Kool G Rap
Half a Klip EP
Chinga Chang Records/Latchkey Recordings
Rating: 4
Sonics: 2.5
Half a Klip is an EP of unreleased Kool G Rap cuts that actually sounds like it was recorded as an album. This one goes to 11 (tracks, anyway) and it's a tight bunch of hard-hitting business. Kool G Rap brings his standard rawness. Domingo and MoSS lend outstanding atmospheric, minor-tinged production that dovetails with said rawness. The recording has a nice feeling of depth. Oddly enough, this one's got inconsistent bass, though. Tracks like "Turn it Out" thump enough to make your ears bleed, but cuts like "What's More Realer than That" have little real low end.
Yellowjackets
Lifestyle
Heads Up
Rating: 2.5
Sonics: 4
Lifecycle is the first album the Yellowjackets have recorded with a guitarist in 15 years. Mike Stern adds some solid, flowing guitar to the Yellowjacket sound, which continues to be the archetype of what is usually dubbed "contemporary jazz." Though the songs can get a bit repetitive, fine stick work by Marcus Baylor keeps things moving along. The recording is professional. Songs like "Yahoo" should show off your stereo soundstage nicely. Though all the instruments are clean, Jimmy Haslip's electric bass sounds especially good.
Saxophone Summit
Seraphic Light
Eskimo Records
Rating: 4
Sonics: 4
If the world was taken over by a sax-addicted Fascist dictator, this is basically how all music would sound. The three saxes of Dave Liebman, Joe Lovano, and Ravi Coltrane alternately complement and counter each other tonally and rhythmically to sometimes groundbreaking effect. The album is relatively accessible until the last three songs. Those are the numbers that shine, though, creatively and sonically. There's a lot going on, obviously, but the mix is excellent. "The ThirteenthFloor" demonstrates a balanced fullrange of sound including two saxes, flute, and a
Pinetop Perkins And Friends
Telarc
Rating: 4
Sonics: 3.5
At 95, Pinetop Perkins was born before Franz Ferdinand was shot. Amazingly, he plays the piano and sings with the dexterity of someone as old as the guys in Franz Ferdinand. Regardless of age, this album stands on it's own in the world of classic American blues. There are hard-charging renditions of favorites, featuring an all-star crew of guitarists like Eric Clapton, B.B. King, and Jimmie Vaughan. Pinetop's latest would serve as an excellent primer to those just starting to listen to the blues. The sound focuses well on his husky voice and soulful piano. "Barefootin" keeps stopping and going, a good test for your speakers' agility. Dynamics, important in the impact of blues, are good. However, the big-time guitar work could've been spotlit more.