Karrin Allyson: Wild for You
Concord Jazz CD 2220
Format: CD

Musical Performance
Sound Quality
Overall Enjoyment

Up till now, Karrin Allyson has been on a roll -- her last two CDs, Ballads and In Blue, showed her as one of the best jazz vocalists of our age. Unfortunately, Wild for You is merely competent; the magic found in those other sessions is gone. One key might be that most of these songs are not jazz. There are two Joni Mitchell songs, two by Carly Simon, Carole King’s "The Right Thing," Elton John’s "Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word," Cat Stevens’ "Wild World," and James Taylor’s "Don’t Let Me Be Lonely Tonight." Allyson’s interpretations offer so little new insight into songs so strongly associated with their creators that her own identity seems lost here. On the other hand, the arrangements, by keyboard player Gil Goldstein, seem so bent on not sounding like the originals that they sound bizarre, fitting neither the songs nor Allyson’s style. And Concord’s sound, usually open and free, sounds restricted, boxed-in, and way too dry. It’s fine for Allyson to throw a contemporary pop song into her sets here and there, but this disc is painful evidence that she’d better get back to doing what she does best. I’m a huge fan of hers, and I’m not keeping this disc….Rad Bennett

Handel: La Lucrezia, Arias from Theodora and Serse
Lorraine Hunt Lieberson, mezzo-soprano; Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment; Harry Bicket, harpsichord, conductor.
Avie AV 0030
Format: Hybrid Multichannel SACD

Musical Performance
Sound Quality
Overall Enjoyment

Increasingly, singers are turning to Handel’s compositions when looking for repertory for recital albums. This is perfectly understandable; the Baroque composer wrote many gorgeous arias that show off vocal talents so well, and Lorraine Hunt Lieberson’s appealing, medium-size mezzo-soprano is well suited to this music. She can handle the legato of "Ombra mai fù," the famous aria from Serse (better known as the "Largo from Xerxes"), or sail with ease through the coloratura passages of the cantata La Lucrezia. She is accompanied in style by the period-instrument Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment. In the multichannel mix, Lieberson’s voice is mostly in the center speaker, with just enough echo in the left front and right that she doesn’t sound isolated from the instruments. The rear speakers are used for subtle ambience….Rad Bennett

Faithless: No Roots
Arista 63497
Format: CD

Musical Performance
Sound Quality
Overall Enjoyment

While critics have written off Faithless as an average pop group, I find their brand of electronica enjoyable, and have looked forward to each new album since their Sunday 8pm. No Roots offers the same flavorful mix of grooving bass lines and infectious melodies. The opening track, "Mass Destruction," combines the best of the group’s talents. Maxi Jazz’s thoughtful, intelligently written rap rides on a bed of changing melodies and solid bass lines, compliments of Sister Bliss and Rollo Armstrong. No Roots is more about mood and atmosphere than all-out pop dance music. Each of the 14 songs transitions naturally to the next without a break, and the sequence builds up to two of the record’s most impressive cuts, "What About Love" and "In the End." Only the P*Nut remix of "Mass Destruction" is a throwaway. The sound quality reveals every wisp and ebb of this layered production….Anthony Di Marco

James Newton Howard: The Village (Soundtrack)
Hollywood 162464
Format: CD

Musical Performance
Sound Quality
Overall Enjoyment

The Village is not as groundbreaking as M. Night Shyamalan’s other films. It is, however, vastly more original and compelling than most Hollywood movies -- words I would also use to describe this desperately dark score drenched in sweet violins and cello. James Newton Howard adds a foreboding undercurrent to a story about the power that myths have over society and children. Like the lives of the characters, Howard’s music is economical, never trying to upstage the images with needless bombast or heavy-handed cues. This is an example of how a minimalist score can remain interesting while using a repetitive theme. The sound quality is another surprise -- delightfully palpable strings and an expansive and natural soundstage contribute to a fabulous recording….Anthony Di Marco

Allman Brothers Band: Eat a Peach
Mercury B0002439-36
Format: Hybrid Multichannel SACD

Musical Performance
Sound Quality
Overall Enjoyment

This multichannel SACD version of this classic album sounds ten times better than any previous digital edition. The sound is as warm and rich as the best analog, yet has detail that only a higher resolution can give. You can clearly hear the attack on every guitar note, whether electric or acoustic, and the funky organ sound has focus and presence. The drums also have incredible presence, while the struck cymbals shimmer in a very realistic way. The bass is focused and solid without being overly prominent, as is too often the case in 5.1-channel remixes. The center-channel vocals, bled to the right and left for cohesion, allow every nuance in Gregg Allman’s delivery to be heard with ease. The surrounds provide ambience and a good feeling for the medium-size venue, The Fillmore East. This classic has been given its due. A DVD-Audio version should be out by the time you read this….Rad Bennett