KEVIN Bryan takes a look at this week's new music releases: "Boogie Chillen- Early Mods' First-Choice Vinyl" (Fantastic Voyage FVTD 156)- This totally absorbing 3 CD set focusses attention on some of the classic blues,soul and r & b tracks which would have delighted the denizens of Britain's mod clubs during the early sixties. The list of contributors reads like a veritable "who's who" of the era's most compelling musical talents, with legendary bluesmen Muddy Waters,Howlin' Wolf and John Lee Hooker sharing the limelight with laconic jazzman Mose Allison and raunchy rockers such as Link Wray and Dale Hawkins of "Susie-Q" fame to name but a few.
Jacob Cordover,"Blackwattle Caprices" (Cala CACD 77017)-The first of Jacob's three projected recordings for Cala Records finds the young Australian classical guitarist in impressively eclectic form as he tackles pieces as diverse as Tom Waits' "I'm Still Here" and William Walton's "Five Bagatelles," which the composer had originally penned for the great Julian Bream. Toru Takemitsu's expressive arrangements of "Yesterday," "Over the Rainbow" and "Londonderry Air" are also given an airing alongside Cordover's lyrical interpretation of J.S.Bach's splendidly Baroque" "Suite BWV 997."
Florida Georgia Line,"Here's To The Good Times" (Island Records)- Tyler Hubbard and Brian Kelly formed Florida Georgia Line when they were students at Nashville's Belmont University three years ago ,and this delightfully superficial duo's dreams of achieving pop stardom became a reality with the release of "Cruise" in the spring of 2012. This infectious ditty has since gone on to sell in excess of four million downloads,and their eagerly awaited debut album follow a similarly uncomplicated format,blending elements of rock,rap and homespun country to create easy on the ear anthems such as "Get Your Shine On," "Round Here" and "Tip It Back."
Andy Fairweather-Low & the Lowriders,"Zone-O-Tone" (Proper Records)-The Welsh singer and guitarist whose distinctive tones graced Amen Corner's memorable run of chart successes during the late sixties has since gone on to build an impressive reputation as a highly regarded rock sideman,working with such luminaries as Eric Clapton,George Harrison,Roger Waters and The Who over the years. Andy's solo career is now limited to the occasional album release and low-key tour,but his tuneful brand of mellow roots music invariably repays closer investigation,and the excellent "Zone-O-Tone" is thankfully no exception to the rule.
Anna Netrebko,"Verdi" (D.G.479 1052)- Russian soprano Anna Netrebko pays homage to the musical legacy of Giuseppe Verdi with this selection of extracts from some of the great man's most dramatic creations. including "Il Trovatore," "Don Carlo" and " I Vespri Siciliani." Netrebko's voice may be a little too light for some of the challenging roles that she tackles here but "Verdi" marks an interesting change of musical direction for one of opera's most popular performers and certainly represents a fine addition to the fiery diva's highly lucrative CD repertoire.
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