On The Beat

Rob Reigns

ROB MCCONNELL TENTET: Master trombonist McConnell has long been Canada's most acclaimed bandleader. He won three Grammy Awards and seven Junos with his BOSS BRASS big band, and has now slimmed things down with his TENTET. They comprise Canada's best jazz players, and have just delivered a fine new CD, Music Of The Twenties. Their record label Justin Time launched it in sterling style with a release party at Queen Street jazz haven The Rex. The industry set saw just three extended tunes performed, but they allowed some of the members to shine. Two of the country's best sax players, P.J. PERRY and MIKE MURLEY were showcased on, respectively, "Lover Come Back To Me" and "With A Song In My Heart" (pianist David Restivo soloed on both), while virtuoso flugelhornist GUIDO BASSO delighted on "Always." McConnell again showed he could also succeed as a standup comic, but there is no doubting the serious musical excellence of his Tentet. As the title indicates, the album features standards from the '20s, with such composers as IRVING BERLIN, ROGERS and HART, COLE PORTER and GEORGE GERSHWIN represented. It would make a perfect gift for any lover of classic jazz in your family.

JOSH ROUSE: This Nebraskan singer/songwriter has earned a devoted international following for his well-crafted melodic brand of intelligent pop. They enjoyed his generous set at The Horseshoe recently, though a few voiced misgivings over his stylistic change of direction on his new Rykodisc album, 1972. It deliberately sets out to recreate the feel of the American soft pop-rock of that era (he was born in '72), but to this observer that style does not play to Rouse's strengths. When your original songs are of such high quality, why bother with STEELY DAN ("Dirty Work") and MARVIN GAYE covers? Fortunately, Josh did play plenty of songs from his brilliant preceding albums, Home and Under Cold Blue Stars, and his excellent band did them full justice. Opening up was another fine songsmith, LINDY. He previewed songs from a new album due out in February on the Orange Record Label, and they sounded highly promising.

DIDO: The English songstress with the softly haunting voice exploded big time with her 2000 debut, No Angel, thanks in part to an unlikely endorsement from EMINEM (who sampled her). The albums sold a phenomenal 11 million copies internationally, and so high hopes are held for her much-awaited second CD. Life For Rent has just been released (Arista/BMG), and Dido launched it with a press trip and industry showcase at Revival recently. It would have been nice to see her experiment a little more musically, but as the saying goes, "why fix what ain't broke?" Fans of No Angel will find plenty to enjoy here, as warm vocals snuggle up to plenty of sweet string arrangements. Most of the songs were written and produced by Dido and her brother, ROLLO ARMSTRONG (of FAITHLESS), and their sibling empathy is clear. Critics dismiss her music as aural wallpaper, but when it is as pretty as this, who cares?

RON SEXSMITH: This columnist's favourite local singer/songwriter was honoured recently by SOCAN, the performing rights society. They hosted a cocktail reception at which Ron was presented with a No. 1 Award for airplay on his recent song, "Gold In Them Hills." The prolific Sexsmith told On The Beat that he has already completed a new CD, to be released next year. In the meantime, he'll take a well-deserved break after some extensive international touring. Ron fans should check out a new song collection, Rarities (on Linus), which proves that even his leftover or B-sides material is superior to the top work of most of his peers.

NEW RELEASES: ANDREA MENARD is a promising young talent from Western Canada. She is a Metis actress and singer, and her new CD, The Velvet Devil (out via Spirit River) is taken from a one act play she wrote and performed in Regina. Happily, it stands on its own musical merits. The play is set in 1941, so the songs have the jazz-influenced feel of the pop music of that era. Menard's versatile voice captures that mood well, and she is clearly an artist to keep an eye on.

UPCOMING: American guitarist/songwriter DOUG WAMBLE has received much acclaim for an eclectic style that encompasses jazz and roots influences. His engagement at Top O' The Senator (Oct. 29 to Nov. 2) should be well worth catching. The New Yorker recently termed him "a one-man compendium of avant Americana."

Publication Date: 2003-11-02
Story Location: http://tandemnews.com/viewstory.php?storyid=3315