Getting Caught Up on Some CD Reviews

We get so many CDs at CoolCleveland to review, sometimes we get backed up on them. We try to do at least one review a week, usually tying it in with a performance of some sort. A lot of great stuff gets lost in the shuffle, and we feel bad when we miss out on reviewing a good piece of music.
Cleveland is filled with talented musicians, no matter what the style or genre. From jazz to hip hop to polka to ethnic to classic rock to grunge to show tunes and what ever else can be put on a disk, someone in Northern Ohio can do it well. So instead of doing an in depth review of one CD this week, I thought I'd go through the stacks of CDs that have arrived over the last year or two, pick out a few of the better ones, and make a comment about each. Here we go…
Ki Allen has been doing jazz and blues around Cleveland for years. The talented singer did a CD with veteran guitarist Bob Fraser called "Calling Card" and it is filled with great versions of some jazz and show standards. She will be playing around town all summer, check out her schedule at www.kiallen.net.
Jaclyn Bradley will be doing everything this summer from giving voice lessons to singing the national anthem at Lake Erie Crusher games. The very talented vocalist has a CD out "Hollywood Be Thy Name," which she recorded in Los Angeles before returning to her hometown of Cleveland. Check more out about Jaclyn at www.jaclynbradley.com.
Unsparing Sea, a group consisting of cellos, accordion, and harp, as well as guitars, keyboards, and drums, have gotten some good regional press for "In Diamond Caverns," which they released late last year on Broke.Tusk.Collective, a local indie label. A lot of talent in this band, check them out at www.unsparingsea.com.
Motter Flynn is a group of college age kids from the southwest suburbs who have out a CD titled "Rigate Pitygraphs." They are good singer songwriters, with a touch of everyone from Dave Matthews to Tom Petty in their music. Check them out at www.motterflynn.com.
Joshua Smith, a flutist with the Cleveland Orchestra, has released "J.S. Bach Flute Sonatas," a solo project along with harpsichordist Jory Vinikour. Smith is very talented, and this disk would make great dinner time music in anyone's home. It is a national release on California classic label Delos Productions.
One of the more unique CDs we received is "Russian Duo," which features traditional Russian chamber and folk music played by Oleg Kruglyakov on the balalaika (a Siberian version of an acoustical guitar), and Terry Boyarsky on piano. Check them out at www.russianduo.com. They will be playing all over the place this summer and fall.
Joe's Garage is a North Ridgeville quartet whose CD "Lost in Overdale" is filled with strong ballads and musicianship. Check them out at myspace.com/joe39sgarage.
Dan Miraldi will be playing the Winchester on July 3 in support of his CD "Thirsty." He's a recent college grad who has been a part of the Cleveland music scene since high school. Watch out for this guy, this CD is really good, at times he sounds like a 70's folk rocker, other times like a young Elvis Costello. Check him out at www.danmiraldi.com.
Josh Rzepka is a very talented, classically trained trumpeter from Akron, via Oberlin College and Boston University. His first CD is "Midwest Coast," features local legend Jackie Warren on keyboards, and has 10 original tunes covering jazz styles from Latin America to Harlem. Another great CD from a very talented young man with a great future.
Frigid Touch is the latest project of techno singer/songwriter Christopher Foldi. Recorded on his Macintosh Powerbook, the disk features ten original tracks and a great cover of the Classic IV's "Spooky." Yet another talented guy who has a bright future, check Christopher Foldi and his various musical projects out at www.frigidtouch.com.

Kris Kristofferson at Kent Stage 8 June 2010

Over the last several years there have been more than a few outstanding solo shows put on by icons of popular music in a variety of local venues. Nils Lofgren was outstanding at the Winchester; Karla Bonoff was just as good at both the Winchester and the Kent Stage. Three of the best were Nick Lowe at the Beachland; J.D. Souther at Nighttown; and Ray Davies this past winter at the Palace Theater in downtown Lorain. To that list of very enjoyable shows you could add Kris Kristofferson's solo performance last Wednesday at the Kent Stage in downtown Kent.
The 73 year old singer songwriter took the stage for two sets, 37 songs in all including encores. Dressed in simple black and accompanying himself on a guitar and harmonica, Kristofferson sang songs from all eras of his career, rock hits and country hits, and songs off recent albums that are just as good but do not get any radio airplay.
He took each song on its own, ad-libbing a lyric or two, occasionally making a comment. He forgot a lyric or two and made fun of himself for doing it, and the guitar playing was far from slick, but the songs and the singing was sincere and honest. The songs from his 2006 release "Closer to the Bone" stood out, including the title song and "From Here to Forever." But the audience came to hear the great songs that make up the Kristofferson song book, and he delivered soulful versions of them all, including "Me and Bobby McGee," "Don't Tell Me How the Story Ends," "Sunday Morning Coming Down," "For the Good Times," and at least a dozen others that were hits for mostly other performers.
The Kent Stage has really picked up their bookings and have a lot of good shows coming up including Mary Chapin Carpenter on July 10, and Brandi Carlile on July 25. For information or to buy tickets for all Kent stage shows visit www.kentstage.org. (photo courtesy of Google images)

70Lewis "East Coast Sunday Morning" 2010

70 Lewis, a four piece band from Lakewood who has been making a name for itself on the local music scene, have recently released their first CD “East Coast Sunday Morning.” Recorded at Lava Room Recording and featuring 12 original songs, the CD has a very professional feel to it, and features the band’s sound of guitars, piano, a bit of a horn, and some pretty good vocals and harmonies.
70 Lewis is Mike Gray (vocals, piano), Scott Young (guitars, vocals), Chris Hoffman (drums) and Kenny Kerns (bass, keyboards, and horns).
Amongst the highlights are “Hurricane” that shows off Gray’s vocal range; “Winter,” that shows off both his vocals and piano skills; and “Underwater and Divided” which has a British Invasion beat to it. I really enjoyed the tracks that featured Kerns’ horn playing; maybe my only criticism of this fine album is that they didn’t use it enough.
After listening to this CD several times, I got more impressed by it each time. This band has got some potential, I’m anxious to see them play live some place this summer. This Friday, May 28, they will be playing at the House of Blues at 8:00. On Friday, June 18, they will be at Fat Fish Blue. For more about 70 Lewis and their music visit www.myspace.com/70lewis.
A special nod to the band for thanking in the liner notes, amongst many, the Lakewood City Schools music program. So many of Cleveland’s working musicians have come out of that program, with Colin Dussault and Denis DeVito immediately coming to mind. It’s good to see successful people credit their teachers, it doesn’t happen enough.

Last Mass at St. Barbara's 9 May 2010

Shelby Lynne at the Beachland Ballroom 5.5.10

Shelby Lynne had to compete with something huge last Wednesday at the Beachland, herself and the last show she did there. At the time she was supporting her Dusty Springfield tribute album “Just a Little Lovin’,” and that show was one of the best I have ever seen at the Beachland. This time around she’s touring in support of her new album of original songs “Tears, Lies, and Alibis,” and I was worried that show would be a bit of a letdown.
Fortunately, for the most part, it wasn’t. Lost in all the good publicity and vibe she got from the Springfield tribute album was the fact that Shelby Lynne is a great singer/songwriter whose own work stands very well on its own. Last Wednesday’s show featured songs from the new album, the best of her older original music, and one song from the Dusty album. Backed by only a guitar and bass, each one was slightly stripped down and that suited the almost capacity crowd fine. The new songs sounded very good, including a couple of heartbreaking ballads “Alibi” and “Like a Fool”; a tribute to mobile homes “Airstream”; and a nod to whiskey drinkers “Old #7.” The highlights of her older tunes were “Where I’m From” (“I’m never far away from an Alabama state of mind”), and “When Johnny met June.” She closed the show with the only song she did from the Springfield album, her haunting version of “You Don’t Have to Say You Love Me,” with her doing the first verse acappella. All of it was wonderful.
After years of bouncing around record labels, she put the new album out on her own. I wish her good luck with it, she definitely deserves it. The only negative of the evening where the self centered jerks in the audience who thought they had a personal one on one relationship with Shelby Lynne, yelling out “I Love You’s” and requests, even while she was telling a story between songs. Where do these idiots come from? Haven’t they ever been to a concert before?
For more about Shelby Lynne and her music visit www.shelbylynne.com. As always, there is a number of great show coming to the Beachland, especially over the next few weeks, including Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Wanda Jackson on May 13; the Reverend Horton Heat with Cracker on May 16; Crash Test Dummies on May 18; and Wayne “The Train” Hancock on May 19. Looking ahead to the summer, they just announced blues diva Marcia Ball on August 19.

Skitzki CD by Matthew Skitzki 2009

Pianist Matthew Skitzki’s self titled 2009 solo release features ragtime, 60’s jazz, several standards, and some very good originals. Amongst the highlights are his ragtime original “Gnarled River Rage”; a good interpretation of Thelonias Monk’s “Straight, No Chaser”; and solid versions of “Moonlight in Vermont” and “Love for Sale” backed with Roger Hines on bass and Elijah Vazquez on drums. Skitzki, who is a graduate student in music at Cleveland State, can be seen around town doing a variety of gigs, whether as a solo jazz pianist at a wedding to a recent recital of classical standards as part of his Masters program. He is a part of the Tower PressFest! Cleveland Summer Music Series, which takes place the first Friday of every summer month at Café Artefino in the Tower Press Building, 1900 Superior Ave. He will be performing from 6 p.m.-7p.m. on both May 7 and June 4. For more about Matthew Skitzki and his music visit www.MatthewSkitzki.com. For more about the Tower PressFest! visit www.TowerPress.com, and for more info on events at Café Artefino visit www.cafeartefino.com.

"Gay Marshall Sings Piaf: La Vie L'Amour" 2009

Gay Marshall is, amongst many things, a Cleveland original, even though she hasn't lived here for years. She is a much of a product of the arts scene in our city as anyone who has gone on to big things. She started taking acting classes at the Cleveland Playhouse when she was nine, went away to boarding school and college, then returned to start her singing career at various venues around town before leaving for Paris, where she lived for twenty years.

She has done Broadway, cabaret, the French production of "Cats," one-woman shows, and recordings including a cast recording of a revival of Jacques Brel is Alive and Well.

After discovering Edith Piaf years ago in a book while on vacation, after doing her music on stage on and off for years, late last year Marshall released "Gay Marshall Sings Piaf: La Vie L'Amour," and it is a wonderful piece of music. The disk includes nineteen Piaf standards, some in French, some in English, some switching back and forth between the two languages. Marshall is very talented; she doesn't have to try to sound like Piaf, her own voice and her phrasing ability get the job done. The band behind her is almost perfect for the material, with piano and accordions, a touch of violin and clarinet, and cello, bass and drums. The album has gotten great revues, and has spent time on Billboard's World Music Chart.

Gay Marshall will be in Cleveland on Friday, May 7, to record a live album of New Orleans style jazz and blues at Nighttown in Cleveland Heights. It should be a great night of music from a wonderful singer.