Trax
By Bliss 02/11/2010
THE ALBUM LEAF, A Chorus of Storytellers (Sub Pop):
(3 stars out of 5)
Bandleader/composer Jimmy LaValle changed tactics and brought his full touring band into the studio for the Album Leaf’s fifth album (although drum machines remain integral to the overall sound). LaValle’s signature ambient dreamscapes (“Blank Pages,” “Summer Fog”) are warmed by strings and organ pads, and augmented by vocal-centered tracks like the trippy “Falling From the Sun” and “Almost There.” A pretty sound track for navel-gazing. At the El Rey with Sea Wolf Saturday, Feb. 13. thealbumleaf.com.
DAPHNE WILLIS, What to Say (Vanguard):
(3 stars out of 5)
This youthful Chicago artist’s vocal style and knack for rhythmically propelled pop with a personal, often upbeat message is strongly reminiscent of India.Arie. Willis’ supple voice and rhythmic snap make a more lasting impression than many of her songs, but tracks like “Everybody Else,” “Not Always Easy” (“There’s no reason for loneliness cuz there’s always someone that you can relate to”) and the gentle “Jim Thornton” mark her as a promising new voice worth noting. daphnewillis.com.
RICHIE LAWRENCE, Melancholy Waltz (Big Book):
(2 1/2 stars out of 5)
A reunion with his family’s 1917 Steinway grand piano sparked this eclectic disc, the highlight of which is a creative reworking of Beethoven’s “Für Elise” — as a blues. Lawrence also plies the accordion and harmonica, but the Steinway forms the backbone of his folk- and ragtime-flavored instrumentals. (I See Hawks in LA’s Paul Lacques, Paul Marshall and Rob Waller lend their harmonies to two tracks.) The intimacy of the recording heightens the sense that you’re listening to a friend in the next room. With the Hawks at Culver City’s Cinema Bar Friday. bigbookrecords.com.
LUTHER ALLISON, Songs From the Road (Ruf):
(4 stars out of 5)
This CD/DVD package offers a vital record of Chicago blues guitarist Allison’s 1997 intense performance at the Montreal Jazz Festival, a month before his death. The bulk of the 10-track setlist is pulled from Allison’s own song bag (including “Will It Ever Change,” “Serious” and the searing “Cherry Red Wine”); he also blazes through son Bernard’s “Low Down and Dirty.” The DVD is a more revealing document, with its shots of Allison dripping sweat on his Flying V as he tears off blistering solos. rufrecords.de.
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