Stevie Ray Vaughn & Double Trouble: Texas
Flood
Epic/Legacy EK65870
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 Originally released in early 1983, Texas Flood was
recently remastered (along with other SRV titles in the Epic catalogue).The question
beckons, what does one get in this re-issue? In a nutshell, better quality sonics and four
additional tracks (three live and one studio) including an outstanding previously
unreleased version of "Tin Pan Alley" -- a song that originally appeared on Couldn’t
Stand The Weather. This alone makes this CD worth the price of admission. SRV was a
great songwriter and a true guitar virtuoso in every sense of the word. Texas Flood
is a testament to both talents -- just listen to "Dirty Pool" or
"Lenny," the last track on the original release, if you have any doubts. Not
just for the completist, this reissue of Texas Flood is for everyone who loves SRV
and rock/blues electric guitar.
Romane/Stochelo Rosenberg: Élégance
Iris 3001 836 (distributed by Harmonia Mundi
as HM 87)
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 Django Reinhardt
& Stephane Grappelli invented a style of guitar music interchangeably called Gipsy
Swing, Jazz Manouche or Jazz Gitan. On Élégance, two of the finest modern day
guitarist/composers join forces, accompanied only by Gilles Naturel on upright bass.
Romane and Stochelo are fluently versed in the tradition -- they could pull any Django
tune out of their hats on demand. Unlike many carbon-copy wannabees, though, they’d
rather follow the master’s oft-overlooked penchant for creative experimentation outside
the very style he himself had developed. From slow-mo swing waltzes to hard-driving
workouts that showcase the pair's astonishing and very individual techniques, all but two
of the eleven tracks here are original compositions. They’re filled with surprising
hooks, catchy melodies, breathtaking arpeggios, improvisational bridges and the élan
and joi-de-vivre that all of the best Gipsy music embodies. Importer Harmonia Mundi
very often has the magic touch with their selections, seeming to also insist on excellent
recording quality. Élégance more than meets this mark -- even if you don’t
smoke Gitanes, you ought to at least own one recording in this genre. Make it this
one!
Stevie Nicks: Enchanted
Atlantic 83093-2
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 Co-lead-singer and songwriter for the highly successful group
Fleetwood Mac, Stevie Nicks branched out on a solo career in 1983. Six albums (including a
greatest hits) and over a dozen singles later, we have the Enchanted 3-CD box set.
Comprised of many previously issued tracks, unreleased recordings (demos, studio tracks,
soundtracks and live performances) and a pair of non-LP B-sides, the set presents a
thorough, 46-song document of her solo career. As with most box sets, you get a great
photo album -- 64-pages of full color here -- which includes lyrics and detailed notes on
all the songs. Enchanted contains numerous high points, including a moving cover of
Tom Petty’s "Free Fallin'," a haunting solo piano version
"Rhiannon" and an energetic live performance of the hit "Edge Of
Seventeen." Even though all the tracks have been remastered using the HDCD® process,
the sonics vary quite significantly -- not entirely unexpectedly, given the lengthy
timeline during which these songs were recorded. An honest and detailed look at an
exceptional artist.
Jimmy Lee Robinson: all my life
APO 2001
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 Jimmy Lee Robinson is a living legend of the Chicago Blues. He was
born on Chicago’s Maxwell Street Market, ground zero for the urban blues. His new
album is a reminder that the Chicago blues is alive and well. The ensemble is minimal:
Jimmie Lee on guitar, vocals and spurs (yes, those are listed individually), Jimmy D. Lane
on acoustic and Dobro guitars and Madison Slim on harmonica. The album features
Jimmie’s own tunes, as well as those of Muddy Waters, Jimmy Rogers, Little Walter,
Jimmy Reed and Magic Sam -- all of whom he played with. This is hoochie-coochie music,
with lyrics that talk of "smoking dynamite and hoping some screwball will start a
fight." Jimmie Lee’s voice is the epitome of virile elegance, not the gravely
whiskey sandpaper of some others. His is a less-is-more style that reflects a keen
intelligence. While definitely not breaking new ground, all my life is one of those
albums that grow on you the more you listen, like the silent waters that are said to be
the deepest and don’t give away their secrets all at once. Analogue Production
Originals is a label run by, amongst others, Chad Kassem of Acoustic Sounds, so it should
come as no surprise that the recording quality is reference-level, too.
Andy Narell: Live in South Africa
Heads Up 3060
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 When steel drum jazz sensation Andy Narell visited
South Africa, he found himself a celebrated pop artist there. The turn-out for his first
concert was unlike anything he’d ever experienced before. What was more, the crowd
that gathered knew all his tunes by heart, danced, sang along and generally carried on.
Many even belonged to fan clubs dedicated to him. This inspired Narell to embark on a
project of touring the townships and cities there with local musicians, as documented on Live
in South Africa, an 88-minute exploration of some of Narell’s best-loved
full-length tunes. Instantly recognizable, here they nevertheless sport a new flavor.
Different musicians, different inflections, new improvisations uncover new details in
familiar material, making for unexpected detours that lead to delightful discoveries.
These elements of serendipity are all the more palpable here because these are live
tracks. Unlike other Narell albums, recorded in a studio atmosphere and thus perhaps more
polished, this one’s raw and pulsing. It's fabulous party music or a setting to move
around in and to.
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