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CD Reviews
Marc Antoine
Meditterraneo
(Rendezvous 5101-2)
A conservatory-trained musician
who picked up the guitar at a young age, French jazz/flamenco
guitarist Marc Antoine suffered a devastating accident at the
age of 22. With determination and passion, the artist circumvented
a tragic situation, becoming a busy, Paris-based jazz and pop
session musician while evolving into a favorite of the so-called
smooth jazz scene. With his seventh album as a leader, the guitarist
intertwines Mediterranean-type themes with jazzy soloing interludes
atop his rhythm section's driving backbeats.
Think of a sultry ocean breeze
or perhaps a trot through an upscale shopping mall. To that
end, Antoine doesn't reinvent the wheel here. Therefore, his
music occasionally skirts the ambiguous designs of contemporary
jazz-based environs. Augmented by horn players, percussionists
and a densely layered production, Antoine's acoustic guitar
performances are firmly rooted within melodious frameworks.
But he's an adept player, witnessed by his sensually enacted
grooves awash with jazzy single-note soloing and lushly articulated
chord progressions. On the piece titled "Preludio," a wistful,
synth/flute passage and a snappy pulse enhance the artist's
deft fretwork. Antoine conveys a relaxed vibe, including a silky
smooth samba motif on "Lady."
Categorically speaking, this
isn't a jazz record, despite the stereotypical connotations
perpetuated by the global marketing factions. It's an affable
affair, although there isn't a whole lot to get excited about
either. -- Glenn Astarita
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Joe Strummer
& the Mescaleros
Streetcore
(Hellcat)
It's impossible to hear the
defiant, whiskey-stained wail, the stinging guitar breaks, the
reggae kicks and the protest-singer sensibility from a punk-rock
pose, and not spend the length of Streetcore remembering
what once was. But this posthumous release by Joe Strummer --
co-founder of the Clash who died last December of a heart attack
at age 50 -- reminds us of what Strummer once was but also what
he could be. It is at once nostalgic and forward moving, and listening
to it is enough to make a grown man cry.
That is, if not for that energy
firing up a sincerity that always marked Strummer -- for good
or ill -- because Streetcore is too fierce and fun to
let mourners in. "Don't worry baby cuz your credit is good!"
Strummer yelps on "All in a Day," behind a dance beat seemingly
built for estranged Clash bandmate Mick Jones. (The two had
discussed reuniting the band for its Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
induction ceremony held earlier this year.)
Streetcore finds Strummer
exploring some of the same turf that made the Clash so feisty
more than 25 years ago, inspired by the Ramones and Sex Pistols
but willing to pick up dashes of ska, reggae and other world
beats. And while it's sweet to hear a raw, acoustic version
of Bob Marley's "Redemption Song," Strummer impresses even more
by turning Louisiana's Bobby Charles' "Grow Too Old" into the
album's fitting closer, "Silver and Gold." ("I'll do everything
silver and gold/ An' I got to hurry up before I grow too old.")
Streetcore should feel comfortably old, but shows the
late legend was as vital as ever. -- David Lee Simmons
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Pat Martino
Think Tank
(Blue Note)
Jazz-guitar great Pat Martino
has been on something of a fast track during the '90s since he
was diagnosed with a brain aneurysm in 1980. Thus, the artist
experienced memory loss and had to relearn his guitar technique
-- from scratch. With his latest Blue Note release, Martino garners
the services of modern jazz heavyweights such as tenor sax titan
Joe Lovano, pianist Gonzalo Rubalcaba and bassist Christian McBride.
As first-call session ace, drummer Lewis Nash provides the spark
for these rapidly paced, post-bop-style swing vamps.
Martino is in outstanding
form, via his gracefully enacted and briskly executed single note
runs. Occasionally, the quintet delves into the outside spectrum
of jazz, mainly during the bridges and improvisational segments
residing within the body of these works. The musicians mix it
up quite nicely on pieces such as "Dozen Down," featuring the
soloists' diminutive voicings morphed into a groove-based melody
line and funk/rock pulse.
Martino and Rubalcaba's duet
balladry on "Sun on My Hands," is pleasant enough, yet lacks
a sustainable melody. Conversely, Lovano soars heavenward amid
the group's climactically oriented spin on John Coltrane's "Africa."
And on many of these pieces, Rubalcaba equalizes the band's
generally up-tempo demeanor, due to his rhythmically inclined
accompaniment and meticulously designed solos.
Besides, the all-star connotations
that this outfit brings to the table, a few of the guitarist's
original compositions fail to impart a lasting impression. Otherwise,
the quintet's rousing interplay and fiery call-and-response
sequences make this a noteworthy entry into Martino's impressive
discography. -- Astarita
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