Susheela Raman - Music For Crocodiles EMI4771272

The follow up album to Salt Rain - and even better than its predecessor. (A third album, Love Trap, seems only to be available by import in the UK) Susheela is British, trained to sing classical Indian music, but spreads across into jazz and blues. This is Crossover at its best. African percussion, Asian dissonance, western production on tracks like The Same Song and Meanwhile it all works together surprisingly well. Some tracks are hard work at first but repay the effort. Smoky, perfumed and seductive.

Ry Cooder - Chavez Ravine - Nonesuch/Perro Verde 7559798772

This is journey back into Los Angeles of the fifties, when the greed for land to develop for shopping malls and high-rises resulted in the destruction of many poorer neighbourhoods, including Chavez Ravine. The cd booklet has a remarkable picture of several earth-movers careering down a slope to start work on the stadium for Dodgers baseball team. It's a piece of showmanship and theatre on a grand scale, designed to wipe out the memory of what was there before.

A tribute to the music and the musicians of the time, it has some spoken word thrown in for good measure, and, while it's obviously Latin, it has its own distinctive flavour and benefits from the warm, natural sound that marks out Cooder's albums. I particularly liked Muy Fifi and, for a piece of street story-telling 3 Cool Cats. It's got a great spirit, this album.

Herbie Hancock - Possibilities - Warner 510110112

This is Herbie on piano with a host of guest vocalists, ranging from Sting to Christine Aguilera. I’m not normally a fan of those albums where someone rings up a pile of his or her chums and they all have lovely time and put together a hotch-potch of styles and egos but this really works and you get a splendid collection of songs with some great jazz piano and arrangements, effortlessly blended.

The album starts with a funky track with John Mayer and then the world-flavoured Safiatou on which Santana pops up with Angelique Kidjo, and on both tracks Hancock enhances the music without losing the flavour. I’ve never been a fan of Ms Aguilera (you’ll be amazed to hear) but on A Song For You she keeps the vocal gymnastics under control and lets Hancock do the real work and that’s really the start of the more jazz-flavoured numbers. Annie Lennox, Damien Rice, Paul Simon and Joss Stone also appear with others you may hate or love, but I can honestly say I’ve enjoyed every track.

R L Burnside 1926 - 2005

R L Burnside has died at the age of 78, leaving a wife and 12 children. For most of his career, he played raw Delta blues but latterly, under the guidance of the Fat Possum label, produced some fine albums mixing his blues with scratches, beats and loops. The purists hated it, but he made no bones about needing the money.

For the raw Burnside, try First Recordings. Equally raw is his collaboration with the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion Ass Pocket of Whisky. Come On In is one of his "beats and blues" albums and has a fine photograph of R L and his fridge, padlocked and chained to stop his relatives stealing his food. Burnside on Burnside is recorded live, with R L sounding as though he's having the time of his life. A Bothered Mind is mixed, in more ways than one, and I guess the label were scraping the barrel of recorded fragments after R L stopped work, having been "interviewed to death by Europeans" on the festival circuit. Nearly all the albums are available, as CDs and on vinyl (try Diverse Vinyl).

The best, I think, is Wish I Was in Heaven Sitting Down, for his singing, the blend of old and new styles, and, above all, the material, telling part of the story of R L's life. Which is what it's all about. I hope, in heaven, that they've found him a chair. He deserves it.

Laura Veirs - Year of the Meteors (Nonsuch B000A14OEC)

Suzanne Vega's younger sister goes electric. She's not, of course, but she might as well be. I may be missing something here as it has picked up good reviews - which is why I picked it up on offer in Borders. There's nothing bad or objectionable - but nothing to set it apart either. No friction at all really and it will probably be the subliminal soundtrack to countless thirty something dinner parties for the rest of the year. I just need music to touch the sides somewhere as it is aurally digested. The musical equivalent of cheese dip.

The Cowboy Junkies - 21st Century Blues (CookCD352)

The latest from the Junkies is their most successful since The Caution Horses in my view. It's sealed by a beautifully fragile interpretation of the U2/Eno anthem One - Margo's voice holding a complexity and depth that Bono can't reach. ALso on it are two new songs, two traditional songs and covers of Lennon, George Harrison, Dylan, Springsteen and others. However it all holds together to make more than the sum of the parts. Margo and Michael's big brother John joined them to produce an album that reflected our troubled times but ultimately offered hope - hence 21st Century Blues. Works for me.

Roisin Murphy - Ruby Blue - LIBCD7154.2

Yes, she's the one in the suit of armour, milking a startled cow on an Alpine glacier on the cover of Moloko's I Am Not A Doctor. In spite of such larking about, and her snarling picture on the cover of the band's last album, she's got a great voice so don't think she's just about gimmicks, even though she's now apparently heavily into sequins. Having left Moloko, she's teamed up with Matthew Herbert to produce an album that could be described as eclectic or just plain odd. One preview said there wasn't one track that would leave you with a melody in your mind. Well, the reviewer couldn't have got as far as the last track, The Closing of The Doors, which is, simply, a ballad. The rest is mixture of trip-hop, funk, jazz and rock so expecting a melody really isn't the point, I guess. However, as with good jazz, the tune's always in there somewhere; it's just that no one is singing or playing it very much. And can anyone honestly tell me that Night of The Dancing Flame isn't catchy? Overall, it's fresh and it's fun.

Ali Farka Toure & Toumani Diabate - In the Heart of The Moon - WCD072

This collaboration between two of the superstars of West African music was recorded in a hotel room overlooking the River Niger in Bamako, Mali, where the musicians and crew could watch the pirogues drifting past. The music is improvised and intricate so don’t expect any fireworks - the whole album has a sense of calm, drifting in whatever direction the two artists decided to go, Farka Toure on guitar, of course, and Diabate on kora.

If you’re a purist, you probably won’t be pleased to hear that Ry Cooder and his son, and the Buena Vista bass player, Orlando Cachaito Lopez, turn up on a few tracks but they’re pretty much in the background so this is still an African album, rather than a hybrid like Talking Timbuktu. And if you turn your nose up at it because the Cooders are now ubiquitous, you’d be missing something really special. It’s also a beautiful recording, supple and dry as dust at the same time.

Halloween, Alaska - Halloween, Alaska - ESD81742

If you’ve steered clear of anything that might be described as “downtempo” on the grounds that such music is, well, vacuous, and only fit for aural wallpaper and car adverts, then you should try this. It’s definitely downtempo with content and there’s even a version of Springsteen’s State Trooper. Yes, it has real songs, with lyrics, and it’s one of the most successful blends of electronica and traditional rock/pop that I‘ve heard. You can’t hear the seams.

I was a bit wary when 50quid Bloke said how lovely it was, but he was right, even down to the three bonus re-mixes. I got it from Noside. It was only US$12 and some kind person in Minnesota sent it all the way to Sandy Beach in five days flat. Hard to beat.

The Stands - All Years Leaving - ECHCD50

The Stands are a bit of an enigma. At least they are to me but maybe not to anyone who reads the music press regularly. My understanding is that they're British and they sound eerily like Bob Dylan when he was just a lad. I have listened to (and enjoyed) a lot of Dylan in my time but frankly I never thought anyone would bother to go to trouble of recreating his sound when he did it originally so well or so badly, depending on your taste.

I can only think that one afternoon when The Stands were teenagers and bored, they raided their dads' record collection for the purpose of poking fun, found his Dylan LP's and though it would be a jolly good idea to revive the old snarler. Oddly, it works. They're not Dylan, of course, but they've got a great way with melody and, like Dylan, can create an atmosphere with just a couple of phrases. And there's a new album out shortly so catch up with this now.

The Mountain Goats - The Sunset Tree - CAD 2058 CD

Eleven albums in, John Darnielle and his fellow Goats just continue to get better. Produced by indie underground icon John Vanderslice, The Sunset Tree is the Mountain Goats’ most personal, most poppy at times, most beautiful and most affecting recording since their inception.

The music however, takes equal precedent with the lyrics this time, with the content mainly centered around stories of Darnielle’s abusive step father, and his upbringing. But it doesn't bog down the music at all, and the each song has the same clear infectious presentation and addictiveness that's been present since 2002's Tallahassee. There is much more instrumentation this time around too; gone are the days of one acoustic guitar and one voice, which this time touches shoulders with cellos and pianos. Also, Peter Hughes' fearsome bass work really comes forward in Broom People, one of many highlights.

All in all, the Mountain Goats don’t know how to make bad records, and this could be their best. Another gem for fans, another great starter for the uninitiated. Job well done lads, again.

DJ Shadow - The Private Press - MCA - 112937

While Private Press may not upon first listening have the immediacy of his first outing (1996’s Entroducing), within a few listens it becomes clear that Shadow’s lost none of his ingenuity and that this album can compete on an equally high footing.

The album is very difficult to summarise even after a few outings to your CD draw (…or turntable, or i-pod, even possibly your mobile phone these days). Anyway I’m digressing. There are those tracks that are more beat driven & stand out catchy (Walkie Talkie, Right Thing/GDMFSOB), and then there are those that highlight Shadow’s extraordinary ability to meld melodies & harmonies into some of the most tuneful and enjoyable tracks this genre will ever produce (Mongrel Meets His Maker, Giving Up the Ghost, and You Can’t Go Home Again).

But what all the tracks feature is an intricately constructed melody that not only rivals Entroducing’s tracks, but updates Shadow’s sound and embarrasses the soulless rubbish that fills most record stores shelves.

The White Stripes - Get Behind Me Satan - XLCD191

You can joke all you like about Meg White's drumming style resembling cabbages being dropped on to dustbin lids, but that's just another way of saying that she and Jack keep things simple. They haven't changed that approach on this album and it also has the retro sound and energy of previous albums. So does this one sound just the same?

Well no, every track is recognisably by The White Stripes but there's variety, a lot more piano and change of pace. It's a confident step forward, borne out by the news from my mates in Diverse Vinyl that they're going back into the studio to play the whole thing through live for a vinyl recording. How's that for nerve?

Jimmy Dawkins - West Side Guitar Hero;Tell Me Baby - Fedora 5022; 5032

Dawkins was the last great Mississippi bluesman to emerge in Chicago in the late 1950s. He was mentored by Magic Sam and was ready by the late 1960s. By that time, however, there wasn’t much left of the Chicago blues recording industry. He recorded three great LPs for Delmark over the next seven or so years, then his work fell off and became pretty uninteresting, apparently until the 1990s.

In 2001 and 2003 he recorded for HighNote’s blues label, Fedora, and is clearly back on form. Tell Me Baby isn’t quite as good as West Side Guitar Hero, but the difference is pretty marginal. Both albums are blinders. For a guitar hero, you’d expect Dawkins to play blazing fast runs, following the title of his first LP, Fastfingers, but he doesn’t. Unlike most bluesmen, he tends to solo in the lower registers. This, and the ponderous lines he plays, gives him a grinding, grating sound which is unlike that of any other blues guitarist.

Oh yes, the titles of his songs must be spelt by his grandson, who dances on Tell Me Baby. Wess Cide Rock is my favourite spelling, but Shee Leff Me and So Wurrid and Kotten Field Jump (the latter two of which his grandson did actually write) are nice, too - AM

Oi Va Voi - Laughter through Tears - CASTE29CD

This was released in late 2003 but I've only just caught up with it - and am very glad i have. They are a north London Indie band who combine traditional jewish and east european overtones with dance rhythms, flamenco, trumpet, melodica, and a lot more. The result is unique, close to indefinable (or maybe it's just the hour) and pretty special. Urban, folk, klezmer, jazz all stirred together into an enticing mix. K.T. Tunstall provides guest vocals on a couple of tracks. Try it and see.

Burning Spear - Freeman - 5046729742

This was issued in 2003 and, according to his website, it’s the latest album of new material from one of reggae’s most enduring stars. Perhaps he owes his longevity in the business to his approach which, even by Jamaican standards, you have to say is, well, relaxed, with some splendidly simple songs. At least, the overall effect is one of simplicity but a more attentive listen soon brings out the wonderful phrase-end flourishes that lift the melody and keep the whole thing moving.

If repeated references to Marcus Garvey and Haile Salassie irritate you, then you’re probably not a reggae fan anyway but there’s a fair dose of righteous consciousness on this album which may deter some. I suppose that’s a bit like complaining about a blues album which bangs on about women doing men wrong. It’s effortlessly good.

UNKLE - Never, Never Land - Island/Mo Wax - 986 554-3

Minus DJ Shadow, this is the second outing of James Lavelle’s orchestrated trip-hop behemoth, UNKLE. Never, Never Land is an album with a vastly different outlook to its predecessor, 1998’s Psyence Fiction. Gone is the ‘Shadowesque’ eccentricity so apparent in UNKLE’s first outing, instead replaced with a far greater focus on melody.

The guest appearances are still present, although their input serves to aid the album’s cohesion as oppose to undermining it. Josh Homme (Queens of the Stone Age), 3D (Massive Attack), and Ian Brown all make worthwhile contributions which maintain the standard of quality you might associate with such artists.

If you were seeking for a soundtrack to set a dark, provocative, and occasionally awe-inspiring film to, this would be it. It has tracks for establishing the equilibrium, disrupting it, subverting it, and establishing a new one, and makes Never, Never Land an album immense in stature.

Robert Plant and Strange Sensation - Mighty Rearranger SANCD356

I've resisted reviewing this as it's been given so much coverage in the press and, frankly, I'm taking a little heat for it among some acquaintances. However it's rarely out of the CD player at the moment. As my neighbour said, it's what Led Zeppelin would sound like now if they were still together and doing great things. And what you think of that should determine whether you listen to it or not. A lot of rhythm, eastern promise, relentless drive...Another Tribe and the title track are among the best in my view. The Guardian review said in his heyday he was not so much a frontman, more a singing erection. He's looking a little droopy these days, but the voice still has it...

(By the way my neighbours work colleague's sister is married to the guitarist. My but it's a small world ...)

Cover Me

I've more than occasionally referred to my penchant for cover versions on here (and I feel been in receipt of some silent derision for it - but then I'm professionally paranoid!) However in the hope of yet making converts I should alert you to Coverville a weekly podcast from the states which unearths some great re-interpretations and shines new light on the old and familiar. Go on, give it a try....

If this site ever gathers momentum, a podcast is the next obvious step. We could circumnavigate the globe...

James Brown - Black Caesar Soundtrack - Polydor 517135; Bernard Purdie - Lialeh Soundtrack - Lita 003

I don’t often buy soundtracks, but I can understand why people buy albums like The Sound of Music or The Benny Goodman Story in enormous quantities. (Perhaps RL might put in a good word for Lift to the Scaffold - see Comments). I’ve had two soundtracks of early 1970s Blaxploitation films for decades; The Final Comedown by Grant Green and The Dynamite Brothers by Charles Earland. Last year, I bought two more, doubling my soundtrack collection.

Much of Black Caesar, from 1974, was written and arranged by Fred Wesley, and much of the music clearly relates to the presumed plot; tracks like Paying The Cost to be The Boss and Down and Out in New York City have obvious connections. Other tracks are less plot-related but do stand up without the film; in particular Brown’s new take on Memphis Slim’s Messin’ with the Blues (which he had already recorded in 1957), has some fine Ellington-style piano playing from him. Brown rarely recorded on piano, so any of the few tracks he made are valuable.

The 1973 soundtrack to Lialeh used to be an incredibly rare item only affordable by Acid Jazz DJs. It has been reissued by an obscure Seattle label, so it looks like the CD will become rare soon. Apparently Lialeh was the first Blaxploitation porn film. The soundtrack is not only very good soul jazz but the inclusion of a very New Orleans funereal version of Pass Me Not, Oh Gentle Saviour reveals, astoundingly, that the film must have had a plot!

Purdie and his band actually performed in the film, in a club scene; there’s a shot on the cover of him trying to play drums with a naked lady grabbing him. Oh, the trials of a jazz musician! - AM