Del Bromham, "Nine Yards" (Angel Air SJPCD 432)-
Demon guitarist Del Bromham was one of the unsung heroes of British rock during his stint with Stray during the early seventies,turning out a string of excellent albums which earned the band a sizeable helping of critical kudos but very little in the way of solid record sales. A great deal of water has gurgled beneath the proverbial bridge since those days but Del remains a force to be reckoned with,and his new Angel Air album delivers an arresting celebration of the power of the blues,whether it be the acoustic charms of the title tune or the more high octane delights of tracks such as "The Ballad of JD," "Words" or "Don't Throw Your Love Away."
Outfit,"Performance" (Double Denim Records)-
Eclectic Merseysiders Outfit have already been hailed as the missing link between Portishead and Orange Juice. and the quintet's skilful use of live instrumentation and judicious sampling certainly repays closer investigation if you're one of those discerning punters who prefer their listening experience to be inventive,haunting and multi-textured. The group's eagerly awaited debut album has seemingly been influenced by everything from Talking Heads and Radiohead to German experimentalists Cluster.with the various pieces of this beguiling musical jigsaw falling into place most attractively on the opening and closing tracks,"Nothing Big" and "Two Islands."
"Winter Mountain" (Charcoal Records)-
The seeds of this splendid Anglo-Irish collaboration were first sown in a chance meeting at Chicago's Union Station,when Martin Smyth and Joseph Francis chatted about their musical tastes and discovered a shared passion for the work of outfits such as The Band, Simon and Garfunkel and Crosby,Stills,Nash and Young. The rest ,as the old cliche goes,is history,and their eponymously titled debut album presents a tuneful showcase for the duo's exquisitely harmonised sound,with "Tell Me," "Shed A Little Light" and "Sorrow" emerging as the pick of this subtly memorable package.
"Just Wailing-50 Masterpieces by 26 Blues Harmonica Heroes"(Fantastic Voyage FVDD157)-
This rather superior anthology was compiled and annotated by the highly knowledgeable Neil Slavem and boasts seminal performances from many of the leading lights of the blues harp,including Sonny Pryor,Sonny Boy Williamson and Junior Wells. Much recorded gems such as Little Walter's "Juke," Slim Harpo's " I Got Love If You Want It" and Billy Boy Arnold's "I Wish You Would" sit snugly alongside a string of fascinating obscurities to create a fine introduction to the earthy sound of the harmonica at its most urgent and compelling.
Pascal Roge,"Debussy: Clair de Lune" (Decca 478 5405)-
Decca's latest archive collection focusses attention on the impressionistic keyboard creations of Claude Debussy,drawing on recordings made by the gifted Parisian pianist Pascal Roge during the late seventies and early eighties. Many of this trail-blazing composer's best loved works are given an airing in the process,including "La fille aux cheveux de lin," "La cathedrale engloutie" and the crowning glory of 1890's "Suite bergamesque," the haunting "Clair de Lune."
Diana Jones,"Museum of Appalachia Recordings" (Proper PRPCD 111)-
Diana Jones has established herself as one of the leading lights of the Americana movement in recent years via unadormed gems such as "Better Time Will Come" and "High Atmosphere," and the Nashville based singer-songwriter's latest Proper album offers another object lesson in the timeless values of emotional directness and musical simplicity.The contents were recorded live in a cabin at the Museum of Appalachia in Clinton Tennessee over two days in December 2012 , channelling the spirit of early country music legends The Carter Family via tracks such as "O Sinner," "Satan" and "The Other Side."
Sweet."Live at the Marquee 1986" (Angel Air SJPCD 421)-
This re-issued live offering provides a compelling showcase for the talents of the 1986 incarnation of Sweet,which featured original members Andy Scott and Mick Tucker alongside keyboardist Phil Lanzon,bassist Mal McNulty and original Iron Maiden frontman Paul Mario Day. The latter was apparently sacked by the heavy metal outfit because of his lack of stage charisma, but he's in particularly fine fettle here as Scott and his cohorts power their way through a potent package boasting energised re-vamps of Sweet's seventies hits such as " Fox on the Run" and "Balloroom Blitz."
"Pavarotti Sings Verdi" (Decca 478 539 7)-
The late great Italian tenor may no longer be with us but his illustrious back catalogue still provides a richly rewarding source of listening pleasure for opera devotees around the world. Decca's latest 3 CD anthology features Pavarotti and assorted musical luminaries in performances of a selection of arias and extended scenes from eleven Verdi operas,including "Aida," "Rigoletto," "La traviata" and "Il trovatore" to name but a few. Splendid stuff.
Madison Violet,"Come As You Are Live" (True North TND 571)-
The latest offering from this highly regarded Toronto duo was recorded live at their sold out show in Cologne in November 2011 and showcases the tuneful brand of Americana which has been enchanting audiences ever since they first began performing together a decade or so ago. Lisa MacIsaac and Brenley MacEacherm may not be household names just yet,but lend an ear to tracks such as "The Ransom" or "No Fool For Trying" and their exquisitely crafted harmonies could well capture your heart too.
It's A Beautiful Day,"Live at the Fillmore '68" (Wienerworld CMVO220) -
It's A Beautiful Day were one of the most interesting and eclectic Californian bands to emerge from 1967's "Summer of Love," drawing much of their appeal from the creativity and virtuoso musicianship of charismatic frontman David La Flamme. This fascinating historical aretfact captures the sextet's show at San Francisco's legendary Fillmore venue a year or so later, including atmospheric gems such as "Hot Summer Day," "White Bird" and "Bombay Calling," whose haunting intro would later be appropriated by Deep Purple for their epic "Child in Time."
