Pop/Art Song/Folk

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The Jazz Related Pop/Art Song/Folk genre is for artists who perform pop jazz music, for instance; George Benson, Bob James, David Sanborn and Wes Montgomery. This genre also includes jazz influenced art song performers such as Tuomi and Robert Wyatt, as well as jazz influenced folk performers such as Paul Simon and Joni Mitchell.

pop/art song/folk top albums

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MILTON NASCIMENTO Clube da Esquina Album Cover Clube da Esquina
MILTON NASCIMENTO
4.81 | 7 ratings
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ROBERT WYATT Rock Bottom Album Cover Rock Bottom
ROBERT WYATT
4.42 | 29 ratings
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STEVE WINWOOD Roll With It Album Cover Roll With It
STEVE WINWOOD
4.62 | 7 ratings
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STING The Soul Cages Album Cover The Soul Cages
STING
4.46 | 13 ratings
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JONI MITCHELL Joni Mitchell (aka Song to a Seagull) Album Cover Joni Mitchell (aka Song to a Seagull)
JONI MITCHELL
4.48 | 3 ratings
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PAUL SIMON Still Crazy After All These Years Album Cover Still Crazy After All These Years
PAUL SIMON
4.46 | 3 ratings
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CHICAGO Stone of Sisyphus Album Cover Stone of Sisyphus
CHICAGO
4.35 | 4 ratings
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CHASE Chase Album Cover Chase
CHASE
4.42 | 3 ratings
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DONALD FAGEN The Nightfly Album Cover The Nightfly
DONALD FAGEN
4.10 | 11 ratings
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CHICAGO Chicago VII Album Cover Chicago VII
CHICAGO
4.11 | 8 ratings
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GEORGE BENSON Weekend in L.A. Album Cover Weekend in L.A.
GEORGE BENSON
4.33 | 3 ratings
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TOM WAITS Blue Valentine Album Cover Blue Valentine
TOM WAITS
4.33 | 3 ratings
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pop/art song/folk Music Reviews

BRIAN AUGER A Better Land (as Brian Auger's Oblivion Express)

Album · 1971 · Pop/Art Song/Folk
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FunkFreak75
Brian's second venture into serious Jazz-Rock Fusion with his Oblivion Express lineup and it represents quite a new era in his artistry in that every single song here is the product of one or more members of the Oblivion Express!

1. "Dawn of Another Day" (4:18) opens exactly like José Féliciano's version of The Doors' "Light My Fire" but then piano, electric bass and vocals enter to give it its own identity. It still feels very founded in and reflective of the idealistic hippie 1960s--with lyrics sounding all flowers and rainbows. A very likable, enjoyable song. I especially like the spaciousness of the song as well as the inventive vamp for the finish. (9/10)

2. "Marai's Wedding" (4:22) two acoustic guitars, one soloing dynamically, the other providing some colorful rhythm guitar support. Piano, bass, and drums joins in after about 30 seconds, establishing a very folk-flavored rock song in the vein of The Band (the music) or perhaps Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young (the harmonized choral vocals). This traditional Scottish folk song (originally titled "Mairi's Wedding" not "Marai's") is here re-arranged by Jim Mullen. (8.785/10)

3. "Trouble" (3:12) again I am only hearing The Band when I listen to this song: blues rock foundation with lots of acoustic and twangy Southern fried electric instrumentation. A solid song with more whole-group choral singing, but, despite meaningful words, not my cup of tea. (8.75/10)

4. "Women of the Seasons" (5:00) this one has the sound palette of one of the OZARK MOUNTAIN DAREDEVILS' prettier songs--like the ones composed by Larry Lee. (8.875/10)

5. "Fill Your Head with Laughter" (3:49) this one sounds like something by RARE EARTH, THREE DOG NIGHT or Don Brewer-singing GRAND FUNK RAILROAD or one of the late 60s' love and positivity Broadway musicals. A nice pop- radio-friendly rock song. (8.875/10)

6. "On Thinking It Over" (5:23) yet another group harmony vocal presented pop song that really is crying out for the same crowds as The Association, Godspell, The Cowsills, Hair, and The Rascals. Nice melodies sending out those positive vibes. (Remember when the USA was a place of hope and optimism for the rest of the world?) (8.75/10)

7. "Tomorrow City" (3:30) the group choral vocal approach is really settling in: they're actually quite good. The melodies and stylings here (including the use of congas) for the first time bear some resemblance to the music presented on their 1974 masterpiece, Straight Ahead, just grounded a lot more in the music and zeitgeist of the 1960s: this is a great song though it is still not jazz much less jazz-rock fusion. (9/10)

8. "All the Time There Is" (3:29) back to the Doors chords and sound palette, the group vocal presentation this time is less harmonized, more multiple voices/tracks presenting the same melody notes. This is a very likable tune with several earworm-like riffs, hooks, and moments--and a Brian Auger electric piano solo (though the e.piano is treated with a kind of odd effect--making it sound more like that of Ray Manzarek's "Riders on the Storm" sound). (9/10)

9. "A Better Land" (5:30) at least they're trying to get back to some jazzier and/or bluesier sounds and stylings here: Brian's first and only time perched behind his organ renders it automatically more likable and interesting. Nice bass play from Barry Dean. (8.875/10)

Total Time 38:33

There is very little on this album to indicate Brian Auger's skill and former-propensity for keyboard-dominated music. As a matter of fact, the appearances of Brian's legendary Hammond organ or smooth electric piano play is something you have to actually look for--actively search!--on this album. I guess the Oblivion Express is truly a collaborative unit with a democratic approach to song-making and this is their final push for the positive/optimistic output of politically- motivated artists like Marvin Gaye and The Band.

B/four stars; a collection of very enjoyable, pop-and-radio-oriented songs that begins to show signs of future Oblivion Express with the material on Side Two. Though this is not the music we generally associate with either Brian Auger or The Oblivion Express, it is still finely-crafted music.

BOB JAMES Lucky Seven

Album · 1979 · Pop/Art Song/Folk
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FunkFreak75
Recorded In 1979 at Soundmixers, New York City / Power Station / A&R Studios / Mediasound, this is an album that I'd never heard before setting it up for my listens for this review. I'm sorry I hadn't (I'd burned out a bit on BJ by the time this one came out).

A1. "Rush Hour" (6:39) some nice performances gathered together over a bit of a monotonous foundation--one that rarely steps out of that slightly-cheesy, slightly discofied motif. (8.75/10) A2. "Blue Lick" (5:31) opening with some ominous-sounding bass and keyboard lines, I found myself thinking of Herbie Hancock's Thrust album, it evolves into a series of similar chord structures, never really settling into a defined motif, until the two minute mark Bob's Fender Rhodes upper-octave melody making lassoes everybody into a lighter-than-expected slightly-syncopated funk-lite tune--one that continues to defy stylistic and melodic familiarity. (8.75/10)

A3. "Look-Alike" (5:30) a fairly typical BJ song: lazily upbeat and innocuous like a purposeless walk down a city street on a sunny summer afternoon. The dreaded sound of Dave Sanborn's saxophone makes a brief early appearance and then in the lead position at 0:55 for less than 20 seconds but then gets paired up with trumpets and flute for a couple of interesting bridges before the strings-rich and bass-popping main motif returns for some BJ Fender Rhodes. The song goes a little too smooth at the end of the third minute--opening the door for a return of the dreaded Sanborn sax. There are elements of this cute, quirky song that I really like and others (you get the trend) that I don't. (I've never been much of a sax fan--and the sound that the likes of Dave Sanborn, Najee, and Kenny G used in the late 70s and early 80s is a big reason for this.) (8.875/10)

B1. "Big Stone City" (5:42) sounds like the intro to a Philly-Motown/Spinners Soul hit; disco lite with a little funk works into some aggressive Hiram Bullock electric guitar as Neil Jason's funky slap bass works hard to deliver the funk (he's okay). Accents and punctuation marks from the Horn Section bridge two motifs while Bob and Michael Brecker's sax take turns with rather brief solos. Bob's piano takes the longest solo starting at the four-minute mark before horn play interrupts, but then he's back sounding like an old classic jazz player (with the best sound rendering of a piano that I've ever heard from Bob and his engineering crew.) Nice, professional, but nothing really special here in terms of melody or innovation (other than that great piano sound). (8.75/10)

B2. "Friends" (4:41) acoustic guitars and fretless bass support the singing voice of Neil Jason taking on a soul-TOTO like piece. Neil Jason manages to funk up his bass rather nicely. Smooth AMBROSIA and HALL & OATES also come to mind while listening to this song (riffs and melodies actually lifted straight from all of the afore-mentioned artists). It's nice, well-rendered, but I resent a little the blatant "borrowing" of melodic and stylistic elements like this. (8.75/10)

B3. "Fly Away" (6:44) a jazzy chord progression and "saw bells" crash opens this familiar song. I'm sure that I've heard this song on the radio or elsewhere (many times). Well constructed and sounding fairly original as well as full of memorable melodic hooks I have to give this one high marks. One of Bob's top ten in terms of ear candy memorability. (9.5/10)

Total Time: 35:04

As much as I am constantly saddened by the Smooth Jazz trend that sucked jazz artists away from the funky and adventurous music of 1975-76's peak years of Jazz-Rock Fusion (with, I'm sure, considerable pressure from their record labels), I must here acknowledge the continuous trend of maturity and sophistication I've seen in Bob James' work since his debut album. And he does get some great, really high-quality performances out of his studio musicians.

B/four stars; an excellent contribution to the better side of the Smooth Jazz lexicon.

BOB JAMES Bob James & Earl Klugh ‎: One On One

Album · 1979 · Pop/Art Song/Folk
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FunkFreak75
Recorded in the summer of 1979 at Mediasound, Sound Palace, and SoundMixers, in New York City, and released by Tappan Zee in October. I purchased this one in the week it was released and remember liking it very much. (I was really into Earl Klugh's solo material from this time.) Alternating songs with compositions from both Bob and Earl, we get three compositions each.

A1. "Kari" (6:26) Earl's first contribution, compositionally, and it kind of falls flat. (8.75/10)

A2. "The Afterglow" (6:30) Bob's first song offering and it's a beauty--especially when Earl's in the lead position. (9/10)

A3. "Love Lips" (6:33) this has the classic Earl Klugh stamp of originality on it--and he crushes it while everyone else pretty much supports. Bob's pretty good on his Fender Rhodes--and Gary King is great on his electric bass. (9/10)

B1. "Mallorca" (4:46) an unusually sophisticated BJ piece that offers displays of jazz virtuosity on several instruments (piano, guitar, and double bass by Ron Carter). I really like this one despite my fixation on Ron Carter's genius. (8.875/10)

B2. "I'll Never See You Smile Again" (5:25) Earl's last song contribution reveals something quite pacifying. The somewhat unusual/atypical Fender Rhodes play on this is offset by some brilliant bass play by Gary King. Despite it lacking any melodic hooks, I really like and admire the performances on this one. (8.875/10)

B3. "Winding River" (5:22) piano opens this one, Bob's final composition of the album. The interplay of Ron Carter's double bass is wonderful--masterful--and then Earl and the rest of the ensemble join in. A few surprise flourishes around the one-minute mark let us know that this song might not turn out to be exactly what we're expecting--and this bears out to be true as Harvey Mason's drumming becomes more and more nuanced and dynamic while still hiding (somewhat) beneath the piano, guitar, and bass. This may sound as if I'm describing old-fashioned jazz, but it's not: it's still anchored very much in Earl Klugh's musiquarium. (8.875/10)

Total Time 34:38

88.96 on the Fishscales = B/four stars; an excellent jazz-leaning display of mature and interestingly-sophisticated Smooth Jazz.

BOB JAMES Touchdown

Album · 1978 · Pop/Art Song/Folk
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FunkFreak75
Recorded At CBS Studios, New York / Soundmixers, New York City and released by Bob's fledgling record label, Tappan Zee, I commend Bob for finally putting together an album entirely made up of his own compositions. Bravo!

A1. "Angela (Theme From "Taxi")" (5:42) a sappy-saccharine song that even bugged me when it came out. (Having never owned a television, I've never seen a single episode of the iconic series.) I will grant a respectful acknowledgement of the skills exhibited by Bob and his studio crew to create such an universally-beloved song. (8.75/10)

A2. "Touchdown" (5:42) a pre-Disco or pseudo-disco song that I remember hearing in the discothèques but never really generated as much interest or participation from the dance crowds--most likely due to its lack of singing & lyrics as well to its more laid-back pace and feel. It did, I think, generate a growth in popularity for saxophonist Dave Sanborn. (8.75/10)

A3. "I Want To Thank You (Very Much)" (7:09) opening with a kind of Rat Pack jazz-pop horn play before quickly succumbing to the Fender Rhodes and acoustic guitar Smooth Jazz sound that would become such signatures of both Bob and guitarist Earl Klugh. Awesome solo flute play in the fifth minute from Hubert Laws. (13.25/15)

B1. "Sun Runner" (6:16) a great happy-go-lucky Jazz-Rock Fusion classic from a whole band with excellent performances from Hubert Laws, Ralph MacDonald, Earl Klugh, and, of course, Bob. Great song construct with sophisticated arrangements and awesome earworm chord progressions. (9.25/10)

B2. "Caribbean Nights" (9:22) highlights of this epic-length tune that I used to play to death in the early 1980s are 1)Hiram Bullock's vocal matching of his guitar solo in the opening section, 2) Bob's great Fender Rhodes play next, 3) the sublime dual performances of Earl Klugh's nylon string guitar with Hubert Laws masterful flute in the fifth and sixth minutes, 4) the whole-band recapitulation of the main theme in the seventh minute, and 5) the horn section with Hubert's swallow-like flute in the bridge before the finale (in which Ron Carter solos briefly with his piccolo bass). (19/20)

Total Time: 34:20

A-/five stars; a minor masterpiece of Smooth Jazz and one of the truly defining and exemplary samples of that new (and dominant) genre.

BOB JAMES Heads

Album · 1977 · Pop/Art Song/Folk
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FunkFreak75
Recorded at Media Sound, Sound Mixers and A&R Studios, New York City, May-September 1977, Bob was definitely in the middle of a hot streak with songs from each of his previous four albums receiving regular rotational play on Adult Contemporary/Smooth Jazz radio shows. Bob's success in fact allowed him to start his own record production label in the summer of 1977: Tappan Zee Records, a subsidiary of the giant Columbia Records conglomerate.

A1. "Heads" (6:40) Rapper's Delight bass opening coupled with tubular bells melodic hook and bass/trombone notes made this popular to play while studying in my college dormitory but its infectious "magical" effect has long since worn off. (8.75/10)

A2. "We're All Alone" (5:32) another aberration of a contemporary pop hit (written and performed by Boz Scaggs) that turns out to be much better once it veers away from the main melody and theme. Yeah, these dudes are cookin' it in the second and third minutes and then again when the DEODATO "Also Sprach Zarathusra: 2001"-like section that ends the song starts. (9/10)

A3. "I'm In You" (6:47) a song that opens like a Disco BeeGees "Night on Disco Mountain" before turning to pick up Peter Frampton's lead melody from his hit of the same name--but this is quite an unrecognizable rendering of that song as so many odd instruments are used to take the place of the vocals (including synth saws and horn section blasts). To my ears this sounds more like a novelty song--one of those that gets radio play specifically for its odd sounds and Disco beat. It's not horrible--and definitely displays some sophistication and tightly-co-ordinated arrangements, it's just not that great of a song! (13/15)

B1. "Night Crawler" (6:17) another of those songs that I would include in my own playlist entitled "The Best of Bob James"--as much for its multiple earworm melody hooks but also for its tight, professional performances. (9/10)

B2. "You Are So Beautiful" (6:50) an instrumental arrangement of Billy Preston's amazing song--one that actually does justice to the original despite the liberties taken in its jazzification. Grover Washington, Jr.'s very heart-felt, respectful soprano sax play is one of the big reasons, but it's also got a lot to do with the spacious arrangement that Bob has made. The actual weakest part of the song is Bob's own bluesy piano solo! I love the whole-band chord hits (and progression) in the bridge in fifth minute and then the background vocal girls in the final two minutes. (13.375/15)

B3. "One Loving Night" (5:48) Bob's rendering of the famous Henry Purcell British folk song--here even incorporating a harpsichord-like keyboard sound (Bob's Oberheim Polyphonic "Tinkle Bells" setting). The orchestral arrangements added in the second minute even add to the respectful "classic" feel, but then, toward the very end of the second minute, the jazz-rock combo launches into a pretty funky movement (thanks in no small part to the bass play that sounds like Alphonso Johnson but goes uncredited as far as I can find). Nice, mature song rendition. The weakest part, for me, are the saxophone inputs. (9/10)

Total Time: 38:54

Yet another album on which less than half of the songs are original compositions (two of six). I find it quite interesting to realize, just now, that it's the two Bob James originals that I like the most--by far! (Time to get out of the business of banking on covers for sales and radio popularity, Bob!)

B/four stars; an excellent display of ever-maturing compositional acumen from one of Smooth Jazz's true masters.

pop/art song/folk movie reviews

STING Bring On The Night

Movie · 2005 · Pop/Art Song/Folk
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Slartibartfast
The concept here is a documentary of a band forming, The Blue Turtles Band, rather than a band at their peak or breaking up. Fortunately it is heavier on the music than the documentary.

The first half takes place in a French countryside chateaux and consists of presentable songs from nine days of practice sessions for what was to be their first show. Everyone in the band seems to be having a good time. The chateaux provides nice a nice backdrop to the sessions. The second half is the show itself.

Since this was Sting's first post Police effort, there's a lot of reworked Police songs mixed in with tracks from the first album. It's sort of like the Police meets jazz with Andy Summers ejected so Sting could play guitar. The band line up is primarily younger jazz musicians that already had a good reputation for work they had done before hooking up with Sting.

There are interview excerpts between the songs. One of the more interesting ones was Miles Copeland, Sting's manager and Stewart's brother going on about negotiations with the rest of the band. He was extremely dismissive of the band in relation to Sting when it came to monetary compensation. I suspect that was more about himself getting a bigger piece of the pie than a reflection on Sting, although I do recall him guest appearing on a Saturday Night Live show with Steve Marting and Steve introducing him as Stin-gy.

I originally saw this one in a theater and was really pleased to see it released being reworked with "high definition digital anamorphic picture transfer and digitally remastered surround audio." It actually does look a little sharper than I recall and I think the orginal sound was just stereo.

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