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Shelley Berg
Berg

The Will: A Tribute To Oscar Peterson.
Andrew's review pretty much says it all--if you're gonna do a tribute to Oscar Peterson, it sure doesn't hurt to have Ray Brown & Ed Thigpen play on it! Oh, and having Eddie Daniels, Bill Watrous (& his big band), Jeff Jarvis & Carmen Bradford "drop by" is a nice touch. Congrats to one of our favorite transplanted Houstonians.

Bruce Dudley
Dudley

Semblance Julia Olivarez has said almost all there is to say about this magnificant CD in her review. We'll just add that this is a must-purchase item. Our favorites are "Dat Dere," a great "forget all the colors & textures....let's just swing, babee!" item; & "Song For Dave" (dedicated to the late Dave Catney).

Free Radicals

The Rising Tide Sinks All Some days, it really pays to be Nick Cooper. Fully recovered from his stint as drummer with the ska-klezmer-whatever band Sprawl, Cooper took a break to check out the various Houston scenes. He spent a bit of time recording and producing rap & jazz acts (observe his work with Necessary Tension) and, after he'd soaked up these various influences, went into his portable recording laboratory to create what would become Free Radicals. In a twist typical of the modern digital recording era, the CD was produced, and then a band formed after the fact. Good thing, too, cuz there aren't too many places in town that could host a 55-piece soul/funk entourage.
Oh, and here's an added bonus not advertised about this release (for the musicians out there)--it makes a pretty cool funky Aebersold session.

Scott Mochon/Tom Cummings
mochon

Our World Scott Mochon confided that a good portion of the melodic tracks on this CD was supposed to be done by vocalists (who never could make it to the studio on time!) No wonder the tunes here are ones that have an easygoing singalong feel to them....we were supposed to sing along! No matter though, since Mochon's versatile playing allows the tracks to keep that buoyancy going. The CD is all over the place stylistically, from the easy swing of the classic waltz "Bluesette," to the chicken pickin' and slide guitar of "Legacy," to the 12/8 "Cruise."
Tom Cummings shows his many talents, offering supportive, tasteful drumming on tracks like "Hopetown," taking the lead on vibes for "Millennia," or bashing out a thick backbeat on "Reflections" & "Red Sky."

Calvin Owens

True Blue The line between styles of music often gets blurred beyond the point of usefulness. So, what kind of record is this release from trumpeter Calvin Owens? Blues? With people like B.B. King (Owens' former boss) & Johnny Copeland dropping by, absolutely. Jump-swing? Sure, the trendy folks certainly can wiggle to the fast tracks. Jazz? Look out when David "Fat Head" Newman or Shelley Carroll make an appearance. Everyone can dig this record.
Warning: Only the most brutal lead trumpet players need apply for this gig---this is one rough assignment!

Phil Settle
Settle

Phil Settle & Friends-Santa Monica Pier
A quick straw poll around town indicated that a lot of folks knew & worked with Phil Settle when he was living here in Houston. "So what's he up to?" This CD oughta get you up to speed. Ten tracks from April 1998 give a glimpse into whuzzup with Phil.
The first name to leap off the liner notes is fellow Houston refugee Herman Matthews--apparently he had a little time between Tower Of Power gigs, and he holds the drum chair with his usual aplomb. Check out the backbeat on "She Can Do No Wrong" & "Yo Mama". Phil's guitar playing and vocals are favorably reminiscent of Robben Ford--guitar wannabe's should pay attention.
Just another beautiful day in Santa Monica...only this time somebody remembered to bring the multitrack.

SolarWind

Five Sheets To The Wind Back in the good-old-days of fusion, before it became the "f" word, there were bands o' plenty dishing out compelling, interesting, even melodic instrumental adventures. These guys harken back to those days, and they do so without a hint of apology. Think Jean-Luc Ponty, with a sax replacing the violin. There are shades of Al Dimeola, Weather Report, and other influences of the 70's kind. "Mike's Turn" & "A Walk In The Desert" are particularly hummable tunes, yet completely different stylistic.
Downsides? Well, lengthy solos are what made early fusion great (or was that "grate"?), but any album that contains a baritone sax solo that clocks in at nearly five minutes should be viewed with a modicum of caution. The tunes'll bring you back, though.

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