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Out - Eponymous II (Unicorn Records)
Last time around I hailed the return of great fusion. Here's the second installment, the delightfully named "Eponymous II", and it just gets better. Again things head down the Mahavishnu road, with lashings of superlative instrumental performances with bass taking a prominent role ala Jaco Pastorious. Written, produced and powered by the multi talented Antoine Fafard, this 2nd set expands upon the potential of the first and raises the game to new highs. Experimentation with pretension, tracks such as "For The Trees Too" and "Jamosphere" should be required listening for any with delsuions of fusion. Unicorn records,
PO Box 95016, Lorraine, Quebec, Canada J6Z 4P1
Run for the hills! It's a concept(ish) album - women, children and jaded rock hacks first! Except this is from the never sleeping, endlessly recording, too talented for his own good Rick Ray. So stop, and listen. Rick takes his influences from that band of 70's guitarists who were never afraid to explore shades, textures and themes - we're talking Marino (Frank, that is), Trower et al. And it is good. When Rick gets the melody going to complement his instrumental finesse, then all is right. The title track powers along like a lost Blue Oyster Cult track, and when the one man wind and horn section that is Rick Shultz pops in, then this CD moves on to a higher plane. Continuing the thematic investigation that Rick has explored on previous ceedees eg mind control tools, drugs, and the media, this is one of Ricks finest projects to date. http://communities.msn.com/GuitaristRickRay
Latitude 22 - Give Your Attitude Some Latitude (Razzled) Whodda thunk that when art rock experimenters Blacklight Braille chill, minus orchestrator T H Owen Knight that they would turn into a down home rhythm and blooze band! Well they have, cos this is exactly that. They've got the rhythm, they've got the blues, and they've even got boogie to spare. As a complete anthithesis of everything that Blacklight Braille stand for, Latitude 22 blow a mean harp on "Razzle Boogie", take it down to a soul tinged groove on "Didn't Mean To Treat You Mean", and even manage to turn in a cover of Arthur "Big Boy" Crudups, "My Baby Left Me". Nineteen tracks may be pushing it a bit, but with careful programming, you've got what may be one of the finest 12 track boogie ceedees in years:-) Hell, they even gig around the Cincinnatti area and should provide a good night out. Razzled Music, PO Box 23059, Cincinnati, OH 45223, USA
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