New Jersey guitarist DC Slater has come a long way from his Seattle Grunge influences. In fact, the most prominent influences that I hear are Satch and a mild dose of EVH. Don’t get me wrong – the grunge influence is still very alive in Slater’s choice of rhythm tone. Though these tones are essentially heavy sounding, his rhythms are tight which manages to add a certain drive to almost every tune on Decisions.

DC Slater has a great knack for speaking with his guitar. Between beautifully thought out melodic passages and some slight variation into the exotic, Slater gives each composition personality. It makes for a magnificent contrast to the heavy backdrop of guitars he has set up.

Decisions opens with Indigo and already Mr. Slater is telling his story. By the time the second track, Outlaw, had been spinning for about thirty seconds I knew this whole CD was going to be great. The song Southbound really made me start to miss my Wah Wah Pedal. Great sound!

The final three songs define this CD. The guitars just sound huge. Pledge opens with a very Alice in Chains meets Staind chord change and the song is filled with Satch meets Framton blues until we get to the breakdown. I swear! I thought I went to Scotland for a couple measures. Very cool!

Long Way Home and Open Road give me the feeling of exactly that:

the longing for home and the scenery along the way. Great numbers – very vivid. It definitely left me with a feeling of completion yet wanting to hear more.

DC Slater is a former student of Berklee College of Music and participates in the SoundAid project to fight hunger. Aside from writing and producing his own music, he is also involved in engineering and producing other artists.

I have waited for this one since I heard it was being re-released. As usual, a great body of work from Robert Fripp, an artist that I have the utmost respect for.

Let me begin with the packaging. We get a few notes from Robert Fripp himself. Not as many as his previous releases that I have had the pleasure of giving reviews on over the past several months, but enough to get the skinny on what this project was/is about. We get lyrics and the full roster of ‘who does what’ plus some classic photos. I did spend a bit of time trying to figure out who wears more eye liner between Fripp, Bowie, and Debbie Harry, but I guess it doesn’t really matter as they all wear it well.

As for the music -YES, I am going to praise it once again. As I have said in the past, Robert Fripp is a true artist, in every sense of the word, when it comes to his musical vision. He knows how to get his expression across. No matter how weird or bizarre a song may be, it always has an uncanny appeal when Fripp is behind the wheel.

With this release of Exposure, we get 2 discs- the First Edition 1979 release and the Third Edition 1985 re-release which includes 3 formerly unreleased Daryl Hall vocal tracks and some bonus alternative takes. Whoever coined the cliche` ‘white men have no soul,’ has never heard Daryl Hall sing. The cut North Star features some top notch vocal work by Mr. Hall and he does well on several others. Although, I must remind you that this is a Robert Fripp disc. So don’t be expecting any cheezy 80’s Hall and Oats lyrical content.

Peter Hammill and Terre Roche take the vocal duties on a few tracks and we also get a special treat from Peter Gabriel with his song Here Comes the Flood. This is the highlight of Exposure as we have two beautiful pieces, Water Music I and Water Music II, made up of Frippertonics and Brian Eno on synth on either side of Gabriel’s masterpiece. This makes a very nice trilogy. It’s really too bad no one was paying attention to this song back then. It sounds like a warning about global warming and the polar ice caps melting. Keep in mind this was originally released in 1979. Visionary? Perhaps.

Other players on Exposure include – Phil Collins, Tony Levin, Sid McGinnis, Barry Andrews, Jerry Marotta and Narada Michael Walden.

Love Cannot Bear

Ok- I have now experienced both the most amazing rock band in the world and it’s fearless leader, Robert Fripp, on one of his solo ventures. It’s much like apples and oranges – which isn’t a bad thing. It’s all about flavor and what mood one might be in.

Love Cannot Bear was recorded during a series of live performances. As for me these are the things that I would normally experiment with when I am alone or perhaps with another player as a type of emoting session, so to speak. There’s a definite value in this type of thing. One must be prepared for it though. Robert Fripp began creating his soundscapes, I believe, in the ’70’s when Fripp and Brian Eno connected two tape machines together to create an endless loop. I never knew what Frippertonics was. Now I do.

This CD is full of lush sounds that engulf the room. I enjoy this sort of thing. Even though there are some moments of atonal madness within these highly experimental and avante-garde performances, I found nothing offensive. In fact, it is quite reflective music and it is very relaxing. Considering the busy life I have been leading for the past few weeks this CD may have been a bit too relaxing. This was actually a very good thing for me though.

I had hoped to get in a bit of meditation with this CD but every time I started to slip into the astral plain – I literally passed out and slept better than I have slept for many moons. This is by no means an insult to Mr. Fripp. His artistic superiority shines, as it seems to on everything he does. This is very beautiful music and I have been rather attached to this

Cd. In that respect it has had a similar effect as the King Crimson box set that I reviewed last month.

I have been sleeping better than I have slept for years and have been having the most vivid dreams. I regret though, that I can’t tell you how this CD ends. I am sure it is embedded in my subconscious somewhere and I am sure I will recognize it when things slow down and I am able to listen to this CD at a time other than the end of the day.

Mr. Fripp has once again shared some of his journal with us and given us the rundown on these soundscape performances. Yet, more importantly, he shares himself with us. I would highly recommend this cd for relaxation. It’s definitely a stress reliever and I believe it would make a nice background for an intimate setting as well.

I’ve always thought that Magna Carta’s Prime Cuts series was an excellent way to showcase the labels artists. Though there are a few other labels that release similar types of compilations, it is my opinion that Magna Carta puts out the best product where this is concerned. All their compilations give these fabulous artists a chance to shine bright while giving the listener the full scope of that artists various styles.

Jordan Rudess is probably best known for his role as keyboardist for the progressive metal band, Dream Theater. Though, his talents far surpass that. You don’t believe it? Just listen to cuts like Universal Mind, originally presented on Liquid Tension Experiment, or Revolutionary Etude, a beautiful classical style piece from the CD, Steinway To Heaven.

Every cut on this compilation is a masterpiece. Just what you would expect from a former child prodogy, such as Mr. Rudess. I was very happy to receive a copy of Jordan Rudess -Prime Cuts because it gave me a chance to discover a foray of music that I was not aware of and I feel anyone who is a connoisseur of great music will be satisfied by this compilation.

Other performers include such talents as Terry Bozzio, Tony Levin, Rod Morgenstein, John Petrucci, Simon Phillips and more. There are even a couple numbers that feature 80’s pretty boy, Kip Winger. In which, we get to see some of what I feel are his best performances, though, much different than one might expect from Winger. Along with Rudess’ fabulous keyboards, Winger’s voice on Tear Before The Rain makes this cut the best song on the disc.

The amazing thing about Jordan Rudess -Prime Cuts is that, much like most of the Prime Cuts series, it flows as if the songs were meant to be compiled in this order, even though there are varying styles and artists performing them. This is something that a true listener, like myself, can really appreciate. Once again, I give credit to the magnificant team at Magna Carta for keeping it – ‘about the music.’

I give a 10 of 10 to all parties invloved!!

And now for something completely different – Really Different!!

I was very curious when I saw that ex-Queens of the Stone Age drummer, Gene Trautmann was half of Evil Beaver. Yes -it means what it sounds like (a two piece.) The other half of Evil Beaver is lead bassist, vocalist and founder Evie Evil.

This duo rocks and there is no need to add another player to this group. This is the first time I’ve been able to say a group has the best elements of ‘full’ and ‘raw’ at the same time. Some may feel this is a contradiction of terms but it’s, in my opinion, the best way to describe their sound.

This EP offers something that both the punk rocker and the technically adept can appreciate. I’ve really never heard anything like this. The only camparison I’d feel safe making is the final track, Cherry Master, sounds a bit like it could have been part of a Jane’s Addiction set way back in their LA club days. Evie’s voice sounds a bit like Perry Ferrall on the number. Even her note choice is very close to something you might hear Perry do.

Models of Virtue was engineered by Mike Terry(Foo Fighters, The Eagles), mixed by Mike Terry and Evil Beaver, and written and produced by Evil Beaver.

Bass players and drummers alike should enjoy this EP quite a bit. Hell, I’m a guitarist and I love it. All you people who are looking for something new and exciting that has unique written all over it. Evil Beaver is it. I can’t believe how much is going on musically -though it sounds simpler than it actually is (and you really gotta love that name.)

This CD is great! It’s quite infectious and it’s got many political and social statements to make. I am a fan of three-piece bands that are strong vocally and instrumentally because there is no question that there are no weak links.

They have a very commercial sound though there is something intelligent going on here. This sets them apart from the average indie band that is reaching for the mainstream. In my opinion more groups need to take the plunge and touch on political, social and ecological issues. I’d compare their over-all sound to groups like Muse from the UK, but a little more groove oriented.

The Green and Yellow TV has some important messages for a world that may not be quite ready to hear, but in my opinion are long overdue. They don’t wait to let you hear some of what they have to say, as the cover of Sinister Barrier depicts the 3 band members standing on a mountainside among a dozen or so television sets, each carrying it’s own message. ‘TV’s are Toxic’ and ‘Planet in Pain’ should give you an idea of what to expect from this trio. No disappointments here.

This was quite a surprise to me. There was a band called Tempest in the late 60’s early 70’s, which spawned Allan Holdsworth. This is not the same band, in fact, not even close. By no means is this a bad thing as I found this CD quite interesting. I would term this as Celtic Prog.

The Double Cross is a concept album about Captain Kidd, as far as I can gather. The musicianship offered is great and the arrangements quite involved for a sound that is a cross between rock and blue grass. Though it was enjoyable, I found this combo quite different, as I’m really not used to this type of music.

Hopefully no one will take offense at this but the imagery that this music had for me was a combination of high sea adventure and Leprechauns dancing around in fields of four-leaf clovers.

I wouldn’t be surprised if this independent CD turned out to be this year’s sleeper, then end up mainstream in 2007.

I must say, the Mambo Sons are not what I expected. I’m happy to report that they are much better than that. This is a band that is dedicated to writing good songs that hook the listener. It also appears that the material is somewhat written around guitarist, Tom Guerra. Though it is basically rock and roll that the Sons play there are other areas that they touch on and many journeys Guerra can take you with his multitude of stylish rhythms and influences.

Racket of Three opens with a great catchy tune called Play Some Rock & Roll (She’s Comin’ Over) to get you going. It’s kind of reminiscent of a Black Crows meets Billy Joel. This pretty well sets the tone for the CD.

Before putting Mambo Sons in my player, I had just gotten done listening to a bunch of progressive instrumental music -of which I happen to enjoy but my wife calls torture. When the Mambo Sons were jamming through my speakers, my wife had a smile on her face almost the entire time. When the CD was over -I was still waiting for the next song. So I must have really enjoyed the CD as well.

Heck, just looking at these guys on their CD cover -they seem like they are some fun loving happy guys and it reflects through their songs. The first half of the CD is good and the second half -even better. Other songs I think are very strong are You Broke My Mind, Mr. Rebound, Been Out of Touch, and Safe With Me.

I would highly recommend this CD to fans of good old rock and roll and if you get the chance to see the Mambo Sons live -I hear they are a blast. So don’t miss out.

Now I am kind of embarrassed to admit to all this because these three fellows are some creative monsters. I was completely impressed with this disc from beginning to end. Though it has some serious fusion and progressive influences, these guys are rooted in heavy metal. Now don’t get me wrong – there isn’t a lot on this disc that really sounds heavy metal but I know metal players when I hear them. There is just a certain aggressive tendency that shines through the music.

Regardless, Canvas Solaris has grown far past their metal roots and are now a force to be reckoned with. I don’t have much basis for describing their sound other than there are remnants of King Crimson to Metallica along with even hints of Pink Floyd perhaps. I believe anyone who can handle instrumental music and likes the three groups I just mentioned would dig Canvas Solaris.

There are a lot of lush textures as well. So it doesn’t appear to be as riff driven as it actually is. I think this can be to their advantage as I think Penumbra Diffuse would appeal to those usually not willing to take in the typical riff fest that is often offered by progressive/fusion type bands. The disc lends itself quite well as background music but once it hooks you with some of these riffs – you are hooked.

Eddy and Drumheller are united with the jazz/fusion outfit, McGill Manring Stevens, on this disc for some intense collaboration. The music would best be described as progressive rock meets fusion. Listeners of Soft Machine would surely find A Remedy of Abstraction fits in with their tastes in music. Although there are many influences that I could hear including Gentle Giant and other progressive bands from the same era.

If you can imagine these influences dowsed with fusion in the style of Dixie Dregs or for that matter, McGill Manring Stevens, you will have a fair idea of what to expect.

A Triggering Myth are also joined by a superb violinist, by the name of Akihisa Tsuboy of Japan’s progressive fusion group, KBB. The moments featuring violin on this disc are, in my opinion, the most memorable. I’ve always been a huge fan of guitar, bass, drums with 2 keyboards and violin combination. I can’t tell a lie -these passages sound a lot like Kansas but again with more fusion as icing.

This is definitely a disc worth checking out if you are either a fan of early 70’s progressive rock or a fan of McGill Manring Stevens. If you are a fan of both -you must have this CD in you rack.

Rare Blend is a very seasoned group from the Cleveland, Ohio area. They are what I would call a jazz/fusion jam band. I have heard a lot of mixed feelings about jam bands but when it sounds good you can’t deny that the players know what they are doing. Especially when they are not held to the standard blues progressions.

This CD is fairly high energy. The opening track Illegal Aliens pretty well sets the tone with it’s riffy bass groove. Vic Samalot provides plenty of guitar throughout and guitarists won’t be disappointed. There are two vocal tracks on the disc. Keyboardist, Bobbi Holt does a great job on Miles to Go. Her voice should be considered an asset. I think the only bad point I can make is that they don’t utilize this asset enough. Personally, I would have liked to hear her voice on a few more songs.

Ironically, I especially liked the tune, Off to Arizona (I live in AZ.) It had a feel reminiscent of early Acoustic Alchemy, which is among some of my favorite music to listen to. I also especially liked Destiny’s Eyes, a number that features the group’s bassist, Jeffery Scott on acoustic guitar. There are 3 studio improvs on the CD -plenty of nice stuff in each of them.

Finally, the CD concludes with Heading Home where Ms Holt graces us with her voice one more time with a message that I would have to agree with. We don’t need to keep up with the Joneses if it means running each other over. We can do a lot more for our neighbor and it might put a little more satisfaction in our own lives.

There’s some great musicianship on this disc and it’s from a group that has been playing out in one incarnation or another for 12 years so you know it has to be good. I hope they make it back thru Arizona so I can catch a live show.

Here’s something a bit different and not. What I mean by that is Overloaded is a band that sounds like they are from another era -my era to be more specific, which would be the mid 80’s. I can assure you that these cats are nowhere near 40, though. Which gives them a fire that most of the bands playing this type of music are missing.

Hail the Kingdom opens fire with Beaver Fever, kind of a slinky grove, again reminiscent of bands like Motley Crue and Guns n’ Roses. This band isn’t a rehash of the same old song and dance though. They are fresh. I say this because I was never really a fan of those types of 80’s bands but I do like Overloaded.

The groups anthem like, Feeling Overloaded, received a tremendous amount of radio airplay in the Detroit area. This is a definite achievement for a completely self-financed act. Other songs that stand out on Hail the Kingdom are the title track and the closing number, Sick.

I think what I’ve warmed up to with this band is the fact that drummer Lorenzo Gonzalez is not a card board cut-out like so many of the drummers of the ‘hair era.’ Also it is nice to hear someone who can sing, which vocalist Chris Gillen does exceptionally well. The rest of the band is top notch also, but when comparing them to the 80’s, let’s face it, some of the best guitarists to ever land on this planet came from that space in time.

Nonetheless, Hail the Kingdom is a great disc, giving us some gritty, powered up rock & roll. I’d like to see a lot more of the younger generation kick it into gear and play some party music like this young band. It beats all this death metal that has been circulating that I can’t understand the lyrics and don’t know that I want to. I surely would prefer kicking back with a few friends and some hot babes over a few beers and some rock and roll than conjure up demons from the underworld. Wouldn’t you?

That said, I recommend this disc to any fan of the ’80’s hair band days’ and to anyone who’s getting tired of death metal or the same old generic sounding stuff that you can generally hear on every rock station these days. Where every young lad seems to be whining about his girlfriend or how mistreated he was by his old man.

Now for something a little more conventional (as far as guitarists go, anyway.) Jason Sadites is another superb player. An interesting thing about Sadites is by the age of sixteen he was already mature enough in his playing to pass some of his knowledge on to a roster of sixty-plus students in his home town, Timmins, Ontario, Canada.

After fifteen years of honing some of his other talents which include his composition skills and his audio engineering ‘mastery,’ he has now given us his first solo instrumental guitar CD, entitled Orbit.

Jason knows how to dig in and at the same time he makes his strat sing with some beautifully written melodies that stick in your head for most of the day. I hear a lot of Satch and Vai mixed with Eric Johnson (remember the first G3 tour?) I kept hearing other remnants and feels that I recognized but I had trouble placing it and then it dawned on me -Jeff Beck. But at the same time, these are just influences I hear. Jason has a style that is his own.

The CD opens with the title track and I must say it does give you the feeling of floating gravity-less. Like most of the tunes on this CD, The Orbit is very lyrical. I thoroughly enjoy guitar CDs like this, that have some substance rather than a million mile an hour shred fest that usually leaves me warn out or yawning by the third or fourth track. Now don’t get me wrong – I was amazed at Jason’s control- because he can shred. He just does it in a way that is subtle and meaningful to the song. In fact I was blown away a few times as he likes to dig into a raunchy, gritty bend that is synonymous of something that Keith Richards might do and then follow it up with some of the most pristine sounding shred riffs I’ve heard.

Along with the melodies, grit and subtle shred, there’s a bit more to Sadites’ groove. He’s very creative with added rhythm parts. In fact there’s a funky little thing he is doing in a track called Not So Evil that just makes the song. But all in all, my favorite track is probably the simplest one on the CD. It’s a ballad called Away. Every now and then I find a song that just has the simplest melody and I can’t believe how much I am drawn to it. My wife adores the song and her taste in music is more refined than my own. It really has to be good before she will give it the time of day.

Now for the best thing about Jason Sadites’ Orbit- the CD sounds incredible. It’s probably the best engineered CD I’ve heard in a few years. In fact, I am considering having Jason mix my next solo project if his rates don’t go thru the roof before I get to it. Which is saying a lot- because I live in Arizona and Jason now resides in Florida. So I would essentially be turning over the controls to the board completely. He’s that good.

In my opinion Jason Sadites has taken guitar styles of the past and made them fresh again with his own flavor. I would say he’s a good candidate for Best New Guitar Player.

Enter the brilliant Michael Bianco. I discovered Michael’s music while browsing MySpace. I found myself at his profile watching a video of him playing an instrument that I had never seen before. He was playing a 14 string guitar built for him by Bob Mason. It’s similar to the 12 string tapping guitars designed by Stu Box, except all the strings are on one wide neck as opposed to two regular guitar necks. According to Bianco, the wide neck helps to create the guitars incredible sustain.

On Guitar Innovations, Michael uses a few different instruments based on the guitar, including a Chapman Stick, 7 & 14 string guitars and another instrument that is new to me- the Z-tar. All of this is amazing in itself and I haven’t even expressed how majestically Mr. Bianco plays all of these instruments, yet.

I’ll begin describing Guitar Innovations as a CD that every guitarist should own. It should be revered as a place to strive for. I’m not saying that this style of playing is for everyone, but as far as I am concerned Michael Bianco is one of the masters of the two handed tapping technique. He deserves his place right along side Stanley Jordon and Jennifer Batten. His compositions are beautiful, mostly new age with a classical feel. Some of them come across with a slight Latin influence, possibly because Bianco has spent several years living in Southern Florida.

All of this and still I cannot say enough good things about this fabulous artist. After writing to Michael to let him know I was doing a review of his upcoming CD, he took time out to call me and talk shop. What a down to earth person he is. Very humble and just a really great person all around, it seems. While complimenting him on such great work, he stopped me to compliment my work and took the spotlight off himself to share a handful of other great players. This blew me away. In my book Michael Bianco is what I would call a true artist because true artists love true artists. It may be a little known fact but it is, in fact, fact.

I highly recommend Michael Bianco’s Guitar Innovations to every guitarist on the planet and anyone who enjoys new sounds and music that is relaxing yet has a sense of adventure. Basically I believe anyone who loves music will enjoy this CD. Check out some of Michaels other work as well. He has recorded quite a few CDs over the years while hiding out somewhere in Ft. Lauderdale.

You can check out a video of Michael Bianco and his 14 string guitar at www.MySpace.com/MichaelBianco and www.MySpace.com/Makatos.

This is Alexadre de Guise’s description and it just scrapes the surface. Over the last twenty years I have not only been an independent artist but I have always taken the time to recognize other independent artists who live for their music. Alexandre de Guise LaMarque is one of those artists. He is a classically trained guitarist and has worked with the likes of Nickolai Noskov (Gorky Park) and Andy Whitmore (Terence Trent D’Arby) and has done session work across Eastern Europe. Did I mention that Alexandre hails from Russia?

December 24, 2005 marked the official release of Alexandre de Guise LaMarque’s CD, Can’t Be In Vain (Digipack Golden Limited Edition) in Moscow, along with his live DVD entitled Live in Red Square, Moscow.

When I first heard this Russian virtuoso, I had stumbled onto his site by sheer chance. At the time the only music I could access were some incredible classical arrangements where the featured instrument was guitar. The release of his long awaited Can’t Be In Vain further proves the versatility of this Russian artist. I would best describe the musical genre of this disc as Adult Contemporary and light Progressive Rock with a touch of Celtic Folk.

I actually heard a preview from this CD earlier in the year and was pleasantly surprised to hear this ‘other side’ of Alexandre de Guise. The first cut Fly My Dove, Fly reminds me a bit of something Paul McCartney might have written at the time that, I felt, he was at his peak (late Beatles/ early Wings.) It had a somewhat emotional appeal. Later, when I actually received the disc, I took the time to analyze the music from a musical standpoint. (What do you expect? I’m a musician.) The full-length version of Fly My Dove, Fly clocks in at almost eight minutes in length, but there is also a radio version that has been edited down to less than four minutes. Despite Alexandre’s mildly thick accent his vocal is very appealing and he is very articulate and I do prefer the eight-minute version of the song. The arrangement is awesome. Like the entire CD, this song is fully orchestrated with an array of instrumentation. There is so much detail. It’s almost hard to believe that an independent artist, on the kind of budget many of us have to work with, could produce a record like this.

It’s fairly common to see a single artist take all the credits for a project in the independent world but it is rare that the artist is actually adept in all those departments. Alexandre is an exception to the rule. There is no part that has not received careful attention by this artist. Other key songs on this disc are Love Will Remain and the song containing the disc’s title, I Can Never Explain (Can’t Be In Vain). Although, I have to disagree with Alexandre because I think he explained it perfectly. It can’t be in vain.

Here’s something you don’t get to see very often. Age Of Nemesis is progressive metal band from Hungary. I wasn’t sure what to expect since a lot of bands from that part of the world who choose to do English speaking albums tend to be hard to understand through a thick accent. This was obviously a concern of the band but Age Of Nemesis cuts right through this dilemma. Zoltan Kiss sings as though English is his first language. This, of course, allowed me to kick back and enjoy this CD, as progressive metal is my favorite genre of music.

I wasn’t disappointed at all. In fact I was quite surprised, because most progressive metal bands fall short of the mark. Age Of Nemesis has hit the mark and beyond. This is a very meticulously sharp band. From beginning to end AON sounds like perfect students of bands like Dream Theater and Symphony X. Given the chance, I am sure these guys could rank among the best of them, since the student almost always surpasses the teacher. The rhythm section is extremely tight and punchy and both Gyorgy Nagy (keys) and Zoltan Fabian (guitar) are exceptional. What a guitar tone!!

The first six compositions on Psychogeist tell a tale of a boy and what appears to be his doppelganger. I won’t spoil the fun for those that don’t like to know what happens before listening to it on their own. I will admit that I will have to give it a few more listens, as I was far too impressed with the musicianship to get the entire story line during my first few hearings. My only disappointment here is the lack of printed lyrics in the packaging. Nonetheless, this CD will get listened to quite a bit. Also, if you pop the disc into your pc, you’ll find a very well done video of the opening track, Fate’s Door.

This is a great progressive metal band that we will be hearing a lot more from in the future. Psychogeist was originally released in Hungarian in 2002 and from my understanding they will be releasing another one of their previously recorded albums in English as well as an instrumental CD on the Magna Carte label. I highly recommend Age Of Nemesis – Psychogeist to any huge fan of progressive metal. It’s well worth the purchase price.

I don’t really know what happened but I never really listened to King Crimson again. I remember, at the time, I found most of the music on Court of the Crimson King to be just a little left field for my taste. As I grew older and even more proficient in my musical abilities I probably would have benefited quite a bit if I had taken a second chance on King Crimson. Unfortunately, most “radio music” in United States isn’t all that musically diverse and King Crimson was a least likely suspect to gain much widespread acceptance. I rarely even heard King Crimson mentioned unless the April Wine version of 21st Century Schizoid Man came on the late night radio broadcast, and even then, King Crimson was usually referred to as that ‘other band’ that did the song.

I received a promotional copy of 21st Century Guide To King Crimson Volume 2 a few weeks ago and I’m happy to report that my jaw has been on the floor several times since then. King Crimson is simply the most amazing rock band I have ever heard -EVER! “How did I let myself miss this incredible music?” This is the question I’ve been asking myself for almost three weeks now. These guys are not only extraordinary on their instruments, their artistic vision, though sometimes avant-garde, also goes unmatched, in my opinion.

Now I do realize many readers are already familiar with this amazing band, but I felt the need to share my new discovery with others like me, the ones that didn’t give King Crimson a second chance after the first listen.

Everything about 21st Century Guide To King Crimson Volume 2 is first class, all the way. I pulled the booklet out of the sleeve, opened it up and practically got to know this band in person. Inside there are notes from Robert Fripp’s journal, and though I’m sure it is not the entire 23 years worth of journal entries, all of the important information concerning the creation and recording of the music that is embodied on these four discs is present.

The four discs are titled accordingly- In The Studio: 1981-1984, Live: 1982-1984, In The Studio: 1995-2003, and Live: 1994-2003. The biggest problem I have in reviewing this set is I have never had so much music by one artist and liked it all so much. To pick it apart and to say one section is better than the other is impossible. It is all THAT GOOD. I will admit, I am an old school listener. I enjoy albums from beginning to end. If I have to skip songs on a CD I just won’t bother to listen to it at all. With this box set -I have not only listened to each disc several times – I have started with disc one and taken in the entire 5 ½ hours several times. Needless to say, all of my free time has been consumed with this box set since it arrived at my doorstep.

Monica Yonge is one of those individuals whose multi-tasking skills are shining bright. She has been able to put together a CD of her true inner self, which translates well to the listener’s ear. In a lot of ways Rock On is a fitting title for this, her 2004 debut CD, because Monica really draws from classic influences like Johnny Winter and her vocals remind me a lot of Jefferson Airplane era Grace Slick with a hint of Cher.

I can’t say that this is my favorite genre of music but I couldn’t help but feel inspired by the passion Ms Yonge portrays during songs like All Your Loving and Surfacing. Then there is All That Matters, which is so amazingly 60’s anthem- like, I could close my eyes and see tie-dye, beads and booths selling Freak Bros comic books and paraphernalia in a festival setting. I really enjoyed these songs. I think the thing that hooked me is that Monica let’s you know she’s a real person. You hear it in her lyrics and her voice. She has been angry, she laughs, she has felt pain and she loves.

If you like music like good down home rock and roll with a lot of slide guitar, an air about it reminiscent of the late 60’s early 70’s and a strong female voice. Monica Yonge’s Rock On is right up your alley.

Note: Ms Yonge is not only multi-talented but ambitious, too. She is the publisher of www.IndieGuitarists.com, featuring reviews, interviews and articles about independent guitarists currently unsigned by the majors.

It’s interesting how many US bands are surfacing whose music and lyrics resemble that of the 60’s. Perhaps it is a new movement trying to open up and express that at least half the country does not agree with some of the things going on in the world these days.

The Mother Hips apparently are in tune with this movement toward recapturing the 60’s. Their sound certainly resonates with the music of the decade. The title track (which also appears as the final track in an alternate version), Red Tandy, has The Beatles written all over it. I’m not too sure what they are trying to say with this song but it sounds great and I have caught myself singing it at various points through out the day. I guess that’s what they mean by ‘catchy.’ Everything is crystal clear and the vocals are very harmonious to say the least.

From what I understand the Hips have been around for quite some time. In the 90’s they even released two albums on Rick Rubin’s American Recordings. The first time I had heard of the Mother Hips was after they released Green Hills Of The Earth in 2001. The band split shortly after that and I had never had the pleasure of hearing them.

Well, they are back at the request of their die-hard fans and the Red Tandy EP is the perfect appetizer for a full length LP due out sometime in 2006. The title track should do well given the proper assistance from their fan base and the band’s camp in getting a buzz going. Besides being Beatles-inspired, the title track also sounds a bit like The Sweet. Not offensive in any way- this song is a perfect way to get in the door to talk about the real issues, which is an approach I really like.

Colonize, the EP’s second track, which is only available on the CD version, is the best cut on this teaser. In singer/guitarist, Tim Bluhm’s own words, “Anything that’s cool or appealing is instantly ‘colonized’ by advertisers until we become almost afraid to express an original idea for fear that it will be used to sell $@#*^*&! coffee or surf trunks.” This statement resonates with me as much as the 60’s resonate with The Mother Hips.

I’m happy to report that this disc is not a Frisbee or a coaster. It really is quite good. I’m counting the days until their full-length release.

In the R&B world Jeffrey Osborne is a household name. In his 35 year career, this legendary singer/songwriter has produced hits like Love Ballad and (Everytime I Turn Around) Back In Love Again with the 70’s R&B outfit L.T.D. followed by a successful solo career with songs like I Really Don’t Need No Light, Stay With Me Tonight, and We’re Going All The Way.

While on Tour with sax player Dave Koz, Osborne discovered that the smooth jazz audience was indeed singing along with his R&B hits. This prompted his decision to record one hell of a record. That record is his latest release produced by the king of popular, smooth jazz, Grammy Award winning producer/engineer and guitarist Paul Brown.

On ‘From The Soul,’ Osborne has recorded all of his favorite R&B numbers but there’s a twist. He has done them in the genre of smooth jazz and it is a monster. From Teddy Pendergrass’ Close The Door to Stevie Wonder’s Knock Me Off My Feet, Jeffrey Osborne has used his undeniably distinctive voice to bring these classics alive in the smooth jazz vein. The CD even contains one of my all time favorite songs, Curtis Mayfield’s – People Get Ready and a song that Osborne co wrote, All At Once, originally recorded by Whitney Houston on her multi platinum debut.

Yet, the moments that stand out most for me on this fabulous and very relaxing disc are Osborne’s rendition of Buffalo Springfield’s, For What It’s Worth, and I literally got chills during Roberta Flack’s beautiful, The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face.

To be honest, I haven’t heard some of these songs since I was a kid. This disc brought back many fond memories of my youth, which I cherish. That alone is worth the cost of the CD, not to mention Jeffrey Osborne has just done an incredible job capturing the soul of each and every one of these songs.

Ilona Knopfler was a name I recognized even though she has not been in the eye of the mass public for very long. What makes the fact that her name was familiar to me even more unusual is that jazz is probably what I follow the least in my preferred genres of music. I’ve asked myself why I committed to reviewing a couple of jazz artists and I still don’t know why I did but I am glad, possibly for the first time, that I raised my hand and willfully exclaimed, “Sure, I can do that.”

Well don’t expect a conventional review by a jazz critic cause, that, I am not. But, music and the art of expression has been my life, emphasis on ‘art.’

Live The Life is Ilona Knopfler’s second release. I’m impressed. No – I’m completely blown away. I couldn’t stop uttering the caveman phrase, “WOW!” Ms Knopfler opens the disc with the Thomas A. Dorsey number I’m Going To Live The Life I sing About In My Song – acappella!! Her voice sounds so pure and she is confident in her execution. I could enjoy an entire CD of her voice with no accompaniment but more of her own voice. She has great control over it without sacrificing any expression. This is the case though out the entire CD.

I was obviously hooked from the beginning, but my vocabulary went from ‘wow’ to speechless as Ilona and her supporting cast of more than 30 musicians took me on a journey with numbers sung in English, French or both and ranging from big band swing to the sound of a trio that you might find in a smoky bar on Bourbon Street. There are many worldly flavors sprinkled on Live The Life from the latin tinged But For Now, in which Ilona does a great scat reminiscent of Lena Horn, to the middle-eastern sounding Throw It Away.

If I were to choose my favorite moment on Live The Life, I would have to say that I especially enjoyed the trade off call and answer play between Ms Knopfler and trumpet player, Sean Jones, during La Jazz Et La Java. Speaking of the supporting cast on Live The Life, they are top notch. I also might add that I particularly enjoyed the melancholy This Is Always, which has a beautifully orchestrated intro reminiscent of one of my favorite composers, Gustav Mahler.

Ilona is noted at describing Live The Life as, “a tribute to my unconditional love of music.” When you hear Ilona Knopfler on Live The Life, you will not be able to deny that she is one with the music she sings. I would recommend this CD to anyone who loves jazz and to anyone who may not listen to jazz but is looking to expand their horizon. On a scale of 1 to 10, Ilona Knopler’s – Live The Life gets lucky 11.