Beck: Modern Guilt
DGC B0011507-02
Format: CD

Musical Performance
Sound Quality
Overall Enjoyment

From the beginning, Beck Hansen has created music that is at once traditional and cutting-edge, contains elements of blues, funk, rock’n’roll, and folk, and that he injects with sampling and other tools borrowed from hip-hop and other recent trends. Beck often enlists the aid of innovative producers, including Nigel Godrich and the Dust Brothers, and for Modern Guilt he teamed up with Danger Mouse, whose eclecticism matches his own. The music invites comparison with 1960s British psychedelia -- especially "Chemtrails," which sounds like the Pink Floyd of the Syd Barrett era. But the fat riffs on "Gamma Ray" and "Youthless," along with the processed percussion and sound effects throughout the album, place it firmly in the new century. Beck’s sure melodic sense never fails him, and even on the mechanized, atmospheric "Replica" he never lets technology overwhelm him or rob him of humanity. Guests include Chan Marshall and Jason Faulkner, but Beck plays most of the instruments himself. The sound is compressed, though I don’t give that much thought as I’m listening, which suggests that it was the right choice for this music. At just over 33 minutes, Modern Guilt could be longer, but it could hardly be improved on. . . . Joseph Taylor

Taj Mahal: Maestro
Heads Up HUCD3164
Format: CD

Musical Performance
Sound Quality
Overall Enjoyment

Could it be that Taj Mahal is celebrating 40 years of making amazing music? His voice still shines with a youthful vibrancy and sonic richness, but with the release of Maestro, the master gives a nod to the legacy he’s created and continues to build. Just as you’d expect, he approaches this project with an open-arms embrace of a multitude of genres, including blues, roots, funk, reggae, Cajun, and more. The list of contributing musicians is equally expansive, featuring Ben Harper, Los Lobos, Jack Johnson, and Ziggy Marley. Each song is a singular gem, from the classic bluesy opener, "Scratch My Back," to the funky strut of "Dust Me Down." "Zanzibar" features singer Angelique Kidjo and Toumani Diabate on kora, and calls to mind beautiful images of exotic Africa. "Slow Drag," featuring the Phantom Blues Band, and "Hello Josephine," with the New Orleans Social Club, both drip with Bayou blues. Maestro provides much evidence of Mahal’s vocal virtuosity; he slips into a Jamaican patois as easily as into pidgin Creole, then grinds a dirty groove growling the Hoodoo blues. In 40 years, he has mastered the art of crossing cultures and blending musical flavors from around the world into savory stews of rootsy goodness. The result: satisfying soul food. . . . Shannon Holliday

Archie Fisher: Windward Away
Red House RHR-CD-124
Format: CD

Musical Performance
Sound Quality
Overall Enjoyment

Archie Fisher’s Windward Away, created over three decades, is first-rate. The first 11 tracks are new, most of them written by Fisher, while tracks 12-19, mostly traditional and covers, are from lately resurfaced tapes he made in 1980 and never released till now. Fisher’s voice is forceful but not bombastic, thoughtful but not ponderous; it and his intricate guitar picking convey narratives and portraits of his native Scottish Border country. Fisher transcends rather than takes from his obvious influences, which reinforce rather than diminish his originality. Much of his writing about animals and nature is old-school, rationalizing rodeo, fishing, and other exploitations as being dear to the human heart. But it is sincere, intricate, very lyrical, and often respectful, as in "touched by the wizard sparrows" or "hear the curlews calling," from the melodious "Borderlands." The new material is more engaging and a notch better recorded than the old, but throughout it all, Fisher is an exemplary artist. The only way not to enjoy this album is not to hear it. . . . David Cantor

Work of Art: Waves
Sword in the Stone SSR 56
Format: CD

Musical Performance
Sound Quality
Overall Enjoyment

Guitar slinger Art "Ski" Halperin was legendary producer John Hammond’s final discovery in a career that brought to the masses Billie Holiday, Bob Dylan, and Bruce Springsteen. That Halperin’s name isn’t better known is due more to Hammond’s premature death than to Halperin’s talent -- which is tremendous. He currently works with a loose conglomeration of musicians from which he fills his group, Work of Art, for any particular recording date. Their previous disc, Lift, was a folk-rockish production, but Waves is reggae -- apparently one of Halperin’s big musical loves. Nor is this bland, ordinary reggae, but the down’n’dirty, harmonious, ganja-flavored variety. Waves is a worthy successor to the work of another legend, Bob Marley. Listen to "Jack and the Herb Stalk" for a musical version of the old fairy tale "Jack and the Beanstalk," told through the eyes of a Rastafarian. It’s a hoot -- and something Marley might have recorded himself. One big difference between most reggae and Waves is engineer Barry Diament, whose mixing and mastering here make Waves sound as good as its music. According to Diament, he and Halperin recorded many takes of each tune before deciding on the best. The bass is deep and clean, Halperin’s guitar work shines, and the drums thump joyfully, all with a sense of space and air. This is an album to savor over and over. . . . John Crossett

Bob Mintzer Big Band: Swing Out
Manchester Craftsmen’s Guild MCGJ1030
Format: CD

Musical Performance
Sound Quality
Overall Enjoyment

Bob Mintzer makes his bread and butter with the popular soul-jazz band the Yellowjackets, but since the early 1980s he’s led small groups and his own big band in straight-ahead jazz settings. His website includes an extensive discography, with more than 20 titles listed for his big band alone. Swing Out is the newest for the latter, and their third for the label of the Manchester Craftsmen’s Guild, a Pittsburgh-based community outreach organization. The arrangements owe something to Bill Holman’s work for Stan Kenton and to Gerry Mulligan’s Concert Jazz Band, but the strong individuality of Mintzer’s voice is especially apparent on "Beyond the Limit" and "Freedom Song," in which he adds his own feel and textures to what he’s learned from his predecessors. The ensemble work of this 16-piece band is precise, with a joyous sense of swing, in large part because the rhythm section -- Phil Markowitz on piano, Jay Anderson on bass, John Riley on drums -- is both rock solid and alive to the moment. Mintzer, who wrote most of the tunes, solos impressively but shares the feature time generously. Standout players include trumpeter Scott Wendholt and the three trombonists, Keith O’Quinn, Larry Farrell, and Michael Davis. The recording is spacious and detailed, letting you hear each section clearly. . . . Joseph Taylor