INXS: Kick
Analogue Productions, Atlantic 75 series
Hot off the Analogue Productions presses, the popular 1980s album Kick by INXS is one of the latest titles in the Atlantic 75 series, commemorating the 75th anniversary of Atlantic Records. I was familiar with a few of the hits on the album and had owned it, but never gave it much attention, as the digital (CD) version was typical of the era – kind of harsh. There have been other versions on vinyl, but I haven’t heard any of them. This 45 RPM version, to borrow the album’s title, offers quite a kick. Of the titles I own in the series, this is one of the better-sounding ones. The tonality is nicely balanced, the brightness tamed just enough to take the rough edge off but still lively, and the bass is house-filling, the standouts being the hits “Devil Inside” and “Need You Tonight.” It’s a great, infectious record to have in the collection!
Sheila E: Bailar
Sony
Sheila Escovedo was already well known as a member of the talented Escovedo family prior to teaming up with Prince and recording as Sheila E. The family ties are evident here as well, with Sheila finally recording a proper salsa album. She not only includes per parents Pete and Juanita Escovedo on the record, but also welcomes guest vocalists such as salsa legend Rubén Blades, Luis Enrique, Gilberto Santa Rosa, and Gloria Estefan, among others. Sheila’s playing is on point or better yet, on fire, and the album is a mix of traditional Latino songs (like Tito Puente’s “El Rey del Timbal,” and Catalino Alonso’s “Anacaona” featuring Ruben Blades) and songs penned by Sheila and a host of collaborators. It’s not a 100 percent pure salsa album, as it also includes elements of funk and Latin soul. This is a great summer album! And the Sony pressing is actually quite good.
Ry Cooder & Manuel Galbán: Mambo Sinuendo
Nonesuch
This recent Nonesuch reissue is a fitting vinyl presentation of this excellent recording, with its quiet surfaces and well-balanced tonality preserving the music therein. Unlike an earlier Nonesuch vinyl release, this one is spread across three sides rather than four, with the fourth side being laser-etched with a variation of the cover art. The jacket is printed using a foil treatment. The album itself is notable, as it is the product of Ry Cooder’s earlier work in Cuba with the Buena Vista Social Club. While Galbán did not play on the 1997 self-titled album with the Club, he was part of the touring band and appeared on some of the group members’ albums. The album itself is a delightful mix of songs that defy categorization, as they not only include the great guitar interplay between Galbán and Cooder, they mix together pop/jazz/Latin genres including mambo, lounge, Hawaiian, and Cuban into a unique mix.
One treat is a playful cover of Pérez Prado’s “Patricia,” as well as a cameo by Herb Alpert on the title track, the spacy lounge treatment of “Los Twangueros” that the listener may imagine Esquivel had a hand in, and plenty of others with such a variety of sounds and styles that the album never gets boring.
Donald Byrd: Places and Spaces
Blue Note, Classic Vinyl series
This is an album that surprised me back in winter this year. I was looking through various Mizell Brothers productions and was playing through this album on Qobuz. Something about the song “(Fallin’ Like) Dominoes” sounded vaguely familiar as it started, until the song reached the chorus. Then it hit me – I heard this song countless times on our local jazz radio station, WJZZ, throughout my teen years. It was like revisiting an old friend, and I had to grab a copy once I saw it was available in the Blue Note Classic Vinyl series. While I was a bit too young to go to clubs at the time, apparently the leadoff track, “Change (Makes You Want to Hustle)” was a hit in the dance clubs back in the day, and it certainly sounds the part! Byrd even adds vocals towards the end of the song.
The rest of the record is filled with some tasty songs as well, like the title track and “Wind Parade.” Fans of soul-jazz and funk-jazz will enjoy this one (as I have – it’s one of my most-played Blue Notes)…while it’s also a good record to clear your house of any dyed-in-the-wool jazz snobs!
Deodato: Prelude
Music on Vinyl
Music on Vinyl has been reissuing a small number of CTI Records titles. This is a recent release in that series, pressed on colored vinyl (opaque green) and presented in a textured jacket. Eumir Deodato’s album Prelude was CTI’s best-seller, thanks to his charting hit “2001 (Also Sprach Zarathustra).” I have a used copy on hand, but was happy to replace it with a cleaner, new copy. If this is digitally sourced (which it very well may be – Music on Vinyl has always been vague about sources used), it would be hard to tell – the record still has a warm, inviting sound and quiet surfaces that beg for repeat playing. In addition to “2001,” the album also includes Deodato’s Brazilian/funk/jazz take on Claude Debussy’s “Prelude to an Afternoon of a Faun,” an original named “Carly and Carole,” and a cover of “Baubles, Bangles and Beads.” While it’s more commercial than some of CTI’s other albums, it is a representative sample of the kind of record Creed Taylor liked to make.
Rachel Z: Sensual
Dot Time Records
I’ve seen Rachel Z’s name in credits for years, and saw her as part of Peter Gabriel’s touring band back in 2003. I noticed this album, Sensual (her 13th album), listed among new releases on Qobuz a few months ago and took a plunge on a vinyl copy. One thing that changes between the vinyl and digital versions is that the track order is rearranged – it’s somewhat disconcerting, to be honest. But otherwise, this record is a very nice contemporary acoustic jazz trio recording, thankfully meatier than anything the smooth jazz world has to offer as it also incorporates touches of folk, rock, and world music in its palette of colors.
Drummer Omar Hakim and percussionist Mino Cinelu fulfill the rhythm component, and a revolving cast of bassists include Mark Penman, Jonathan Toscano, and guest bassist Tony Levin (a pal from her days with Peter Gabriel). The album itself is both reflective and hopeful, reflecting on those who have passed in recent times (her parents, and her musical mentor and “jazz father” Wayne Shorter), while looking toward a better future. “With this record, this music, I hope people awaken to their connection with friends, with nature, with their dreams, with the power to create worlds,” Rachel Z says. My favorites from the album include “Inamorata,” “What I Fear,” “What About the Kids,” and the album’s title track, which musically summarizes her thoughts toward this album. Rachel’s album can be ordered from Dot Time Records on vinyl and CD.
Recent used-record find:
Lonnie Smith, Mama Wailer
Kudu Records
This album has been available on a questionable reissue label, but I took a wild chance on a copy found on eBay. This record is typical of many other records from this era where original pressings in very clean condition (rated VG+ or better) can cost well over $50, often a lot more. This was a case where other buyers probably judged a book by its cover, as the album jacket is not in good condition. But fortunately, after a couple of good cleanings, this turned out to be a really good player. The album itself contains only four tracks, the highlight being the Sly Stone song “Stand” that after a few minutes, sheds all resemblance of the melody and groove and turns into a side-long jam, including a riff that Lonnie Smith returned to many times over the years, punctuated by some of Grover Washington Jr.’s best soloing on record. If you can ever find one of these, it’s a keeper. And with my luck, Music on Vinyl will reissue it after I spent nearly a year looking for a playable copy that wouldn’t break the bank!
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