Tampa Calling

First Levon Helm survived throat cancer, then, improbably, he started singing again. And then, astonishingly, he returned to form. While his voice is thinner than during his days with The Band — he is 69, after all — Helm still brings the grit, that marvelous blend of Ozark country, blues and gospel.

His first album after recovering, 2007’s Dirt Farmer (Vanguard), was a treasure, an absolutely genuine slice of Americana that won the Grammy for Best Traditional Folk Album.

Its followup, Electric Dirt, is another triumph, extending the reach of Farmer while retaining its rustic character. The new disc, released Tuesday, June 30, is not simply a plugged-in extension of its predecessor. Although electric guitars pop up now and again, it’s still largely an acoustic album. The addition of horns on four tracks — two arranged by Allen Toussaint and two by Stephen Bernstein — gives the new one an added dimension, some extra oomph.

The horns get into the act right way with a springy version of the Grateful Dead’s “Tennessee Jed,” which has a decidedly Band-ish feel and kicks off the disc with a great deal of exuberance. Read the rest of this entry »

Welcome aboard new Tampa Calling Contributor, Vinyl Fever’s Lee Wolfson, who will taking over on each week’s new music releases and other such interesting music tidbits, from what it’s like running an indie music store, to offering info on the latest in new music, to giving the inside scoop on any special promos or giveaways his store may be offering. Here’s his inaugural post, a list of new releases you may or may not be aware of.

Terry Adams (of NRBQ), Holy Tweet

Maria Bamford, Unwanted Thoughts Syndrome

Buju Banton, Rasta Got Soul

Behemoth, The Art of Rebelling Live (CD/DVD)

Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, How Big Can You Get?: The Music of Cab Calloway (ahahahahahaha! yeah, really!)

Brian Blade, Mama Rosa

Booker T., Potato Hole (with Drive By Truckers and Neil Young, too — it’s REAL SWEET!)

The Boxmasters and Billy Bob Thornton, The Boxmasters

Braid, Frankie Welfare Boy Age Five (a re-release of the 1995 debut album comprised 26 tracks, each one named using a different letter of the alphabet.) Read the rest of this entry »

Allen Toussaint: The Bright Mississippi (Nonesuch)

I’ve long been aware of Allen Toussaint as a New Orleans treasure, a prolific songwriter, magic-touch producer and arranger, and solo artist with a rather middling voice. I knew he played piano, but did not know he was such a bad, bad man at the keyboard.

I do now.

The Bright Mississippi, produced by Toussaint’s friend and frequent collaborator Joe Henry, is nothing short of a revelation, an album of instrumentals (save one vocal) that both honors and reinvents a number of songs associated with early New Orleans blues and jazz: Sidney Bechets’ “Egyptian Fantasy,” Jellyroll Morton’s “Winin’ Boy Blues,” Joe Oliver’s West End Blues,” and traditionals “St. James Infirmary” and “Take a Closer Walk With Thee,” to name a handful.

Toussaint and his dream band — trumpeter Nicholas Payton, clarinetist Don Byron, acoustic guitarist Marc Ribot, bassist David Piltch and drummer Jay Bellerose — play the songs with an expansive ease, rather than employing tightly wound improvisational free-for-alls often referred to as Dixieland. One of the album’s charms, though, is the clattering, march-style drums heard on a number of the full-ensemble pieces (”Singin’ the Blues,” Monk’s “Bright Mississippi”), imbuing them with an antique quality.

Read the rest of this entry »

What the CL team is listening to right now.

Allen Toussaint
The Bright Mississippi (2009)
One of my favorite producers, Joe Henry, teams up with legendary New Orleans artist Toussaint to revive a set of Crescent City classics (and tunes associated with the city) — mostly instrumental jazz by the likes of Sidney Bechet, Jelly Roll Morton and Thelonious Monk. The sound is both old-timey and fresh. Known more as a writer, producer and arranger, Toussaint gets to show off his soulful piano skills. The disc comes out on Nonesuch April 21.
–Eric

Matthew Dear
Asa Breed (2007)
I’m in love with Matthew Dear’s cavalier, occasionally multi-tracked baritone, how he delivers his lyrics like it’s the first take and he’s not at all concerned. The Electro avant pop artist makes music that’s complex-free, with hints of minimalist house and acid-washed dance funk. This album is his third and a good introduction to his small but noteworthy catalog.
Recommended track: “Deserter.”

The Lonely Island
Incredibad (2009)
I don’t watch Saturday Night Live anymore, but I do check out the hilarious SNL Digital Shorts on YouTube. Cast member Andy Samberg along with Akiva Schaffer and Jorma Taccone are “The Lonely Island,” but the trio brings in some heavy star power — Natalie Portman, Justin Timberlake, Norah Jones, E-40 and Jack Black, among others — to collaborate. Some of the schtick gets a bit tired by the end of the 19-track album, but cuts like “Dick in a Box” and “Jizz in my Pants” are still funny the 10th time around.
Recommended track: “Natalie’s Rap.” Such profanity from such a sweet piece. Mmm….
–B.Treotch Read the rest of this entry »