Record Reviews

DAVID CLAYTON-THOMAS ~ CANADIANA ANTOINETTE 039911033821 (Barcode: 039911033821) ~ CANADA ~ Pop & Rock Recorded: 2016 Released: 2016 This is a studio album by Canadian vocalist / songwriter David Clayton-ThomasFind albums by this artist, primarily known as the charismatic frontman of the legendary Brass Rock ensemble Blood, Sweat & TearsFind albums by this artist, recorded with a great team of musicians: keyboardist Lou PomantiFind albums by this artist, guitarist Eric St-LaurentFind albums by this artist, bassist George KollerFind albums by this artist, drummer Ben WittmanFind albums by this artist and others, and featuring brass section and string section on selected tracks. The album presents thirteen songs, all by Canadian songwriters, as diverse as Neil YoungFind albums by this artist, Joni MitchellFind albums by this artist, Leonard CohenFind albums by this artist, Gordon LightfootFind albums by this artist and others and one original song by Clayton-Thomas. The solo recording career of Clayton-Thomas was revitalized near the turn of the Millennium, when he was nearing the age of sixty, which is quite remarkable and unparalleled. He recorded (so far) thirteen albums since 1996, this being the eleventh of them, more than twice the number of albums he recorded beforehand since the start of his career. The album is a tribute to the Canadian contribution to Pop / Rock songwriting, which is obviously very significant artistically. The songs are beautifully arranged and Clayton-Thomas performances are brilliant as always. His feeling and his idiosyncratic voice, charisma and love of music remain intact and for his many fans this album is strong as everything else he ever recorded. The accompanying musicians are all pros and the album offers superb soloing from start to finish. After being a great fan of Clayton-Thomas for over five decades, it is great to hear him carrying on with what he loves to do taking us along on a wonderful ride.

Updated: 12/08/2020Posted: 12/08/2020

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DAVID CLAYTON-THOMAS ~ MOBIUS ANTOINETTE 549 (Barcode: 039911054925) ~ CANADA ~ Pop & Rock Recorded: 2017 Released: 2018 This is a studio album by Canadian vocalist / songwriter David Clayton-ThomasFind albums by this artist, primarily known as the charismatic frontman of the legendary Brass Rock ensemble Blood, Sweat & TearsFind albums by this artist, recorded with a great team of musicians: keyboardist Lou PomantiFind albums by this artist, guitarist Eric St-LaurentFind albums by this artist, bassist George KollerFind albums by this artist (who also co-produced the album), drummer Larnell LewisFind albums by this artist and others including a small brass section. The album presents ten songs, all featuring lyrics by Clayton-Thomas and five also composed by him, two by Pomanti and one each by St-Laurent, Lewis and Koller. The solo recording career of Clayton-Thomas was revitalized near the turn of the Millennium, when he was nearing the age of sixty, which is quite remarkable and unparalleled. He recorded (so far) thirteen albums since 1996, this being the twelfth of them, more than twice the number of albums he recorded beforehand since the start of his career. The album emphasizes Clayton-Thomas songwriting abilities, which are still remarkable, as much as his stamina and performing abilities despite his advanced age. The songs are beautifully arranged and Clayton-Thomas performances are brilliant as always. His feeling and his idiosyncratic voice, charisma and love of music remain intact and for his many fans this album is strong as everything else he ever recorded. The accompanying musicians are all pros and the album offers superb soloing from start to finish. After being a great fan of Clayton-Thomas for over five decades, it is great to hear him carrying on with what he loves to do taking us along on a wonderful ride.

Updated: 26/09/2020Posted: 26/09/2020

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BARTOSZ HADALA ~ THREE SHORT STORIES NOT ON LABEL ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2020 Released: 2020 This is an album by Polish (resident in Canada) Jazz pianist / composer Bartosz HadalaFind albums by this artist recorded with an international team of musicians, which includes saxophonists Luis DenizFind albums by this artist and Kelly JeffersonFind albums by this artist, guitarist Eric St-LaurentFind albums by this artist, bass guitarists Brad CheesemanFind albums by this artist and Michael ManringFind albums by this artist, accordionist Joao FradeFind albums by this artist and drummer Marito MarquesFind albums by this artist. The album presents twelve original compositions, all by the leader, all excellently recorded with a clear sound quality and separation, worthy of Hi-Fi enthusiasts. The music is mainstream modern Jazz with a twist, with clear melodic themes and often unusual rhythmic meters, which at times delicately flirts with Funk and Fusion, but is all well-constructed and perfectly coherent, despite offering quite unusual sound and ambience. The music is distinctly different from the American Jazz tradition, and sounds fresh and inviting. Hadala plays both acoustic piano and keyboards, with great skill and sensitivity. St-Laurent, is a veteran with superb skill and great diversity. The saxophonists add fine solos on selected tracks. Manring plays a wonderful solo bass guitar prologue track and Frade adds accordion on the epilogue track. The rhythm section sounds very contemporary and vigorous and supports the team without being overbearing, handling the difficult rhythmic challenges with elegance. Overall, this is a fine modern Jazz album, with excellent compositions and superb musicianship, which should make every Jazz enthusiast happy and offer an interesting listening experience, often quite surprising and unlike the worn out mainstream Jazz patterns. Definitely worth to be discovered.

Updated: 02/01/2022Posted: 02/01/2022

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