CD Reviews
By: Staff and Wire Reports | ∞
LOCAL
A "All Directions"
The Donnis Trio
Shady Tree Records
San Diego's Nate Donnis has one of those commanding, compelling voices you can't ignore: a deep, rich baritone that sounds like a cross between Darius Rucker and Neil Diamond, with a sense of presence that holds your attention.
Equally compelling are the songs on his trio's first album, "All Directions." Fourteen songs in all, nearly every one a gem of melody and construction. Stylistically, the songs mostly fall somewhere between alt-rock and folk (although there's a definite reggae groove to "Not Guilty," and "Gorgeous Mess" has a Latin touch). What makes them work, though, are the addictive little melodies he works into each.
From the opening cut, "Nothing Better Than Your Love," through the dark-tinged "No Other Place," from "A Chance With You" to the introspective "Grateful," Donnis has crafted a stellar collection of songs that are more than good enough to put him on the map nationally. He's a hit-writing machine in the making ---- a fully developed musical voice, the ability to turn out radio-friendly (or Internet-friendly) pop songs, a voice you can't forget.
Seems pretty likely we'll be sharing him with the world in short order.
The Donnis Trio plays at 8 p.m. Friday at E Street Cafe in Encinitas, and at 2 p.m. Sunday at the Belly Up Tavern in Solana Beach.
---- Jim Trageser
Staff Writer
BLUES
B+ "Dirty Deal"
Coco Montoya
Alligator Records
Bluesman Coco Montoya has risen to near the top of the guitar-slingers heap through endless touring, enthusiastic showmanship and a series of accessible, blues-rock hybrid albums on Blind Pig and Alligator.
His newest Alligator release, "Dirty Deal," is consistent with his earlier solo releases: Guitar-based electric blues with enough rock influences to tempt crossover fans still missing Stevie Ray Vaughan.
A confident and warm singer, Montoya's signature is his Albert Collins-influenced solos ---- no doubt picked up while Collins' drummer in the Ice Breakers for five years in the '70s. No surprise that all 11 tracks here (including two from his own pen) all include plenty of said solos. Nothing earth-shattering or revolutionary ---- just tasteful, imaginative licks to hold the attention of any guitar or blues fan.
With covers of Lowell Fulson, Johnny "Clyde" Copeland and Otis Rush, and backed by a stellar combo that includes most of producer Paul Barrere's old Little Feat bandmates, "Dirty Deal" is a solid listen start to finish.
Coco Montoya plays tonight at Humphrey's Backstage Lounge in San Diego.
---- Jim Trageser
Staff Writer
Country
C- "Waitin' in the Country"
Jason Michael Carroll
Arista Nashville
A preacher's son from rural North Carolina, 28-year-old Jason Michael Carroll possesses an extraordinary tenor voice, as displayed on his country radio hit, "Alyssa Lies," a dramatic tear-jerker about an abused child.
His debut album, "Waitin' in the Country," benefits from other striking tunes, including an emotional ballad, "Let It Rain," the good-timing "Honky Tonk Friends" and a stirring duet, "No Good in Goodbye," with pop singer Jewel, who seems serious about crossing over to the country market.
What doesn't emerge is any sense of who Carroll is and what makes him different than other talented singers. Instead, he relies on too many cliched songs written by others and repeats themes heard on too many other Nashville albums.
The title cut echoes a current country music fixation: building songs on a laundry list of rural southern stereotypes. Similarly, "Anywhere USA" attempts to tie together common themes of small towns, but instead comes across as too generic and sentimental to be anywhere real.
Carroll, who wrote the best material on his debut, needs to work more on developing his own point of view and rely less on professional songwriters to form one for him.
---- Associated Press
Christian
B "The Sermon on Exposition Boulevard"
Rickie Lee Jones
New West Records
The story behind Rickie Lee Jones' latest CD, "The Sermon on Exposition Boulevard," is as interesting as the songs themselves. Los Angeles photographer and filmmaker Lee Cantelon wanted to create a spoken word interpretation of his book of Jesus' teachings, "The Words." When Jones showed up to record her part, she looked at the book, then asked if she could sing instead. On the spot, without hearing any music first, she improvised the CD's opening track, "Nobody Knows My Name" and the project changed completely.
The remainder of the CD was similarly created, held together by the Jesus theme ---- the teachings of the New Testament in a modern context.
Jones' voice sounds stronger than ever ---- an instrument in its own right ---- and the overall sound is weirdly experimental, yet accessible.
She sings about Jesus' last night from his perspective in the eerily beautiful "Gethsemane." She sings about the challenge of praying in a modern world on "Where I Like it Best." She sings about riding around in heaven in "Elvis Cadillac."
And it's pure joy to listen.
---- Associated Press
WORLD
C
"American Indian Story"
Jana
Standing Stone Records
Jana Mashonee's music is Native American the way Enya's music is Celtic. Nominated for a Grammy in the Best Native American Music Album category, "American Indian Story" is far more New Age than it is anything ever heard before the Europeans showed up.
OK, that last part isn't exactly a fair comparison; there is no reason why Indian music should be frozen in time. Surely before the Euros made their entrance to the Western Hemisphere, the music was dynamic, changing, growing. Besides, non-Indians (including your loyal reviewer) have no business judging whether music is authentically American Indian or not.
It's just that Jana's new album sounds so much like Enya or Stevie Nicks' solo outings that it's near impossible to view it as anything other than New Age pop. New Age pop without any evident hit songs, for that matter. Surely no "Orinoco Flow" or "Gypsy." Just high soaring vocals backed by strings and synths, with vaguely American Indian lyrics. Mostly, it's boring. At times, as on "The First Celebration," the results are almost laughably earnest.
Given Jana's own track record of hitting the charts in her previous R&B and dance singles, and the power and beauty of her voice, this overproduced, poorly written New Agey album is an utter mystery.
---- Jim Trageser, Staff Writer
B "A New Journey"
Celtic Woman
Manhattan Records
In October, Celtic Woman saw its debut album end an 82-week run at the top of Billboard's world music chart. It's replacement? "Celtic Woman: A Christmas Celebration."
With "Celtic Woman ---- New Journey," the group may be about to top itself again.
On this latest CD, the women demonstrate their individual lyric abilities, then blend in ensembles that lead you to think they have performed together all their lives.
The original group of four singers and a fiddle player is joined this time by Hayley Westenra, a New Zealander ---- but one with Irish roots. She collaborates on five tracks, and her operatic voice just adds another dimension to the folksiness of the group's Celtic sound.
Along with the diverse performances by the singers and the fiddler, musical director David Downes has chosen tunes ranging from Simon & Garfunkel ("Scarborough Fair") to Handel ("Lascia Ch'io Pianga" from "Rinaldo"), then arranged them with traditional Celtic instruments. The Irish Film Orchestra and the Aontas Choral Ensemble join the group.
---- Associated Press
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