Album Reviews

Sea Change, Beck's late-afternoon, mid-tempo reverie of an album, harkens back to the great old days of painstaking production, carefully drawn arrangements, and a concern for—and love of—sound and musical textures for their own sakes. Tempi are languid, notes are caressed, and gaping atmospheric spaces welcome listeners willing to be drawn in.

Josie Cotton, best known for her “controversial” 1980 song “Johnny Are You Queer” that turned into a minor international phenomenon while outraging evangelical types and has a back story worthy of a mini-novel, returns with a high low-concept album. You can search the internet for the backstory and watch her perform the song on YouTube.

When Bob Dylan “plugged in” at Newport back in ’65 the legion of original fans went bonkers, jeering and booing, but Dylan persevered and his popularity grew as the much larger rock audience tuned in, thanks in part to covers by The Byrds on their first album.

The 36 year old Malian singer-songwriter Rokia Traoré, daughter of a globe-trotting diplomat, has been performing and recording for over a decade now. This, her third album from 2008, has only recently been released on double 180g vinyl.

The death of Noel Brazil, Mary Black’s long time collaborator and favorite songwriter, weighs heavily on the song selection here. The album is populated with songs of sadness, resignation and rebirth.

Modern Jazz Quartet fans will find this Milt Jackson solo outing surprising and in a sense liberating. While the vibraharpist remains his usual cool, resilient self, the addition of Kenny Dorham on trumpet and Jimmy Heath (brother of MJQ bassist Percy) on tenor sax gives the outing a bit more swagger and drive compared to the MJQ’s usual studiousness.