This is just a small sample of the hundreds of reviews in every issue.
Satan and Adam
Living on the River
Flying Fish FF 666 (1998)
After honing their electrifying, raw, and urgent sound on New York street corners, the duo Satan and Adam graduated to the recording studio. What makes their albums memorable, however, is the simple fact that they choose to replicate the stark street sound rather than polish it up with studio techniques.
In a sense, the result is the blues' answer to garage rock. Satan (Sterling Magee, a former King Curtis and Etta James sideman) sings in gruff tones, strums a watery guitar, and stomps on a homemade percussion kit. Adam (Gussow, an Ivy Leaguer who got his start busking in Europe) soars above Satan's one-man band with piercing, intense harmonica runs. Blues standards such as "Stagga Lee," "Little Red Rooster," and "I Got a Woman" accompany oddities (for bluesmen) including "Proud Mary" and "Ode to Billy Joe." Originals often feature unexpected (for bluesmen) chord changes while Satan's lyrics cover familiar territory (bad love, paying dues) filtered through his own personal experiences. Whatever material they tackle, the pair manage to inject strong elements of funk and soul without sacrificing the bare-wire approach. - Marc Greilsamer (San Francisco, CA)
Rasha Sudaniyat
Sudaniyat
Nubenegra/Intuition INT 3214 2 (1997)
Rasha is a 26-year-old vocalist and hand-percussionist from Sudan, and her first album showcases her singing traditional and traditional-based material in a variety of settings. Her rich, velvety vocals weave through "Azara Al Hay" ("Girls of the Quarter"), and the mix of guitar, North African and Cuban percussion, and smooth-jazz saxophone creates a sensuous, cosmopolitan atmosphere that still retains a rootsy feel. "Nari" ([Allah is] "My Fire") features a Sudanese big band with accordion, oud, percussion, saxes, and a layer of seemingly floating violins, while another praise song, the earthy, quietly mesmerizing "Sahib Al Me'irag" ("The Messenger") deploys only percussion behind call-and-response singing. Rasha is always in command of her voice, and she is neither a shouter nor a whisperer. Her middle-ground approach adapts well across the spectrum, from selections with sparse instrumental backing like the oud-only support on the opening track, "Aquis Mahasnik Biman" ("With Whom Can I Compare You"), to large ensemble cuts, such as the reggae-influenced "Salib Fuadi" ("You Stole My Heart"). The booklet contains lyrics and English translations for all songs. Highly recommended to fans of North African/Middle Eastern music. [Please note that a typographical error on the CD cover and spine label lists the title as Sundaniyat.] — Al Riess (Buffalo, NY)
Patience Mudeka and the African Rhythms
Tafadzwa
Zimbob ZIM-9 (1998)
Stella Chiweshe
The Healing Tree -The Best of Stella Chiweshe
Shanachie 66004 (1998)
These two new releases are an interesting study in contrasts. Mudeka's is her debut solo recording, while Chiweshe has been recording for over 20 years. The difference in maturity shows up most obviously in their voices. Mudeka has a high, sweet, almost childlike voice that is at times in danger of being overpowered by her instrumentalists. Chiweshe's voice is warmer, lower, and meatier. While the mbira drives much of both recordings, the two women's approaches and intent could not be more different. Mudeka is accompanied on the first two thirds of her tracks by the African Rhythms. The sound pops and sparkles. The last three cuts feature the Rufaro Mbira Band. The quality here is softer, swishier, and folkier. Interestingly, Mudeka's voice is deeper and more confident on these latter tracks. She particularly shines on "Bangiza," a gently angular melody with a contrapuntalism reminiscent of pygmy hocket. Chiweshe uses the mbira as more of a musical partner than an accompaniment. Her voice weaves in and out of the complex, hypnotic instrumental lines. The effect is at once haunting, warmly inviting, and deeply spiritual. She does cut loose on a couple of pop songs, most notably the high-energy, rhythmically tight "Vana Vangu," recorded live in Berlin. She has assembled several crack groups of musicians throughout the years, and she puts them to good use. The yin-yang of Mudeka's glittering pop and Chiweshe's traditional healing music makes these two recordings good companion pieces. — Peggy J. Latkovich (Cleveland Heights, OH)
Battlefield Band
Rain, Hail or Shine
Temple COMD 2074 (1998)
One of the keys to the longevity of the Battlefield Band has been its ability to incorporate new members into the fold without disrupting the overall sound of the band. This time around, it's Davy Steele and Mike Katz taking the spots of Alistair Russell and Iain MacDonald, with the band sounding much stronger and more inspired.
Katz joins a distinguished line of Battlefield pipers and does the job admirably. His multi-instrumental skills on smallpipes, whistle and bass are put to good use. But it's Steele's presence that elevates this lineup. He's an accomplished vocalist and guitarist and a first rate songwriter (his "The Beaches of St. Valery" is one of the best songs Battlefield has ever done), as well as a fine source of traditional material.
The presence of two new members seems to have enlivened Alan Reid and John McCusker. Reid's two songs, his own "Jenny O' The Braes" and the traditional "The Lass O' Glencoe," are both excellent. McCusker, who goes from strength to strength, has composed some fine sets of tunes, on which he shines on both fiddle and whistle. Katz also makes some fine contributions on the tunes, most notably on the high energy set of pipe tunes that close the recordings. Perhaps the best example of how the band has come together is track five, which opens with "Magheracloone," a slow tune McCusker plays on the whistle, and glides into "Norland Wind," a poem set to music and beautifully sung by Steele with nice harmonies from Reid. It finishes with a flourish of bagpipe tunes. All the strengths and subtleties of the group are displayed in one set. All in all, having played the material on the last U.S. tour seems to have paid off when it came to making the recording. The best Battlefield album in many, many years.
[There is also an additional "bonus" CD-ROM track (playable on PC machines) that, while novel (a spoken history of the band with photos, short video clips, and the complete audio tracks from the video clips) only displays the shortcomings of the technology. A for effort, C for results.] — Jim Lee (Simi Valley, CA)
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© 1998 Dirty Linen, Ltd., Baltimore MD
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