New music

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This article was published 24/08/2022 (1474 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

POP & ROCK

Little Feat
Waiting for Columbus Super Deluxe Edition (Rhino Records)

A quartet that soon morphed into a six-man ensemble, Little Feat’s seamless blend of rock, blues, funk, country, soul, boogie, gospel, Latin, jazz and New Orleans-drenched R&B often exceeded the sum of its parts. Superior musicianship and stellar songwriting were showcased on a string of classic albums.

The vibrant legacy this Los Angeles-bred band created in its prime is celebrated anew on the eight-CD, deluxe edition of Waiting for Columbus. Recorded at concerts in London and Washington, D.C., it was originally released in 1978 as a double-live album. By the end of that year, Little Feat had imploded, nine years after being launched. Guitarist-vocalist Lowell George died in 1979 of a drug-fuelled heart attack.

At the time of its release, Waiting for Columbus was hailed as one of the great live albums of the 1970s. It was — and wasn’t.

George, who by 1976 had largely lost interest in Little Feat, did not think Columbus lived up to its potential. So he redid nearly all of his vocal and guitar parts in a Los Angeles recording studio, after the end of the 1977 tour.

What makes this Columbus so intriguing is the inclusion of three additional two-CD live sets, all previously unreleased except for a single song, that were recorded on the same 1977 tour and are presented here — free of any studio overdubs — in their entirety.

But Little Feat never played anything the same way twice, be it the weathered truck-driving ballad Willin’, the rollicking Rock and Roll Doctor or the moody, loping Spanish Moon.

Indeed, it is the subtle — and, sometimes, pronounced — differences between each performance that make Columbus so enticing. Ditto the band’s elastic, push-and-pull rhythmic interplay, which offers an advanced class in the art of impressively intuited collective improvisation.

The biggest treat here is the previously unreleased concert recorded at Lisner Auditorium in D.C. The sinuous grooves are more relaxed and nuanced here, allowing the songs to open up in fresh and unexpected ways.

George’s undoctored vocals are soulful, sly and knowing, usually all at once. He did not need to belt to make an impact, and the fact that — apart from bassist Kenny Gradney — each member of the band also sang gave Little Feat rich vocal dimension.

Such Little Feat gems as Skin It Back, Fat Man in the Bathtub and Old Folks Boogie are expertly reshaped by musicians who could burrow deep into a groove to find new possibilities.

The expanded version of Waiting for Columbus is a testament to what can happen on a concert stage in real time — and why an imperfect live album that leaves the mistakes intact can be the closest thing to a perfect live album of all. ★★★★1/2 out of five

— George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune

 

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DANCE/FUNK

Calvin Harris
Funk Wav Bounces Vol. 2 (Columbia Records)

Calvin Harris’ last star-studded funk album in 2017 sported several hits but left listeners wanting more. Now, the DJ from the U.K. has delivered a second volume, titled Funk Wav Bounces Vol. 2, featuring even more tracks and big names — but bigger doesn’t always mean better.

The album emanates laid-back summer vibes similar to the first volume, this time with a little more disco — it’s making a comeback! Soaring string interludes accompany punchy basslines, putting this album at the crossroads of the ’70s dance genre and funk.

Most of the tracks are smooth celebrations of youth perfect for playing on a summer drive around town with the top down. Most of them, that is, with maybe a few exceptions.

The dud of the album is the first track after the intro, New Money, with its underwhelming instrumentals underneath rapper 21 Savage, that don’t do the rapper’s equally underwhelming lyrics — “Gucci garments, kush smell like armpits,” for example — any favours.

Stay With Me is also lacking, an awkward combination of three very different artists — Justin Timberlake, Halsey and Pharrell Williams — whose contributions to this song fall short of cohesive.

After a few flops, however, there are some truly enjoyable collaborations on the album. Obsessed, featuring Charlie Puth and Shenseea, has a city pop feel with a Caribbean twist, and Swae Lee shines on Lean On Me. Ready Or Not, featuring Busta Rhymes, stands out from the chill theme of the rest of the album, but the hype and flow of the track is entertaining nevertheless.

This album may not have much more to offer than Funk Wav Bounces Vol. 1 did, so if you’re on the lookout for vibey tunes to enjoy for the rest of summer, you might be better off sticking with Harris’s hits from 2017. ★★★ out of five

STREAM THESE: Lean On Me, Obsessed

— Kiana Doyle, The Associated Press

 

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JAZZ

Miguel Zenon
Música De Las Américas (Miel Music)

By coincidence two alto players originally from the Caribbean have currently released terrific albums reflecting their native countries. (This one has an official release Friday.) Several weeks ago I reviewed Cuban-born Luis Deniz’ album, and today’s album is Puerto Rican-born Miguel Zenon. As with most Latin jazz, the rhythm is front and centre here. Caribbean rhythm patterns are plentiful and exciting, and this album is a challenge for anyone trying to fluently follow the beat. Better to just enjoy it.

Zenon is truly in the top echelon of contemporary alto players, and this album demonstrates why. With him here are Venezuelan pianist Luis Perdomo, bassist Hans Glawischnig and drummer Henry Cole, plus Puerto Rican ensemble Pleneros de La Cresta and several Puerto Rican percussionists.

Zenon explains that the music is inspired by the lengthy history of the Americas, and the compositions reflect that concept. Tainos Y Caribes, for example, refers to the two major societies of the Caribbean prior to colonization. Navegando references the seafaring base of the region long before sophisticated navigational devices. Imperios refers to the empires of the Aztecas, Mayas and Incas that were vastly powerful pre-colonization.

There are gentle tracks, but the music is predominantly driving and complex, both compositionally and rhythmically. Zenon’s style is powerful, creative and emotional. This music means something deep for him and it flows through his playing. For someone like me who was originally drawn to jazz because of rhythm, this album is a pure joy. Counter-rhythms, wild meter swings, soaring solos (Perdomo is a prize); new and historic grooves move side by side here.

If you like Afro-Caribbean jazz, your cup is overflowing this month. Within solid contemporary sounds, this album is a terrific romp. Enjoy. ★★★1/2 out of five

STREAM THESE: Venas Abiertas, Bambula

— Keith Black

 

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CLASSICAL

Beethoven Symphonies Nos. 1 and 3
Gianandrea Noseda, National Symphony Orchestra (NSO)

The National Symphony Orchestra, under the baton of acclaimed Italian maestro Gianandrea Noseda, launches a new cycle of Beethoven symphonies with this first offering (due to be released mid-September) on its own label. The ensemble recorded the first two larger-scaled works, Symphony No. 1, in C major, Op. 1, and Symphony No. 3, in E-flat major, Op. 55, a.k.a. the “Eroica,” at the Kennedy Center’s Concert Hall in January 2022. The orchestra is expecting to complete the cycle with the remaining seven symphonies in May and June 2023.

Noseda’s muscular conducting style immediately sets the tone during the opening movement, Adagio molto – Allegro con brio of Symphony No. 1. It’sinfused with the spirit of Haydn and Mozart, while firmly establishing the then-29-year old composer as a creative maverick. Its hushed second movement, Andante cantabile con moto, sings as it should with its gently rocking rhythms, while the subsequent, scherzo-like Menuetto and finale, Adagio- Allegro molto e vivace, hurtle forward with the brashness of youth.

Symphony No. 3 — originally inspired by Napoleon but renamed the Eroica after Beethoven furiously tore up the title page once Bonaparte crowned himself Emperor — shook the classical world with its greatly expanded length. Once again, Noseda captures the dramatic intensity throughout its four movements, particularly during the lugubrious Marcia funebre, pierced with halting grief. Other highlights include the penultimate movement, Scherzo: Allegro vivace, and the finale Allegro molto, the latter unfolding as a set of variations in which the dark storm clouds part and goodness ultimately prevails. ★★★★ out of five

STREAM THIS: Symphony No. 3, in E-flat major, Op. 55

— Holly Harris