Album Reviews

The relationship between Jewish-Americans and African Americans has been long, complicated, confusing, controversial and not without reciprocal animosity. Yet, clearly as this fascinating collection of African-American artists singing Jewish songs demonstrates, there’s also been a lot of mutual love and support.

As a talent scout, bluesman John Mayall has no equal. Everyone knows he 'discovered' Eric Clapton and that the Blues Breakers album (Decca SKL 4804) became a best seller and a classic, but the list of Mayall discoveries and/or early accomplices is astonishing: John McVie (Fleetwood Mac), Peter Green (Fleetwood Mac), Mick Taylor (Rolling Stones), David O' List (The Nice), Andy Fraser (Free) and more recently (though still 25+ years ago!) Coco Montoya and Walter Trout.

The British progressive rock group Gentle Giant never achieved exalted status among the genre's aficionados, though they were well respected and their following was loyal and vociferous. When I was on "free form" FM radio in the mid 1970s I'd get calls from fans requesting Gentle Giant, but when I played through the albums, I heard nothing that I thought would grab listeners.  Listening today to this and to Free Hand (ALLUGV03)—the two albums falling midway in their recording career— makes clear why that was so,  and why they are deserving of a second listen almost forty years later. 

How many Diana Krall albums does one need? That's a personal decision of course. However, if you have more than three but no Shirley Horn albums in your collection, you have a few too many. Ditto Sarah Vaughan, Ella, etc. That's not meant as a slight against Krall. In fact I think she'd probably agree with me.

It's an unacceptable prejudice and this review has nothing to do with me, but I admit to having had a problem with Lionel Hampton because he was a Nixon supporter. Isn't that ridiculous? I mean having a problem with it, not that Hamp supported tricky Dick. His politics are his of course, but this prejudice took hold during the 1970s.

It's easy to understand why some youngsters don't get Dylan. Everybody sings like him now but no one did back then and at first only a few could take the unadorned voice (referencing the Dylan on these old recordings, not the current croaker).

Glen Rock New Jersey is a small town in Northern Bergen County.