cities" (SYN 102), which uses a lot of 'found sounds', such as kitchen utensils, cars being whacked with sledgehammers, tribal war ceremonies and so on, to augment his electronic instrumentals. ======================================================================== Prestige Soul Masterpieces Sampler Various Artists Producers: Various T L Engineers: Various R i B | Prestige OJC-1201 A s e | Released: 1988 C t l | Total Disc Time: 51:50 K e o | Source - LP S d w \ / Performance: 10 Sound Quality: 9 The Prestige Soul Masterpieces Sampler teases one as well as any sampler that I've heard. It fulfills the objective of a sampler perfectly, 'Leave them wanting more'. There are 15 tracks on the sampler, one from each of the 15 albums that have recently been re- issued as part of Fantasy's Original Jazz Classics series. The music on this sampler is representative of the late 50's and early 60's Soul Jazz movement. The music here was accepted for airplay on both r&b oriented radio and jazz radio of that time, both of which had or were developing 'mainstream' types of attitudes. Most of the selections on the sampler have been edited from the full length album versions. The sampler is just shy of 52 minutes in length, so there isn't room for much more music. Here's a list of the 15 albums that have been re-issued: Title Group/Artist Cat # ----- ------------ ----- Please Mr. Jackson Willis Jackson Quintet OJC-321 Jaws In Orbit Eddie 'Lockjaw' Davis OJC-322 Quintet w/ Shirley Scott Smooth Sailing Arnett Cobb OJC-323 Tough 'Duff Jack McDuff w/ Jimmy Forrest OJC-324 Soul Battle Oliver Nelson OJC-325 Brother Jack Meets the Boss Jack McDuff & Gene Ammons OJC-326 Cookin' Together Red Holloway w/ the Brother OJC-327 Jack McDuff Quartet Blue Flames Shirley Scott and Stanley OJC-328 Turrentine Soul Message Richard 'Groove' Holmes OJC-329 Rakin' and Scrapin' Harold Mabern OJC-330 Rusty Bryant Returns Rusty Bryant OJC-331 Goodness! Houston Person OJC-332 Reelin' With the Feelin' Charles Kynard OJC-333 Guitar Soul! Billy Butler OJC-334 Black Talk! Charles Earland OJC-335 All of these albums are available at 'budget line' prices. Their suggested list price is $6.98. *Editor's Note* The tracks are listed below since size constraints make it difficult to list them in the format I've adopted for most other reviews. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- The Mighty Burner - Charles Earland B & B Calypso - Billy Butler Mellow Gravy (Part 1) - Jack McDuff & Gene Ammons Slow Burn - Charles Kynard Blues at the Five Spot - O. Nelson, K. Curtis, J. Forrest Zoo Boogaloo (Part 1) - Rusty Bryant The Funky Fox - Shirley Scott & Stanley Turrentine Please Mr. Jackson - Willis Jackson Quintet Goodness - Houston Person Rakin' and Scrapin' (Part 1) - Harold Mabern Foxy - Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis Quintet Brother Red - Red Holloway Yeah, Baby (Part 1) - Jack McDuff Let's Split - Arnett Cobb Misty - Richard "Groove" Holmes ======================================================================== NEW RELEASES Newly released from Fantasy Inc. -------------------------------- Compact Discs ------------- Vol. 3: Flying Home - Terry Gibbs Dream Band (Contemporary CCD-7654-2) The Unbearable Lightness of Being - Soundtrack (Fantasy FCD-21006-2) Crazy Rhythm - Azymuth (Milestone MCD-9156-2) Today's Love Songs, Tomorrow's Blues - Arthur Prysock (Milestone MCD-9157-2) The European Tour - John Coltrane (Pablo PACD-2308-222-2) with McCoy Tyner, Jimmy Garrison, Elvin Jones Nigerian Marketplace - Oscar Peterson (Pablo PACD-2308-231-2) Duke's Big 4 - Duke Ellington Quartet (Pablo PACD-2310-703-2) with Joe Pass, Ray Brown, Louis Bellson Portraits of Duke Ellington - Joe Pass (Pablo PACD-2310-716-2) Satch and Josh - Count Basie/Oscar Peterson (Pablo PACD-2310-722-2) Fitzgerald and Pass...Again - Ella Fitzgerald/Joe Pass (Pablo PACD-2310-772-2) Lady Time - Ella Fitzgerald (Pablo PACD-2310-825-2) Bag's Bag - Milt Jackson (Pablo PACD-2310-842-2) Copacabana - Sarah Vaughan (Pablo PACD-2312-125-2) The Personal Touch - Oscar Peterson (Pablo PACD-2312-135-2) The World's Greatest Entertainer - Doug E. Fresh and the Get Fresh Crew (Reality FCD-9658-2) Newly released from Windham Hill -------------------------------- LPs (titles are also available on CD) ------------------------------------- Windham Hill Guitar Sampler - Various Artists (Windham Hill WH-1072) Valerian - Philippe Saisse (Windham Hill WH-1073) Take For Example This... - Billy Childs (Windham Hill Jazz WH-0113) Newly released from Gold Castle ------------------------------- LPs (titles are also available on CD) ------------------------------------- Sunbathing In Leningrad - David Hayes (Gold Castle 171 012-1) Short Vacation - Kenny Vance (Gold Castle 171 011-1) Forthcoming albums ------------------ Due in late July are two previously unreleased live albums from the Stax label. They are 'The Dramatics Live' by The Dramatics and Albert King 'Live at Montreux 1973'. Both will also be available on CD. Art Farmer's latest, 'Blame It On My Youth', is scheduled to be released either in the late summer or early fall on Contemporary Records. 'Red Hot and Blues',the latest by Barney Kessel will be released in August on Contemporary Records. Frank Morgan's next Contemporary album, 'Yardbird Suite', pays tribute to Charlie Parker and is scheduled for an early fall release. Mulgrew Miller, Ron Carter and Al Foster round out the quartet on this album. Due in August is 'Blues For Fred', the first Pablo album by guitarist Joe Pass since he re-signed with Pablo last year. The "Fred" of the title refers to Fred Astaire, and the repertoire of this solo-guitar date is taken from Astaire films. Three new Pablo Best Of's are currently in production and are due for an August release date. They are the Best Of: Ella Fitzgerald, The Modern Jazz Quartet, and The Count Basie Big Band. ======================================================================== CONCERT WATCH ***NOTE*** All information concerning concert dates is subject to change without notice. Trumpeter Donald Byrd will be performing at Carlos I (7/19-31 - NYC), Fort Dupont Theater (8/19-20 - Washington, DC) and the Mount Fuji Festival in Japan (8/21). Camper Van Beethoven will be in Detroit, MI (7/14), Kalamazoo, MI (7/15) and Chicago, IL (7/16). Doug E. Fresh & The Get Fresh Crew will be headlining the DOPE JAM tour, which also features Kool Moe Dee, Eric B & Rakim, Boogie Down Productions, Biz Markie, and Ice T. They will be playing thru the month of July at Auditorium (7/13 - Greenville, SC), Civic Center (7/14 - Savannah, GA), Civic Center (7/15 - Augusta, GA), Jefferson Civic Auditorium (7/16 - Birmingham, AL), Barton Coliseum (7/17 - Little Rock), Thomas & Mack Center (7/24 - Las Vegas), Universal Amphitheater (7/25 - Universal City, CA), Celebrity Theater (7/26 - Phoenix, AZ) and Sports Arena (7/29 - San Diego, CA). Bob Dylan will be touring along with The Alarm in Nashville, TN (7/11), Hoffman Estates, IL (7/14), East Troy, WI (7/18), Nashville, TN (7/22), Dallas, TX (7/28) and Costa Mesa, CA (7/31). Barney Kessel will be performing along with Herb Ellis at Bach Dancing & Dynamite Society in Half Moon Bay (7/17) and they will join forces with Charlie Byrd (as part of "Great Guitars" at Kimball's (7/19-22 - San Francisco). Kessel will also be appearing as part of Bud Shank's Port Townshend, Washington Jazz Festival from 7/24-30. Joe Pass will be appearing at the Montreal Jazz Festival (7/8) then will be working a week in Paris (7/11-7/17). He will also be appearing at the Great American Music Hall in San Francisco (7/19), with Ella Fitzgerald in Los Angeles (7/20), Gulliver's (7/29-30 - Lincoln Park, NJ), The Performing Arts Center (8/5 - Portland, ME) and Stanford University (8/7). The Smithereens can be seen throughout July with Squeeze in Cincinnati, OH (7/11), Pittsburgh, PA (7/12), Cleveland, OH (7/14), Darien Lakes, NY (7/15), Toronto (7/16), Ottowa, ON (7/17), Portland, ME (7/18), East Rutherford, NJ (7/20), Harrisburg, PA (7/21), Wantagh, NY (7/22-23), Mansfield, MA (7/26), Philadelphia, PA (7/27) and Columbia, MD (7/29). ========================================================================