Our best wishes to you all for a healthy and happy new year, filled with peace and love. Again, our thanks to you for your support of JazzHQ, on Facebook, and Twitter.
A JibJab send off to 2010
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Friday, December 31, 2010
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Upcoming New Jazz Releases - January 4, 2010 #jazz
Art Blakey - Golden Boy (Phantom )
Billie Holiday - Icon Love Songs (Verve )
Billie Holiday - Love Songs (Verve )
Bob Gluck - Something Quiet (FMR Records)
Ella Fitzgerald - Twelve Nights In Hollywood (Verve )
Ella Fitzgerald - Twelve Nights In Hollywood, Vol. 3 & 4 (Verve )
Ella Fitzgerald - Icon: Love Songs (Verve )
Ella Fitzgerald - Twelve Nights In Hollywood Vols. 3-4 (Verve )
Herbie Hancock - Imagine Project (Hancock )
Kari Komppa - To The Stars TBB Live (Albatross ) - SACD
Woody Shaw - Woody III (Wounded Bird )
Woody Shaw - For Sure! (Wounded Bird )
Woody Shaw - United (Wounded Bird )
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Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Smooth Jazz Chart - Weekly Top 20 - December 27, 2010 #jazz
LW - TW - Artist - Album - (Label)
1 - 1 - Dave Koz - "Hello Tomorrow" - (Concord)
2 - 2 - Nils - "What The Funk?" - (Baja/TSR)
3 - 3 - Fourplay - "Let's Touch The Sky" - (Heads Up)
4 - 4 - Jackiem Joyner - "Jackiem Joyner" - (Artistry/Mack Ave)
5 - 5 - Brian Culbertson - "XII" - (GRP/Verve)
6 - 6 - Brian Bromberg - "It Is What It Is" - (Artistry/Mack Avenue
7 - 7 - Tim Bowman - "The Tim Bowman Collection" - (Trippin "N" Rhythm)
8 - 8 - Mindi Abair - "In Hi-Fi Stereo" - (Heads Up)
9 - 9 - Norman Brown - "Send My Love" (Peak/Concord)
10 - 10 - Jazzmasters - "Jazzmasters 6" - (Trippin 'n Rhythm)
11 - 11 - Kenny G - "Heart & Soul" - (Concord)
12 - 12 - Tom Grant - "Delicioso" (Nu-Wrinkle)
13 - 13 - Oli Silk - "All We Need" - (Trippin 'N' Rhythm)
14 - 14 - Walter Beasley - "Backatcha! (Shanachie)
15 - 15 - Brian Simpson - "South Beach" - "Shanachie"
16 - 16 - Darren Rahn - "Talk Of The Town" (NuGroove)
17 - 17 - Euge Groove - "Sunday Morning" - (Shanachie)
18 - 18 - Chris Standring - "Blue Bolero" - (Ultimate Vibe)
20 - 19 - Paul Brown - "Love You Found Me" - (Shanachie)
19 - 20 - George Duke - "Deja Vu" (Heads Up)
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Friday, December 24, 2010
Happy Holidays 2010 [Video]
Our very best wishes to all of you who took the time to visit JazzHQ during the year.
A Merry Christmas to you all, my friends and followers at JC, Facebook http://facebook.com/jazzhq and Twitter, http://twitter.com/jazzhq. Thank you for your support.
Darlene Love's "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)"
David Letterman appearance 12/23/10
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A Merry Christmas to you all, my friends and followers at JC, Facebook http://facebook.com/jazzhq and Twitter, http://twitter.com/jazzhq. Thank you for your support.
Darlene Love's "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)"
David Letterman appearance 12/23/10
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Thursday, December 23, 2010
Upcoming New Jazz Releases - December 28, 2010 #jazz
Baker Dan One Man Band (Baker - Monophonic Orchestra (Victor )
Bev Kelly - Long Ago & Far Away (Phantom )
Bill Evans - Bill Evans At The Montreux Jazz Festival (Universal Japan )
Charles Mingus - Black Saint And The Sinner Lady (Analogue Productions )
Coleman Hawkins - Today And Now (Analogue Productions )
Dan One Man Band Baker (Baker Brothers) - Monophonic Orchestra (Phantom )
Dianne Reeves - New Morning ( )
Freddie Fox - Feelin It (Nu Groove )
Freddie Hubbard - Artistry Of Freddie Hubbard (Verve )
Gil Scott-Heron & Jamie XX - Ny Is Killing Me (Phantom )
Hank Jones - Trio 1979 Discovery (3D )
Helen Merrill - Helen Merrill (Universal Japan )
Jazz Now 2011 - Jazz Now 2011 (Phantom )
Jazz Workshop Orchestra - Ennio Morricone Go Jazz (Phantom )
Mccoy Tyner - Inception (Universal Japan/Zoom )
Oscar Peterson - We Get Requests (Universal )
Reissues
Wes Montgomery - Day In The Life (Pid )
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Monday, December 20, 2010
Smooth Jazz Chart - Weekly Top 20 - December 20, 2010 #jazz
LW - TW - Artist - Album - (Label)
1 - 1 - Dave Koz - "Hello Tomorrow" - (Concord)
2 - 2 - Nils - "What The Funk?" - (Baja/TSR)
3 - 3 - Fourplay - "Let's Touch The Sky" - (Heads Up)
4 - 4 - Jackiem Joyner - "Jackiem Joyner" - (Artistry/Mack Ave)
5 - 5 - Brian Culbertson - "XII" - (GRP/Verve)
7 - 6 - Brian Bromberg - "It Is What It Is" - (Artistry/Mack Avenue
6 - 7 - Tim Bowman - "The Tim Bowman Collection" - (Trippin "N" Rhythm)
11 - 8 - Mindi Abair - "In Hi-Fi Stereo" - (Heads Up)
10 - 9 - Norman Brown - "Send My Love" (Peak/Concord)
8 - 10 - Jazzmasters - "Jazzmasters 6" - (Trippin 'n Rhythm)
9 - 11 - Kenny G - "Heart & Soul" - (Concord)
12 - 12 - Tom Grant - "Delicioso" (Nu-Wrinkle)
16 - 13 - Oli Silk - "All We Need" - (Trippin 'N' Rhythm)
14 - 14 - Walter Beasley - "Backatcha! (Shanachie)
13 - 15 - Brian Simpson - "South Beach" - "Shanachie"
17 - 16 - Darren Rahn - "Talk Of The Town" (NuGroove)
15 - 17 - Euge Groove - "Sunday Morning" - (Shanachie)
21 - 18 - Chris Standring - "Blue Bolero" - (Ultimate Vibe)
19 - 19 - George Duke - "Deja Vu" (Heads Up)
18 - 20 - Paul Brown - "Love You Found Me" - (Shanachie)
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Thursday, December 16, 2010
The Rippingtons Featuring Russ Freeman - "Côte D'Azur" 2/1/11 Peak Records #jazz
Fans that have followed Russ Freeman and The Rippingtons for any stretch of time over the past quarter century know the versatile award winning and Grammy® nominated guitarist/composer and producer has long had a penchant for naming songs and albums after exotic places (“Aruba,” “Kenya,” “Morocco,” Weekend in Monaco, Sahara, et al). But The Ripps’ latest Peak Records recording Cote D’Azur--inspired by Freeman’s passion for the French people and the storied region of the French Riviera—is more than simply the latest stamp on Freeman’s well traveled passport. Beyond simple wanderlust or a gathering of “musical postcards” from the Southern region of France, it taps into a spirit that’s deeper and more transcendent than any other group project to date.
All of the songs on Cote D’Azur tell stories of Freeman’s extensive travels in France with his wife Yaredt Leon, a hit songwriter in her own right who contributed tracks to the Ripps Latin-themed Wild Card (2005) and Modern Art (2009). Cote D’Azur is bookended with songs they wrote together, the high energy title track and the beautiful “Mesmerized.” Yaredt has been Freeman’s consummate travel partner these past years. For a time, he couldn’t get enough of Italy, but the minute Leon (whose mixed heritage is Colombian-French) introduced him to her father’s homeland of France, Freeman was hooked.
After so many excursions to the country--and train trips from Paris to Cote D’Azur (the French Riviera)--that he loses count, Freeman felt music stirring inside him that was exotic, deeper and more heartfelt than any he had ever written and produced before —quite a bold statement considering that their music has played such a defining role in contemporary jazz since the release of Moonlighting in 1986. He also feels that both musically and technically, Cote D’Azur takes an incredible leap forward.
“This is the best album I’ve ever written,” he says, “and unlike on any other Rippingtons recording, the music is a pristine crystallization of the way I first heard it in my head. I think the incredible cultural connection between France and America hit me one night in Nice when I was watching a show on the history of St. Tropez. Brigitte Bardot was so well known as a model and film actress, but in the 60s she also did hundreds of music videos of French remakes of songs that were big hits in America. Remakes of everything from Elvis to the Beatles were huge. Johnny Hallyday is a French music superstar who patterned himself after Elvis. All of this taught me how close our cultures really are. They also were big into American surf music in the early
60s, and that inspired the new song ‘Le Calypso.’ All of this, combined with Yaredt’s French heritage, really made me fall in love with the country.”
Cote D’Azur is a daring, full-scale exploration of world that fascinates Freeman and, as he has discovered, has more ties to American culture than he ever imagined. So much so that on tour throughout the U.S. in the summer of 2010, The Rippingtons gave their thousands of loyal fans an extraordinary gift. Months before the official release of the album, the band complemented their run of classic hits with an unprecedented sweep of six songs from the new collection.
1. Côte D'Azur 4:21
2. Le Calypso 3:32
3. Bandol 3:50
4. Sainte Maxime 4:15
5. Postcard From Cannes 4:22
6. Passage To Marseilles 3:40
7. Provence 4:25
8. Riviera Jam 3:25
9. Rue Paradis 4:34
10. Mesmerized 3:24
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All of the songs on Cote D’Azur tell stories of Freeman’s extensive travels in France with his wife Yaredt Leon, a hit songwriter in her own right who contributed tracks to the Ripps Latin-themed Wild Card (2005) and Modern Art (2009). Cote D’Azur is bookended with songs they wrote together, the high energy title track and the beautiful “Mesmerized.” Yaredt has been Freeman’s consummate travel partner these past years. For a time, he couldn’t get enough of Italy, but the minute Leon (whose mixed heritage is Colombian-French) introduced him to her father’s homeland of France, Freeman was hooked.
After so many excursions to the country--and train trips from Paris to Cote D’Azur (the French Riviera)--that he loses count, Freeman felt music stirring inside him that was exotic, deeper and more heartfelt than any he had ever written and produced before —quite a bold statement considering that their music has played such a defining role in contemporary jazz since the release of Moonlighting in 1986. He also feels that both musically and technically, Cote D’Azur takes an incredible leap forward.
“This is the best album I’ve ever written,” he says, “and unlike on any other Rippingtons recording, the music is a pristine crystallization of the way I first heard it in my head. I think the incredible cultural connection between France and America hit me one night in Nice when I was watching a show on the history of St. Tropez. Brigitte Bardot was so well known as a model and film actress, but in the 60s she also did hundreds of music videos of French remakes of songs that were big hits in America. Remakes of everything from Elvis to the Beatles were huge. Johnny Hallyday is a French music superstar who patterned himself after Elvis. All of this taught me how close our cultures really are. They also were big into American surf music in the early
60s, and that inspired the new song ‘Le Calypso.’ All of this, combined with Yaredt’s French heritage, really made me fall in love with the country.”
Cote D’Azur is a daring, full-scale exploration of world that fascinates Freeman and, as he has discovered, has more ties to American culture than he ever imagined. So much so that on tour throughout the U.S. in the summer of 2010, The Rippingtons gave their thousands of loyal fans an extraordinary gift. Months before the official release of the album, the band complemented their run of classic hits with an unprecedented sweep of six songs from the new collection.
1. Côte D'Azur 4:21
2. Le Calypso 3:32
3. Bandol 3:50
4. Sainte Maxime 4:15
5. Postcard From Cannes 4:22
6. Passage To Marseilles 3:40
7. Provence 4:25
8. Riviera Jam 3:25
9. Rue Paradis 4:34
10. Mesmerized 3:24
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Upcoming New Jazz Releases - December 21, 2010 #jazz
Andrea Centazzo - Heart Of Wax ( )
Andrea Centazzo / Rova Saxophone Quartet - Bay ( )
Andrea Centazzo / Steve Lacy - Tao ( )
Art Pepper - Complete Art Pepper At Ronnie Scott's 1980 (Pure Pleasure )
Chet Baker / Charlie Haden / Billy Higgins - Silence ( )
Grover Washington - Anthology Of Grover Washington Jr (Warner Japan/Zoom )
Har-You Percussion Group - Har-You Percussion Group (Cubop )
Modern Jazz Quartet - Under The Jasmine Tree & Space (Phantom )
Stuff - Best Stuff (Warner )
Sun Ra & Arkestra - Reflections In Blue: Complete Studio Sessions ( )
Sun Ra & Arkestra - Mayan Temples ( )
Yerba Buena Stompers - Gospel According To ( )
Yerba Buena Stompers - Take Us To The Land Of Jazz: Duff Campbell Concert ( )
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Monday, December 13, 2010
Smooth Jazz Chart - Weekly Top 20 - December 13, 2010 #jazz
LW - TW - Artist - Album - (Label)
1 - 1 - Dave Koz - "Hello Tomorrow" - (Concord)
2 - 2 - Nils - "What The Funk?" - (Baja/TSR)
6 - 3 - Fourplay - "Let's Touch The Sky" - (Heads Up)
3 - 4 - Jackiem Joyner - "Jackiem Joyner" - (Artistry/Mack Ave)
5 - 5 - Brian Culbertson - "XII" - (GRP/Verve)
7 - 6 - Tim Bowman - "The Tim Bowman Collection" - (Trippin "N" Rhythm)
4 - 7 - Brian Bromberg - "It Is What It Is" - (Artistry/Mack Avenue)
11 - 8 - Jazzmasters - "Jazzmasters 6" - (Trippin 'n Rhythm)
10 - 9 - Kenny G - "Heart & Soul" - (Concord)
9 - 10 - Norman Brown - "Send My Love" (Peak/Concord)
8 - 11 - Mindi Abair - "In Hi-Fi Stereo" - (Heads Up)
15 - 12 - Tom Grant - "Delicioso" (Nu-Wrinkle)
12 - 13 - Brian Simpson - "South Beach" - "Shanachie"
14 - 14 - Walter Beasley - "Backatcha! (Shanachie)
18 - 15 - Euge Groove - "Sunday Morning" - (Shanachie)
13 - 16 - Oli Silk - "All We Need" - (Trippin 'N' Rhythm)
16 - 17 - Darren Rahn - "Talk Of The Town" (NuGroove)
17 - 18 - Paul Brown - "Love You Found Me" - (Shanachie)
19 - 19 - George Duke - "Deja Vu" (Heads Up)
20 - 20 - Jonathan Fritzen - "Diamonds" (Nordic Night)
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Thursday, December 09, 2010
Upcoming New Jazz Releases - December 14, 2010 #jazz
Andre Previn - Three Classic Albums (Mischief )
Angelo Debarre Quartet - Impromptu (Fromeaux )
Cal Tjader - Three Classic Albums (Mischief )
Cannonball Adderly - Three Classic Albums (Mischief )
Chet Baker - Three Classic Album (Mischief )
Coleman Hawkins - Duke Ellington Meets Coleman Hawkins (Universal )
Count Basie - Count Basie And The Kansas City 7 (Analogue Productions )
David Sanborn - Best Of ( )
Eddie Cano - Eddie Cano At PJ's ( )
Eddie Cano / Nino Tempo - On Broadway ( )
Ernie Hines - Electrified ( )
Fredrika Stahl - Sweep Me Away (Phantom )
Hank Mobley - Three Classic Albums (Mischief )
John Coltrane - Three Classic Albums (Mischief )
John Coltrane & Willbur Harden - Four Classic Albums (Mischief )
Malta - De Chopin (JVC )
Martirio - 25 Anos En Directo (Le Chant du Monde )
Miles Davis - Kind Of Blue (Sony BMG )
Miles Davis - Kind Of Blue (Blu-Spec) (Phantom )
Paul Chambers - Three Classic Albums (Mischief )
Roy Haynes - Out Of The Afternoon (Universal Japan )
Salena Jones - Tba (Pony )
Sarah Vaughan - Three Classic Albums (Mischief )
Trijntje Oosterhuis - Best Of Burt Bacharach Live (Blue Note )
Wes Montgomery - Three Classic Albums (Mischief )
Reissues
Oliver Nelson - Blues And The Abstract Truth (Verve (USA) )
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Wednesday, December 08, 2010
Shilts - "See What Happens " - Debut Solo Project #jazz
Saxophonist Paul "Shilts" Weimar's pedigree as a retro-funk sideman is so extensive and impressive that anything less than a mindblowingly groove-happy solo debut would be a disappointment. He's played behind legendary jazz artists (Nancy Wilson, Mel Tormé) and classic soul groups (the Temptations, the Four Tops), and then became best-known for his touring with the Brand New Heavies and Jamoroquai. From there, he became a founding member of Down to the Bone, which brings all types of wild funk elements into smooth jazzland. He goes crazy from the beginning of the title track, blowing heavy tenor over a wild shuffle groove, Simon Carter's retro keyboard elements, and Tony Remy's echoing vocorder. "Mind the Gap" is all wah-wah and thumping disco beat energy, with Shilts' horn dancing atop the house vibe. Shilts doubles on feisty alto and tenor over a "Superstition"-like keyboard groove on "There's No Wonder," then rolls over a jumpy tropical percussion groove on "Short Island Ice Tea." Shilts is firmly grounded in the present, but he's also honest about his love for classic blues and soul, infusing the blues-drenched "The Word Is Out" and brassy "Stax of Sax" with a total '60s soul sensibility. "Tequila Frenzy" then takes this out to an even further extreme. Rare is the sax recording that features no meltdown ballads, but it's clear that Shilts just wants to keep the party rolling relentlessly. With apologies to Prince and Rick James, it just doesn't get any funkier than this. ~ Jonathan Widran, Rovi All Music Guide
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Monday, December 06, 2010
Smooth Jazz Chart - Weekly Top 20 - December 6, 2010 #jazz
LW - TW - Artist - Album - (Label)
1 - 1 - Dave Koz - "Hello Tomorrow" - (Concord)
2 - 2 - Nils - "What The Funk?" - (Baja/TSR)
3 - 3 - Jackiem Joyner - "Jackiem Joyner" - (Artistry/Mack Ave)
4 - 4 - Brian Bromberg - "It Is What It Is" - (Artistry/Mack Avenue)
5 - 5 - Brian Culbertson - "XII" - (GRP/Verve)
7 - 6 - Fourplay - "Let's Touch The Sky" - (Heads Up)
6 - 7 - Tim Bowman - "The Tim Bowman Collection" - (Trippin "N" Rhythm)
9 - 8 - Mindi Abair - "In Hi-Fi Stereo" - (Heads Up)
8 - 9 - Norman Brown - "Send My Love" (Peak/Concord)
11 - 10 - Kenny G - "Heart & Soul" - (Concord)
10 - 11 - Jazzmasters - "Jazzmasters 6" - (Trippin 'n Rhythm)
12 - 12 - Brian Simpson - "South Beach" - "Shanachie"
13 - 13 - Oli Silk - "All We Need" - (Trippin 'N' Rhythm)
17 - 14 - Walter Beasley - "Backatcha! (Shanachie)
15 - 15 - Tom Grant - "Delicioso" (Nu-Wrinkle)
14 - 16 - Darren Rahn - "Talk Of The Town" (NuGroove)
18 - 17 - Paul Brown - "Love You Found Me" - (Shanachie)
20 - 18 - Euge Groove - "Sunday Morning" - (Shanachie)
16 - 19 - George Duke - "Deja Vu" (Heads Up)
24 - 20 - Jonathan Fritzen - "Diamonds" (Nordic Night)
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Saturday, December 04, 2010
Eric Clapton 'Crossroads Guitar Festival 2010' Rhino #jazz
The latest in a series of festivals created, in part, to gather funds to subsidize the rehab center guitarist Eric Clapton founded in 2004, Crossroads 2010 may not have had the longest roster or the most varied list of participants, but most of the performers who appeared are presented to maximum effect in this package .
The setlist, as featured in order on the two DVDs, is creatively composed to allow for the juxtaposition of Sonny Landreth's idiosyncratic slide work just moments removed from the exquisite technique of British folk artist Bert Jansch, who in turn gives way to the equally understated Earl Kugh. Those two folk and jazz oriented players are in stark contrast to the rough and ready approach of ZZ Top, whose dirty boogie helps the group transcend the caricature that afflicted it at the height of its commercial popularity.
Then there is Jeff Beck and his primal but polished jazz-rock fusion, so expertly and (seemingly) spontaneously rendered it gives the lie to the leader's casual manner. Clapton's playing during the course of the show varies in both ingenuity and intensity. Given his admiration for Landreth,and the blues-derived likes of “Promise Land,” it may only stand to reason Clapton plays with a raw intensity matching his guest there. A similar dynamic arises when Clapton shares the stage with Beck as they play “Shake Your Moneymaker,” but to lesser extent: Clapton seems to be more than willing to defer to the other ex-member of The Yardbirds both as a gesture of respect and also because he knows he literally can't outplay him.
The appropriately rousing finale, sharing the stage with kindred spirit Steve Winwood, finds Clapton in a role perhaps more comfortable for him than fronting his own band alone, at least judging from the surprisingly tentative playing contained on “I Shot the Sheriff” and slightly less so on Robert Johnson's “Crossroads,.” Allowing the former leader of Traffic to sing as well as play guitar and keyboards frees Clapton to channel all his intensity into his guitar playing, and nowhere else this day does he sound more passionate and inspired than on Blind Faith's “Had to Cry Today” and Jimi Hendrix' “Voodoo Chile” (the original recording of which found Winwood on Hammond organ with the late guitar icon).
The insertion of spoken word and interview segments such as those with bluesmasters Hubert Sumlin and Buddy Guy, as well as the younger generation including Derek Trucks, Gov't Mule/Allman Brother Warren Haynes and Los Lobos' David Hidalgo, actually supports the pacing of the DVD. That said, it might have been worthwhile to include more extended conversations with the likes of those players and others as bonus features to this set (or perhaps given the technology at hand, providing access to such segments as they appear in abbreviated form in the liner sequence of the program).
With cameras roaming around Toyota Park's audience, the stage and behind it, it becomes simple to feel immersed in the experience as it happened that hot summer day in June 2010, especially as the sound quality of the recoding is as clear, clean and full as the video. But to fully appreciate as a bonafide resource, a complete list of personnel who played that day would aid those simply curious as well as those who want to pursue an interest in a newly (re)discovered artist.
There are, however, some inclusions on the artist roster that, while understandable, don't nurture the momentum of the show as it progresses. As Clapton's second guitarist for some years, it makes sense to see Doyle Bramhall II and his band, but he's simply not arresting to watch or listen to. Citizen Cope's abbreviated performance, obviously designed to appeal to a demographic younger than Clapton's (and most of the lineup) is lethargic and lacking direction even with Clapton beside him. And, likewise, Sheryl Crow's appearances, by herself and during her other sit-ins, adds marquee value in excess of musical memorability.
In fact, Crow pales in comparison to Susan Tedeschi fronting her band with Trucks, an act getting some deserved exposure not to mention a humorous and heartfelt introduction from emcee of the day, Bill Murray. It is is one of the most honest presentations of the day and not just because, as relatively unknown as they are, they have no hits with which to please the crowd: “Midnight in Harlem” is an exquisite piece of playing and singing pure and simple. Haynes' solo performance of his signature song, “Soulshine,” no doubt cements an impression of him with an audience otherwise not wholly cognizant of his membership in The Allman Brothers Band (which was scheduled to appear here but cancelled due to Gregg Allman's liver transplant). But he's better represented as he adds guitar and vocals to the Delaney & Bonnie tune Eric Clapton recorded with them, “Comin' Home.”
A rough cut of some of this same footage circulated in theatres this past summer, but left out performances of some artists, such as Los Lobos' Cesar Rosas and David Hidalgo on a smoldering expedition through The Allman Brothers Band's “Don't Keep Me Wondering” (with Derek Trucks and Warren Haynes) that, in the context of this double DVD, reaffirms Eric Clapton's serious intent to showcase the art of the guitar and his own devotion to the blues.
Tracks and Personnel: DVD 1: Sonny Landreth with Eric Clapton--Promise Land; Sonny Landreth--Z Rider; Robert Randolph and the Family Band--Traveling Shoes; Joe Bonamassa & Pino Daniele with Robert Randolph--Going Down; Robert Cray, Jimmie Vaughn & Hubert Sumlin--Killing Floor; Jimmie Vaughn, Robert Cray & Hubert Sumlin--Six Stings Down; ZZ Top--Waiting For the Bus; ZZ Top--Jesus Just Left Chicago; Doyle Bramhall II--Gypsy Blood; Doyle Bramhall II--In My Time Of Dying; Gary Clark Jr--Bright Lights; Sheryl Crow with Derek Trucks, Susan Tedeschi, Doyle Bramhall II & Gary Clark Jr--Long Road Home; Sheryl Crow with Eric Clapton, Doyle Bramhall II & Gary Clark Jr--Our Love Is Fading; Bert Jansch--Blackwaterside; Stefan Grossman with Keb Mo--Mississippi Blues; Stefan Grossman with Keb Mo--Roll 'N' Tumble; Vince Gill, Keb Mo, James Burton, Earl Klugh, Albert Lee--One More Last Chance; Vince Gill, James Burton, Albert Lee, Keb Mo, Earl Klugh--Mystery Train; Vince Gill, Keb Mo, Albert Lee, James Burton, Earl Klugh & Sheryl Crow--Lay Down Sally; Earl Klugh--Angelina; Earl Klugh--Vonetta; John Mayer Trio--Who Did You Think I Was; John Mayer Trio--Ain't No Sunshine. DVD 2:Derek Trucks & Susan Tedeschi Band--Midnight In Harlem; Derek Trucks & Susan Tedeschi Band featuring Warren Haynes--Comin' Home; Warren Haynes--Soulshine; David Hidalgo and Cesar Rojas featuring Derek Trucks--Don't Keep Me Wondering; Derek Trucks & Susan Tedeschi Band featuring Warren Haynes, David Hidalgo, Cesar Rojas, Chris Stainton--Space Captain; Buddy Guy with Jonny Lang & Ronnie Wood--Five Long Years; Buddy Guy with Jonny Lang & Ronnie Wood--Miss You; Jeff Beck--Hammerhead; Jeff Beck--Nessun Dorma; Eric Clapton--Crossroads; Citizen Cope & Eric Clapton--Hands of the Saints; Eric Clapton--I Shot The Sheriff; Eric Clapton & Jeff Beck--Shake Your Money Maker; Eric Clapton & Steve Winwood--Had To Cry; Eric Clapton & Steve Winwood--Voodoo Chile; Eric Clapton & Steve Winwood--Dear Mr. Fantasy; Eric Clapton, BB King, Robert Cray, Jimmie Vaughn, Joe Bonamassa, others--The Thrill Is Gone.
Production Notes: 240 minutes approximate. Recorded June 26, 2010 at Toyota Park, Chicago, Illinois. Video directed by Martyn Atkins. Stereo and 5.1 sound mixed by Elliot Schiener.
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The setlist, as featured in order on the two DVDs, is creatively composed to allow for the juxtaposition of Sonny Landreth's idiosyncratic slide work just moments removed from the exquisite technique of British folk artist Bert Jansch, who in turn gives way to the equally understated Earl Kugh. Those two folk and jazz oriented players are in stark contrast to the rough and ready approach of ZZ Top, whose dirty boogie helps the group transcend the caricature that afflicted it at the height of its commercial popularity.
Then there is Jeff Beck and his primal but polished jazz-rock fusion, so expertly and (seemingly) spontaneously rendered it gives the lie to the leader's casual manner. Clapton's playing during the course of the show varies in both ingenuity and intensity. Given his admiration for Landreth,and the blues-derived likes of “Promise Land,” it may only stand to reason Clapton plays with a raw intensity matching his guest there. A similar dynamic arises when Clapton shares the stage with Beck as they play “Shake Your Moneymaker,” but to lesser extent: Clapton seems to be more than willing to defer to the other ex-member of The Yardbirds both as a gesture of respect and also because he knows he literally can't outplay him.
The appropriately rousing finale, sharing the stage with kindred spirit Steve Winwood, finds Clapton in a role perhaps more comfortable for him than fronting his own band alone, at least judging from the surprisingly tentative playing contained on “I Shot the Sheriff” and slightly less so on Robert Johnson's “Crossroads,.” Allowing the former leader of Traffic to sing as well as play guitar and keyboards frees Clapton to channel all his intensity into his guitar playing, and nowhere else this day does he sound more passionate and inspired than on Blind Faith's “Had to Cry Today” and Jimi Hendrix' “Voodoo Chile” (the original recording of which found Winwood on Hammond organ with the late guitar icon).
The insertion of spoken word and interview segments such as those with bluesmasters Hubert Sumlin and Buddy Guy, as well as the younger generation including Derek Trucks, Gov't Mule/Allman Brother Warren Haynes and Los Lobos' David Hidalgo, actually supports the pacing of the DVD. That said, it might have been worthwhile to include more extended conversations with the likes of those players and others as bonus features to this set (or perhaps given the technology at hand, providing access to such segments as they appear in abbreviated form in the liner sequence of the program).
With cameras roaming around Toyota Park's audience, the stage and behind it, it becomes simple to feel immersed in the experience as it happened that hot summer day in June 2010, especially as the sound quality of the recoding is as clear, clean and full as the video. But to fully appreciate as a bonafide resource, a complete list of personnel who played that day would aid those simply curious as well as those who want to pursue an interest in a newly (re)discovered artist.
There are, however, some inclusions on the artist roster that, while understandable, don't nurture the momentum of the show as it progresses. As Clapton's second guitarist for some years, it makes sense to see Doyle Bramhall II and his band, but he's simply not arresting to watch or listen to. Citizen Cope's abbreviated performance, obviously designed to appeal to a demographic younger than Clapton's (and most of the lineup) is lethargic and lacking direction even with Clapton beside him. And, likewise, Sheryl Crow's appearances, by herself and during her other sit-ins, adds marquee value in excess of musical memorability.
In fact, Crow pales in comparison to Susan Tedeschi fronting her band with Trucks, an act getting some deserved exposure not to mention a humorous and heartfelt introduction from emcee of the day, Bill Murray. It is is one of the most honest presentations of the day and not just because, as relatively unknown as they are, they have no hits with which to please the crowd: “Midnight in Harlem” is an exquisite piece of playing and singing pure and simple. Haynes' solo performance of his signature song, “Soulshine,” no doubt cements an impression of him with an audience otherwise not wholly cognizant of his membership in The Allman Brothers Band (which was scheduled to appear here but cancelled due to Gregg Allman's liver transplant). But he's better represented as he adds guitar and vocals to the Delaney & Bonnie tune Eric Clapton recorded with them, “Comin' Home.”
A rough cut of some of this same footage circulated in theatres this past summer, but left out performances of some artists, such as Los Lobos' Cesar Rosas and David Hidalgo on a smoldering expedition through The Allman Brothers Band's “Don't Keep Me Wondering” (with Derek Trucks and Warren Haynes) that, in the context of this double DVD, reaffirms Eric Clapton's serious intent to showcase the art of the guitar and his own devotion to the blues.
Tracks and Personnel: DVD 1: Sonny Landreth with Eric Clapton--Promise Land; Sonny Landreth--Z Rider; Robert Randolph and the Family Band--Traveling Shoes; Joe Bonamassa & Pino Daniele with Robert Randolph--Going Down; Robert Cray, Jimmie Vaughn & Hubert Sumlin--Killing Floor; Jimmie Vaughn, Robert Cray & Hubert Sumlin--Six Stings Down; ZZ Top--Waiting For the Bus; ZZ Top--Jesus Just Left Chicago; Doyle Bramhall II--Gypsy Blood; Doyle Bramhall II--In My Time Of Dying; Gary Clark Jr--Bright Lights; Sheryl Crow with Derek Trucks, Susan Tedeschi, Doyle Bramhall II & Gary Clark Jr--Long Road Home; Sheryl Crow with Eric Clapton, Doyle Bramhall II & Gary Clark Jr--Our Love Is Fading; Bert Jansch--Blackwaterside; Stefan Grossman with Keb Mo--Mississippi Blues; Stefan Grossman with Keb Mo--Roll 'N' Tumble; Vince Gill, Keb Mo, James Burton, Earl Klugh, Albert Lee--One More Last Chance; Vince Gill, James Burton, Albert Lee, Keb Mo, Earl Klugh--Mystery Train; Vince Gill, Keb Mo, Albert Lee, James Burton, Earl Klugh & Sheryl Crow--Lay Down Sally; Earl Klugh--Angelina; Earl Klugh--Vonetta; John Mayer Trio--Who Did You Think I Was; John Mayer Trio--Ain't No Sunshine. DVD 2:Derek Trucks & Susan Tedeschi Band--Midnight In Harlem; Derek Trucks & Susan Tedeschi Band featuring Warren Haynes--Comin' Home; Warren Haynes--Soulshine; David Hidalgo and Cesar Rojas featuring Derek Trucks--Don't Keep Me Wondering; Derek Trucks & Susan Tedeschi Band featuring Warren Haynes, David Hidalgo, Cesar Rojas, Chris Stainton--Space Captain; Buddy Guy with Jonny Lang & Ronnie Wood--Five Long Years; Buddy Guy with Jonny Lang & Ronnie Wood--Miss You; Jeff Beck--Hammerhead; Jeff Beck--Nessun Dorma; Eric Clapton--Crossroads; Citizen Cope & Eric Clapton--Hands of the Saints; Eric Clapton--I Shot The Sheriff; Eric Clapton & Jeff Beck--Shake Your Money Maker; Eric Clapton & Steve Winwood--Had To Cry; Eric Clapton & Steve Winwood--Voodoo Chile; Eric Clapton & Steve Winwood--Dear Mr. Fantasy; Eric Clapton, BB King, Robert Cray, Jimmie Vaughn, Joe Bonamassa, others--The Thrill Is Gone.
Production Notes: 240 minutes approximate. Recorded June 26, 2010 at Toyota Park, Chicago, Illinois. Video directed by Martyn Atkins. Stereo and 5.1 sound mixed by Elliot Schiener.
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