{"id":11831,"date":"2016-11-28T05:30:15","date_gmt":"2016-11-28T10:30:15","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/?p=11831"},"modified":"2016-11-28T09:07:40","modified_gmt":"2016-11-28T14:07:40","slug":"hundred-word-reviews-for-nov-dec-2016-part-6-of-10","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/2016\/11\/28\/hundred-word-reviews-for-nov-dec-2016-part-6-of-10\/","title":{"rendered":"Hundred-word Reviews for Nov.\/Dec. 2016, Part 6 of 10"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>All through last week, I plowed through my to-be-reviewed CD shelf, covering 50 discs (45 CDs, 5 DVDs) in five days. All of the music was reissues, compilations and\/or archival releases. This week the march toward a clean shelf continues, with the focus now on new (as in, released in 2016) CDs. Off we go!<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-11839\" src=\"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/leon_alvarado_future.jpg\" alt=\"leon_alvarado_future\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/leon_alvarado_future.jpg 300w, http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/leon_alvarado_future-150x150.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><br \/>\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" style=\"float: right; padding: 10px; width: 120px; height: 240px;\" src=\"\/\/ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com\/widgets\/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&amp;OneJS=1&amp;Operation=GetAdHtml&amp;MarketPlace=US&amp;source=ss&amp;ref=as_ss_li_til&amp;ad_type=product_link&amp;tracking_id=musoscribe-20&amp;marketplace=amazon&amp;region=US&amp;placement=B01JD5W0B4&amp;asins=B01JD5W0B4&amp;linkId=6bb03a8d89b3e4c8403e2e8132322e0d&amp;show_border=true&amp;link_opens_in_new_window=true\" width=\"300\" height=\"150\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><br \/>\n<b>Leon Alvarado \u2013<\/b><i><b>The Future Left Behind<\/b><\/i><br \/>\nStyle: progressive rock<br \/>\nMake a prog-rock concept album, and expect to have people roll their eyes at you. Open the album with ominous noises and a stern narrator and the reactions will be more extreme. Okay, I get all that. But if you can get past the trappings and dig the music, you&#8217;re likely to come away impressed. Alvarado makes a melodic, widescreen kind of space rock that will remind some of <b>Alan Parsons Project<\/b>. <a href=\"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/2013\/02\/04\/album-review-rick-wakeman-no-earthly-connection\/\"><b>Rick Wakeman<\/b><\/a> lends his estimable talents to this epic dystopian fable, and <b>Billy Sherwood<\/b>&#8216;s on hand too. The music takes awhile to unfold, but it&#8217;s worth the wait.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-11838\" src=\"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/zalos_blues.jpg\" alt=\"zalos_blues\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/zalos_blues.jpg 300w, http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/zalos_blues-150x150.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><br \/>\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" style=\"float: right; padding: 10px; width: 120px; height: 240px;\" src=\"\/\/ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com\/widgets\/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&amp;OneJS=1&amp;Operation=GetAdHtml&amp;MarketPlace=US&amp;source=ss&amp;ref=as_ss_li_til&amp;ad_type=product_link&amp;tracking_id=musoscribe-20&amp;marketplace=amazon&amp;region=US&amp;placement=B01JMHNMR4&amp;asins=B01JMHNMR4&amp;linkId=c1d285f1f61c7efbf5142559ce4f2f3d&amp;show_border=true&amp;link_opens_in_new_window=true\" width=\"300\" height=\"150\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><br \/>\n<b>Gonzalo Bergara \u2013 <\/b><i><b>Zalo&#8217;s Blues<\/b><\/i><br \/>\nStyle: blues\/rock<br \/>\nBergara&#8217;s latest is nominally a blues album, but there&#8217;s a swinging jazz sensibility \u2013 and a rock energy \u2013 that keps the music from fitting into any one bag. Joined by bassist <b>Mariano D&#8217;Andre<\/b> and drummer <b>Maximiliano Bergara<\/b> (his brother?), Zalo sinks his teeth into slinky melodies. He carries the tune ably while moving things forward with his rhythmic skills, too. And when he sings on the <b>Chuck Berry<\/b>-flavored \u201cDrinking,\u201d he does so charmingly. This album sounds like a sampler of the various styles in which the man can trade. Some work better than others, but it&#8217;s quite solid overall.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-11836\" src=\"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/doyle_bramhall.jpg\" alt=\"doyle_bramhall\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/doyle_bramhall.jpg 300w, http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/doyle_bramhall-150x150.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><br \/>\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" style=\"float: right; padding: 10px; width: 120px; height: 240px;\" src=\"\/\/ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com\/widgets\/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&amp;OneJS=1&amp;Operation=GetAdHtml&amp;MarketPlace=US&amp;source=ss&amp;ref=as_ss_li_til&amp;ad_type=product_link&amp;tracking_id=musoscribe-20&amp;marketplace=amazon&amp;region=US&amp;placement=B01JGKMV4W&amp;asins=B01JGKMV4W&amp;linkId=5e83aee9753e820882fadf5616302d95&amp;show_border=true&amp;link_opens_in_new_window=true\" width=\"300\" height=\"150\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><br \/>\n<b>Doyle Bramhall II \u2013 <\/b><i><b>Rich Man<\/b><\/i><br \/>\nStyle: rock<br \/>\nBramhall is a respected name in Southern-flavored rock; he&#8217;s a key associate of <a href=\"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/2016\/08\/15\/11262\/\"><b>Derek Trucks<\/b><\/a>, among other high profile names. If your tastes run toward the <b>Allman Brothers Band<\/b> and the more melodic end of bands that tried to follow in their footsteps, you&#8217;ll likely enjoy this record. The songwriting is sturdy, the arrangements are superbly understated, and the playing and singing are predictably first-rate. Bramhall&#8217;s at his best on smoky, minor-key outings like \u201cNovember.\u201d There are a lot of tune in that vein here. There&#8217;s a slightly downbeat, resigned vibe to the songs; not quite melancholy, but world-weary.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-11835\" src=\"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/burnt_beleif.jpg\" alt=\"burnt_beleif\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/burnt_beleif.jpg 300w, http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/burnt_beleif-150x150.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><br \/>\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" style=\"float: right; padding: 10px; width: 120px; height: 240px;\" src=\"\/\/ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com\/widgets\/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&amp;OneJS=1&amp;Operation=GetAdHtml&amp;MarketPlace=US&amp;source=ss&amp;ref=as_ss_li_til&amp;ad_type=product_link&amp;tracking_id=musoscribe-20&amp;marketplace=amazon&amp;region=US&amp;placement=B01IPNT04A&amp;asins=B01IPNT04A&amp;linkId=0e6e027d6c691609e168321b60467745&amp;show_border=true&amp;link_opens_in_new_window=true\" width=\"300\" height=\"150\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><br \/>\n<b>Burnt Belief \u2013 <\/b><i><b>Emergent<\/b><\/i><br \/>\nStyle: progressive rock<br \/>\nFormer <a href=\"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/2010\/09\/02\/interview-steven-wilson-of-porcupine-tree-do-what-you-love-and-the-fans-will-follow\/\"><b>Porcupine Tree<\/b><\/a> bassist <a href=\"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/2016\/01\/04\/colin-edwin-progressive-in-any-language\/\"><b>Colin Edwin<\/b><\/a> seems determined to give his old band mate <a href=\"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/2010\/08\/18\/interview-steven-wilson-of-porcupine-tree\/\"><b>Steven Wilson<\/b><\/a> a run for the title of busiest musician (Wilson still inevitably wins). But this new trio has more in common with Porcupine Tree than Edwin&#8217;s other projects. The album comprises eight moody, progressive instrumentals that bear some sonic similarity to PT&#8217;s <i>Voyage 34<\/i> era. There are lots of keyboard textures throughout, but the trio&#8217;s most favored one seems to be gold old acoustic piano. The melodies are accessible and memorable, and the drum work is especially tasty. Edwin cowrites songs with guitarist <b>Jon Durant<\/b>.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-11837\" src=\"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/dwiki_dharmawan.jpg\" alt=\"dwiki_dharmawan\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/dwiki_dharmawan.jpg 300w, http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/dwiki_dharmawan-150x150.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><br \/>\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" style=\"float: right; padding: 10px; width: 120px; height: 240px;\" src=\"\/\/ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com\/widgets\/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&amp;OneJS=1&amp;Operation=GetAdHtml&amp;MarketPlace=US&amp;source=ss&amp;ref=as_ss_li_til&amp;ad_type=product_link&amp;tracking_id=musoscribe-20&amp;marketplace=amazon&amp;region=US&amp;placement=B01KA4N1SS&amp;asins=B01KA4N1SS&amp;linkId=0cc8134ef59189aef6fd065691b41184&amp;show_border=true&amp;link_opens_in_new_window=true\" width=\"300\" height=\"150\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><br \/>\n<b>Dwiki Dharmawan \u2013 <\/b><i><b>Pasar Klewer<\/b><\/i><br \/>\nStyle: jazz<br \/>\nWhen you get a CD from <a href=\"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/?s=moonjune\"><b>Leonardo Pavkovic<\/b>&#8216;s MoonJune label<\/a>, you can safely assume a few things: the artist is possibly from Southeast Asia, the music is ambitious prog\/jazz fusion, and it&#8217;s really, really good. The first and third of those is true here; the music features clarinet and piano out front. It&#8217;s a relatively mild-mannered (yet exotically flavored) set that presents understated jazz with some subtle flavors of Indonesian influence. Gamelan percussion adds to the latter, but in general, there&#8217;s not a lot that identifies <i>Pasar Klewer<\/i> sonically as anything other than a truly fine jazz album, origins unknown.<\/p>\n<p>Much more to come!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>All through last week, I plowed through my to-be-reviewed CD shelf, covering 50 discs (45 CDs, 5 DVDs) in five days. All of the music was reissues, compilations and\/or archival [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":11839,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[9,42,49,56,62,65],"tags":[2901,2587,2902,2900,1308,1518],"class_list":["post-11831","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blues","category-jazz","category-new-release","category-prog","category-rawk","category-review","tag-burnet-beleif","tag-colin-edwin","tag-dwikie-dharmawan","tag-gonzalo-bergara","tag-leon-alvarado","tag-moonjune","cat-9-id","cat-42-id","cat-49-id","cat-56-id","cat-62-id","cat-65-id","has_thumb"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11831","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11831"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11831\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11853,"href":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11831\/revisions\/11853"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11839"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11831"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11831"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11831"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}