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![]() By Stephen Grimstead DECEMBER 8, 1997: Pat Dinizio Songs And Sounds (Velvel) On his first solo effort apart from his tenure as lead singer/songwriter for the Smithereens, Pat Dinizio doesnt make a radical departure from his previous musical stomping grounds. Aside from a few tentative steps in some divergent directions, Dinizio mainly sticks to what he does best. After 17 years of playing with the Smithereens, you would expect a certain amount of experimentation on a solo flight, but in Dinizios case this is minimal. Still, longtime fans of the band will probably be scratching their heads in wonder at the string-drenched opening cut, which reminds me of nothing so much as Elvis Costello covering a Moody Blues tune. A bit scary, to say the least. But fans will undoubtedly breathe a sigh of relief at the familiar Smithereens sound surging back on the second track, with its aggressive bass line, meaty guitar melodies, and complex harmonies.
Aside from the opener, the only other incongruous note is found on the closing track, a moody cocktail number thats pleasant, but sounds as if it belongs more on a Harry Connick Jr. CD than on an album by this hard-working Jersey rocker. Although Songs And Sounds exemplifies Dinizios considerable talents and confirms his status as the driving force behind the Smithereens, maybe in the future he should leave the crooning to Connick. Lisa Lumb
In the 70s, veteran producer Creed Taylors CTI label often mixed older, established musicians with younger, up-and-coming stars. CTI albums were known for their all-star rosters, their highly produced recordings, and their high-gloss photo album covers. Legacy/CTI has begun to reissue many classic CTI titles with 20-bit remastering, alternate takes, and nice repackaging. Three of the best from this new reissue program are Milt Jacksons Sunflower, Paul Desmonds Skylark, and Jim Halls Concierto. Sunflower, released in 1973, features vibemaster and Modern Jazz Quartet mainstay Jackson with a hot rhythm section of Miles Davis alumni: Ron Carter on bass, Herbie Hancock on electric piano, and drummer extraordinaire Billy Cobham. Strings mix with Jacksons vibes to impart a cool, relaxed tone to the disc. Theres plenty of fireworks, though, especially when Jackson and trumpeter Freddie Hubbard trade blistering licks. And even on the slower tunes, Cobhams percussion fury is barely contained, with a simmering energy always threatening to burst out. Overall, though, this is a uniquely beautiful album, and remains a favorite after all these years. Especially wonderful is Freddie Hubbards extended masterpiece, Sunflower. Also from 1973, Paul Desmonds Skylark finds the former Brubeck alto saxophonist opening with Take Ten, a variation of his hit with Brubeck. Desmond has a highly individualistic sound (he once said he tried to make his sax sound like a dry martini) and it comes across well on this finely recorded and remastered disc. The song selection covers standards (a Hoagy Carmichael title track), classical (a Don Sebesky arrangement of Purcells Music For A While), and pop (a bossa version of Paul Simons It Was A Sunny Day). Guitarist Gabor Szabo, bassist Ron Carter, drummer Jack DeJohnette, and percussionist Ralph MacDonald form a solid and highly inventive rhythmic backbone for Desmonds beautiful and inspired alto work. Three alternate takes showcase Desmonds great soloing. Desmond joins guitarist Jim Hall on Concierto, along with Chet Baker, drummer Steve Gadd, pianist Roland Hanna, and (surprise!) bassist Ron Carter. This 1975 gem is an eloquent understatement of guitar finesse and beauty, with Baker and Desmond both offering numerous moments of pure brilliance. The 19-minute title track, Rodrigos Concierto de Aranjuez, is widely recognized as a masterpiece, rivaling the Miles Davis/Gil Evans version of this tune that was the centerpiece of Sketches Of Spain. Many consider Halls Concierto CTIs greatest release. The above recordings are some of the finer items in the CTI catalog (another CTI gem thats begging to be reissued is tenor saxophonist Joe Farrells remarkable Moon Germs). All of the above share a certain highly produced gloss, but the power of the individual performances and artists makes each of them unique recordings. This high-gloss production wasnt always a good thing, and a number of albums on the label seemed to sacrifice musical quality in favor of a clean, slick, and perceivably marketable CTI sound. In this way, CTI can be seen as a seminal force in the contemporary jazz movement, focusing on a commercial sound as opposed to allowing musicians to create whatever music they chose. Fortunately, this was not always the case, as Skylark, Sunflower, and Concierto clearly show. On all three of these records, the musicians produced powerful recordings that still sound great today. Gene Hyde
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