Tom Wilk, May 2014
Judy Collins ★★★★
Live in Ireland
Wildflower Records
While Judy Collins has been a performing artist for more than a half century, she makes it sound as if time is standing still on Live in Ireland, a CD and companion DVD recorded in 2013. Her voice retains a purity and impressive upper register as she runs through a set of traditional folk material along with versions of her own songs and those of her favorite songwriters. Collins opens the album with the traditional British ballad “Wild Mountain Thyme” and a vibrant reading of Joni Mitchell’s “Chelsea Morning.”
Irish singer Mary Black joins Collins for a duet on “She Moved through the Fair” in which each singer seems to inspire the other. Ari Heist and Collins team up for a lively version of his song “The Fire Plays,” an engaging look at the nature of romance.
Collins ends the CD with a pair of songs linked to Ireland: “Innisfree,” based on a poem by William Butler Yeats, and the traditional “Danny Boy.” She sings the opening verses of the latter without accompaniment to show the breadth of her range. The DVD features songs not on the CD, including her take on Leonard Cohen’s “Bird on the Wire” and the gospel standard “Amazing Grace,” a Top 20 single for her in 1970. 12 songs 49 minutes.
Earth Wind & Fire ★★★★
The Essential Earth Wind & Fire
Columbia Legacy
Earth Wind & Fire built upon the soul music of the 1960s to become one of the top musical acts of the 1970s and 1980s. Led by drummer and principal songwriter Maurice White, the band incorporated tight horn arrangements and intricate vocal harmonies to c
reate music for the body and mind. The Essential Earth Wind & Fire, upgraded with eight additional songs from its original 2002 release, traces the group’s artistic evolution from 1974 to 2013. Early songs “Mighty Mighty” and “Drum Song” show the band’s debt to Sly and the Family Stone and Santana, respectively.
Earth, Wind & Fire hit its commercial stride with the hits “Shining Star” and “That’s The Way of the World” as both songs project a positive message. “Keep Your Head to the Sky” adopts a gospel feel in stressing the need for perseverance, while the upbeat “Sing a Song” is a reminder of the power of music. By the 1980s, the group shifted to a more electronic sound that was geared to get listeners on the dance floor. “Boogie Wonderland,” recorded with the Emotions, was a bid to capture the disco market. “After the Love is Gone” is a sparkling ballad with rich harmonies that recalls the heyday of the Sound of Philadelphia vocal groups, such as Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes and the O’Jays. 35 songs, 155 minutes.
Nine Times Blue ★★★1/2
Matter of Time
Renegade Recordings
Nine Times Blue capably carries on the tradition of power pop, a guitar-driven music that stays in a listener’s mind with Matter of Time. The quartet, named after a Mike Nesmith song, del
ivers the goods with a fast-paced, extended-play CD of half a dozen songs. Lead singer and principal songwriter Kirk Waldrop and band capture a Smithereens feel on the yearning “Falling After You,” striking a balance between melody and power. “Sometimes” serves up a look at relationships that recalls the early 1980s songbook of Marshall Crenshaw.
The title track is an earnest song about coming to grips with personal regrets and facing the future. “Reasons Why” evokes memories of R.E.M. with the nimble instrumental work of lead guitarist Greg King and Waldrop. “This Time” spotlights the rhythm section of bassist Jeff Nelson and drummer Jason Brewer, They create a sense of urgency that moves the song along. 6 songs 23 minutes
Dave Riley and Bob Corritore ★★★1/2
Hush Your Fuss!
SWMAF/Vizztone
With Hush Your Fuss!, their third album together, Dave Riley and Bob Corritore continue a partnership that’s rooted in the blues tradition. Riley (guitar and vocals) and Corritore (harmonica) succeed in puttin
g their own stamp on the genre with original songs that go beyond standard blues material. The acoustic “Hush My Fuss,” a Riley original, has the feel of a traditional blues, as the singer vows to rise above the daily complaints of everyday life. “No Cussin’” is a humorous take on the perils of profanity that spotlights Riley’s compelling, rough-edged vocal style. Corritore’s harmonica takes the lead on “Baby Please Come Home,” voicing the worry of the song’s narrator. “Home in Chicago” is an energetic shuffle on as Riley, a Mississippi native, declares: “You can take me out of the country/But you can’t take the country out of me.” “Oil Spill Blues” is a look at modern romance that continues the custom of double entendres in blues lyrics. “When I start my drilling,” Riley playfully boasts, “all the ladies call me BP.” It’s a metaphor that would make Muddy Waters and Howlin’ Wolf proud. 12 songs 42 minutes
Jim Byrnes ★★★1/2
St. Louis Times
Black Hen Music
Jim Byrnes goes back to the starting point with St. Louis Times, revisiting the music that he heard growing up in the Missouri city that led him to become a musician.
The album is rooted in the blues as Byrnes kicks off the album with a swinging version of “I Get Evil,” a standard that’s been recorded by artists ranging from Tampa Red to the Blasters. Byrnes and John Hammond trade verses on “The Duck’s Yas Y
as Yas,” which is enhanced by a Dixieland brass arrangement and producer Steve Dawson’s guitar.
Byrnes and Colleen Rennison deliver a spirited duet on “You’ll Miss Me (When I’ Gone),” trading good-natured barbs on the remake of the 1965 hit by Fontella Bass and Bobby McClure. Darryl Havers’ percolating Wurlitzer is a highlight of Byrnes’ version of Chuck Berry’s “Nadine.”
As a songwriter, Byrnes holds his own with his mentors. “The Journey Home” is a recitation on his life as a boy growing up in St. Louis that makes good use of his vocal skills. Byrne is a longtime actor and was a regular on the TV series Wiseguy. “I Need a Change” is a soul-drenched ballad that gives Byrnes a chance to stretch out vocally. St. Louis Times shows a man can go home again, at least musically. 12 songs 49 minutes
