Bela Fleck and the Flecktones - Jingle All the Way

There are pretty much only two camps when it comes to Bela Fleck and the Flecktones: Those who are fans and those who have never heard them. And selling a newcomer on them isn’t exactly easy, either. Jazz Banjo? Electric drums? Soprano sax? You mean like Kenny G? Yeah, well, just listen. Put aside any prejudices you have towards any of the above and resist the urge to be immediately critical and just listen. Bela Fleck (banjo), Jeff Coffin (woodwinds), Victor Wooten (bass) and Roy “Future Man” Wooten (percussion) have found an amazing way to take an unlikely combination of instruments and turn them into some of the most interesting, unique and awe-inspiring music available today. It doesn’t hurt that each one has, for all intents and purposes, mastered his particular craft, either.

With nine studio and two live albums under their belt, these virtuosos turned their attention to perhaps the most oversaturated market in music—a Christmas album. Have no fear though, Jingle All the Way isn’t your dad’s Christmas album. Well, actually, in my case it is, but you get my point. Let’s just say Anne Murray, Bing Crosby and Johnny Mathis may have paved the way, but the Flecktones have broken new ground and haven't exactly made it easy for those wishing to follow.

To start with, I’ve never heard a "Jingle Bells" use a tension and release technique, but somehow the quartet (with the help of Tuvan throat singers Alash Ensemble) has managed to do so. Without conjuring up any more innuendos than necessary, it's impressive how the anxious and driving chorus builds to a threshold before letting go into the the cathartic and calming verse, both eventually melding together in a suprising harmony.

The five-four time of "Silent Night" adds a unique touch to the traditional three-four, with Coffin taking the lead on soprano sax but leaving room for solos from Bela and Victor. And the half-time "Sleigh Ride" feels a bit more like a Clark Griswold slicked-up saucer ride than a horse-drawn ride with Charles Dickens.

As if playing as a group doesn’t demonstrate their expertise enough, many Flecktones albums also include complete solo numbers, usually by Bela or Victor, giving them a chance to really shine, and Wooten’s soft-hearted solo of "The Christmas Song" is yet another demonstration of his mastery of the bass. Effortless and tasteful, Wooten is able to add texture and dynamics to this classic on an instrument that is rarely featured alone, especially not on a holiday song.

Now, let’s just take a quick breath and collect ourselves because it is very hard to even write this next line…………Okay, here goes. The true highlight of Jingle All the Way is, without a doubt, "Twelve Days of Christmas." There. I said it. But before you close out your browser and dismiss any musical taste I have as poor, let’s think about this. In a way, it kind of makes sense. It would take musical geniuses to turn in an even tolerable rendition of Twelve Days of Christmas, and amazingly the Flecktones have gone even beyond that. When most song writers pen a tune it’s almost always in the standard four-four time. Maybe they’ll get a little creative and throw it in three-four or even five-four, but that’s about it. And maybe after a couple of rounds of verses and choruses, they’ll throw in a key change just to spice things up. Well, how about one song played in twelve different signatures and twelve different keys? Yes, you read that right. I’ll give you a minute to digest it. These bastards decided to not only play each day in a different key but also a different signature, each corresponding to its day, ie two-four for the second day, three-four for the third, five-four for the fifth and so on, all the way through all twelve days. AND that’s both up and back. So the ever so fun “twelve drummers, eleven pipers piping, ten lords a leaping…”? Yup, changing keys and time signatures all the way back down to one. You know what? Here, just watch.

Okay, so now that that’s done, what’s next? How about a little classical in the shape of Bach’s "Christmas Oratorio" (BVW 248 #41), bringing in Bela’s buddy in all things classical, Edgar Meyer on the double bass. Versions of Vince Guaraldi’s "Christmas Time is Here" and "Linus and Lucy" are spot on and not without some Flecktones flair.

The "Jingle Bells Reprise," again with the Tuvan singing, is the only unnecessary track on the album. It’s nothing against the Tuvan talent, but there isn’t enough variety in it to feature at now three different points in the album (the second being a brief appearance in Twelve Days). But short and to the point, it at least doesn’t overstay its welcome entirely.

I’m not sure if the inclusion of "The Hanukkah Waltz" is done to offer universality or just because it’s a great fit for the Flecktones, but either way it works. As does the second classical track, "Danse of the Sugar Plum Fairies."

And please welcome back Alash Ensemble! The only unfortunate thing about "What Child is This" is that it’s the 12th track. The now fourth appearance by Alash fits quite well with the orient-flavor the Flecktones put on the Greensleeves redo, but at this point it’s coming off as a tired gimmick, which any fan of the Flecktones knows they aren’t opposed to. But the redeeming factor is that the tune is actually quite well done, so I guess I’ll cut them some slack.

"O Come All Ye Faithful" is absolutely amazing, not necessarily for the fact that it’s very well played, but more for the fact that no member of the Flecktones plays on it. How completely unselfish to stand aside and allow two outstanding (and outsider) musicians take the stage, with Meyer returning on double bass and Andy Statman on mandolin.

The "Medley" is a really fun way of incorporating a number of traditional holiday tunes without the need to make a double disk album. Using "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" as the central theme, "Medley" also dabbles in "It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas," "Rudolph," "My Favorite Things," "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen," "Little Drummer Boy," and "We Three Kings."

"Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" takes on a fun, bouncy feel almost reminding of "Baby It’s Cold Outside." And adding a touch of the modern, Bela plays both banjo and piano on his solo rendition of Joni Mitchell’s "River."

Thank you, good night! But while you leave, Bela will serenade you a bit more with his own Christmas medley as a solo bonus track.

Alright, so let’s just cut to the chase here. The only reason not to own this album is because you don’t like Christmas songs. Past that, I can’t think of any good reason. Don’t like the banjo? Don’t worry, you’ll have a new appreciation for it after this. Already have plenty of Christmas albums? Well, I can guarantee you that nothing on your shelf provides even close to the variety of this. So, as long as you're not that aforementioned scrooge, do yourself a favor and get this album. Not only that, get it for your friends and family. And when they open it and you are met with the looks of "jazz banjo?" "electric drums?" and "soprano sax like Kenny G?", push play, sit back and tell them to just listen.

Listen to my review from a very festive Saturday Night Special (WCGO - 1590 am Chicago)

Rating
Overall: 4.5/5
Originality: 5/5 (the fact that there aren't any original songs on it aside)
Production: 4/5
Listenability: 5/5

Available at the Flecktones online store, Amazon.com and iTunes.

Josh Ritter - So Runs The World Away

"Hey Josh, this is my girlfriend." "Oh hi, we were just talking about you. It's nice to meet you."

This is the Josh Ritter that not only I, but really any one of his fans have come to know. Not a celebrity. Not a rock star. Just a guy and his guitar sitting around with a few (thousand) friends, singing a few tunes. And hey, sing along if you'd like.

You can hear this in any one of his eight albums, each with its own unique musical flavor, but consistently making the listener feel at home. It's his ninth effort that offers something new. A different Josh. An introspective Josh. A Josh that might just have to close the door and keep this one to himself.

So Runs the World Away brings with it a melancholic tone that we're not used to from the usually perky Ritter. While love seems to be the main theme of the album (no new topic for him), the under- and sometimes over-tones of obsession, death and departure throughout are definitely a newer focus. There is also a noticeable juxtaposition between the lyrics and the melody of many of the tunes, leaving the listener confused about when these stories are taking place. The music says he is telling folktales, but the lyrics suggest that he is in fact speaking of himself in present time. The lilting waltz of "The Curse," the Irish-toned "Folk Bloodbath" or sea-fared "Another New World," are all examples.

By his own admission, Ritter was at a darker point in his life while penning the album. Not necessarily the same darkness reflected in the lyrics, but a period where insecurity seemed to be taking over. He can rest assured, though, whatever doubt he may have been feeling in his own head is reserved for him alone. While So Runs the World Away brings with it that abovementioned newness, it does not lack any confidence, nor does it come off as trying too hard. It comes off as a man with a new story to tell, maybe one that's been in his head all along, but he's just now finding the ways to explain it. You can hear it in the honest admission of "See How Man Was Made" or the drifting of "Southern Pacific."

But it isn't all gloom and doom. There is hope in "Lark" and delight in the fixation of "Orbital." So, you don't have to worry about Josh. He's doing fine. He just has a little something different on his mind, and you should hear him out.

Listen to my review from The Saturday Night Special (WCGO - 1590 am Chicago)

Rating
Overall: 4/5
Originality: 4/5
Production: 4/5
Listenability: 5/5

Available on iTunes, JoshRitter.com and Amazon.com.

Heady jam brah!

I'm pretty sure this is what my parents heard when I played my first bootleg for them.

Just please don't call me a monster

You little bitch. Fine. You win. I give up. But damn it if I didn’t try. I tried hating you. I tried to just lump you in with the rest of those jackasses. You know, those other talentless hacks that shake their shit on stage and call it music. I tried to just dismiss you as lame pop crap. I tried so damn hard. But try as I may, you won. I still can’t figure it out though. What the hell is it about you that actually makes me like you? Is it that you’re just better than those aforementioned hacks, or are you actually good? Maybe it’s because you have actual musical training beyond how to use auto-tune. Or possibly it’s because you’re originally a singer-songwriter. Or is that a deterrent, that I should hate you for selling out and turning pop? Or do I respect you for it? I can’t figure it out, but holy hell if you haven’t figured out a way to get your stupid little songs stuck in my head. So, I concede. You win. Goddamnit.

Rufus Wainwright - All Days Are Nights: Songs for Lulu

Rufus Wainwright is many things to many people. A great composer, a unique and superb vocalist, a flamboyant and eccentric stage performer, all would be accurate ways to describe the Canadian-raised New Yorker. And with his newest album, for those that didn’t already consider him so, you can now add extraordinary pianist to the list, for it is with All Days Are Nights: Songs for Lulu that we finally get an uninterrupted performance from Wainwright and his piano. Foregoing the rock band, strings, back-up vocalists, horns or even acoustic guitar of his previous albums, Songs for Lulu gives Wainwright the opportunity to stretch his classical chops all by his lonesome. Just a man and his piano, baring his soul and really giving a taste of what is going on inside his twisted and torn mind…while also showing off a bit. Because really, would it be a Rufus album if it didn’t go over the top at least once or twice?

No stranger to the overly dramatic opener, "Who Are You New York?" picks up right where you remember Rufus leaving off, but even still you right away notice that something is different, but what? "Sad With What I Have" provides a little more of a hint, but it’s "Martha" that really unveils what it is. This is raw Rufus. This is a man who, while still battling some of the demons in his mind, is starting to make peace with it all. A series of messages to his sister transcripted over light and, at times, troubling piano, Martha bares the truth of the moment and the past, with Rufus attempting to reassemble a dissolved family before it’s too late. It’s made all the more poignant for the fact Kate McGarrigle, his mother, recently lost her battle with cancer.

But just as the final notes fade, so does a bit of the sentiment and you get slapped upside the head with the aforementioned flamboyant and eccentric Rufus. To call "Give Me What I Want, And Give It To Me Now!" theatrical would be fitting, setting the scene of Wainwright stomping around a stage in a monologue rant and not forgetting the essential dance break. Kind of timely actually, for the fact that he also recently wrote an entire opera, Prima Donna. But again with the back-and-forth of his album (mind), he again shows his vulnerability with the sorrowful ballad "True Love."

The trio of sonnets—43, 20 & 10 in order of appearance—midway through add a sweet loveliness (if I may use those two words together) and increasingly so as they go along. Featuring Shakespearean lyrics, you can actually hear a touch of similarity to their writing styles. In fact, if you didn’t know better (who’s saying I didn’t? stop judging me!), you might not even catch this till it’s told to you.

"The Dream" and "What Would I Ever Do with a Rose" play off of each other’s loved and lost theme and again display his virtuosity on the piano, the former stretching the entire keyboard with bouncing triads and running triplets, and the latter light and airy emphasizing the understanding he’s come to with love. And wait, is that…yup, I thought we might get a French tune, and there you are "Les Feux D'Artifice T'Appellent" in all your French-Canadian glory. I jest really, but not speaking French and all (I told you to stop judging me!) and the musical elements not being the most original for Rufus, it’s not my favorite, but it does have a certain je ne sais quo. "Zebulon" closes Songs for Lulu, and just to let you know that this is a story to be continued, it introduces a new character, one that even Rufus is surprised to have on his mind.

So here we are. The end of Rufus Wainwright’s first entirely solo album. How’d ya like it? I’m not really sure myself. Having an affinity for the piano, to not only have it be a (the) primary focus and to hear just how good Rufus is with it is a giant bonus. But on the other hand, having a full band behind him to give a respite from lyrics that can weigh heavily after a while might not be such a bad thing either. So, this isn’t my favorite Rufus album, but I tell you what, I would gladly put this on before others. It does do well start to finish—that “listenability” thing—and it is definitely something new, which is encouraging when some have wondered what else he has in the tank. If you are a Rufus lover, you probably already own this out of devotion, but if you’re new to him, this wouldn’t be my recommendation for an introductory album. For that, I will always have to go with Poses, but there’s no problem with Songs for Lulu as a second or third.

Rating
Overall: 4/5
Originality: 5/5
Production: 4/5
Listenability: 4/5

Hey cool it man!

Seemed like an appropriate day to share one of the greatest vocal performances from one of the greatest musicals of all time. One of the only musicals, in this guy's mind, where if you strip the lyrics out, the music could completely stand on it's own.


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Late to the Party: The Raconteurs

All too often the facial expressions and responses you get from admitting you’ve never heard of a band can be downright embarrassing. It’s almost always followed with “How they hell haven’t you heard of them? Yes you have. There’s no way you haven’t heard them!” Well, let me take my medicine on this one. Yes, I’d heard of The Raconteurs, but no, I hadn’t ever heard any of their stuff. But I’m damn glad I can say I’ve rectified that now. Hopefully you’re not in the same camp as I was, but if you are, you gotta hear this.

Let me start by saying, no Virginia, good, original rock isn’t dead, and the Raconteurs have proved this. Formed in 2005 by Jack White (White Stripes and The Dead Weather), Brendan Benson, Jack Lawrence (also of The Dead Weather, as well as The Greenhornes and Blanche) and Patrick Keeler (Greenhornes), the Raconteurs don’t fall into the typical “super group” category for the fact that the members have worked together before and come from similar musical genres. But who cares? It takes nothing away from the product they put out, especially their second album, “Consolers of the Lonely.”

Admittedly not the biggest White Stripes fan, I was skeptical upon first listen, but any cynicism was quickly dismissed while inspiration took over. “Consolers” is inspiring for someone who’s grown tired of add-distortion-and-call-it-metal rock or ruin-your-buzz-depressing drama rock because it goes back to what makes (made) bands like Metallica, Primus, Tool, Led Zeppelin and even the Beastie Boys great. There’s more than just three chords. Strip away the guitar effects and the licks are just as good. The vocals are in tune and harmonies aren’t forgotten. There’s up-tempo and down-tempo. And there’s instrumental variety with piano, organ, fiddle and horns. Not to mention the influences. Hints of Zepplin, Black Sabbath, The Who, AC/DC and even some 311 and Queen can be heard at various points. But this isn’t to take away from the originality. The Raconteurs aren’t trying to sound like anyone, but rather put together a product that showcases both their individuality and group dynamic, and that product is good.

Thanks Eric!

Buy it on Itunes or at amazon.com.

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