The Rocker
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New Reviews
Holly Taymar - Less Than Nothing
I'll say up front that is a fabulous release, but it does come with
a warning tag. Holly Taymar is only 18 and sings like a young girl.
Nothing wrong with that, but as jazz buffs like to imprison themselves
into rigid moulds, the diehards who believe that only experience
allows you to sing will be in for a shock.
The other thing of note here is that all the songs are originals,
all composed by York based sisters Catherine Cowan and Lise-Marie
Baker. So no trotting out another batch of standards here. Big props
to the musicians involved, who all provide a sympathetic backdrop
and an especial mention for the keyboard work of King George Hall,
a treat throughout.
Holly has been making an impact on the jazz scene in her home town
of York and, hopefully, this debut CD will make some waves elsewhere.
With a background in musicals (having performed in 'Cabaret' and
'West Side Story'), there is no doubting the strength in her voice.
The songs themselves are rooted in classic swing with some excellent
brass arrangements driving the whole album along. Highlights are
the tremendous opener, "Less Than Nothing", the duet with
her brother, "On My Way" and the introspective "The
Fairy Tale".
Bernard Allison - Higher
Power
Remember Luther Allison? Well, son Bernard was deeply affected by
his Dad's passing and this is where the title 'Higher Power' comes
in. He covers two of his Dad's songs on the album 'Raggedy and Dirty'
and 'Into My Life' giving the latter a rendering that will endear
Bernard to fans of Robert Cray. Mike Vlahakis supplies the brooding
organ (with electric piano once the guitar solos come in) and overall
the sound and musicianship on this album is top class with Bernard
crafting out skilful solos and licks with a clear, crisp sound and
all done using his Dad's old guitar!
Bernard rocks, Bernard funks and the self composed opener 'I've
Learned My Lesson' is a powerhouse with Ron Sutton and Jassen Wilber
laying down an amazing staccato groove on drums and bass respectively.
Bernard's guitar cuts across the music perfectly- he knows exactly
when to hold onto a note and when to cut loose, a prodigious talent!
Even the funk boogie of 'Too Cool', something I would normally avoid
to be truthful, is perfectly executed and is a great vehicle for
Bernard to demonstrate the range of his vocal talent- it also has
another great little guitar break! I do prefer the rockier side
of Bernard though- well illustrated by 'Woman Named Trouble', the
guitar.and bass working in perfect harmony with some real funky
rhythm guitar and the keyboards cooking nicely with the odd stabbed
chord or two penetrating the music and rarifying the atmosphere.
'Time Flies By' starts with some real heavy drumming and sounds
familiar- of course, we must remember that Bernard's music is rooted
in the blues, albeit a very modern variation of it- by the time
the guitar break comes in it's impossible to think that anyone will
be left sitting in the room or auditorium in which his music is
played- wonderful stuff!
'Next2U' is the heaviest track of all with a wicked little laugh
at the beginning and an incendiary bass/guitar riff and some shredding
guitar. The lyrics on the album mostly deal with pretty hormonal
matters (Well relationships really!) but it's all very enjoyable
and extremely well done. In addition to the 4 piece band there are
some guest musicians and Jellybean Johnson plays a cracking guitar
solo on this one. A very clever track!
There's a nice love song entitled 'Ami' to close with Bernard on
acoustic guitar.
'Higher Power' comes highly recommended to anyone who likes their
blues soulful and on the modern side with a large slice of funk.
Worth the admission price for Bernard's terrific guitar playing
and a tight band that does him great credit.
Reviewed by Phil Jackson for Zeitgeist e-zine
Aynsley Lister - Live!
Inspired by his Dad's record collection- Freddie King, John Mayall,
Eric Clapton- at a very young age, Aynsley developed the ability
and confidence to start writing his own material and fronting his
own band. Not surprisingly given that the rock outweighs the blues
in his music, songs he has covered include two by Jimi Hendrix-
'Crosstown Traffic' and 'Little Wing'. Nevertheless he is, in his
own words 'always a blues guitarist at heart'. The only covers he
does on 'Live!' (recorded at the Rockpalast Crossroads in March,
2004) are an unaccompanied song by Tony Joe White 'As The Crow Flies'
and a lengthy version of Al Green's 'Take Me To The River', very
different to the 'Commitments' version and every other version I've
heard come to think of it.
Aynsley with band kick off with two old favourites 'Say Goodbye'
and 'Balls of Steel' then introduce two new numbers. 'Snake' is
superb heavy rock with an incendiary riff. 18 year old drummer Sarah
Jones sounds very in tune with the band while bassist, backing vocalist
James Townsend lays down a very solid backdrop for Aynsley's controlled
but at times effusive guitar playing- the Hendrix (and back some)
influence on 'Snake' is obvious! The second new song 'Everything
I Need' starts unaccompanied then the band explode on the scene
as Aynsley unleashes another memorable riff and some early soloing
before a familiar sounding verse and chorus emerge, another strong
number with some thoughtful variations and fluid guitar work.
Another set staple 'Angel 'O' Mine' is next and you can see why
Aynsley's music is so popular with the enthusiastic audience- there
is so much emotion and expression in his songs.
On 'Runnin' Out On Me' he seems to pull off the rare trick of playing
a bass and lead run on his guitar simultaneously giving a very full
sound and removing the need for a rhythm guitarist I suppose!
The 10 minute 'Sometimes It gets 2 Me' is very much a blues number
as Aynsley teases every ounce of emotion and reflection out of his
guitar.
Aynsley is touring at the moment, including some solo gigs, so
if he is in your area do check him out. He has plenty to say and
expresses himself so well!
Meanwhile if you like your blues rock on the 'well done' side 'Aynsley
Lister Live!' comes highly recommended.
(Reviewed by Phil Jackson for Zeitgeist)
The Hidden Cameras - Mississauga
Goddam
I'm still troubled by the Hidden Cameras. Their debut album, 'The
Smell of Our Own', should have been one to grab a hold of me, but
there was just something that missed, and to a certain extent that
remains true.
I'm not sure why, because all the necessary items are in place.
A hint of folk, a touch of Americana, some Southern gothic references
and a plaintive appeal, so it must be me. 'That's When the Ceremony
Starts' and 'In the Union of Wine' even come complete with the sensual
/ spiritual dilemma fully intact, but leaves me cold.
I'm going to recommend it anyway, as I'm sure I'm just having a
bad day. Or maybe it's because of the song entitled 'I Want Another
Enema', which pushes the joke just a little too far.
Johnny Truant - 24/09/04 - The Cathouse,
Glasgow
YAWN!!!! It was a very gimmicky entrance, I'm all for building up
the atmosphere but there is such a thing for taking it too far and
making your crowd restless. They did make up for it though the sounds
were brill, shame Olly couldn't be heard too well. Though entertaining
to watch their style is rather samey and commercial and if you sniff
hard enough you can smell the cheese. However the goth bunnies loved
it and that's what counts. All in all with hints of Godsmack and
a bit of slipknots more whiney moments mixed with the gimmicks they
do have a rather cliché style but hey that's what's putting
food on the table these days. They are ok - good at what they do
but not great.
Reviewed by Katey J
Johnny Truant are:
Olly - Vocals
Stuart - Guitars
James - Bass
Paul - Drums
Co-Exist –
24/09/04 - The Cathouse, Glasgow
Lots of squealing guitars, smoky atmosphere, sexy kickass bass
and a singing drummer! Co-Exist went straight into the set, the
floor quickly filled up and the room was filled with loud crashing
noises and the crowd nearly wet themselves with glee. The songs
have a tendency to stick in your mind, they have a very hardcore
edge, they sound a bit like at the gates but at the same time they
don’t. All in all they are high impact and were very popular.
They were definitely a highlight of the evening.
