Musician captures changing jazz sounds
Tracks feature
mixture of Latin,
Blues melodies
John Young
“Serenata”
Delmark Records
“Serenata,” recorded in 1959 and
released in 1992, catches the shift in
emphasis in the jazz world at the
time.
Through this album, Chicago jazz
pianist John Young, backed by Victor
Sproles on bass and Phil Thomas on
drums, demonstrates the many influ
ences on his musical life.
The disc starts with “1 Don’t Wanna
Be Kissed,” a simple but fun number
that remains interesting melodically.
Young demonstrates a definite be
bop tendency throughout the piece,
relying heavily on melody-derived
improvisations and triplet conversion
(a la Charlie Parker). It’s a listenablc
number, as is the entire album.
On the next track, “Baby Doll,”
Young slows down a bil. He shows
his Chicago blues backgrounds, play
ing simpler, more soul ful solos, while
mixing in a touch of fusion. The two
schools would seem to be in conflict,
but Young blends them masterfully.
The next two songs, “Circus” and
“Cubana Chant,” show off the stylis
tic leanings of Latin bands that were
popular in the mid-1950s. Regret
fully, Desi Amaz even may have fig
ured into this influence.
Young’s playing on these two tracks
is especially full, not letting the lis
tener notice that the rest of the big
band is missing. Much of the credit
for the success of these songs also
belongs to Thomas, as he captures the
slylcscxquisitcly and allows the other
players to fit in.
The next two tunes arc decent,
though they sound as though they
belong in a lounge act, not on a jazz
CD. The last three cuts arc remixes of
the first three tracks. This is not a
great way to end an otherwise good
album.
This album is easy on the cars and
won’t offend the sensitivities of any
one. It can blend into the background,
or be the center of attention and func
tion equally well.
Young succeeded in putting to
gether an album that could bridge the
gap between the differing styles of
music and still make something that
people would want to listen to.
—James Finley
John Young
Cud’s catchy tunes attract listener s attention
Nervous energy and raw talent
fill English band’s fourth album
R.d/icn/4
“Asquarius”
A & M
“I’m never fed up/Bccausc I’m
made up/ Head full of loose change/
Because I’m rich and strange.”
What more could English-bom band
Cud ask for? How about a sold-out
U.K. tour, a full-length album re
leased in the stales and a U.S. tour
scheduled for 1993? This is where the
British pop band is headed.
The band’s fourth full-length al
bum pulls the listener right in with the
first song, “Rich and Strange.” It is
the first single of“Asquarius”and has
enjoyed well-deserved Top 30 suc
cess in Britain. After listening to the
album, this is the one that listeners
should go away singing.
Lead singer Carl Puttnam begs
listeners to “thrill me” in “Easy.”
“Sometimes Rightly, Sometimes
Wrongly” gives a great display of
Puttnam’s range and pop-sounding
voice.
Don’t bother trying to study when
“Spanish Love Song” begins. This
song has a catchy tune that draws the
listener in, like it or not.
Side two is full of nervous energy
and plain raw talent. Just put the books
away if you plan on sampling the next
four songs.
“Pink Flamingo” gets listeners in
the groove with a mid-tempo tunc
while “Through the RooF’ gets into
an all-out jam. If the talents of Mike
Dunphy and his acoustic guitar don’t
attract you, turn it off and go back to
the books.
After raising your blood pressure
and surely your heart rate, Cud brings
it down with “Once Again,” a debat
able lovc/halc song. The combina
tion of Dunphy’s guitar and a violin is
enough to bring the house down.
“Asquarius” has hit the states with
full force. They’re not number one
yet, but if nothing else, Cud will keep
you popping ‘till the cows come home.
— Kimberly Garcia
Photo courtety of A&M Record;
Cud is, from left, Carl Puttman, Steve Goodwin, William Potter and Mike Dunphy.
Sonny Burgess shows fans rock’ability’
on his latest rockin’ rockabilly release
‘Tennessee Border”
features Dave Alvin
Sonny Burgess
“Tennessee Border”
High tone Records
Diehard fans of rockabilly music
should be in seventh heaven with the
latest release by rockabilly veteran
Sonny Burgess.
With the help of guitar legend Dave
Alvin, this release should find its way
into the music libraries of anyone
who likes the rockabilly sound.
Unfortunately, if you don’t care
I. i
for rockabilly, iherc’snot much there.
The lyrical topics aren’t about
anything of earth-shattering impor
tance. Most of the songs arc about
juke joints or women. While both arc
worthwhile topics, they’ve both been
covered before.
However, this lack of lyrical con
tent doesn’t make the album a com
plete waste. Burgess isn’t just some
punk with a wild hair-do trying to
revive rockabilly. Burgess was there
when it started, and he’s out there
doing it today.
If nothing else, the man has stam
ina.
r
The musicians perform admirably
and competently, but nothing really
new is presented. Even Alvin seems
somewhat restrained in his playing.
Maybe he didn’t want to embarrass
the old man.
This restraint is evident through
out the entire album. While the band
tries to gel things rocking, it sounds
like they arc apprehensive about being
in a studio. If this were a live concert
recording, the love they fell for their
music would shine through.
As it is, everyone sounds like they
arc out of their element. It’s loo bad.
This album had the potential to be
a great extension and tribute to the
lale-50s style of rock and roll that
included Elvis, Chuck Berry and Jerry
Lee Lewis among its practitioners.
But it manages to become just an
other CD on the shelf, to be lost
among the shuffle.
—James Finley
ords
Sonny Burgess and Dave Alvin
i
