Nitecaps - Go to the Line - COMPACT DISCS [CD]

Tim O'Dell - composer/soprano and alto saxophones Tatsu Aoki - bass Ryan Shultz - bass trumpet CRITICAL ACCLAIM for ANCIENT PINES InchPleasing set. . . The saxophonist is great. . . no wasted notes. . . Compelling music. . . This is fine, satisfying stuff. Inch Jason Bivins-Cadence InchAgile minds. . . O'Dell is an open, lyrical player who can unfurl a wide range of ideas at a dizzying pace. . . appealing atmosphere. . . flows beautifully. . . O'Dell designs hypnotic concepts that capture the imagination. . . indelible spirit. Inch Jerry D'Souza-All About Jazz InchThis recording confirms the hopes we had placed on [O'Dell]. . . Probing excursions. . . On soprano, [O'Dell] skillfully avoids the saccharine tone that mars too many saxophonists. . . fiery dialogues. . . contemplative and lyrical communions. . . seamless and breezy. . . solid outing. Inch Alain Drouot-Chicago Jazz Institute InchLovely chamber jazz. . . They swing, experiment, solo comfortably, swing some more and interpret with creative passion. . . O'Dell soars lyrically with alto and soprano melodic sketches. Carrying a blues foundation and providing plenty of room for spontaneity, the program connects intuitively with the audience. . . exotic flavors. . . They create impressions that let their audience travel through time and space. Inch Jim Santella -All About Jazz InchQuality of music is excellent. . . 'Rise and Fall' is a beautiful ballad that displays both Tim O'Dell's wonderful tone on soprano sax and Aoki's big, fat bass notes. . . unhurried duo musical communication. . . good soloing by the horns and swinging bass lines. . . 'Old Growth' is stunningly beautiful. Inch Francis Lo Kee-All About Jazz New York InchUnusual and well crafted. . . memorable. . . O'Dell and Aoki in top-notch form. . . creative sounds. . . remarkable. . . smooth, mellow approach which is enjoyable. . . 'Ancient Pines Suite

Swervedriver - Mezcal Head [COMPACT DISCS] Holland - Import date 09/08/2017

Vinyl LP pressing. After releasing two strong albums for Slash, The Blasters had plenty of critical acclaim and a sizable hometown following, but they hadn't come especially close to landing a hit record, and on the 1985 album Hard Line, they overhauled their approach in the studio in hopes of creating something that sounded more contemporary. Producer Jeff Eyrich pumped up the sound of Bill Bateman's drums (and for a few tracks replaced him with Stan Lynch of Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers), Dave Alvin's guitar tone got thicker and harder and the emphasis was put squarely on new songs. InchTrouble BoundInch and InchHelp You DreamInch showed Dave Alvin's gift for writing in traditional styles was as strong as ever. Alvin's songs took on a darker tone on Hard Line, especially the tale of a small town lynching, InchDark Night,Inch the anti-Reagan rant InchCommon Man,Inch and the busted romance of InchJust Another Sunday,Inch while the fiddle-led acoustic arrangement of InchLittle HoneyInch serves the tune far better than the version X recorded on Ain't Love Grand (with co-author John Doe on vocals). Phil Alvin rarely had a better run as a singer as he did on this album, which finds him better controlled but just as impassioned and expressive as ever. And the closing track, the rollicking InchRock and Roll Will Stand,Inch is a darkly funny appraisal of the music biz that shows The Blasters knew just what they were getting into by trying to scale the charts, and were prepared for the consequences. Hard Line proved to be The Blasters' final studio album with their original lineup, and while it sounds like an experiment that only partially succeeded, the best moments revealed they could move forward without losing what made them special, they held on to their principles far better than the vast majority of roots rock bands who figured a different producer might get them on t