If ever a song contained the essence of a summer night, this is it. What a gorgeous, mind-swirling concoction this "Yellow Moon" is.

There is no part of this track that isn't delicious; from the perfect combinations (plural) of timbres and intertwining rhythms to the luxuriously spacious production.

This is the second track on an album of the same name. I'm reaching all the way back to 1989 for this, but there is no part of Yellow Moon, song or full album, that isn't fresh and exquisite.

If you don't have this one in your stash: you can sample the track or download the album here. or order the CD here.

Listening to "The Rough Guide to the Music of Madagascar".

Rich and delicious; an entire meal for the ears and the spirit. Fortunately the music slips into the ear easier than that dried-out title.

This actually is an academic overview of music found across the island -- a volume in the "Rough Guide" series. But, don't be thinking that the music is dry and academic. Oh, no.

The music is undoubtedly African and you will be tapping on everything that is handy, but this anthology is full of widely and even wildly different flavors. Some light and feathery, some as intricate and patterned as Chopin or Joplin and some as haunting as a solo fiddle on an Appalachian porch.

Thoroughly delightful and worth a listen.

Classical guitar music is a constant and always reliable music choice for me. There's always a ton of it on my iPod. This week I've been playing the newest addition to my stash: Ana Vidovic "Guitar Recital" and "Moreno-Torroba: Guitar Music, Vol. 1".

The latter features the mind-wandering series of musical paintings, "Castillos de Espana". These usually can put you into a daydream anytime, anywhere. The same is true listening to them here but the Vidovic style is so different from what I'm used to hearing -- both in performance and record production -- that it took a couple of listenings before the old effect kicked in. I was being forced to actively listen first, then I could flow with it again.

The differences in performance style and in recording techniqe stand out even more on the "Recital" album. Full of familiars of the guitar repertoire, there are no standard presentations here. At first there was a stick-in-the-mud reaction to the old friends being made so unfamiliar. Sometimes there is a reactionary struggle to figure out what the differences are or where they come from. Is it mature artistic style or youthful misunderstanding? Is it different equipment or a difference in the cultural ear, if you will, that creates that far away sound -- like the Segovia recordings of the 1950s? 

But it doesn't take long at all to get over that reactionary silliness and just start enjoying the beautiful music. Purely enjoying.

Along with the albums on my iPod (available for download above, by album [a bargain] or by the track); there is a complete 2004 concert available for on-demand streaming from the Lincoln Center Millenium Stage archive. Find it, delightfully, here: http://tinyurl.com/mmgrro 

  Dusty In Memphis
  Original recording remastered
  4.5 out of 5 stars
  Reviewed for Coffeerooms by Mike Jefferson

In the 60s and early 70s there were a number of striking female vocalists who didn't make great L.P.s but piled up the hits on 45s, including the effervescent Petula Clark, sassy Nancy Sinatra, wholesome Karen Carpenter, hippie queen Melanie, and "Lady Soul," Aretha Franklin. My favs were Christine McVie (of Fleetwood Mac), Bobbie Gentry, Julie Driscoll, and Mary O'Brien, aka Dusty Springfield, the English songbird with the beehive hair, raccoon eye make up and glittering evening gowns.

McVie's whisper was a warm refuge for romantics; Gentry had a suggestive southern sensuality, a husky hum of a voice that could charm a hoodoo; and despite her detached demeanor and mod model looks, Driscoll was sheer power and soul, England's version of Aretha. Then there was Dusty Springfield - classy and hypnotic with an effortless smoldering sigh that made men's loins melt. (Yeah, I know. In later years Dusty confessed she liked girls more than boys. Just because you don't have a shot, that doesn't stop you from being attracted to someone!)

Dusty began her career as a member of The Springfields with her brother, Tom. The folk combo scored a hit with "Silver Threads and Golden Needles" in 1962 before Dusty struck out on her own, scoring hits with "I Only Want to be With You" (1963), "Wishin' and Hopin' (1964), "You Don't Have to Say You Love Me" (1966) and "The Look of Love" (1967). Dusty's albums, however, mirrored the era - they were an uneven combination of hits, covers, embarrassing show tunes and smaltzy standards. Thanks to the emergence of FM radio (and primarily the popularity of The Beatles) the sales of long playing records became as important as single recordings, giving artists a 10-12 song platform for their personal thoughts. By 1969, it had been two years since Dusty's last transatlantic hit. Her career needed a boost, and she was yearning to make an album that reflected her love of rhythm and blues. 

Atlantic Records sent Dusty to Memphis to record with their crack production team of Jerry Wexler, Arif Mardin, and Tom Dowd. The Memphis Cats, who'd backed Elvis, Wilson Pickett, and King Curtis on their records (guitarist Reggie Young, keyboard player Bobby Emmons, drummer Gene Chrisman, and bassist Tommy Cogbill), made up her well versed back up band.

  Crosby, Stills and Nash
  Demos
  4 out of 5 stars
  Reviewed for Coffeerooms by Mike Jefferson

Listening to Crosby, Stills and Nash's "Demos" is the equivalent of hanging out with the Wright Brothers when Wilbur looked up at bird and said, "Hey Orville, I've got an idea," or when Booker T. Washington complained, "Now what am I gonna do with all these peanuts? It's history, kids, a musical blueprint for a generation.

Nash has been the group's diplomatic driving force since the 80s. Whenever there's been a reunion of the combative trio, Nash has been the catalyst, the peacemaker. (Getting Stalin, Churchill and Roosevelt to play nice was an easier task.) Nash is also the group's archivist; he put together "Reflections (3.5 out of 5 stars)," his own 3 CD career retrospective, earlier this year, and co-produced "Demos." It may be his pet project, but Nash remains a team player - he and Stills are well represented and even the elephant in the room (Neil Young) makes a cameo appearance.

"Demos" could just as easily been called "Demos unplugged." Each member produced his own songs, and in most cases they accompanied themselves on acoustic guitar. The 12 cuts are a mixture of songs destined to appear on the first CSN album in 1969, the 1970 follow-up, "Deja Vu," or on one of the trio's early solo efforts. For folks who need something new, there's Stills' uncovered gem, "My Love Is a Gentle Thing."

Most of the demos are only a tweak or a time change away from the final version. Others, particularly Crosby's cuts, are noble embryonic efforts that ended up miles away from the original concept. The two cuts that ended up being most radically altered are Crosby's demos for "Almost Cut My Hair" and "Long Time Gone." "Almost Cut My Hair" still has Crosby's angry, kill the pigs rhetoric, but Crosby, all alone on acoustic, infuses the song with the same numbing, rambling jazz-folk shuffle beat that's hampered much of his solo work and makes his songs, however planned, sound as if they were conceived amidst a peyote induced revelation. (Crosby was influenced at an early age by jazz junkies Chet Baker and Gerry Mulligan. Unfortunately their detritus is reflected in his musings.) "Almost Cut My Hair" is the only poor performance, but the bare acoustic backing manages to show off Crosby's stunning vocal range. "Long Time Gone" is an example of Stills in his role as "Captain Many Hands." He plays guitar, bass and, surprise...drums! Stills doesn't have the subtlety of CSN's first percussionist, Dallas Taylor, but he's not a lifeless metronome either. Bashing the cymbals or double-smacking the snare, Stills lays the groundwork for the finished version's funky middle-finger attitude. Another interesting aside is the original second verse, which was rightfully deemed less compelling than the others and exorcised: "You can smell something burning, but you don't know who lit the fire. You can smell pavement getting hotter, you can see flames rise high."

The sky was a dreary this morning. Needed something to kick it into gear. Turn it up. Bring on the Summer!

Oh man; this is it. A huge stash of finger popping, foot moving hits from Stax records. It's just glorious. Just glorius.

Otis Redding: Respect; Sam and Dave: Soul Man; Carla Thomas: Gee Whiz; Booker T & the MGs: Green Onions; Jean Knight: Mr. Big Stuff.

All songs that make you smile when they come on the radio.

If your day has turned cloudy, reach for this one.

It's a good deal too: two discs with 50 tracks is $14.99 at Amazon for either the CD Stax 50th Anniversary Celebration or downloadable complete album. It's also available as downloadable MP3 singles, but the album is the deal.  The singles at $.99 each or the entire 50 track downloadable or CD for $14.99.  Take the album and dance.

It's a pretty day here and perfect for listening to the ol' timey banjo and fiddle of the "Carolina Chocolate Drops".

I have to pick and choose among the cuts as, to me, it seems like there's only about half an album here. But when you find the cuts you like, its a sunny, fun delight.

The first 5 cuts are almost identical in sound and feel, so just pick the one you like.  There's a twist or two in there, so don't skip over them just because of my moaning. For the fun of it catch the "Them Changes" riff, as a banjo-&-fiddle two-step pulled out of "Little Sadie".

Once you get past the first five -- and pick out one of those that you like -- you come to some different stuff. A capella "Little Margaret" is sweet and plaintive and pulls on you like soft summer humidity. 

On the album it's a strange but happy seque that brings an instrumental version of "Dixie" that sounds like John Hartford may be ahaunting here. That's worth a play anytime.

The rest of the album has a couple more hits and a couple more repeats of the earlier frailing, stomping dance-round-the-fire thing that the band loves so much. But, pick your favorites from the bunch for download from Amazon or iTunes and you're gonna have a nice time.

  Playing For Change
  Various Artists
  3 out of 5 stars
  Reviewed for Coffeerooms by Mike Jefferson

"Playing for Change" is a multi-media movement created to inspire, connect and bring peace to the world through music. A heady notion to be sure, but the world music created by the more than 100 participants will indeed rock your world. Producer and Executive Director Mark Johnson enlisted the help of musicians from the U.S., South Africa, Europe and Asia to construct the 10 track CD, and filmed many of the principal players live, recording them on street corners, in parks, and even on fire escapes.

The eclectic collection of world rhythms opens with the umpteenth version of Ben E. King's "Stand By Me." King's barking, melodramatic original was given the royal treatment with arcing (or was it aching?) strings. Frankly, I've never stood on the same emotional path that King's devotees have, so I've been at a loss to understand the song's attraction. John Lennon was my favorite Beatle, but I found his version hollow; he was just parroting Benny. Well, I've finally found a take that speaks to me on an emotional level. Since "Stand By Me" is an American pop classic, this rendition centers around a couple of street musicians based in the U.S. Roger Ridley's spoken intro let's you know his words come from his heart: "This song says no matter who you are, no matter where you go in your life, at some point in your life you're gonna need somebody to stand by you." Ridley, a bear of a man, sings the opening verse with the same gritty growl as Howlin' Wolf. As the second verse rolls around, New Orleans based bluesman Grandpa Elliot takes over. Elliot's delivery is a throwback to his peers from the Delta, circa Huddy Ledbetter. When Ridley and Elliot join together, it's like listening to a living chapter in the story of the blues; their styles may differ, but they blend together as if they've been sharing the same stage since birth. Give Mark Johnson a hand for a seamless editing job. The singers were thousands of miles apart when they were recorded.

Clarence Bekker of the Netherlands takes on the third verse. Bekker is a shouter, a modern day Wilson Pickett without the police blotter baggage with an abundance of oomph. "Stand By Me" begins to stagger a bit when the noticeable thunder of The Twin Eagle Drum Group sounds in the background. This is soul, guys, not a night at the sweat lodge. Other third world elements seem shoehorned in order for Johnson to justify his international roster. Dimitri Dolganov is certainly an accomplished cellist, but South African singer Vusi Mahlasela's brief tuneless cameo and the speaking in tongues contribution made by the Sinamuva singing group are incongruous and unnecessary. Ridley's performance stands alone, and "Stand By Me" rises of the strength of his stirring vocal. 

  Ray Charles
  Genius! The Ultimate Ray Charles Collection
  4.5 out of 5 stars
  Reviewed for Coffeerooms by Mike Jefferson

Genius is a designation that shouldn't be thrown around lightly. The Beatles? No doubt. The Rolling Stones? Debatable. Johnny Rotten and Elvis Costello would like you to think they're geniuses, but the fact that they keep talking about themselves in that vein casts serious doubt. The word has cropped up when talking about Traffic, The Moody Blues, Tony Joe White, Gordon Lightfoot and The Band. (I know because I've used it to describe their music!)

There's another legendary artist - Ray Charles - who was so respected by his peers that one of his albums was actually titled, "The Genius of..." The late Brother Ray didn't write many songs, in fact his best known material was hand picked, but he was a masterful singer in the same manner that Eric Clapton is considered a god on guitar or Steve Winwood is referred to as the King of the Keyboards.

The 21-cut remastered "Ultimate" CD is the most comprehensive collection of Charles' music ever assembled. The overall sound is thinner (many previous compilations were very bass heavy), but it's cleaner. The nuances in Ray's voice come across better than before whether he's being suggestive, soulful or sorrowful. The back up singers, particularly the full court choral caucuses in "Georgia on My Mind" and "You Don't Love Me" are more distinctive and less mushy than in the past.

What may surprise listeners is the plethora of country songs. One of Ray's biggest albums was 1962's "Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music." There aren't many black artists who've successfully mixed together such extreme genres as country, blues and R & B. One guy who comes to mind is Hootie (whose wimpy bombast I hate anyway). Charlie Pride leans way south of country, and Muddy, B.B. and Taj Mahal stirred their blues with soul. Ray was versatile, so much so that he could take patriotic pap like "America the Beautiful" and make anarchists stand up and salute; so making country sound good was as easy for him as sucking the meat out of a crawdad.

The Stuff of Genius...

"Hit the Road Jack" is one Ray's penultimate and most beloved romps. Written by ill-fated blues singer Percy Mayfield, the two-minute stomper hit #1 in 1961 and earned Ray a Grammy for Best R&B recording. The Route 66 horn section wastes no time in amping up a free wheeling beat, as Charles' back up singers, The Raelettes, particularly sassy soloist Margie Hendricks, forcefully suggest that Ray take a one way hike. The call and response between Ray and the girls is a heavyweight bout, with the Raelettes landing low blows and Ray screaming in rebuttal like a cat caught in a fan belt.

  Yes
  Symphonic Yes
  4 out of 5 stars
  Reviewed for Coffeerooms by Mike Jefferson

Art rock automatically lends itself to orchestration. The Moody Blues first recorded with an orchestra in 1967 creating "Days of Future Past," which yielded their timeless signature tune, "Knights in White Satin." When the group hit a creative lull in the late 90s, they went back out on the road playing with local symphonies, re-imaging and reshaping their hits.

Continuing with the theory that playing with an orchestra can work.... Procol Harum had one of their biggest hits in 1972 with "Conquistador," which was taken from the album "Live With the Edmonton Orchestra." Sometimes incorporating an orchestra doesn't work... Emerson, Lake and Palmer's music was already bloated enough when they added a 70-piece orchestra to their act. Feeding, housing and transporting the lot nearly bankrupted the three millionaires.

If there was ever a group whose music was made for the orchestral treatment, it's Yes. The group experimented with an orchestra as early as 1969, recording their second album "Time and a Word" (released in 1970) with students from The Royal College of Music. Thirty years later, and with a much fatter catalogue behind them, they explore the idea again with "Symphonic Yes," a 14-cut, 2-CD orchestral extravaganza recorded in 2001 that proves rock and classical music can indeed inhabit the same space.

The question is does the orchestra embellish the songs enough to warrant the added payroll? The European Festival Orchestra turns the group's mystical ballads into poetic landscapes, so "Yes," adding 60 or so musicians to the band's epic compositions can help!

"Symphonic Live" begins with the swirling, sprawling "Overture," an excerpt from "I Give Love" (from the group's then current effort, "Magnification") that's played by the orchestra. Unlike the Moody Blues, who used pieces from their songs to create their orchestral overture, Yes' sign in piece is entirely original, and just as affecting.

As Yes steps from the shadows, you can hear the chirping crickets, burping frogs and shimmering synths that signify the start of "Close to the Edge." Most bands warm up with "Louie Louie;" Yes primes the engine with a twenty minute classic. The horns punctuate parts of the song that previously glided by, and having a more simpatico (and simply better) drummer in Alan White, rather than Bill Bruford's off-tempo belting, gives the arrangement life. Vocalist Jon Anderson is wired into the energized tempo, singing as well as he did when the band recorded the original version of the song in 1972. The hypnotic "I Get Up, I Get Down" section of the song still hypnotizes, as Anderson, Squire and Howe show that thirty plus years later they can still harmonize and sing counterpoint. Keyboard player for hire Tom Brislin is no Patrick Moraz or Rick Wakeman, but he effectively hits his fills when called upon.

A stylish string-washed intro that sounds as if it could have been part of "Gone With the Wind's" soundtrack is tacked onto the beginning of "Long Distance Runaround." It's too theatrical thematically and doesn't fit, despite its remarkable musicianship. This is one of the few instances where the orchestra and the band fight for space. But when the main body of the song hits Squire rips into his bass, flying up and down his instrument's neck, and Howe rings out stinging notes on guitar that prove this buoyant workout from "Fragile" still can go the distance.