Ursula Rucker - Supa Sister !K7 106CD; Silver or Lead !K7 153CD; !K7 194CD

I heard about Ursula Rucker last month and, in the last couple of weeks, have bought all three of her CDs. Ursula Rucker is a member of Philadelphia’s Hip Hop community. But saying that in no way conveys how unique she is. She is so far off the beaten track that she has to record for a German company, since what she does is of no value to the US entertainment industry. Ursula Rucker shows how far other rappers, even the best of them, fall short of creating beautiful music.

It is argued, cogently, that life in the ghetto is anything but beautiful and that Rap reflects that. But there have been musicians such as Lester Young, Mingus, Coltrane, Pharoah Sanders, who have been able to draw from the ugliness transcendent beauty. The difference is that Ursula Rucker does this, not with the abstraction that is music, but with concrete words; words that WILL NOT LET YOU ESCAPE THE REALITY. And yet, through these inescapable words, accompanied by intelligent, sympathetic, music, the miracle of beauty arises; I’m not sure how.

Some of it stems from her delivery. She is no MC, standing in front of a turntable basher, yelling into a mike. She delivers her extremely uncomfortable messages in a calm, controlled, fury. And this delivery, too, makes it impossible to escape the message through not hearing the words clearly.

Much of it stems from her articulacy. Her messages are deeply felt, carefully thought out, and clearly expressed in uncompromising language that makes no concessions to “dumbing down”.

Her messages are mainly described as dealing with “women’s issues”; an attempt at a brush-off, if I ever saw one. She sees things from a woman’s perspective, it’s true, which doesn’t invalidate the message in any way. And perhaps because of that, she also sees things in a way that understands motivations, without condoning anything. And expresses herself in a way that communicates her fury to the listener. Everyone in the world ought to listen to Ursula Rucker. Her work is beautiful but it isn’t, even slightly, entertaining.

Amazon is the best place to buy her CDs – they are expensive but there are bargains at Amazon, I should imagine because so many people have found her too uncomfortable to live with - AM

The Derek Trucks Band - Songlines - 82796 92844 2

At first glance, this doesn't have much going for it. There's the band's name to start. Then there's the fact that Derek Trucks appears to be a young, old-fashioned guitar hero and has a long, irritating pony-tail. You can see the pony-tail in a photo on the album which shows him sitting on a camp chair in the desert, guitar poised, with his back to the camera while the rest of the band walks adoringly up a slope toward him. That irritated me as well. And then he latches on to Aboriginal songlines and quotes Bruce Chatwin on the subject, who, while a brilliant writer, wasn't known for sticking to the facts about anything when it didn't suit him.

So it was just as well that I heard the music on the Jazz and Conversation blog before I was exposed to any of the above. I suppose it's mostly jazz or blues with, inevitably, horror of horrors, some jazz-rock, and there is an air of nostalgia hanging over the whole thing, stemming from the style rather than the content, which is nearly all up-beat. I'm sure I heard something like it when I was in college but I can't think what it was. However, it's all tightly played, only sinks into self-indulgence on the Indian-influenced track, Sahib Teri Bandi, and has loads of strong melodies. I knew there had to be a reason I keep playing it.

Great Lake Swimmers @ Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff 11/05/06

In retrospect, I would rather have caught John Vanderslice supporting Death Cab back in March than the two bands who supported Great Lake Swimmers last week. Anyway, after two supports, on came Tony Dekker, quiet leader of the band and they kicked off about an hour or so of wistful, VERY low-key and intimate folk; Dekker on his acoustic, accompanied by a Banjo player and drummer for most of the set.

Gigs like this can go either way, much like the albums, and you were one of two people at the gig. Either you were quietly chatting away with the support band or you were taking Dekker's songs in and getting annoyed at the ones talking. Problem was that the songs were so quiet that the chatting was actually louder at times!

Dekker got everyone to shut up with a mesmerising and moving solo rendition of 'This Is Not Like Home'; you could literally hear a pin drop (think I did too). He's such a quiet character, and an unassuming frontman also. My mate went up to ask him for a setlist two seconds after he'd gotten off stage, and Dekker actually shyed away, bless him. Still, the mind wandered rarely during the setlist, and was a good advert for the 'South By South Wales' festival (see what they did there?).

35X35 – Alligator Records – ALCD 120/21

This compilation has one track from each of the 35 years of Alligator Records, set up in 1971 by the then 23-year-old blues fan, Bruce Iglaur. The first signing was Hound Dog Taylor who, appropriately, kicks off the compilation with She’s Gone (well, it wouldn’t be the blues if she’d come back, would it?). There’s barely a dud on the two discs, with contributions from Professor Longhair , Clarence Gatemouth Brown, Charlie Musselwhite, C J Chenier and The Holmes Brothers, among others.

Some are worth it for the names alone: Lil’ Ed and The Blues Imperials, Little Charlie and The Nightcats and Guitar Shorty but there’s no explanation of why they’re all apparently challenged in the physical stature department. It’s the women who stand out, though: Saffire – The Uppity Blues Women, Koko Taylor, Katie Webster, and Shemekia Copeland. The latter's 1998 recording of Salt In My Wounds, made when she was only 18, makes me think Joss Stone might as well retire now.

You can buy 35X35 direct from
Alligator Records which would be a good thing to do.

Bruce Springsteen - The Seeger Sessions (Columbia)

Can I apologise for doing this straight away. Sorry. I bought this album 30 minutes after seeing it performed live in one of the best concerts of my life. Springsteen and his 17 strong Seeger Sessions band live at St Lukes in East London in front of 200 people for a BBC recording. They were sensational. The album, his latest tribute to the american working man, is traditional US folk songs in honour of Pete Seeger. The band are tighter than a banjo string and perform the whole thing (on disc as well as live I must add) with what comes over as real spontaneity and joy. A great horn section, violins, accordians and much else. It all has a strong Louisiana twist and I defy anyone not to join in, if only with a tapping toe. Far better, pour a large JD, fire up the barbie and holler along with the bluegrass spirit. For those of us who were there at the beginning it's been a great journey from Asbury Park via Thunder Road, The River, and Nebraska, passing The Ghost of Tom Joad to The Rising and now this. And on this form, plenty more to come. If you want to see or hear the concert it's on Radio 2 on Saturday evening (May 13th - available worldwide via the BBC RadioPlayer) or on BBC4 on Friday 19th or BBC 2 Saturday 20th. Set your recorders...


(The TV picture will be better than my phone cam...)

The Wood Brothers - Ways Not To lose (Blue Note B000E6UK4G)

The Wood Brothers are a guitar- bass duo. They combine into a blues - country- folk - jazz- gospel kind of mix. (I'm tempted to stop the review at that). Chris (bass) and Oliver (guitar and vocals) are brothers who have played in other bands and just got together and released this album. I heard a couple of tracks on the Paul Jones show on Radio 2 on Thursdays (yes the Manfred Mann Paul Jones - I recommend the show) and they really hit the spot - you know, that one in your stomach that's attached to your spine. Sample Atlas as a great example of their work, or The Luckiest Man strikes a particular chord with me. More information available here. Just go and listen. You won't regret it.

Iron & Wine - Our Endless Numbered Days SPCD 630

The 'one bloke with an acoustic and a bucket of tunes' bus is surely getting a little crowded, but Sam Beam, a lecturer from Florida who makes up Iron & Wine's studio line-up, gets by thanks to being perhaps the quietest of them all. Singing in a mid whisper, and almost always just with his guitar, he writes simple slow summery songs about life. So of course, that means he's reflective, wistful, has songs about love, but the great thing is the low volume really does create a rare sense of constant intimacy. Honest.

Songs like 'Fever Dream' and 'Naked As We Came' are just stripped down songs about love to absorb yourself in; all simple melodies and caring lyrics. He's definitely moved on from previous album 'The Creek Drank The Cradle' which suffered from repitition for me, and whilst I dont think Beam will ever be anyone's favourite singer/songwriter, his albums are like a walk in a nice forest; not something you want to overdo but something you can always rely on for a nice, different and thoughtful experience.

Salif Keita - M'Bemba - 0602498312278

Salif Keita once said he developed his voice as a child while scaring the monkeys away from his father's crops. In that case, we have a lot to thank the monkeys for. For many, me included, his soaring, powerful vocals on Soro, were an introduction to the music of West Africa and the album helped launch "world music" as a genre. He was always more other-worldly than his contemporaries, like Baaba Maal and Youssou N'Dour, and never quite followed their path to international fame. He is famous, of course, but he did get lost along the way and his output has been patchy.

His last album, Moffou, was rightly welcomed as return to form. Quiet and traditional, it had a sense of calm. M'Bemba builds on that. It has a stellar cast of Malian musicians, including Kante Manfila and Toumani Diabate, and was recorded in Keita's own studio in Mali. Buju Banton's contribution on Ladji is rather dubious, but the rest is flawless, with even a touch of soukous. And on the last two tracks, M'Bemba and Moriba, that voice starts soaring again.

Van Morrison - Pay The Devil (Polydor E6EIT4)

And while we're in a country mood, there's this. I tried, really tried, not to buy it. I defer to no-one in my admiration for Van Morrison but too many recent albums have been way off the pace - and I assumed this would be too. Then I heard Playhouse and then his version of Your Cheatin' Heart and gave in. It's country covers and a couple of originals. His voice is great and the band, handpicked and honed to perfection. Not everyone's glass of JD but if you're in the mood - or need to keep the country feel going after listening to The Little Willies - it hits the spot. Anyone for Nashville?

The Little Willies (Parlophone E6UJXS)

Every so often you discover something which you know is going to become a fixture in your life. It may not be the stonking great settee in the middle of the room, but it will fit comfortably in some corner and be returned to and appreciated often. So it is with The Little Willies - a group of friends who got together to play in a New York Club but who happen to include some great musicians and Norah Jones singing. It's a country feel, with covers of songs by Hank Williams, Willie Nelson and Kris Kristofferson amongst others. The lazy vocals fit the laid back feel like the proverbial silk glove, the guitar, just behind the beat, always seems to head in an unexpected direction and you can just tell they are having a good time. If they played in a bar near you every Friday you'd be a regular. If you want to download a taste choose "It's Not You It's Me".

Cat Power - The Greatest - OLE 626-2

Everyone's agreed that Chan Marshall, aka Cat Power, is a bit of an enigma. For a start, Chan is pronounced "Shawn". Then, apparently, no one knows what to expect at her gigs other than chaos. And she seems to have something of a hit on her hands with this album but has cancelled her tour for "health reasons." Which may, of course, be true. If so, I hope she gets better because, despite what one might expect, The Greatest is a collection of tightly-written and played, sparse, hypnotic songs. It's quite beautiful. Recorded in Memphis, it swings between country and blues, with Marshall breathing, rather than singing most of the lyrics.

But when she does open up her voice, as in Where Is My Loveand Lived in Bars, it's dramatic and effective. She's also a good piano player but like the other musicians on the album, she restricts herself to under-stated and subtle contributions to the songs. If this sounds rather low-key, well, it is. But there's more than enough change of pace and tone to hold your interest. By the way, the band's name, and she is the band, has nothing to do with felines. She chose it after seeing the words on a baseball cap so it's got more to do with large earth-moving machinery. Incongruity piled upon enigma.

Death Cab For Cutie - Live at Nottingham Rock City 02/03/06

Maybe it's the fact that I'm surrounded by trendy people who only know the mighty Death Cab from that most hideous of teen shows, The O.C. but there seems to be a definite divide between them and us devoted converts singing along to every word of (mostly) genius soft rock stylings. Regardless, the band roll through 19 songs in a little under 90 minutes; great value for money I reckon.

Not wishing to be elitist, but 7 songs of tonight's set are culled from last year's 'Plans', which is possibly just Death-Cab-by-numbers. Not bad songs by any means, but thankfully, its left to 'Transatlanticism' to deliver the moments of the evening, including a weighty rendition of 'We Looked Like Giants', and a mesmerising run through the album's title track to end the set. As great an end to the gig as it was, I did find myself wishing for a few more ardent fans and less curious onlookers to make the unifying sing-a-long at the end a bit more powerful. Maybe I'm just getting old. Still; great band, great songs, great gig.

Sonny Stitt - Just The Way It Was: Live at The Left Bank - Hyena 9337

This is the hottest album of live black music I’ve ever heard.

It was recorded in 1971 in Baltimore. Stitt was accompanied by Don Patterson, the most articulate jazz organist, and Billy James, an underrated drummer. They had been working together for a decade; the rapport is absolutely there.

Six weeks earlier, Sonny and Gene Ammons had been in Van Gelder’s. Jug told Sonny that he sounded terrible using an amplified sax and Stitt apparently never recorded with it afterwards. Well, he was still using the amplifier in Baltimore. I don’t like the sound either but, this time, I don’t give a damn. Anyway, you can hear why Sonny was using it; he needed it!

The sleevenotes of Don Patterson’s albums are full of references to how unlike most organists he is, in eschewing volume pedal and pounding organ. Well, those were studio recordings. This is the only live recording Don made. He is totally overpowering; fast, articulate, visceral, breathtakingly exultant – oh yes, and loud, too.

That night, the three men played music that is the ultimate in excitement. I’m sure the audience left the ballroom with blistered faces and scorched clothes.

A warning: Hyena is Joel Dorn’s fifth label, following Wolf, Night, 32Jazz and Label M. This album was released on Label M in 2000 but, a few weeks later, Label M followed its predecessors into bankruptcy. I was lucky to get one. Now it’s reissued, the message is: don’t delay too long - AM

Paul Weller - As Is Now (V2 9S2G8C)

Something's happened to Paul Weller. Britain has decided to embrace him as a national treasure. It came to a head with the Brits award for Outstanding Lifetime Achievement (or something). But before that he was already being written about in terms normally reserved for 60s icons and any appearance was marked by inreasingly frantic behaviour by those seeking tickets. And Why Not (as Barry Norman would say)? While no-one would call him humble he has certainly patiently built a remarkable career. The Jam (together with The Clash and The Ramones) stand as the best legacy of 70s punk and new wave. He then made a genuinely bold career change into white soul with The Style Council, again called it a day at the top of their popularity and embarked on a solo career encompassing Stanley Road, Wild Wood, Studio 150 (a covers album) and now to this. He's back in top-volume-hard-edged form - but, as ever, not shy of a sweet melody either. Blink And You'll Miss It and From The Floorboards Up stand out for me. But everywhere on here you'll find echoes of nearly 3 decades of fine Britpop innovation coming together in his strongest album for years.

Arctic Monkeys - Whatever People Say I am That's What I'm Not (Domino BTDMDC)

I nearly didn't bother with this as so much has already been written about them. Post-punk nervous energy married with clever lyrics (again heavily influenced by The Streets). They now famously built a fan base on the internet (My Space.com) and with relentless touring without the support of a record company became unignorable. The album is sharp, edgy and very assured. My favourite tracks - "Bet you look good on the dancefloor" and "Still take you home". If you want to remember what it was like to be 17 put this on and turn up the volume. No place for a burnt-out-40-something to be hanging around? Maybe - but I'm not alone. 50 quid bloke pointed me to a piece by Andrew Collins’ in Word magazine this month. "Titled: ‘How Arctic Monkeys saved my life’, it’s basically a description of how they have turned him - a middle-aged, seen-it-all music hack - into a stammering fan again." Indeed.

Hard-Fi Stars of CCTV (Atlantic B90U2M8)

Current british radio favourites based on the infectious single "Cashpoint" about the hardships of a hand-to-mouth existence and teenage pregnancy when the machine swallows your card. Surprisingly catchy in the circumstances. The album is refreshingly varied in influences including reggae, ska, indie rock anthems and much else. The tone is very much about the alienation of modern youth - but as they come from Staines that's understandable. Think Mike Skinner (The Streets) meets Bloc Party with a dash of The Specials and you're close. Can't quite envisage that? Take a glimpse then....

Cash Machine (Hard-Fi)

Jenny Lewis and the Watson Twins - Rabbit Fur Coat. (Rough Trade CBEWM4)

Jenny Lewis is the singer from Rilo Kiley who decided to make this solo record (with vocal support from the enigmatic Watson twins) in between RK albums. Those of you who know Rilo Kiley will already appreciate her clear, nuanced and beautiful vocal style with a country/gospel twist more noticeable here than when she's with the band. The lyrics are as piercing and intriguing as you would expect covering religion, relationships, parenthood among much else. As music writer Andy Greenwald puts it "She's got hair the color of a Pacific sunset, a voice as sweet as an ice cream cone, and a wit sharper than a razorblade." Pretty much sums it up. Stand out tracks for me are Rise Up With Fists and You Are What You Love - but you really need to hear the whole thing through rather than pick on individual songs. A cover of the Travelling Wilburys Handle With Care doesn't quite come off, but I'll forgive her. You can find out more and sample some of it here.

Nada Surf - The Weight is The Gift - bark46ltd

I've been a fan of Nada Surf since I discovered their second album Let Go and then heard them on a memorable night in Barfly in Cardiff. A trio from New York, they have, apparently, been doing it hard since they formed when they were in their teens, had one hit, saw their first album Proximity Effect sink without trace and consequently became embroiled in a lengthy legal dispute with their then record company.

However, that all seems to be behind them and their latest album The Weight is The Gift is a fine collection of bouncy and accomplished songs. Their hallmark is good, strong rock guitar work, verging on, but just about missing, cliches, pop catchiness, and an overall sensibility that draws me in all the time. The songs in this album all seem to be about the end of love or life not going terribly well (there's a surprise but does anyone listen to unrelentingly happy albums?) without being dreary and then they pop up with The Blankest Year which begins: "Oh f**k it, I'm going to have a party...". I think Let Go is better - fresher, more uplifting and more varied - but The Weight has been playing since I bought it.

Curtis Amy - Mosaic Select 007

Most people have heard Curtis Amy, if only the tenor solo on the Rolling Stones’ Honky Tonk Women or the soprano sax solo on Carole King’s It’s Too Late. Amy was a great Texas tenor player; not as important as Newman, Jacquet or King Curtis, but well up there. This set of three CDs contains all six of the LPs he recorded between 1960 and 1963 for Pacific Jazz. There is not a dud track anywhere.

The first CD covers The Blues Message and Meetin’ Here, two albums by a quintet Amy co-led with the brilliant, but obscure, organist, Paul Bryant. The front line of tenor, valve trombone and organ is pretty unusual and sounds wonderful, quite aside from the playing.

CD #2 covers Groovin’ Blue and Way Down – you can tell where Amy is coming from by his titles, can’t you? Roy Brewster is once again on valve trombone, but Bryant was replaced by two up and coming vibes players – Bobby Hutcherson and Roy Ayers, and three piano players.

The final disc covers Tippin’ on Through – a live LP with Ayers and Brewster once more on board – and Amy’s masterpiece, Katanga, one of the albums that I’d take to a desert island (even if it meant leaving some Grant Green behind) - AM

Halloween, Alaska - Too Tall To Hide - ESD81772

Halloween, Alaska had a bit of a breakthrough earlier this year when they re-released their eponymous album, no doubt helped along by one of the tracks being used in The OC. This is much more varied, with even a hint of jazz, which shouldn't be a surprise as one band member doubles up as a jazz drummer. Overall, it has the same dreamy feel but with more change of tone and pace - you're less likely to drop off listening to this and more likely to remember individual tracks. I particularly liked I Can't Live Without My Radio, which captures that dislocated feeling you get when you're walking down a street to the rythym in your ears which no one else can hear, and Forever, which uses the sea and the beach as a metaphor for a relationship and warns that unrequited love has fifteen rows of teeth and will drag you under. Still not sure how to label this band so let's just try "good."